Flexible display panel, manufacturing method thereof and stretchable display device

Abstract

The application relates to a flexible display panel, which comprises a pixel definition layer, a partition wall and a first electrode. The partition wall is arranged on the pixel definition layer and located in a pixel island area. At least one partition wall is arranged in each pixel island area. The first electrode is arranged on the pixel definition layer. The width of the partition wall continuously decreases or changes discontinuously from top to bottom along the thickness direction of the partition wall. The first electrode comprises a plurality of island patterns corresponding to the pixel island areas and spaced apart by the plurality of partition walls. In this way, the first electrode material on the top surface of the partition wall and the first electrode material on the side wall of the partition wall are connected as a whole, so that the automatic fracture of the first electrode is realized, and a plurality of island patterns spaced apart from each other are formed. The use of a fine metal mask plate is avoided, the production cost is reduced, and the fine metal mask plate does not need to be frequently replaced and cleaned, so that the production efficiency is improved. The application further provides a manufacturing method of the flexible display panel and a stretchable display device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a flexible display panel and its manufacturing method, and a stretchable display device. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with social development and technological progress, users' demands for electronic device displays have become increasingly diversified. Stretchable displays, as one of the important development directions of display devices, have gradually received more and more attention. OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) displays are being used more and more widely due to their advantages such as flexibility and bendability. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a flexible display panel that can avoid the use of fine metal masks during the electrode patterning process, thereby reducing production costs and improving production efficiency.

[0004] According to one aspect of this application, a flexible display panel is provided having a plurality of pixel island regions spaced apart from each other, the flexible display panel comprising:

[0005] Pixel definition layer;

[0006] A partition wall is disposed on the pixel definition layer and located within the pixel island region, wherein at least one partition wall is provided in each pixel island region; and

[0007] The first electrode is disposed on the pixel definition layer;

[0008] Wherein, along the thickness direction of the partition wall, the width of the partition wall continuously decreases or changes intermittently from top to bottom, and the first electrode includes multiple island patterns that correspond one-to-one with the pixel island regions and are separated by multiple partition walls.

[0009] The aforementioned flexible display panel, along the thickness direction of the partition wall, designs the width of the partition wall to continuously decrease or intermittently vary from top to bottom. During the formation of the first electrode using vapor deposition or sputtering processes, this reduces the likelihood of the first electrode material adhering to the sidewall of the partition wall and effectively improves the bonding between the first electrode material on the top surface of the partition wall and the first electrode material on the sidewall. This allows for automatic electrode breakage, forming multiple spaced-apart island patterns. Furthermore, it avoids the use of fine metal photomasks, reducing production costs, and eliminates the need for frequent replacement and cleaning of fine metal photomasks, thus improving production efficiency.

[0010] In some embodiments, the width of the partition wall decreases continuously from the top surface to the bottom surface of the partition wall along the thickness direction.

[0011] In some embodiments, the partition wall has an inverted trapezoidal longitudinal cross-sectional shape in its thickness direction.

[0012] In some embodiments, the partition wall comprises multiple stacked partition layers;

[0013] Along the thickness direction of the partition wall, the width of at least two adjacent partition layers varies discontinuously from top to bottom to form a step;

[0014] The width of the bottom surface of the partition layer that forms the step and is located on the upper layer is greater than the width of the top surface of the partition layer that forms the step and is located on the lower layer.

[0015] In some embodiments, the materials of the two adjacent partition layers constituting the step are the same.

[0016] In some embodiments, the materials of the two adjacent partition layers constituting the step are different.

[0017] In some embodiments, each of the island patterns is located inside the partition wall in the corresponding pixel island region that is closest to the center of the pixel island region.

[0018] In some embodiments, the partition wall is constructed in a continuous ring shape;

[0019] The partition walls located in the same pixel island area include multiple partition walls that are spaced apart from each other and arranged around a corresponding island pattern.

[0020] In some embodiments, an annular partition groove is formed between two partition walls that are spaced apart from each other and adjacent to each other;

[0021] The partition groove has a first end away from the pixel definition layer and a second end close to the pixel definition layer;

[0022] The width of the first end of the partition groove is smaller than the width of the second end of the partition groove.

[0023] In some embodiments, the flexible display panel further includes:

[0024] Substrate;

[0025] A driving layer group is disposed between the substrate and the pixel definition layer, and the driving layer group includes at least two organic functional layers arranged in sequence.

[0026] Multiple electrode traces, wherein the electrode traces are located between two adjacent organic functional layers; and

[0027] Multiple first contact holes and corresponding electrical connection portions disposed within the first contact holes, each of the island patterns being electrically connected to the corresponding electrode trace through the electrical connection portion disposed within the first contact hole.

[0028] In some embodiments, each of the island patterns is electrically connected to the corresponding electrode trace via an electrical connection portion disposed in at least two of the first contact holes.

[0029] In some embodiments, the flexible display panel further includes a second electrode disposed opposite to the first electrode;

[0030] The electrode traces are disposed on the same layer as the second electrode.

[0031] In some embodiments, the driving layer group further includes a thin-film transistor located in the pixel island region, the thin-film transistor including a source electrode and a drain electrode;

[0032] The electrode traces are disposed on the same layer as the source electrode and the drain electrode.

[0033] In some embodiments, the flexible display panel further includes:

[0034] Substrate;

[0035] A driving layer group is disposed between the substrate and the pixel definition layer, the driving layer group comprising an inorganic functional layer and at least two organic functional layers arranged in sequence.

[0036] Multiple electrode traces, the electrode traces including a first portion located between two adjacent organic functional layers, and a second portion located between the inorganic functional layer and an adjacent organic functional layer;

[0037] Multiple first contact holes and corresponding electrical connection portions disposed within each of the first contact holes; each island pattern is electrically connected to the first portion of the corresponding electrode trace via the electrical connection portion disposed within the first contact hole; and

[0038] The encapsulation layer covering the first electrode has an annular isolation groove in the pixel island region that exposes the second portion and the inorganic functional layer. The inorganic material in the encapsulation layer fills the isolation groove and contacts the inorganic functional layer.

[0039] In some embodiments, each of the island patterns is electrically connected to the first portion of the corresponding electrode trace via an electrical connection provided in at least two of the first contact holes.

[0040] In some embodiments, the electrical connection includes a first contact layer that contacts the island pattern and a second contact layer that contacts the electrode trace. The material of the first contact layer is the same as the material of the first electrode, and the material of the second contact layer is the same as the material of the partition wall.

[0041] In some embodiments, the resistivity of the first contact layer material is greater than the resistivity of the second contact layer material.

[0042] In some embodiments, each of the electrode traces is connected to a plurality of the island patterns.

[0043] According to another aspect of this application, a method for manufacturing a flexible display panel is provided, the flexible display panel having a plurality of pixel island regions spaced apart from each other, the manufacturing method comprising:

[0044] A partition wall is formed on the pixel definition layer; wherein the partition wall is located in the pixel island area, and at least one partition wall is provided in each pixel island area, and the width of the partition wall continuously decreases or changes intermittently from top to bottom along the thickness direction of the partition wall.

[0045] A first electrode is formed on the pixel definition layer; wherein the first electrode is patterned with a plurality of island patterns that are spaced apart from each other and correspond one-to-one with the pixel island regions by means of the partition wall.

[0046] According to another aspect of this application, a stretchable display device is provided, comprising a flexible display panel as described in any of the above embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0047] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the state of the first electrode using a fine metal mask in the prior art.

[0048] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible display panel in one embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a flexible display panel according to one embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 4 This is a top view of a partition wall in one embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a partition wall in one embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a partition wall in another embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 7This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the partition wall in another embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the process flow for forming a partition wall in one embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a flexible display panel according to another embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a flexible display panel according to an embodiment of this application.

[0057] Figures 11-15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible display panel in different steps of the manufacturing method of the flexible display panel in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0058] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more complete description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments of this application are shown in the drawings. However, this application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of this application.

[0059] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein in the specification of this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0060] When describing positional relationships, unless otherwise specified, when an element such as a layer, film, or substrate is referred to as being "on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be intermediate elements present. Furthermore, when a layer is referred to as being "below" another layer, it may be directly below it or there may be one or more intermediate layers present. It is also understood that when a layer is referred to as being "between" two layers, it may be the only layer between the two layers, or there may be one or more intermediate layers present.

[0061] When using the terms “including,” “having,” and “comprising” as described herein, another component may be added unless explicitly qualifying terms such as “only,” “consisting of,” etc. are used. Unless otherwise stated, singular terms may include plural forms and should not be construed as having a quantity of one.

[0062] It should be understood that although the terms “first,” “second,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

[0063] It should also be understood that, in interpreting an element, although not explicitly described, the element is interpreted as including a range of error, which should be within the acceptable deviation range of a particular value as determined by a person skilled in the art. For example, "approximately," "about," or "substantially" can mean within one or more standard deviations, without limitation herein.

[0064] Furthermore, in the instruction manual, the phrase "planar distribution diagram" refers to the diagram when the target part is viewed from above, and the phrase "cross-sectional diagram" refers to the diagram when the target part is viewed from the side as a cross-section taken by vertically cutting the target part.

[0065] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are not drawn to a 1:1 scale, and the relative dimensions of the components are shown in the drawings only as examples and not necessarily to actual scale.

[0066] With the rapid development of OLED display panel technology, its flexible and bendable characteristics have led to its widespread application. Compared with traditional TFT-LCD technology, a major advantage of OLED is that it can be made into foldable, rollable, or stretchable products.

[0067] OLED display panels typically consist of several gate lines and several data lines arranged in a cross pattern on a substrate, forming a matrix of display units. Since each display unit contains both thin-film transistors (TFTs) and OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) devices, along with corresponding wiring, it is characterized by high pixel density and dense wiring. Therefore, achieving stretchability / bendability in flexible display panels can easily lead to display defects.

[0068] To address this issue, some related technologies employ an island-bridge structure. Specifically, the substrate may include multiple islands spaced apart from each other, and multiple bridges connecting the multiple islands to each other. For example, in some embodiments, the multiple islands may be repeatedly arranged along a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction to form a grid pattern. Multiple display units may be arranged one-to-one on the multiple islands and encapsulated by a one-to-one corresponding encapsulation unit. Each display unit may include a sub-pixel for emitting red, blue, green, and / or white light, or multiple sub-pixels for emitting different colors of light.

[0069] Each sub-pixel may include a thin-film transistor (TFT) and an OLED structure, with each OLED structure controlled to emit light or not by the TFT. The OLED structure may include at least a first electrode, a second electrode disposed opposite to the first electrode, and an intermediate layer located between the first and second electrodes. Typically, the first electrode is a continuous, single layer used to provide electrons to the OLED structure, and the second electrode may be electrically connected to the source or drain electrode of the TFT.

[0070] To better provide electrons, the first electrode is generally made of a low-power-function metal, or a combination electrode formed by a low-power-function metal and a high-power-function metal with relatively stable chemical properties. For example, metals with low power functions such as silver, lithium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, aluminum, and indium can be used, or it can be made of metal compounds or alloys. However, research has found that, limited by material development, the continuous, single-layer first electrode in existing designs lacks sufficient stress and ductility during bending and stretching of the display panel. This leads to damage to the first electrode during stretching or bending, rendering the corresponding sub-pixels unusable.

[0071] In other related technologies, by patterning the first electrode into multiple interconnected island patterns, the island patterns can form flowing modules when the screen is stretched or bent, thereby preventing the first electrode from breaking or being damaged, and thus improving the stress and ductility of the first electrode. Taking a top-emitting OLED display panel as an example, the film layer of the first electrode cannot be patterned using traditional etching processes; instead, a vapor deposition process with a mask is used. Figure 1As shown, the first electrode material is placed in a vacuum environment. A mask is placed between the cavity for evaporating the first electrode material and the display substrate to be evaporated. The mask has openings corresponding to the areas to be evaporated, while areas not to be evaporated have no openings. The evaporated or sublimated first electrode material adheres to the display substrate to be evaporated through the openings, thereby forming a patterned first electrode. The mask corresponding to each first electrode pattern is a fine metal mask (FMM), or simply a fine mask. However, fine metal masks are very difficult to manufacture, very expensive, and have high production costs. Furthermore, the metal material of the first electrode is prone to sticking to the fine mask, requiring frequent replacement and cleaning, which affects production efficiency.

[0072] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a flexible display panel that can pattern the first electrode into multiple island patterns while avoiding the use of fine metal mask templates, thereby reducing production costs and improving production efficiency.

[0073] The display panel in the embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0074] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible display panel according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 3 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a flexible display panel according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 4 A top view of a partition wall according to one embodiment of this application is shown. For ease of description, the accompanying drawings only show structures relevant to the embodiments of this application.

[0075] Please see the appendix Figure 2 and Figure 3 The flexible display panel 100 disclosed in at least one embodiment of this application has a plurality of pixel island regions 10 spaced apart from each other, and a flexible region 20 disposed between adjacent pixel island regions 10. Specifically, the pixel island regions 10 can be rigid regions, serving as the effective display area of ​​the flexible display panel, and the flexible regions 20 can be stretchable or bendable regions.

[0076] The flexible display panel includes a pixel definition layer 210, partition walls 220, and a first electrode 240. The partition walls 220 are disposed on the pixel definition layer 210 and located within pixel island regions 10, with at least one partition wall 220 in each pixel island region 10. Along the thickness direction of the partition walls 220, the width of the partition walls 220 continuously decreases or varies intermittently from top to bottom. The first electrode 240 includes multiple island patterns corresponding one-to-one with the pixel island regions 10 and spaced apart by the multiple partition walls 220.

[0077] For example, such as Figure 3As shown, along the thickness direction of partition wall 220, the width of partition wall 220 continuously decreases from the top surface to the bottom surface, and the longitudinal cross-sectional shape of partition wall 220 in its thickness direction can be an inverted trapezoid. Of course, in some other embodiments, the longitudinal cross-section of partition wall 220 in its thickness direction can also be other shapes. For example, the side of the longitudinal cross-section can be a continuous curve such as an arc or a parabola, which is not limited here.

[0078] It should be noted that the thickness of partition wall 220 is the distance between the top surface and the bottom surface of partition wall 220. Since partition wall 220 is a three-dimensional structure, it can have different widths at different thickness positions in the longitudinal section perpendicular to the extension direction of partition wall 220. Therefore, the width of partition wall 220 defined in this embodiment can be understood as the width of the orthographic projection of the cross section corresponding to different thickness positions of partition wall 220 on the pixel definition layer 210, that is, the size of the orthographic projection of the cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of partition wall 220.

[0079] It should also be noted that in the manufacturing process of the display panel, the film layers are formed one by one by overlapping. Therefore, the later-formed film layer is considered to be located "above / upper layer" of the earlier-formed film layer. Correspondingly, the earlier-formed film layer is considered to be located "below / lower layer" of the later-formed film layer. Therefore, when a layer is referred to as being "above / upper layer" or "below / lower layer" of another layer, the top and bottom positions at the time of film layer overlap are used as the reference. Thus, in the embodiments of this application, "from top to bottom" refers to the direction from the top surface to the bottom surface of the partition wall 220.

[0080] It is understandable that during the formation of the first electrode 240 by vapor deposition or sputtering, the variable movement direction of metal atoms can easily lead to the formation of the first electrode material on the sidewall of the partition wall 220. Furthermore, the formed first electrode material exhibits good adhesion to the sidewall of the partition wall 220, making it less prone to detachment. The inventors of this application have discovered that by designing the width of the partition wall 220 to continuously decrease or intermittently vary along its thickness direction, the likelihood of the first electrode material adhering to the sidewall of the partition wall 220 can be reduced. Simultaneously, this effectively improves the connection between the first electrode material on the top surface of the partition wall 220 and the first electrode material on the sidewall of the partition wall 220. This allows for the automatic breakage of the first electrode 240, thereby forming multiple intermittent island patterns. This avoids the use of a fine metal mask, reducing production costs, and eliminates the need for frequent replacement and cleaning of the fine metal mask, thus improving production efficiency.

[0081] Taking the partition wall 220 as an example, where the longitudinal cross-sectional shape in the thickness direction is an inverted trapezoid, as follows... Figure 3As shown, on the one hand, the first electrode material from top to bottom cannot be continuously formed on the side wall of the partition wall 220 during sputtering or evaporation. On the other hand, a sharp angle is formed between the top surface and the side wall of the partition wall 220. This sharp angle can cause the first electrode material to break automatically, thereby further preventing the first electrode material on the top surface of the partition wall 220 and the first electrode material on the side wall of the partition wall 220 from becoming one piece.

[0082] In some embodiments, when other film layers, such as encapsulation layer 250, are formed by vapor deposition, the height of the partition wall 220 needs to be substantially the same as the height of the support column (SPC) used to support the mask, taking into account the shadowing effect of the vapor deposition. As a preferred embodiment, the thickness of the partition wall 220 is 0.1 micrometers to 15 micrometers.

[0083] It should be understood that, as mentioned above, the movement direction of metal atoms is uncertain. Although the adhesion between the material of the first electrode 240 and the sidewall of the partition wall 220 is relatively good and not easily detached, there is still a risk that the material of the first electrode on the top surface of the partition wall 220 may become integrated with the material of the first electrode on the sidewall of the partition wall 220. To further address this issue, such as... Figure 4 As shown, in other embodiments, the partition walls 220 are constructed in a continuous ring shape. Multiple partition walls 220 are located within the same pixel island region 10, spaced apart from each other and arranged around a corresponding island pattern. Thus, the multiple partition walls 220 act as "partitions," thereby ensuring the yield of the patterned first electrode 240. For example, each island pattern is located inside the partition wall 220 closest to the center of the corresponding pixel island region 10.

[0084] Furthermore, such as Figure 4 As shown, an annular partition groove 226 is formed between two adjacent annular partition walls 220 that are spaced apart from each other, thereby interrupting the first electrode 240 at the partition groove 226 and increasing the probability of blocking the first electrode 240. Specifically, the partition groove 226 has a first end away from the pixel definition layer 210 and a second end close to the pixel definition layer 210. The width of the first end of the partition groove 226 is smaller than the width of the second end. Thus, since the width of the first end (upper end) of the partition groove 226 is smaller than that of the second end (lower end), the probability of the first electrode 240 entering the partition groove 226 during magnetron sputtering or evaporation is reduced, making the thickness of the first electrode material in this area thinner than the thickness of the first electrode material in other areas. This further reduces the probability of the first electrode material adhering to the sidewall of the partition groove 226, thereby improving the yield of the patterning of the first electrode 240.

[0085] In one implementation, the width of the first end of the partition groove 226 is 0.5 to 1 micrometer, which makes the probability of the first electrode entering the partition groove 226 during magnetron sputtering or vapor deposition reach a low level, thereby further improving the partition probability of the first electrode 240.

[0086] Figure 5 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of a partition wall according to another embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 6 A structural schematic diagram of a partition wall according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the partition wall in another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0087] Meanwhile, etching technology is currently the most mature patterning technique. However, due to limitations in etching materials and equipment, for example, the side wall tilt angle of the "inverted trapezoidal" partition wall 220 cannot be made very small, which may increase the complexity of the manufacturing process or make it more difficult to block the first electrode 240. In some embodiments, such as Figures 5-7 As shown, the partition wall 220 includes multiple stacked partition layers 222. Along the thickness direction of the partition wall 220, the width of at least two adjacent partition layers 222 varies discontinuously from top to bottom to form a step 224. The width of the bottom surface of the upper partition layer 222 forming the step 224 is greater than the width of the top surface of the lower partition layer 222 forming the step 224. Thus, during the top-down vapor deposition or sputtering process to form the first electrode 240, it is difficult to form the first electrode material at the step 224 formed by the partition layers 222, effectively isolating the first electrode material and preventing the first electrode material on the top surface of the partition wall 220 from becoming integrated with the first electrode material on the sidewall of the partition wall 220.

[0088] It should be understood that adjacent partition layers 222 can form steps 224 with openings facing upwards or downwards due to the different widths of their contacting surfaces. For example, in one embodiment, the width of the bottom surface of the upper partition layer 222 forming the step 224 is smaller than the width of the top surface of the lower partition layer 222 forming the step 224, thus forming an upward-facing step 224. However, in actual manufacturing, the first electrode material can still be vapor-deposited or sputtered onto the sidewalls and top surface of the partition layer 222, and there is still a risk that the first electrode 240 cannot be isolated. Therefore, preferably, by adopting the concept of intermittently varying the width of the partition wall 220 in the foregoing embodiment to form a step, the first electrode 240 can be isolated more effectively.

[0089] It is understood that along the thickness direction of the partition wall 220, whether the width of the partition wall 220 continuously decreases or intermittently changes to form steps 224, an etching process can be used. For example, as Figure 3 As shown, the partition wall 220 is made of a metallic material, specifically silver. Along the thickness direction of the partition wall 220, its width continuously decreases from the top surface to the bottom surface. This allows for the use of a mask and a wet etching process to form the partition wall. Specifically:

[0090] like Figure 8 As shown, firstly, a silver film layer 260 with a thickness of 0.1 to 15 micrometers can be formed on the pixel definition layer 210;

[0091] Next, negative photoresist 270 is coated on the silver film layer 260, and then exposure and development are performed;

[0092] Finally, the exposed and developed silver film layer 260 is wet-etched, and the cross-linked negative photoresist 270 is removed, thereby forming a partition wall 220 with an inverted trapezoidal longitudinal section.

[0093] In other embodiments, along the thickness direction of the partition wall 220, the width of at least two adjacent partition layers 222 varies discontinuously from top to bottom to form a step. In this case, the materials of the two adjacent partition layers 222 constituting the step can be the same. For example, as... Figure 5 As shown, two photolithography processes can be used to form a barrier layer with a larger upper layer and a smaller lower layer by changing the exposure range, thus constituting the aforementioned step 224. The manufacturing process is simple and the production cost is low. Specifically, since negative photoresist is easy to shape and has good insulation properties, both the upper and lower inverted trapezoidal barrier layers 222 can be made of negative photoresist. After fabricating the lower barrier layer 222, increasing the exposure range and controlling the linewidth can form two inverted trapezoidal barrier layers 222. Of course, the materials of the two adjacent barrier layers constituting the step can also be different. For example, as... Figure 6 As shown, the partition wall 220 is a laminated structure formed by two titanium film layers and an aluminum film layer located between the two titanium film layers. The width of adjacent partition layers 222 varies discontinuously from top to bottom to form steps. In this case, at least two masks can be used, and a dry etching process and a wet etching process can be employed to form the partition wall. For example, as shown... Figure 7 As shown, the partition wall 220 includes a partition layer 222a formed of organic photosensitive material and a hard mask 222b. The aforementioned steps can be formed along the thickness direction of the partition wall 220 using a positive organic photolithography + hard mask process.

[0094] like Figure 3 and Figure 9As shown, in some embodiments, the flexible display panel 100 further includes a substrate 110. The substrate 110 may include islands of corresponding pixel island regions 10 spaced apart from each other, and bridges connecting adjacent islands and located within the flexible region 20. The multiple islands may be spaced apart by predetermined gaps and may have flat upper surfaces, with sub-pixels respectively disposed above the flat upper surfaces of their respective islands. The multiple islands and multiple bridges may be integrally formed, and the substrate 110 may include a flexible material, i.e., a material that is easily bent, folded, or rolled. Specifically, in some embodiments, the substrate 110 may include flexible materials such as ultrathin glass, metal, or plastic. Specifically, in other embodiments, the substrate 110 may be formed of an elastic and malleable organic material such as polyimide (PI). Of course, the substrate 110 is not limited to polyimide and may include various other elastic and malleable organic materials. It is readily understood that in some embodiments, the bridges may fill the flexible region 20 between adjacent islands; that is, the islands are analogous to multiple spaced-apart protrusions formed on the substrate 110. In other embodiments, the bridges may not completely fill the flexible region 20 between adjacent islands. The bridges may also extend in a plane along a straight line or curve to connect adjacent islands, with open areas between the bridges. Furthermore, the substrate 110 may be a single unit with a mesh pattern. This gives the substrate 110 greater flexibility.

[0095] It is understood that, since the island-shaped portions of the substrate 110 are flexible regions 20, when an external force is applied to the display panel, the flexible regions 20 can be stretched and deformed. For example, multiple bridges can change their shape and increase their length in response to the external force, and can return to their original shape when the external force is removed. In this way, the gap between the multiple island-shaped portions can be changed, and the substrate 110 can change its shape in two or three dimensions. During the stretching or bending process, the shape of the islands can remain unchanged, so that the display units located on the island-shaped portions will not be damaged, thereby enabling the flexible display panel 100 to have the function of stretching or bending.

[0096] In some embodiments, the flexible display panel may further include a driving layer group and a display layer group formed on the substrate 110. The driving layer group includes pixel circuits located in the pixel island region, and the pixel circuits may include thin-film transistors (not shown in the figure). The display layer group may include an OLED structure. The thin-film transistors may include switching thin-film transistors and driving thin-film transistors. It should be noted that the specific structure and principle of the pixel circuits are well known to those skilled in the art and are not the focus of this application, so they will not be described in detail here. Furthermore, for ease of description, only the driving thin-film transistors are shown in the figures; therefore, the driving thin-film transistors will be referred to as thin-film transistors in the following description.

[0097] In some embodiments, see Figure 3 and Figure 9 The flexible display panel also includes multiple electrode traces 170 and multiple first contact holes 180 (see...). Figure 14 The flexible display panel includes an electrical connection portion 260 corresponding to each other within the first contact hole 180, a driving layer group disposed between the substrate 110 and the pixel definition layer 210, and the driving layer group may include at least two organic functional layers stacked sequentially. Electrode traces 170 are located between adjacent organic functional layers. Each island pattern is electrically connected to its corresponding electrode trace 170 via the electrical connection portion 260 within the first contact hole 180, thereby providing voltage through the electrode trace 170. This allows stress to be released from the electrode traces 170 during stretching, improving their tensile and bending resistance, preventing stress-induced breakage, and enhancing the stretchability of the flexible display panel.

[0098] For example, each island pattern is electrically connected to the corresponding electrode trace 170 through an electrical connection portion 260 provided in one of the first contact holes 180. Of course, in order to ensure the reliability of the connection between the island pattern of the first electrode and the electrode trace, each island pattern can be electrically connected to the corresponding electrode trace 170 through electrical connection portions 260 provided in at least two first contact holes 180.

[0099] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 9 As shown, the OLED structure may include the aforementioned first electrode 240, a second electrode 200 disposed opposite to the first electrode 240, and an intermediate layer 230 located between the first electrode 240 and the second electrode 200. Specifically, the first electrode 240 can be electrically connected to the voltage line 150 through the electrode trace 170, and can receive a voltage lower than the voltage applied to the second electrode 200. Taking top-emitting as an example, the first electrode 240 can be a cathode, a transmissive electrode; taking bottom-emitting as an example, the first electrode 240 can be a reflective electrode. The first electrode 240 can be a metal with a low power function, such as silver, lithium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, aluminum, indium, or a single-layer or multi-layer structure formed of metal compounds or alloy materials. The second electrode 200 can be an anode. The thin-film transistor may include a source electrode 136 and a drain electrode 138. The second electrode 200 can be electrically connected to the source electrode 136 or the drain electrode 138 of the thin-film transistor through the conductive material in the second contact hole. The second electrode 200 can be a transparent electrode, a semi-transparent electrode, or a reflective electrode. For example, when the second electrode 200 is a transparent electrode, it may contain materials such as indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide, zinc oxide, indium trioxide, indium potassium oxide, or aluminum zinc oxide. When the second electrode 200 is a reflective electrode, it may contain materials such as silver, magnesium, aluminum, platinum, gold, or nickel.

[0100] In one implementation, the electrode trace 170 can be disposed entirely on the same layer as the second electrode 200. In other embodiments, such as... Figure 3 As shown, electrode trace 170 can be disposed on the same layer as source electrode 134 and drain electrode 136.

[0101] In some embodiments, the intermediate layer 230 includes at least an organic light-emitting layer, which can be formed from low-molecular-weight organic materials or polymeric organic materials. Specifically, the intermediate layer 230 may also include functional film layers such as a hole transport layer, a hole injection layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer. In a specific embodiment, the hole injection layer may be made of a free radical luminescent material to achieve better energy level matching between the hole injection layer and the first electrode 240 and the hole transport layer, effectively improving the hole injection capability and further enhancing the performance of the organic electroluminescent display panel. Of course, the material of the hole injection layer includes, but is not limited to, free radical luminescent materials, such as HAT-CN. The electron injection layer may be made of lithium fluoride, lithium oxide, lithium boron oxide, potassium silicate, cesium carbonate, and metal acetates.

[0102] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 9 As shown, the driving layer group may further include inorganic functional layers and at least two organic functional layers stacked sequentially. The flexible display panel 100 also includes an encapsulation layer 250, which covers the side of the first electrode 240 facing away from the substrate 110. The encapsulation layer 250 may include multiple encapsulation units, each capable of encapsulating the display units of the pixel island region 10. Of course, in some embodiments, the encapsulation layer 250 may also encapsulate the entire surface; this is not limited here. It is easily understood that because the organic light-emitting layer is highly sensitive to external environments such as moisture and oxygen, exposing the organic light-emitting layer in the display panel to an environment containing moisture or oxygen will cause a sharp decline in the performance of the display panel or complete damage. The encapsulation layer 250 can block air and moisture from the organic light-emitting layer, thereby ensuring the reliability of the display panel.

[0103] It is understood that, for the flexible display panel 100, the encapsulation layer 250 can be a thin-film encapsulation layer 250, wherein the thin-film encapsulation layer 250 can be one or more layers, and can be an organic film layer or an inorganic film layer. As a preferred embodiment, the encapsulation layer is a stacked structure of an organic encapsulation film layer and an inorganic encapsulation film layer, where the organic encapsulation film layer provides flexibility, and the inorganic encapsulation film layer serves to isolate water and oxygen. For example, the thin-film encapsulation layer 250 may include two inorganic encapsulation film layers and an organic encapsulation film layer located between the two inorganic encapsulation film layers.

[0104] In some embodiments, such as Figure 9As shown, the electrode trace 170 may include a first portion 172 located between two adjacent organic functional layers, and a second portion 174 located between an inorganic functional layer and an adjacent organic functional layer. Each island pattern is electrically connected to the first portion 172 of the corresponding electrode trace 170 via an electrical connection portion 260 provided in a first contact hole 180. The pixel island region is provided with an annular isolation groove 280 exposing the second portion 174 and the inorganic functional layer. The inorganic encapsulation film material of the encapsulation layer 250 fills the isolation groove 280 and contacts the inorganic functional layer. In this way, an encapsulation structure surrounding the sub-pixel can be formed, which, together with the inorganic functional layer, prevents water and oxygen intrusion, thereby further improving the reliability of the flexible display panel. For example, each island pattern can be electrically connected to the first portion 172 of the corresponding electrode trace via electrical connection portions 260 provided in at least two first contact holes 180 to improve connection reliability.

[0105] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 9 As shown, the electrical connection portion 260 includes a first contact layer 262 that contacts the island pattern and a second contact layer 264 that contacts the electrode trace 170. The material of the first contact layer 262 is the same as that of the first electrode 240, and the material of the second contact layer 264 is the same as that of the partition wall 220. Thus, the second contact layer 264 can be formed within the first contact hole 180 simultaneously with the formation of the partition wall 220, thereby preventing the island pattern from lapping and breaking due to excessive depth of the first contact hole 180, and improving the reliability of the flexible display panel 100. Preferably, the resistivity of the material of the first contact layer 262 is greater than that of the material of the second contact layer 264, meaning the partition wall 220 can be made of a material with lower resistivity. For example, it can be made of at least one of metals such as gold, silver, aluminum, molybdenum, chromium, titanium, nickel, and copper, or an alloy of metals, or it can be made of nanomaterials. This reduces the IR drop of the island pattern connected to different electrode traces 170, minimizes signal loss during transmission, and improves display quality.

[0106] It is worth emphasizing that in embodiments where each island pattern is electrically connected to the corresponding electrode trace 170 via an electrical connection portion 260 disposed within at least two first contact holes 180, the depths of the at least two first contact holes 180 may be exactly the same, partially the same, or different. Based on the different depths of the first contact holes 180, the electrical connection portion 260 may be made of the same conductive material, or, as in the aforementioned embodiments, may employ first contact layers 262 and second contact layers 264 of different materials. For example, in some embodiments, for shallower first contact holes 180, the electrical connection portion 260 may be made of the first electrode material or the same material as the partition wall 220. For deeper first contact holes 180, as described in the aforementioned embodiments, the material of the first contact layer 262 may be the same as the material of the first electrode 240, and the material of the second contact layer 264 may be the same as the material of the partition wall 220.

[0107] It is also understood that the electrical connection portion 260 may be formed of conductive material filling the first contact hole 180, or it may be formed of conductive material covering only the inner wall of the first contact hole 180, or it may be a wire provided in the first contact hole 180, without limitation.

[0108] In some embodiments, each electrode trace 170 is connected to a plurality of island patterns. For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, the pixel island regions are arranged in an array, and the corresponding island patterns are also arranged in an array. Each electrode trace 170 can connect to a row or column of island patterns located in different pixel island regions. In this way, power can be supplied to a single row / column of island patterns, thereby improving the non-uniformity of the island pattern resistance and achieving uniform brightness adjustment.

[0109] To better understand the inventive concept of this application, specific embodiments will be described below.

[0110] In this embodiment, as Figure 3 As shown, the flexible display panel 100 may include a buffer layer 120 disposed on an island-shaped portion of the substrate 110. The buffer layer 120 provides a flat surface on the island-shaped portion and may include organic materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyacrylate, and / or polyimide, forming a layered structure in a single-layer or multi-layer stacked manner. Alternatively, a single-layer or multi-layer stacked layered structure may be formed from silicon oxide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, titanium oxide, or titanium nitride, or a composite layer may include organic material layers and / or inorganic material layers.

[0111] A thin-film transistor is disposed above the buffer layer 120. It can control the emission of each sub-pixel, or the amount emitted when each sub-pixel emits. In some embodiments, the thin-film transistor may include an active layer 132 and a gate electrode 134 (see [link to documentation]). Figure 11 The active layer 132, gate electrode 134, source electrode 136, and drain electrode 138 can sequentially form a top-gate thin-film transistor. Of course, in other embodiments, any other type can be used, such as a bottom-gate thin-film transistor. Specifically, in some embodiments, the active layer 132 may include a semiconductor material, such as amorphous silicon or polycrystalline silicon. In other embodiments, the active layer 132 may also include an organic semiconductor material. In still other embodiments, the active layer 132 may also include an oxide semiconductor material, such as zinc oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide, or cadmium oxide.

[0112] The driving layer group may include a first insulating layer 140, which may cover the active layer 132. Taking a top-gate thin-film transistor as an example, the gate electrode 134 may be formed on the first insulating layer 140 to be stacked with the active layer 132 and insulated from it by means of the first insulating layer 140. Considering adhesion to adjacent layers, formability of stacked target layers, and surface flatness, the first insulating layer 140 may be formed of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or other insulating organic or inorganic materials. The gate electrode 134 may be formed of at least one low-resistance metallic material, such as aluminum, platinum, palladium, silver, magnesium, gold, nickel, neodymium, iridium, chromium, calcium, molybdenum, titanium, tungsten, and copper, in a single-layer or multi-layer structure.

[0113] The driving layer assembly may further include a second insulating layer 160, which may be formed on the gate electrode 134 and the first insulating layer 140. The source electrode 136 and the drain electrode 138 may be formed on the second insulating layer 160, which insulates the source electrode 136 and the drain electrode 138 from the gate electrode 134. The first insulating layer 140 and the second insulating layer 160 are provided with vias to expose predetermined areas of the active layer 132, through which the source electrode 136 and the drain electrode 138 can contact the active layer 132. The source electrode 136 and the drain electrode 138 may be formed from at least one material selected from aluminum, platinum, palladium, silver, magnesium, gold, nickel, neodymium, iridium, chromium, calcium, molybdenum, titanium, tungsten, and copper in a single-layer or multi-layer structure.

[0114] In one embodiment, the second insulating layer 160 can be formed of inorganic materials in a multilayer or single-layer structure. For example, the second insulating layer 160 may include inorganic oxides or inorganic nitrides such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, aluminum oxide, and titanium oxide. In this embodiment, the second insulating layer 160 can also be formed of organic materials in a multilayer or single-layer structure. For example, the second insulating layer 160 may include organic materials such as polymethyl methacrylate or polystyrene, acryloyl polymers, imide polymers, and p-xylene polymers. Of course, the second insulating layer 160 can also be a multilayer structure formed by stacking inorganic and organic material layers, and this is not limited thereto.

[0115] It is worth emphasizing that if components such as thin-film transistors and organic light-emitting layers in the display panel are exposed to moisture or oxygen, the display panel's performance will drastically decline or be completely damaged. Inorganic material layers can provide better protection against moisture and oxygen, while organic material layers offer better flexibility. Therefore, in this embodiment, the buffer layer 120 can be a multilayer structure formed from organic and inorganic materials, the first insulating layer 140 can be a single-layer or multilayer structure formed from inorganic materials such as silicon oxide or silicon nitride, and the second insulating layer 160 is a single-layer or multilayer structure formed from organic materials.

[0116] It should also be understood that, as a stretchable or bendable region, the flexible region 20 should have good flexibility. Therefore, in some embodiments, the buffer layer 120 and the first insulating layer 140, because they contain inorganic materials, may be located only in the pixel island region 10, and the substrate 110 may include trenches 112 located in the flexible region 20 (see...). Figure 11 The material of the organic functional layer in the driving layer group can completely fill the trench 112 in the flexible region 20. For example, specifically in this embodiment, such as Figure 3 As shown, the material of the second insulating layer 160 can completely fill the groove 112. This further improves the stretchability and bendability of the flexible region 20.

[0117] It is understood that the cross-sectional shape of the groove 112 can be rectangular, V-shaped, or inverted trapezoidal, etc., and is not limited here.

[0118] The driving layer assembly may further include a passivation layer 190, which may be formed on the second insulating layer 160, and a pixel definition layer 210 is formed on the passivation layer 190. The passivation layer 190 is used to remove step portions generated by the thin-film transistors and to flatten the surface, thereby preventing display defects in the OLED structure due to unevenness. In this embodiment, the passivation layer 190 may be a single-layer or multi-layer structure of a film formed of organic materials. Organic materials include, for example, general polymers such as polymethyl methacrylate and polystyrene, and may also be polymer derivatives having phenol-based groups, acrylic-based polymers, imide-based polymers, aromatic ether-based polymers, and mixtures thereof.

[0119] It is understood that in other embodiments, the passivation layer 190 may also be a composite stacked structure formed by inorganic and organic material layers. It should be understood that, to further improve the stretchability and bendability of the flexible region 20, the flexible region 20 should minimize the amount of inorganic material. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment, the passivation layer 190 is preferably a single-layer or multi-layer structure formed of organic material. In this case, the passivation layer 190 can cover the entire surface of the second insulating layer 160. On the one hand, this improves the stretchability and bendability of the flexible region 20; on the other hand, it avoids increasing the process steps of patterning the passivation layer 190, reducing production costs and improving production efficiency.

[0120] Pixel definition layer 210 is formed on passivation layer 190, first electrode 240 is formed on pixel definition layer 210, and pixel definition layer 210 is configured to define a plurality of pixel definition openings 212. Figure 14 The intermediate layer 230 is disposed within the pixel definition opening 212 and electrically connected to the first electrode 240 and the second electrode 200, thereby exposing at least a portion of the edge of each second electrode 200. Specifically, in some embodiments, the pixel definition layer 210 may cover at least a portion of the edge of each second electrode 200, thereby exposing at least a portion of each second electrode 200 through the corresponding pixel definition opening 212. Thus, the middle portion or all of the second electrode 200 is exposed via the pixel definition opening 212.

[0121] In this embodiment, as Figure 3As shown, the electrode trace 170 includes a second insulating layer 160 and a passivation layer 190, and is disposed in the same layer as the source electrode 136 and the drain electrode 138. Each first contact hole 180 can expose the corresponding electrode trace 170, so that each island pattern is electrically connected to a corresponding electrode trace 170 by means of an electrical connection portion 260 in the first contact hole 180, and is electrically connected to the voltage line 150. Specifically, the first contact hole 180 can penetrate the stacked pixel definition layer 210 and the passivation layer 190, and the island pattern is electrically connected to the corresponding electrode trace 170 by means of an electrical connection portion 260 disposed in the first contact hole 180. That is to say, the at least two organic functional layers mentioned above can include a second insulating layer 160 that insulates the gate electrode 134, the source electrode 136 and the drain electrode 138 from each other, and a passivation layer 190 formed on the second insulating layer 160. In this way, the stress on the electrode traces 170 can be released during the stretching process, improving the tensile and bending resistance of the electrode traces 170, avoiding stress-induced breakage, and improving the tensile performance of the flexible display panel 100. It is understood that the inorganic functional layers in the driving layer group may include the aforementioned film layers that can be made of inorganic materials, such as the first insulating layer 140.

[0122] In this embodiment, the electrode traces 170 can be formed of a metal with low resistivity. For example, they can be made of at least one of metals such as gold, silver, aluminum, molybdenum, chromium, titanium, nickel, and copper, or an alloy of metals, or made of nanomaterials. This reduces the resistance inhomogeneity of island patterns connected to different electrode traces 170, thereby improving the uniformity of display brightness.

[0123] The driving layer group also includes multiple voltage lines 150, each voltage line 150 connected to an electrode trace 170, and each electrode trace 170 connected to multiple island patterns. For example, each electrode trace 170 can connect to a row or column of island patterns and be connected to a voltage line 150. This allows for power supply to a single row / column of pixel island units, thereby improving the non-uniformity of island pattern resistance and achieving uniform brightness adjustment. Specifically, in some embodiments, such as... Figure 12 As shown, the drive layer group also includes a third contact hole 162, which exposes the voltage line 150 so that the voltage line 150 can be electrically connected to the corresponding electrode trace 170 by means of the conductive material within the third contact hole 162. In one specific embodiment, the electrode trace 170 is disposed in the same layer as the source electrode 136 and the drain electrode 138, and the third contact hole 162 penetrates the second insulating layer 160 to electrically connect the voltage line 150 to the corresponding electrode trace 170.

[0124] To better understand the beneficial effects of this application, the manufacturing methods of the flexible display panel 100 in some specific embodiments will be described in detail below:

[0125] like Figure 10 As shown, a method for manufacturing a flexible display panel 100 in one embodiment of this application includes the following steps:

[0126] Step S150: A partition wall 220 is formed on the pixel definition layer 210;

[0127] The partition wall 220 is located within the pixel island area, and at least one partition wall 220 is provided in each pixel island area. Along the thickness direction of the partition wall 220, the width of the partition wall 220 decreases continuously from top to bottom or changes intermittently.

[0128] Step S160: A first electrode 240 is formed on the pixel definition layer 210; wherein, the first electrode 240 is patterned with a plurality of island patterns that are spaced apart from each other and correspond one-to-one with the pixel island regions by means of the partition wall 220.

[0129] Specifically, along the thickness direction of the partition wall 220, the width of the partition wall 220 continuously decreases and / or varies intermittently, so that during sputtering or evaporation, the first electrode 240 can be patterned through the partition wall 220 to form multiple island patterns that are spaced apart from each other and correspond one-to-one with the pixel island regions 10. Specifically, the patterned first electrode can be formed using a Common Metal Mask (CMM).

[0130] Along the thickness direction of the partition wall, the width of the partition wall 220 is designed to continuously decrease or intermittently vary. This reduces the likelihood of the first electrode material adhering to the sidewall of the partition wall 220 and effectively improves the connection between the first electrode material on the top surface of the partition wall 220 and the first electrode material on the sidewall of the partition wall 220, thereby achieving automatic breakage of the first electrode 240 and forming multiple island patterns spaced apart from each other. This avoids the use of a fine metal mask, reducing production costs, and eliminates the need for frequent replacement and cleaning of the fine metal mask, thus improving production efficiency.

[0131] In some embodiments, prior to step S150, the method for manufacturing the flexible display panel 100 further includes:

[0132] Step S110: A buffer layer 120, an active layer 132, a first insulating layer 140, a gate electrode 134 and a voltage line 150 are sequentially formed on the substrate 110, and a trench 112 is etched in the flexible region 20 on the substrate 110.

[0133] Specifically, such as Figure 11As shown, the buffer layer 120 and the first insulating layer 140 cover the entire substrate 110. During the etching process, the buffer layer material and the first insulating layer material located in the flexible region 20 can be etched away, and the trench 112 is formed on the substrate 110.

[0134] Of course, in other embodiments, the buffer layer 120 and the first insulating layer 140 can also be patterned, that is, formed only in the pixel island region 10, and only the material of the substrate 110 located in the flexible region 20 is etched during the etching process.

[0135] Step S120: A second insulating layer 160 is formed on the first insulating layer 140, and a third contact hole 162 for electrically connecting the voltage line 150 and the corresponding electrode trace 170, and a fourth contact hole 164 for electrically connecting the source electrode 136 and the drain electrode 138 with the active layer 132 are formed; wherein, the material of the second insulating layer 160 completely fills the trench 112;

[0136] Specifically, such as Figure 12 As shown, the active layer 132 includes a channel region 1322 and a source region 1324 and a drain region 1326 located on both sides of the channel region 1322. The fourth contact hole 164 penetrates the second insulating layer 160 and the first insulating layer 140, so that the source electrode 136 and the drain electrode 138 are electrically connected to the source region 1324 and the drain region 1326 of the active layer 132 by means of the conductive material in the corresponding fourth contact hole 164.

[0137] Step S130: A source electrode 136, a drain electrode 138, an electrode trace 170 and a passivation layer 190 are formed on the second insulating layer 160, and a first sub-contact hole 182 for electrically connecting the electrode trace 170 and the corresponding island pattern is formed on the second insulating layer 160.

[0138] Specifically, such as Figure 13 As shown, the source electrode 136, drain electrode 138 and electrode trace 170 are disposed on the same layer, and are electrically connected to the source region 1324 and drain region 1326 of the active region 1324 respectively through the conductive material in the corresponding fourth contact hole 164.

[0139] Step S140: A second electrode 200 and a pixel definition layer 210 are formed on the passivation layer 190, and a second sub-contact hole (not shown) communicating with the first sub-contact hole 182 is formed on the pixel definition layer 210 to form the first contact hole 180.

[0140] Specifically, such as Figure 14 As shown, the cross-sectional shape of the first contact hole 180 is an inverted trapezoid, and the pixel definition layer 210 defines a plurality of pixel definition openings 212, which expose a portion of the second electrode 200.

[0141] In some embodiments, in step S150, such as Figure 15 As shown, a first contact layer 264 made of partition wall material is formed within the first contact hole 180. In a specific embodiment, each pixel island region 10 is provided with two partition walls 220, which are spaced apart from each other.

[0142] In some embodiments, in step S160, a second contact layer 262 made of the first electrode material is formed in the first contact hole 180.

[0143] In some embodiments, prior to step S160, the method for manufacturing the flexible display panel 100 further includes:

[0144] An intermediate layer 230 is formed within the pixel definition opening 212, and the island pattern of the first electrode 240 covers the intermediate layer 230.

[0145] In some embodiments, after forming the first electrode 240, the method of manufacturing the flexible display panel 100 further includes:

[0146] An encapsulation layer 250 is formed on the first electrode 240;

[0147] In such Figure 9 In the illustrated embodiment, the inorganic encapsulation film material of the encapsulation layer 250 fills the insulating groove 280 and contacts the first insulating layer 140. This forms an encapsulation structure surrounding the sub-pixels, thereby further improving the reliability of the flexible display panel.

[0148] Based on the flexible display panel 100 described above, embodiments of this application also provide a stretchable display device, which includes the flexible display panel 100 described in any of the above embodiments. This stretchable display device can be applied to devices that are stretchable or bendable in any way, such as wearable devices, automotive devices, mobile terminals, tablet computers, display panels, and other electronic devices.

[0149] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0150] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A flexible display panel having a plurality of pixel island regions arranged at intervals from each other, characterized by, The flexible display panel comprises: a pixel definition layer; a partition wall arranged on the pixel definition layer and located in the pixel island region, at least one partition wall being arranged in each pixel island region; and a first electrode arranged on the pixel definition layer; wherein, along the thickness direction of the partition wall, the width of the partition wall continuously decreases from top to bottom, and the first electrode comprises a plurality of island patterns corresponding to the pixel island regions and spaced apart by the partition walls; The flexible display panel further comprises: a substrate; a driving layer group arranged between the substrate and the pixel definition layer, the driving layer group comprising at least two organic functional layers arranged in sequence; a plurality of electrode traces located between adjacent two layers of the organic functional layers; and a plurality of first contact holes and an electrical connection part arranged in each first contact hole, each island pattern being electrically connected to the corresponding electrode trace through the electrical connection part arranged in the first contact hole.

2. The flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein, Along the thickness direction of the partition wall, the width of the partition wall continuously decreases from the top surface to the bottom surface of the partition wall.

3. The flexible display panel of claim 2, wherein, The longitudinal sectional shape of the partition wall in the thickness direction is an inverted trapezoidal shape.

4. The flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein, The partition wall comprises a plurality of partition layers stacked. Along the thickness direction of the partition wall, the width of at least two adjacent partition layers continuously decreases from top to bottom to form a step. The width of the bottom surface of the partition layer at the upper layer forming the step is greater than the width of the top surface of the partition layer at the lower layer forming the step.

5. The flexible display panel of claim 4, wherein, The materials of the adjacent two partition layers forming the step are the same; or The materials of the adjacent two partition layers forming the step are different.

6. The flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein, Each island pattern is located on the inner side of the partition wall closest to the center of the corresponding pixel island region.

7. The flexible display panel of claim 6, wherein, The partition wall is configured in a continuous ring shape. The partition walls in the same pixel island region comprise a plurality of partition walls spaced apart from each other and arranged around the corresponding island pattern.

8. The flexible display panel of claim 7, wherein, An annular partition groove is formed between two partition walls spaced apart from each other and adjacent to each other. The partition groove has a first end away from the pixel definition layer and a second end close to the pixel definition layer. The width of the first end of the partition groove is less than the width of the second end of the partition groove.

9. The flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein, Each island pattern is electrically connected to the corresponding electrode trace through the electrical connection part arranged in at least two first contact holes.

10. The flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein, The flexible display panel further comprises a second electrode arranged opposite to the first electrode; The electrode trace and the second electrode are arranged in the same layer; or The driving layer group further comprises a thin film transistor in the pixel island region, the thin film transistor comprising a source electrode and a drain electrode; The electrode trace and the source electrode and the drain electrode are arranged in the same layer.

11. The flexible display panel of claim 1, wherein, The flexible display panel further comprises: The inorganic functional layer and the at least two layers of the organic functional layer are arranged in sequence; the electrode trace includes a first part between two adjacent layers of the organic functional layer, and a second part between the inorganic functional layer and an adjacent layer of the organic functional layer; each island pattern is electrically connected to the first part of the corresponding electrode trace through the electrical connection part arranged in the first contact hole; and A packaging layer covers the first electrode, and the pixel island region is provided with an annular isolation groove exposing the second part and the inorganic functional layer, and an inorganic material in the packaging layer fills the isolation groove and is in contact with the inorganic functional layer.

12. The flexible display panel of claim 11, wherein, Each island pattern is electrically connected to the first part of the corresponding electrode trace through the electrical connection part arranged in at least two first contact holes.

13. The flexible display panel according to any one of claims 10-12, wherein, The electrical connection part includes a first contact layer in contact with the island pattern and a second contact layer in contact with the electrode trace, the material of the first contact layer is the same as that of the first electrode, and the material of the second contact layer is the same as that of the partition wall.

14. The flexible display panel of claim 13, wherein, The resistivity of the material of the first contact layer is greater than the resistivity of the material of the second contact layer.

15. The flexible display panel according to any one of claims 10-12, wherein, Each electrode trace is connected to a plurality of island patterns. 16.A method for manufacturing a flexible display panel, the flexible display panel having a plurality of pixel island regions arranged at intervals from each other, characterized by, The manufacturing method comprises: A partition wall is formed on a pixel definition layer; wherein the partition wall is located in the pixel island region, at least one partition wall is arranged in each pixel island region, and the width of the partition wall continuously decreases or intermittently changes from top to bottom along the thickness direction of the partition wall; A first electrode is formed on the pixel definition layer; wherein the first electrode is patterned by the partition wall to form a plurality of island patterns spaced apart from each other and corresponding to the pixel island regions one by one; the flexible display panel further comprises a substrate, a driving layer group, a plurality of electrode traces, a plurality of first contact holes, and an electrical connection part arranged in the first contact hole one by one, the driving layer group is arranged between the substrate and the pixel definition layer, the driving layer group includes at least two layers of organic functional layers arranged in sequence; the electrode trace is located between two adjacent layers of the organic functional layer; each island pattern is electrically connected to the corresponding electrode trace through the electrical connection part arranged in the first contact hole.

17. A stretchable display device, characterized by The flexible display panel as claimed in any one of claims 1-15.

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