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

By setting a protective electrode on the thin film transistor layer of the OLED display, setting it around the circumference of the electrode to form a protective cavity, the problem of the aluminum alloy anode being easily corroded during the Line-Bank production process is solved, effectively protecting the circumference of the electrode, and avoiding the display problem of dark spot abnormalities.

CN114864638BActive Publication Date: 2025-06-27SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS SEMICON DISPLAY TECH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202210395033.5
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-04-14
Publication Date
2025-06-27
Estimated Expiration
2042-04-14

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Anodes made of aluminum alloys and other materials are prone to corrosion during the Line-Bank production process of OLED displays, resulting in display problems with dark spots.

Method used

A protective electrode is provided on the thin film transistor layer and arranged around the circumference of the electrode to form a protective cavity to prevent corrosion caused by contact with the developer and the electrode.

Benefits of technology

It effectively prevents corrosion on the peripheral side of the electrode, avoids display problems with dark spots, and improves the reliability and display quality of the OLED display.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

An embodiment of the present application discloses a display panel, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device. The display panel includes a substrate, a thin film transistor layer, a first electrode layer disposed on the thin film transistor layer, and a pixel definition layer. The first electrode layer includes a plurality of electrodes. A protection electrode is disposed between one of the electrodes and the pixel definition layer. The protection electrode is disposed around the periphery of the electrode. By disposing a protection electrode on the thin film transistor layer between the electrode and the pixel definition layer, and the protection electrode is disposed around the periphery of the electrode, the periphery of the electrode can be protected by the protection electrode, thereby avoiding the problem that the developer contacts the periphery of the electrode during the manufacturing process of the linear dam, resulting in corrosion of the periphery of the electrode.
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Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) displays have been widely used due to their advantages such as ultra-high contrast ratio, wide color gamut, fast response, and active light emission. As the sizes of OLED displays and OLED TVs continue to increase, in order to reduce the printing difficulty of the light-emitting layer, OLED displays usually adopt a Line-Bank structure.

[0003] Currently, to avoid the problem of abnormal display with dark spots caused by foreign objects easily generated between the light-emitting layer and the anode, the anode material is replaced from materials such as silver to materials such as aluminum alloy. However, aluminum alloy will be immersed in the developer during the production process of Line-Bank, which easily causes corrosion in the area around the anode. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present application provide a display panel, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device to solve the technical problem that the periphery of the anode made of materials such as aluminum alloy is prone to corrosion during the production process of Line-Bank.

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide a display panel, including:

[0006] A substrate;

[0007] A thin-film transistor layer disposed on the substrate;

[0008] A first electrode layer disposed on the thin-film transistor layer, including a plurality of electrodes;

[0009] A pixel definition layer disposed on the thin-film transistor layer, including a plurality of openings corresponding to each of the electrodes one by one;

[0010] An organic light-emitting layer disposed at least on the first electrode layer corresponding to the opening;

[0011] A second electrode layer disposed on the organic light-emitting layer;

[0012] Wherein, a protection electrode is disposed on the thin-film transistor layer between one of the electrodes and the pixel definition layer, and the protection electrode surrounds the periphery of the electrode.

[0013] In the display panel provided by the embodiments of the present application, the electrode includes an electrode body disposed on the thin-film transistor layer and an oxidation protection sub-layer disposed on the electrode body;

[0014] In one of the electrodes and the corresponding protection electrode, the protection electrode is connected to the oxidation protection sub-layer to form a protection cavity, and the electrode body is disposed in the protection cavity.

[0015] In the display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application, the plurality of electrodes include a plurality of anodes, the plurality of openings include a plurality of first openings corresponding to the anodes one by one, the plurality of protection electrodes include a plurality of first protection electrodes, and a first protection electrode is disposed between one of the anodes and the pixel defining layer on the thin film transistor layer;

[0016] The first protection electrode includes a vertical portion disposed on the thin film transistor layer and connected to the side of the oxidation protection sub-layer, and a horizontal portion horizontally extending from the vertical portion toward the first opening, and at least a part of the horizontal portion is disposed on the oxidation protection sub-layer.

[0017] In the display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application, in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, the thickness of the horizontal portion is less than the thickness of the organic light-emitting layer.

[0018] In the display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application, the plurality of electrodes include a plurality of auxiliary cathodes, the plurality of openings include a plurality of second openings corresponding to the auxiliary cathodes one by one, the plurality of protection electrodes include a plurality of second protection electrodes, and a second protection electrode is disposed between one of the auxiliary cathodes and the pixel defining layer on the thin film transistor layer;

[0019] A bottom-cut opening is formed in a side wall of the second opening between the pixel defining layer and the auxiliary cathode. The organic light-emitting layer includes a first sub-portion disposed on the pixel defining layer and a second sub-portion disposed on the auxiliary cathode. The first sub-portion and the second sub-portion are spaced apart. The second electrode layer is disposed on the first sub-portion, the second sub-portion, and the auxiliary cathode and is electrically connected to the auxiliary cathode.

[0020] In the display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application, in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, the thickness of the second protection electrode is greater than the thickness of the auxiliary cathode;

[0021] The bottom-cut opening corresponds to the second protection electrode. The second electrode layer is disposed on the first sub-portion, the second sub-portion, and the auxiliary cathode, and the second electrode layer passes through the bottom-cut opening and is electrically connected to the second protection electrode.

[0022] In the display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application, the second protection electrode includes a protection section disposed on the thin film transistor layer and a connection section extending from the protection section away from the thin film transistor layer. The protection section is connected to the side of the oxidation protection sub-layer of the auxiliary cathode. The undercut opening is correspondingly disposed for the connection section, and the second electrode layer passes through the undercut opening and is electrically connected to the connection section.

[0023] In the display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application, in the direction parallel to the substrate, the depth range of the undercut opening is 2um to 5um.

[0024] In the display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application, the material of the protection electrode includes at least one of molybdenum-titanium alloy and titanium.

[0025] The present application also provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, including the following steps:

[0026] Provide a substrate and form a thin film transistor layer on the substrate;

[0027] Form a first electrode layer and a protection electrode on the thin film transistor layer. The first electrode layer includes a plurality of electrodes, and the protection electrode is disposed around the periphery of the electrodes;

[0028] Form a pixel definition layer on the thin film transistor layer. The pixel definition layer is formed with openings corresponding to each of the electrodes. A protection electrode is provided between one of the electrodes and the pixel definition layer;

[0029] Form an organic light-emitting layer at least on the first electrode layer, and form a second electrode layer on the organic light-emitting layer.

[0030] Correspondingly, the present application also provides a display device, and the display device includes the display panel as described in the previous embodiment.

[0031] In the embodiment of the present application, by providing a protection electrode disposed on the thin film transistor layer between the electrode and the pixel definition layer, and the protection electrode is disposed around the periphery of the electrode, the periphery of the electrode can be protected by the protection electrode, thereby avoiding the problem that the periphery of the electrode is corroded due to the contact between the developer and the periphery of the electrode during the manufacturing process of the linear partition. Description of the Drawings

[0032] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0033] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0034] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of the manufacturing method of the display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0035] Figures 3 to 9 It is a structural flowchart of the manufacturing method of the display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application. Specific embodiments

[0036] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present application. In addition, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present application, and are not used to limit the present application. In the present application, unless otherwise stated, the orientation terms such as "upper" and "lower" usually refer to the upper and lower in the actual use or working state of the device, specifically the drawing direction in the accompanying drawings; and "inner" and "outer" refer to the outline of the device.

[0037] The embodiment of the present application provides a display panel, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device. The following will be described in detail respectively. It should be noted that the description order of the following embodiments does not limit the preferred order of the embodiments.

[0038] Please refer to Figure 1 , the embodiment of the present application provides a display panel, including:

[0039] Substrate 100;

[0040] Thin film transistor layer 200, disposed on the substrate 100;

[0041] First electrode layer 300, disposed on the thin film transistor layer 200, including a plurality of electrodes;

[0042] Pixel definition layer 400, disposed on the thin film transistor layer 200, including a plurality of openings corresponding to each of the electrodes one by one;

[0043] Organic light emitting layer 500, disposed at least on the first electrode layer 300 corresponding to the opening;

[0044] Second electrode layer 600, disposed on the organic light emitting layer 500;

[0045] Wherein, a protection electrode 700 is provided between one of the electrodes and the pixel definition layer 400, and the protection electrode 700 is disposed around the periphery of the electrode on the thin film transistor layer 200.

[0046] It can be understood that in order to avoid the problem of abnormal display of dark spots caused by foreign matters easily generated between the light-emitting layer and the anode in the OLED display, the anode material is replaced from materials such as silver to materials such as aluminum alloy. However, aluminum alloy will be immersed in the developer during the production process of the Line-Bank, which is likely to cause corrosion in the peripheral area of the anode. In this embodiment, by providing a protection electrode 700 on the thin film transistor layer 200 between the electrode and the pixel definition layer 400, and the protection electrode 700 is disposed around the periphery of the electrode, the periphery of the electrode can be protected by the protection electrode 700, thereby avoiding the problem of corrosion of the periphery of the electrode caused by the contact between the developer and the periphery of the electrode during the production process of the linear dam.

[0047] It should be noted that the material of the protection electrode 700 is not easily corroded by the developer. Specifically, the material of the protection electrode 700 may include at least one of molybdenum-titanium alloy and titanium; in addition, the protection electrode 700 can be disposed around the periphery of the electrode according to the specific shape of the electrode and be attached to the side of the electrode.

[0048] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 , the electrode includes an electrode body 301 disposed on the thin film transistor layer 200, and an oxidation protection sub-layer 302 disposed on the electrode body 301;

[0049] In one of the electrodes and the corresponding protection electrode 700, the protection electrode 700 is connected to the oxidation protection sub-layer 302 to form a protection cavity, and the electrode body 301 is disposed in the protection cavity.

[0050] It can be understood that in order to avoid the surface of the electrode being corroded due to the immersion of the electrode in the developer during the production process of the Line-Bank, the surface of the electrode is oxidized, so that the electrode includes an electrode body 301 disposed on the thin film transistor layer 200 and an oxidation protection sub-layer 302 disposed on the electrode body 301, thereby avoiding the corrosion of the surface of the electrode through the protection of the oxidation protection sub-layer 302. At the same time, the protection electrode 700 is connected to the oxidation protection sub-layer 302 to form a protection cavity, and the electrode body 301 is disposed in the protection cavity, thereby surrounding the surface and the periphery of the electrode body 301 to avoid the corrosion of the electrode body 301.

[0051] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 8 andFigure 9 Among them, the multiple electrodes include multiple anodes 310, the multiple openings include multiple first openings 410 corresponding to the anodes 310 one by one, the multiple protection electrodes 700 include multiple first protection electrodes 710, and a first protection electrode 710 is disposed between an anode 310 and the pixel defining layer 400 and is located on the thin film transistor layer 200;

[0052] The first protection electrode 710 includes a vertical portion 711 disposed on the thin film transistor layer 200 and connected to the side of the oxidation protection sub-layer 302, and a horizontal portion 712 horizontally extending from the vertical portion 711 toward the first opening 410, and at least a part of the horizontal portion 712 is disposed on the oxidation protection sub-layer 302.

[0053] It can be understood that the first protection electrode 710 includes a vertical portion 711 disposed on the thin film transistor layer 200 and connected to the side of the oxidation protection sub-layer 302, that is, the protection cavity can be formed by connecting with the oxidation protection sub-layer 302 through the vertical portion 711 to protect the electrode body 301. Obviously, the first protection electrode 710 further includes a horizontal portion 712 horizontally extending from the vertical portion 711 toward the first opening 410, and at least a part of the horizontal portion 712 is disposed on the oxidation protection sub-layer 302, which can further increase the fitting area with the oxidation protection sub-layer 302 and achieve a better protection effect on the electrode body 301.

[0054] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 100, the thickness of the horizontal portion 712 is less than the thickness of the organic light emitting layer 500.

[0055] It can be understood that the thickness of the horizontal portion 712 is less than the thickness of the organic light emitting layer 500, that is, at the position of the first opening 410, the organic light emitting layer 500 can completely cover the side surface of the horizontal portion 712, thereby avoiding the short circuit between the second electrode layer 600 on the organic light emitting layer 500 and the anode 310 through the horizontal portion 712.

[0056] In one embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 Among them, the multiple electrodes include multiple auxiliary cathodes 320, the multiple openings include multiple second openings 420 corresponding to the auxiliary cathodes 320 one by one, the multiple protection electrodes 700 include multiple second protection electrodes 720, and a second protection electrode 720 is disposed between an auxiliary cathode 320 and the pixel defining layer 400 and is located on the thin film transistor layer 200;

[0057] A bottom cut opening 430 is formed in a sidewall of the second opening 420 and is located between the pixel defining layer 400 and the auxiliary cathode 320. The organic light-emitting layer 500 includes a first sub-part 510 disposed on the pixel defining layer 400 and a second sub-part 520 disposed on the auxiliary cathode 320. The first sub-part 510 and the second sub-part 520 are spaced apart. The second electrode layer 600 is disposed on the first sub-part 510, the second sub-part 520, and the auxiliary cathode 320 and is electrically connected to the auxiliary cathode 320.

[0058] It can be understood that the first electrode layer 300 includes the auxiliary cathode 320 and the anode 310. The auxiliary cathode 320 and the anode 310 are disposed on the same layer and are integrally formed by the same process. The second protection electrode 720 is used to connect with the oxidation protection sub-layer 302 of the auxiliary cathode 320 to form the protection cavity, so as to protect the electrode body 301 of the auxiliary cathode 320, thereby preventing the periphery of the auxiliary cathode 320 from being immersed in the developer and being corroded.

[0059] It should be noted that currently, in an OLED display device, the cathode layer is usually made of relatively thin metallic silver, resulting in a relatively large resistivity of the cathode layer, thereby causing a large difference between the actual driving voltage and the power supply voltage of the OLED display device, and large-area brightness non-uniformity in a large-size OLED display device. In this embodiment, by forming a bottom cut opening 430 in the sidewall of the second opening 420 and being located between the pixel defining layer 400 and the auxiliary cathode 320, the organic light-emitting layer 500 is disconnected at the position of the bottom cut opening 430, forming a first sub-part 510 on the pixel defining layer 400 and a second sub-part 520 on the auxiliary cathode 320, so as to facilitate the second electrode layer 600 to pass through between the first sub-part 510 and the second sub-part 520 and be electrically connected to the auxiliary cathode 320, thereby reducing the overall resistivity of the second electrode layer 600, and on the basis of protecting the electrode body 301 of the auxiliary cathode 320, improving the brightness uniformity of the display panel.

[0060] Continuing from the above, in this embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 , in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 100, the thickness of the second protection electrode 720 is greater than the thickness of the auxiliary cathode 320;

[0061] The undercut opening 430 is provided corresponding to the second protection electrode 720. The second electrode layer 600 is disposed on the first sub - portion 510, the second sub - portion 520, and the auxiliary cathode 320, and the second electrode layer 600 passes through the undercut opening 430 and is electrically connected to the second protection electrode 720.

[0062] It can be understood that the thickness of the second protection electrode 720 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 100 is greater than the thickness of the auxiliary cathode 320 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 100, and the undercut opening 430 is provided corresponding to the second protection electrode 720, that is, the undercut opening 430 is provided corresponding to the part of the second protection electrode 720 that is higher than the auxiliary cathode 320, so that the second protection electrode 720 is exposed at the position of the undercut opening 430, facilitating the second electrode layer 600 to pass through the undercut opening 430 and be electrically connected to the second protection electrode 720, enabling the auxiliary cathode 320 to be electrically connected to both the second protection electrode 720 and the auxiliary cathode 320 simultaneously, achieving a better effect of reducing the resistivity.

[0063] Specifically, in this embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 , the second protection electrode 720 includes a protection section 721 disposed on the thin - film transistor layer 200 and a connection section 722 extending from the protection section 721 away from the thin - film transistor layer 200. The protection section 721 is connected to the side of the oxidation protection sub - layer 302 of the auxiliary cathode 320. The undercut opening 430 is provided corresponding to the connection section 722, and the second electrode layer 600 passes through the undercut opening 430 and is electrically connected to the connection section 722.

[0064] It can be understood that the second protection electrode 720 includes a protection section 721 disposed on the thin - film transistor layer 200 and a connection section 722 extending from the protection section 721 away from the thin - film transistor layer 200. The protection section 721 is used to connect with the oxidation protection sub - layer 302 of the auxiliary cathode 320 to form the protection cavity for protecting the electrode body 301 of the auxiliary cathode 320, thereby preventing the periphery of the auxiliary cathode 320 from being immersed in the developer and corroded. The undercut opening 430 is provided corresponding to the connection section 722, facilitating the second electrode layer 600 to pass through the undercut opening 430 and be electrically connected to the connection section 722.

[0065] In this embodiment, when the depth of the undercut opening 430 is small, the organic light-emitting layer 500 cannot be disconnected at the position of the undercut opening 430, which easily causes the overlap failure between the second electrode layer 600 and the auxiliary cathode 320. When the depth of the undercut opening 430 is too large, during the process of fabricating the second electrode layer 600, it is likely that the second electrode layer 600 cannot pass through the undercut opening 430 to be electrically connected to the second protection electrode 720. Specifically, in the direction parallel to the substrate, the depth range of the undercut opening 430 is 2 μm to 5 μm.

[0066] It should be noted that in this embodiment, as Figure 1 , Figures 3 to 9 shown, the thin-film transistor layer 200 may include an active layer 210, a gate insulating layer 220, a first metal layer 230, a first insulating layer 240, a second metal layer 250, a second insulating layer 260, and a planarization layer 270 which are stacked. The first metal layer 230 may include a gate corresponding to the active layer 210. The second metal layer 250 may include a source electrode 251 and a drain electrode 252 connected to both sides of the active layer 210, and a signal trace 253. The drain electrode 252 may be connected to the anode 310, and the signal trace 253 may be connected to the auxiliary cathode 320, which will not be elaborated here.

[0067] This application also provides a method for manufacturing a display panel. Please refer to Figures 2 to 9 , including the following steps:

[0068] Step S100: Provide a substrate 100, and form a thin-film transistor layer 200 on the substrate 100.

[0069] Step S200: Form a first electrode layer 300 and a protection electrode 700 on the thin-film transistor layer 200. The first electrode layer 300 includes a plurality of electrodes, and the protection electrode 700 is disposed around the periphery of the electrodes.

[0070] Among them, the electrode includes an electrode body 301 formed on the thin-film transistor layer 200 and an oxidation protection sub-layer 302 formed on the electrode body 301. In one electrode and the corresponding one protection electrode 700, the protection electrode 700 is connected to the oxidation protection sub-layer 302 to form a protection cavity, and the electrode body 301 is disposed in the protection cavity.

[0071] Step S300: Form a pixel definition layer 400 on the thin-film transistor layer 200. The pixel definition layer 400 is formed with openings corresponding to each of the electrodes, and a protection electrode 700 is provided between one electrode and the pixel definition layer 400.

[0072] Step S400: Form an organic light-emitting layer 500 at least on the first electrode layer 300, and form a second electrode layer 600 on the organic light-emitting layer 500.

[0073] It can be understood that, referring to Figures 5 to 7 , by forming a protection electrode 700 on the thin-film transistor layer 200 on the periphery of the electrode before manufacturing the pixel definition layer 400, and connecting the protection electrode 700 to the oxidation protection sub-layer 302 to form a protection cavity, the electrode body 301 is disposed in the protection cavity, so that the surface and the periphery of the electrode body 301 can be protected, and the problem that the developer contacts the electrode body 301 during the manufacturing process of the linear dam, resulting in corrosion of the periphery of the electrode body 301, can be avoided.

[0074] In this embodiment, referring to FIGS. 3 to Figure 6 , the step S200: The step of forming the first electrode layer 300 and the protection electrode 700 on the thin-film transistor layer 200 includes:

[0075] Form an electrode metal layer 800 on the thin-film transistor layer 200, and form a metal protection layer 900 on the electrode metal layer 800;

[0076] Pattern the electrode metal layer 800 and the metal protection layer 900. After patterning, the electrode metal layer 800 forms the first electrode layer 300. The first electrode layer 300 includes a plurality of electrodes. The electrodes include an electrode body 301 formed on the thin-film transistor layer 200 and an oxidation protection sub-layer 302 formed on the electrode body 301. After patterning, the metal protection layer 900 forms a metal protection portion 910 at the edge of the electrode. The metal protection portion 910 includes a first section 911 located on the electrode and a second section 912 suspended outside the edge of the electrode;

[0077] Use a plasma process to bend the second section 912 in a direction close to the thin-film transistor layer 200 to form the protection electrode 700.

[0078] It should be noted that, as Figure 5As shown, the length of the second section 912 suspended outside the edge of the electrode should be greater than the thickness of the first electrode layer 300, so as to facilitate the second section 912 to bend towards the thin film transistor layer 200 and then contact the thin film transistor layer 200 to wrap the periphery of the electrode. Specifically, the thickness range of the first electrode layer 300 can be 1000 Å to 3000 Å, and the length of the second section 912 is greater than 3500 Å. In addition, for the step of using the plasma process to bend the second section 912 towards the thin film transistor layer 200, the second section 912 can be bombarded by the plasma process to bend the second section 912 towards the thin film transistor layer 200 to wrap the periphery of the protection electrode 700. Specifically, in the plasma process, the plasma power is 400W to 700W, and the plasma pressure is 10mt to 50mt.

[0079] In this embodiment, the multiple electrodes include multiple anodes 310, the multiple openings include multiple first openings 410 corresponding to each anode 310 one by one, the multiple protection electrodes 700 include multiple first protection electrodes 710, and a first protection electrode 710 is provided between an anode 310 and the pixel definition layer 400 on the thin film transistor layer 200; the multiple openings include multiple second openings 420 corresponding to each auxiliary cathode 320 one by one, the multiple protection electrodes 700 include multiple second protection electrodes 720, and a second protection electrode 720 is provided between an auxiliary cathode 320 and the pixel definition layer 400 on the thin film transistor layer 200.

[0080] The first protection electrode 710 includes a vertical portion 711 disposed on the thin film transistor layer 200 and connected to the side of the oxidation protection sub-layer 302, and a horizontal portion 712 horizontally extending from the vertical portion 711 towards the first opening 410, and at least a part of the horizontal portion 712 is disposed on the oxidation protection sub-layer 302.

[0081] It can be understood that in the step S300: forming the protection electrode 700 on the thin film transistor layer 200, after the step of using the plasma process to bend the second section 912 towards the thin film transistor layer 200 to form the protection electrode 700, that is, the first section 911 forms the horizontal portion 712 of the first protection electrode 710, and the second section 912 forms the vertical portion 711 of the first protection electrode 710.

[0082] In this embodiment, the multiple electrodes include multiple auxiliary cathodes 320, the multiple openings include multiple second openings 420 corresponding to the respective auxiliary cathodes 320 one by one, the multiple protection electrodes 700 include multiple second protection electrodes 720, and a second protection electrode 720 located on the thin film transistor layer 200 is provided between an auxiliary cathode 320 and the pixel defining layer 400;

[0083] A bottom cut opening 430 located between the pixel defining layer 400 and the auxiliary cathode 320 is formed on a sidewall of the second opening 420. The organic light emitting layer 500 includes a first sub - part 510 disposed on the pixel defining layer 400 and a second sub - part 520 disposed on the auxiliary cathode 320. The first sub - part 510 and the second sub - part 520 are arranged at intervals. The second electrode layer 600 is disposed on the first sub - part 510, the second sub - part 520, and the auxiliary cathode 320 and is electrically connected to the auxiliary cathode 320.

[0084] It can be understood that, referring to Figures 7 to 8 , after step S400: forming the pixel defining layer 400 on the thin film transistor layer 200, it further includes:

[0085] At least partially etch the first section 911 located at the second opening 420 to form a bottom cut opening 430 on the sidewall of the second opening 420.

[0086] Correspondingly, the present application further provides a display device, and the display device includes a display panel as described in the previous embodiment.

[0087] In summary, in the present application, a protection electrode 700 located on the thin film transistor layer 200 is provided between the electrode and the pixel defining layer 400, and the protection electrode 700 is disposed around the periphery of the electrode. Thus, the periphery of the electrode can be protected by the protection electrode 700, avoiding the problem that the side of the electrode is corroded due to the contact between the developing solution and the side of the electrode during the production of the linear dam.

[0088] The above has introduced the embodiments of the present application in detail. Specific examples are used in this article to elaborate on the principle and implementation manner of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and its core idea of the present application; at the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation manner and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation to the present application.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that, Comprising: A substrate; A thin film transistor layer disposed on the substrate; A first electrode layer disposed on the thin film transistor layer, including a plurality of electrodes; A pixel definition layer disposed on the thin film transistor layer, including a plurality of openings corresponding to each of the electrodes one by one; An organic light emitting layer disposed at least on the first electrode layer corresponding to the opening; A second electrode layer disposed on the organic light emitting layer; Wherein, a protection electrode located on the thin film transistor layer is provided between one of the electrodes and the pixel definition layer. The protection electrode is disposed around the peripheral side of the electrode. The protection electrode includes a vertical portion connected to the side of the electrode and a horizontal portion horizontally extending from the vertical portion towards the opening direction. The horizontal portion is at least partially disposed on the electrode, and the organic light emitting layer completely covers the side surface of the horizontal portion.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein The electrode includes an electrode body disposed on the thin film transistor layer and an oxidation protection sub-layer disposed on the electrode body; In one of the electrodes and the corresponding protection electrode, the protection electrode and the oxidation protection sub-layer are connected to form a protection cavity, and the electrode body is disposed in the protection cavity.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, wherein The plurality of electrodes include a plurality of anodes, the plurality of openings include a plurality of first openings corresponding to each of the anodes one by one, the plurality of protection electrodes include a plurality of first protection electrodes, and a first protection electrode located on the thin film transistor layer is provided between one of the anodes and the pixel definition layer; The first protection electrode includes a vertical portion disposed on the thin film transistor layer and connected to the side of the oxidation protection sub-layer, and a horizontal portion horizontally extending from the vertical portion towards the first opening direction. The horizontal portion is at least partially disposed on the oxidation protection sub-layer.

4. The display panel according to claim 3, wherein In the direction perpendicular to the substrate, the thickness of the horizontal portion is less than the thickness of the organic light emitting layer.

5. The display panel according to claim 3, wherein The plurality of electrodes include a plurality of auxiliary cathodes, the plurality of openings include a plurality of second openings corresponding to each of the auxiliary cathodes one by one, the plurality of protection electrodes include a plurality of second protection electrodes, and a second protection electrode located on the thin film transistor layer is provided between one of the auxiliary cathodes and the pixel definition layer; A bottom cut opening located between the pixel definition layer and the auxiliary cathode is provided on the side wall of the second opening. The organic light emitting layer includes a first sub-layer disposed on the pixel definition layer and a second sub-layer disposed on the auxiliary cathode. The first sub-layer and the second sub-layer are spaced apart. The second electrode layer is disposed on the first sub-layer, the second sub-layer and the auxiliary cathode and is electrically connected to the auxiliary cathode.

6. The display panel according to claim 5, characterized in that, In the direction perpendicular to the substrate, the thickness of the second protection electrode is greater than the thickness of the auxiliary cathode; The bottom cut opening corresponds to the second protection electrode. The second electrode layer is disposed on the first sub-layer, the second sub-layer and the auxiliary cathode, and the second electrode layer passes through the bottom cut opening and is electrically connected to the second protection electrode.

7. The display panel according to claim 6, wherein The second protection electrode includes a protection section disposed on the thin film transistor layer and a connection section extending from the protection section away from the thin film transistor layer. The protection section is connected to a side edge of the oxidation protection sub-layer of the auxiliary cathode. The undercut opening is correspondingly disposed with respect to the connection section. The second electrode layer passes through the undercut opening and is electrically connected to the connection section.

8. The display panel according to claim 5, wherein, In a direction parallel to the substrate, the depth range of the undercut opening is 2 μm to 5 μm.

9. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein The material of the protection electrode includes at least one of molybdenum-titanium alloy and titanium.

10. A method for manufacturing a display panel, characterized in that, It includes the following steps: Providing a substrate and forming a thin film transistor layer on the substrate; Forming a first electrode layer and a protection electrode on the thin film transistor layer. The first electrode layer includes a plurality of electrodes, and the protection electrode is disposed around the periphery of the electrodes; Forming a pixel definition layer on the thin film transistor layer. The pixel definition layer is formed with openings corresponding to each of the electrodes one by one. A protection electrode is disposed between one of the electrodes and the pixel definition layer; Forming an organic light emitting layer at least on the first electrode layer, and forming a second electrode layer on the organic light emitting layer. Among them, the protection electrode includes a vertical portion connected to a side edge of the electrode and a horizontal portion horizontally extending from the vertical portion towards the opening. The horizontal portion is at least partially disposed on the electrode, and the organic light emitting layer completely covers the side surface of the horizontal portion.

11. A display device, characterized in that, The display device includes the display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

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