Display panel, display device, and method for manufacturing display panel

Abstract

The present application provides a display panel, a display device, and a method for manufacturing a display panel. The display panel includes a substrate, a light-emitting layer, and a pixel-defining layer. The light-emitting layer includes a plurality of sub-pixels. The sub-pixels include a light-emitting material layer. The arrangement direction of sub-pixels of different colors is a first direction, and the arrangement direction of sub-pixels of the same color is a second direction. The pixel-defining layer includes a first retaining wall located between sub-pixels of the same color, and a second retaining wall located between sub-pixels of different colors. A plurality of first retaining walls are arranged along the first direction, and the width of each first retaining wall is less than or equal to the width of the light-emitting material layer in the first direction. The extension direction of the second retaining wall is the same as the second direction. The first retaining wall and the second retaining wall enclose pixel openings corresponding to the sub-pixels one by one. The first retaining wall includes a liquid-philic layer, and the second retaining wall includes a liquid-philic layer and a liquid-repelling layer located on the side of the liquid-philic layer facing away from the substrate. The surface of the first retaining wall facing away from the substrate is lower than the surface of the second retaining wall facing away from the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] The pixel-defining layer of an organic electroluminescent device (OLED) consists of multiple retaining walls, which define the pixel area. These retaining walls consist of a lyophilic layer and a lyophobic layer above the lyophilic layer. The lyophobic layer prevents ink from flowing between pixels of different colors, causing color bleeding. Due to material limitations, the lyophobic layer accounts for a limited proportion of the retaining wall. Therefore, the thinner the retaining wall, the thinner the lyophobic layer.

[0003] In the existing method for preparing a pixel defining layer, when preparing a first retaining wall in the first direction of the pixel area and a second retaining wall in the second direction, the second retaining wall overlaps with the first retaining wall. Since the photoresist used to prepare the pixel defining layer has fluidity, the thickness of the second retaining wall at the overlap is smaller than that of the second retaining wall at other positions. The thickness of the liquid-repellent layer of the second retaining wall at the overlap is smaller, which makes the liquid-repellent ability of the second retaining wall at the overlap worse, and thus easily causes overflow and color bleeding of ink in pixel areas of different colors. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present application provides a display panel, a display device, and a method for manufacturing a display panel.

[0005] A first aspect of an embodiment of the present application provides a display panel. The display panel includes:

[0006] substrate;

[0007] a light-emitting layer located on the substrate, the light-emitting layer including a plurality of sub-pixels, the sub-pixels including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a light-emitting material layer located between the first electrode and the second electrode; wherein sub-pixels of different colors are arranged in a first direction, and sub-pixels of the same color are arranged in a second direction;

[0008] a pixel defining layer located on the substrate, the pixel defining layer being disposed in the same layer as the light-emitting layer, the pixel defining layer comprising a first retaining wall located between sub-pixels of the same color, and a second retaining wall located between sub-pixels of different colors; a plurality of the first retaining walls being arranged along the first direction, the width of each first retaining wall being less than or equal to the width of the light-emitting material layer in the first direction; the second retaining walls extending in the same direction as the second direction; the first retaining walls and the second retaining walls enclosing pixel openings corresponding one-to-one to the sub-pixels;

[0009] The first retaining wall includes a lyophilic layer, and the second retaining wall includes a lyophilic layer and a lyophobic layer located on the side of the lyophilic layer facing away from the substrate; a surface of the first retaining wall facing away from the substrate is lower than a surface of the second retaining wall facing away from the substrate.

[0010] In one embodiment, the first direction is a row direction, and the second direction is a column direction; or, the first direction is a column direction, and the second direction is a row direction; the multiple sub-pixels include a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel, and the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel are arranged alternately in the first direction.

[0011] In one embodiment, the second blocking wall penetrates the entire display area in the second direction, and a plurality of the first blocking walls are arranged in the display area along the first direction at intervals from each other.

[0012] In one embodiment, the display panel includes a flat layer located between the substrate and the pixel defining layer; the flat layer is provided with a recess, and the projection position of the intersection of the arrangement direction of the first retaining wall and the extension direction of the second retaining wall on the flat layer coincides with the recess; a portion of the liquid-philic layer of the second retaining wall is located in the recess.

[0013] In one embodiment, the display panel includes a flat layer located between the substrate and the pixel defining layer; the flat layer is provided with a groove, and the groove coincides with the projection of the second retaining wall on the flat layer; the liquid-philic layer of the second retaining wall is located in the groove.

[0014] In one embodiment, the height of the first retaining wall ranges from 0.2 μm to 1.0 μm; the height of the second retaining wall ranges from 1.0 μm to 1.7 μm.

[0015] A second aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a display device, which includes the above-mentioned display panel.

[0016] A third aspect of the embodiments of the present application provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, the method being used to manufacture the above-mentioned display panel, the method comprising:

[0017] forming a first retaining wall and a second retaining wall on the substrate;

[0018] The step of forming the first retaining wall includes: forming a first pixel defining material layer on the substrate, wherein the first pixel defining material layer is a liquid-philic layer;

[0019] Patterning the first pixel-defining material layer to form first retaining walls between sub-pixels of the same color, wherein the arrangement direction of the first retaining walls is the same as the first direction, and the width of each first retaining wall is less than or equal to the width of the sub-pixel in the first direction;

[0020] The step of forming the second retaining wall includes: forming a second pixel defining material layer on the substrate, wherein the second pixel defining material layer includes a lyophilic layer and a lyophobic layer located above the lyophilic layer;

[0021] patterning the second pixel defining material layer to form second retaining walls located between sub-pixels of different colors, wherein the extending direction of the second retaining walls is the same as the second direction;

[0022] The first retaining wall and the second retaining wall enclose pixel openings corresponding to the sub-pixels one by one, and the surface of the first retaining wall facing away from the substrate is lower than the surface of the second retaining wall facing away from the substrate, and ink is added to the pixel openings.

[0023] In one embodiment, the width of the first barrier wall is smaller than the width of the sub-pixel in the first direction.

[0024] In one embodiment, before forming a first pixel-defining material layer on a substrate, a recess is provided on the flat layer, and a projection position of an intersection of an arrangement direction of the first retaining wall and an extension direction of the second retaining wall on the flat layer coincides with the recess; a portion of the liquid-philic layer of the second retaining wall is filled in the recess.

[0025] In one embodiment, before forming the first pixel defining material layer on the substrate, a groove is provided on the planar layer, the groove coincides with the projection of the second retaining wall on the planar layer, and the lyophilic layer of the second retaining wall is filled in the groove.

[0026] In one embodiment, when forming the second retaining wall, a gap is left between the second retaining wall and the first retaining wall, and then the material of the second retaining wall spontaneously flows and fills the gap.

[0027] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application.

[0029] Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional view of a display panel provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 2 A partial cross-sectional view of a display panel provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 3 A top view of a pixel definition layer and a light-emitting layer of a display panel provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A partial cross-sectional view of a display panel along the AA direction provided by the illustrated embodiment;

[0033] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A partial cross-sectional view of a display panel along direction BB provided by the illustrated embodiment;

[0034] Figure 6 A top view of a pixel definition layer and a light-emitting layer of a display panel provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A partial cross-sectional view of a display panel along the AA direction provided by the illustrated embodiment;

[0036] Figure 8 for Figure 6 A partial cross-sectional view of a display panel along direction BB provided by the illustrated embodiment;

[0037] Figure 9 A top view of a pixel definition layer and a light-emitting layer of a display panel provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 10 for Figure 9 A partial cross-sectional view of a display panel along the AA direction provided by the illustrated embodiment;

[0039] Figure 11 for Figure 9 A partial cross-sectional view of a display panel along direction BB provided by the illustrated embodiment;

[0040] Figure 12 A top view of a pixel definition layer and a light-emitting layer of a display panel provided in yet another embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 13 for Figure 9 A partial cross-sectional view of a display panel along the AA direction provided by the illustrated embodiment;

[0042] Figure 14 for Figure 9 A partial cross-sectional view of a display panel along direction BB provided by the illustrated embodiment;

[0043] Figure 15A schematic diagram of a process for preparing a second retaining wall of a display panel provided in one embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 16 A schematic diagram of a preparation process of a second retaining wall of a display panel provided in yet another embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, identical numerals in different figures represent identical or similar elements, unless otherwise indicated. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments are not intended to represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatus and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present application, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0046] The terms used in this application are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application. As used in this application and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0047] It should be understood that the words “first”, “second” and similar terms used in the specification and claims of this application do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, words such as “a” or “an” do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. Unless otherwise indicated, words such as “front”, “rear”, “lower” and / or “upper” are for ease of description only and are not limited to one position or one spatial orientation. Words such as “include” or “comprising” mean that the elements or objects appearing before “include” or “comprising” cover the elements or objects listed after “include” or “comprising” and their equivalents, and do not exclude other elements or objects.

[0048] The display panel, display device, and method for manufacturing the display panel and display device according to the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The features of the following embodiments and implementations may complement or be combined with each other unless they conflict.

[0049] The embodiment of the present application provides a display panel. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, Figure 1 for Figure 3 Cross-sectional view of the middle P region along the direction of the display panel film stacking, Figure 2 for Figure 3A cross-sectional view of a mid-Q region along the direction of film stacking of a display panel, wherein the display panel includes a substrate 10 , a light-emitting layer 20 on the substrate 10 , and a pixel defining layer 30 disposed on the same layer as the light-emitting layer 20 .

[0050] The light emitting layer 20 includes a plurality of sub-pixels 21, each of which includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a light emitting material layer 212 located between the first electrode and the second electrode. Figure 3 As shown, the arrangement direction of sub-pixels 21 of different colors is the first direction (row direction), that is, the AA direction; the arrangement direction of sub-pixels 21 of the same color is the second direction (column direction), that is, the BB direction. The pixel defining layer 30 includes a first retaining wall 31 located between sub-pixels 21 of the same color, and a second retaining wall 32 located between sub-pixels 21 of different colors. A plurality of first retaining walls 31 are arranged along the first direction, and the width of each first retaining wall 31 is less than or equal to the width of the light-emitting material layer 212 in the first direction. The extension direction of the second retaining wall 32 is the same as the second direction. The first retaining wall 31 and the second retaining wall 32 enclose pixel openings corresponding to the sub-pixels 21 one by one.

[0051] The first retaining wall 31 includes a lyophilic layer, and the second retaining wall 32 includes a lyophilic layer and a lyophobic layer located on the side of the lyophilic layer facing away from the substrate 10 ; the surface of the first retaining wall 31 facing away from the substrate 10 is lower than the surface of the second retaining wall 32 facing away from the substrate 10 .

[0052] Since the addition of low surface energy (hydrophobic) molecules to the material of the pixel defining layer 30 is limited, the proportion of the liquid-repellent layer portion in the second retaining wall 32 is relatively small. Therefore, it can be understood that the smaller the height of the second retaining wall 32 (that is, the thickness in the display panel stacking direction), the smaller the thickness of the liquid-repellent layer portion in the second retaining wall 32. In the pixel defining layer 30 of the existing display panel, part of the second retaining wall 32 overlaps above the first retaining wall 31; due to the influence of the process itself, the thickness of the second retaining wall 32 located in the overlapping area 33 is always less than the thickness of the second retaining wall 32 located outside the overlapping area. This will result in a smaller thickness of the liquid-repellent layer of the second retaining wall 32 in the overlapping area 33, which reduces the liquid-repellent ability of the second retaining wall 32 in the overlapping area 33, which can easily cause ink climbing in the sub-pixel 21 and lead to the occurrence of pixel cross-color problems.

[0053] The display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application is as follows: Figures 3 to 5As shown, the first retaining wall 31 located between the sub-pixels 21 of the same color includes a lyophilic layer, and the surface of the first retaining wall 31 facing away from the substrate 10 is lower than the surface of the second retaining wall 32 facing away from the substrate 10. In other words, the height of the first retaining wall 31 is relatively low, which allows the ink in the sub-pixels 21 of the same color to communicate with each other, making the ink distribution of the sub-pixels 21 of the same color more uniform. The second retaining wall 32 located between the sub-pixels 21 of different colors is relatively high, and includes a lyophobic layer located on top of the second retaining wall 32. Therefore, the second retaining wall 32 can prevent the ink of the sub-pixels 21 of different colors from overflowing and causing color bleeding. Furthermore, since the arrangement direction of the plurality of first retaining walls 31 is the same as the first direction, the width of each first retaining wall 31 is less than or equal to the width of the light-emitting material layer 212 in the first direction, and the second retaining wall 32 only blocks the area of the light-emitting material layer 212 in the second direction, the first retaining wall 31 and the second retaining wall 32 will not overlap, and the liquid-repellent layer of the second retaining wall 32 will not become thinner, thereby effectively preventing the occurrence of pixel cross-color phenomenon.

[0054] In one embodiment, the first direction is a row direction and the second direction is a column direction; or the first direction is a column direction and the second direction is a row direction; the plurality of sub-pixels 21 include a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel and a third sub-pixel, and the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel are alternately arranged in the first direction. Figure 3 As shown, the first sub-pixel may be a red sub-pixel (denoted as R in the figure), the second sub-pixel may be a green sub-pixel (denoted as G in the figure), and the third sub-pixel may be a blue sub-pixel (denoted as B in the figure). The red sub-pixels, green sub-pixels, and blue sub-pixels are arranged alternately in the row direction.

[0055] In one embodiment, the second retaining wall 32 extends through the entire display area in the second direction, and a plurality of the first retaining walls are spaced apart and arranged along the first direction within the display area. The display area refers to the area where the sub-pixels 21 are distributed. This arrangement facilitates fabrication of the second retaining walls and simplifies the display panel fabrication process.

[0056] In one embodiment, the substrate 10 may be a rigid substrate 10 or a flexible substrate 10. The rigid substrate 10 may be made of glass. The flexible substrate 10 may be made of one or more of polyimide, polyethylene terephthalate, and polycarbonate.

[0057] In one embodiment, the display panel includes a pixel driving circuit layer located between the substrate 10 and the light emitting layer 20 . The pixel driving circuit layer includes a plurality of pixel circuits. The pixel circuits may correspond one-to-one to the sub-pixels 21 , and the pixel circuits drive the corresponding sub-pixels 21 .

[0058] In one embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, the pixel circuit includes a thin film transistor 40 and a capacitor 41. The thin film transistor 40 includes an active layer 401, a gate electrode 402, a first electrode 403, and a second electrode 404. One of the first electrode 403 and the second electrode 404 is a source electrode, and the other is a drain electrode. The capacitor 41 includes a first capacitor plate 411 and a second capacitor plate 412 located on the side of the first capacitor plate 411 facing away from the substrate 10.

[0059] In one embodiment, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the pixel driving circuit layer may further include a gate insulating layer 51, a capacitor insulating layer 52, an interlayer dielectric layer 53, and a planarization layer 54. The gate insulating layer 51 is located between the active layer 401 and the gate electrode 402, the capacitor insulating layer 52 is located between the first capacitor plate 411 and the second capacitor plate 412, and the interlayer dielectric layer 53 is located between the second capacitor plate 412 and the planarization layer 54. Parts of the first electrode 403 and the second electrode 404 are located between the interlayer dielectric layer 53 and the first planarization layer, and the other parts are electrically connected to the active layer 401 via through holes penetrating the capacitor insulating layer 52 and the gate insulating layer 51.

[0060] In one embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, each sub-pixel 21 of the light-emitting layer 20 includes a first electrode 211, a light-emitting material layer 212 located on the side of the first electrode 211 facing away from the substrate 10, and a second electrode (not shown) located on the side of the light-emitting material layer 212 facing away from the substrate 10. The first electrodes 211 of each sub-pixel 21 are spaced apart, and the second electrodes of each sub-pixel 21 can be a continuous surface electrode. In some embodiments, the first electrode 211 is an anode, the second electrode is a cathode, and the light-emitting material layer 212 is an organic light-emitting material layer 212.

[0061] The first electrode 211 of the sub-pixel 21 is electrically connected to the second electrode 404 of the thin-film transistor 40 via a through hole penetrating the planarization layer 54 and the interlayer dielectric layer 53. When the thin-film transistor 40 is an n-type transistor, the second electrode 404 is the source; when the thin-film transistor 40 is a p-type transistor, the second electrode 404 is the drain.

[0062] In one embodiment, the display panel further includes a light-shielding layer (not shown) located on the side of the light-emitting layer 20 facing away from the substrate 10, and a color filter layer (not shown) located on the side of the light-shielding layer facing away from the substrate 10. The light-shielding layer is used to shield the thin-film transistor 40, particularly the active layer 401 of the thin-film transistor 40, while exposing the light-emitting material layer 212 to allow light emitted by the sub-pixels to pass through. The color filter layer is located directly above the light-emitting material layer 212 to filter the light emitted by the sub-pixels.

[0063] In one embodiment, Figures 6 to 8 As shown, the planar layer 54 is provided with a recess 541. The projection of the overlapping region 33 between the arrangement direction of the first retaining wall 31 and the extension direction of the second retaining wall 32 on the planar layer 54 coincides with the recess 541. Part of the lyophilic layer of the second retaining wall 322 fills the recess 541. The thickness of the second retaining wall 322 located in the recess 541 is the distance from the bottom surface of the recess 541 to the top surface of the second retaining wall 32 located in the recess 541. Compared to the second retaining wall 321 located outside the recess 541, the second retaining wall 322 located in the recess 541 is thicker. Therefore, the lyophobic layer of the second retaining wall 322 located in the recess 541 is thicker, thereby preventing ink in the sub-pixel 21 from overflowing from the overlapping region 33 between the first retaining wall 31 and the second retaining wall 32, which could lead to cross-color phenomenon. It should be noted that the second retaining wall 321 located outside the recess 541 and the second retaining wall 322 located in the recess 541 are filled with different patterns in the figure, mainly to allow readers to understand the boundary between the two; in actual implementation, the two can be made of the same material and formed simultaneously.

[0064] In one embodiment, Figures 9 to 11 As shown, the flat layer 54 is provided with a groove 542, which coincides with the projection of the second retaining wall 32 on the flat layer 54. The lyophilic layer of the second retaining wall 32 is filled in the groove 542. By providing the groove 542, the second retaining wall 32 can be made thicker, thereby making the thickness of the lyophobic layer in the second retaining wall 32 thicker, which is beneficial for improving the lyophobic ability of the second retaining wall 32. Moreover, because the groove 542 is provided at the projection of the second retaining wall 32 on the flat layer 54, the thickness of the lyophobic layer at each location of the second retaining wall 32 is thicker, which can more effectively prevent the overflow of ink from sub-pixels 21 of different colors and the occurrence of color bleeding.

[0065] In one embodiment, the height of the first retaining wall 31 ranges from 0.2μm to 1.0μm; the height of the second retaining wall 32 ranges from 1.0μm to 1.7μm. The height of the first retaining wall 31 can be, for example, 0.2μm, 0.4μm, 0.6μm, 0.8μm, 1.0μm, etc. The height of the second retaining wall 32 can be, for example, 1.0μm, 1.2μm, 1.4μm, 1.7μm, etc. This arrangement can not only make the ink in the sub-pixels 21 of the same color interconnected, making the ink distribution of the sub-pixels 21 of the same color more uniform, but also effectively prevent the overflow of ink in the sub-pixels 21 of different colors from causing color cross-talk.

[0066] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a display device is provided, comprising the above-mentioned display panel.

[0067] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, which is used to manufacture the above-mentioned display panel. The method comprises:

[0068] Step 100: forming a first retaining wall and a second retaining wall on a substrate.

[0069] The steps of forming the first retaining wall include:

[0070] Step 101: forming a first pixel defining material layer on a substrate 10, wherein the first pixel defining material layer is a liquid-philic layer.

[0071] Step 102: Pattern the first pixel-defining material layer to form first retaining walls 31 located between sub-pixels 21 of the same color, wherein the arrangement direction of the first retaining walls 31 is the same as the first direction, and the width of each first retaining wall 31 is less than or equal to the width of the light-emitting material layer 212 in the first direction.

[0072] The steps of forming the second retaining wall include:

[0073] Step 103 : forming a second pixel-defining material layer on the substrate 10 , wherein the second pixel-defining material layer includes a lyophilic layer and a lyophobic layer located above the lyophilic layer.

[0074] Step 104: patterning the second pixel defining material layer to form second retaining walls 32 located between sub-pixels 21 of different colors, wherein the extending direction of the second retaining walls 32 is the same as the second direction.

[0075] Step 200: The first retaining wall 31 and the second retaining wall 32 enclose pixel openings corresponding one to one with the sub-pixels 21, and the surface of the first retaining wall 31 facing away from the substrate 10 is lower than the surface of the second retaining wall 32 facing away from the substrate 10, and ink is added to the pixel openings.

[0076] Before step 100, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the manufacturing method includes forming a thin film transistor 40 on the substrate 10. Specifically, an active layer thin film is formed on the substrate 10 and patterned to form an active layer 401; a gate insulating layer 51 is formed on the active layer 401; a first conductive film is formed on the gate insulating layer 51 and patterned to form a gate electrode 402; a capacitor insulating layer 52 is formed on the gate electrode 402, and the capacitor insulating layer 52 is etched to form a first electrode contact hole and a second electrode contact hole.

[0077] A second conductive film is formed on the capacitor insulating layer 52 and the gate insulating layer 51, and the second conductive film is patterned to form a first electrode 403 and a second electrode 404. The first electrode 403 is connected to the active layer 401 through a first electrode contact hole, and the second electrode 404 is connected to the active layer 401 through a second electrode contact hole.

[0078] An interlayer dielectric layer 53 and a planarization layer 54 are formed on the capacitor insulation layer 52 .

[0079] In step 101 , the material of the first pixel defining material layer may be a lyophilic photoresist material, and the lyophilic photoresist material may be coated on the planar layer 54 by spin coating.

[0080] In step 102, the first pixel-defining material layer can be etched through an etching process to form first retaining walls 31. The first retaining walls 31 are formed between sub-pixels 21 of the same color. Because the first retaining walls 31 are made of a lyophilic material, the ink in the sub-pixels 21 of the same color can be interconnected, resulting in a more uniform distribution of ink within the sub-pixels 21 of the same color. Furthermore, because the width of each first retaining wall 31 is set to be less than or equal to the width of the luminescent material layer 212 in the first direction, after the subsequent formation of second retaining walls 32 between sub-pixels 21 of different colors, the first retaining walls 31 and the second retaining walls 32 will not overlap, thereby preventing the thickness of the lyophobic layer of the second retaining walls 32 from being reduced.

[0081] In step 103, the second pixel-defining material layer is made of a lyophilic photoresist material, to which a low-surface-energy small molecule material is added. During the curing process of the second pixel-defining material layer, the low-surface-energy small molecule material floats upward, resulting in the second pixel-defining material layer comprising a lyophilic layer and a lyophobic layer above the lyophilic layer. As the thickness of the second pixel-defining material layer increases, more low-surface-energy small molecules float upward during the curing process, the thickness of the lyophobic layer increases, and the thickness of the lyophobic layer of the subsequently formed second retaining wall 32 increases.

[0082] In step 104, the second retaining wall 32 is located between sub-pixels 21 of different colors. The second retaining wall 32 does not overlap the first retaining wall 31, so the thickness of the second retaining wall 32 is not affected by the first retaining wall 31, thereby ensuring that the second retaining wall 32 has a thicker liquid-repellent layer, which is beneficial to improving the liquid-repellent ability of the second retaining wall 32 and preventing ink in the sub-pixels 21 of different colors from overflowing.

[0083] In one embodiment, in step 102, as Figures 12 to 14 As shown, the width of the formed first retaining wall 31 is smaller than the width of the light-emitting material layer 212 in the first direction. When the second retaining wall 32 is subsequently formed, a portion of the second retaining wall 32 extends in the first direction and contacts the first retaining wall 31. The thickness of the extension is no greater than the thickness of the first retaining wall 31. Due to the narrowed width of the second retaining wall 32, space can be left for the colloid flow of the second pixel-defining material layer during its preparation. Furthermore, this configuration provides a thick liquid-repellent layer on the portion of the second retaining wall 32 extending toward the first retaining wall 31, which helps improve the liquid-repellent properties at the contact point between the first retaining wall 31 and the second retaining wall 32, preventing ink within the sub-pixel 21 from overflowing along the contact point between the first retaining wall 31 and the second retaining wall 32.

[0084] In one embodiment, before step 100, Figures 6 to 8As shown, a recess 541 is provided on the planar layer 54. The projection of the overlapping region 33 between the arrangement direction of the first retaining walls 31 and the extension direction of the second retaining walls 32 on the planar layer 54 coincides with the recess 541. Part of the lyophilic layer of the second retaining walls 32 fills the recess 541. After the recess 541 is provided on the planar layer 54, a first pixel-defining material layer is formed on the planar layer 54. Part of the first pixel-defining material layer flows into the recess 541. When the first pixel-defining material layer is subsequently patterned to form the first retaining walls 31, the first pixel-defining material layer within the recess 541 needs to be removed. Then, a second pixel-defining material layer is formed on the flat layer 54, and part of the second pixel-defining material layer flows into the recess 541. Due to the existence of the recess 541, after the second retaining wall 32 is formed, the thickness of the part of the second retaining wall 322 located at the position of the recess 541 is greater, and the liquid-repellent layer part of the second retaining wall 322 is thicker, which is more conducive to preventing the ink in the sub-pixel 21 from overflowing from the intersection of the first retaining wall 31 and the second retaining wall 32, resulting in the occurrence of cross-color phenomenon.

[0085] In one embodiment, before step 100, Figures 9 to 11 As shown, a recess 542 is provided on the planar layer 54. The recess 542 overlaps with the projection of the second retaining wall 32 on the planar layer 54. The lyophilic layer of the second retaining wall 32 fills the recess 542. After the recess 542 is provided on the planar layer 54, a first pixel-defining material layer is formed on the planar layer 54. Part of the first pixel-defining material layer flows into the depression 541. When the first pixel-defining material layer is subsequently patterned to form the first retaining wall 31, the first pixel-defining material layer within the recess 542 needs to be removed. A second pixel-defining material layer is then formed on the planar layer 54. Part of the second pixel-defining material layer flows into the recess 542. Due to the presence of the recess 542, the thickness of the second retaining wall 32 is increased after its formation, and the corresponding lyophobic layer portion of the second retaining wall 32 is thicker. This enhances the lyophobicity of the second retaining wall 32 not only at the intersection 33 between the first and second retaining walls 31, 32, but also at the intersection 33.

[0086] In one embodiment, in step 102, as Figures 12 to 14As shown, the width of the formed first retaining wall 31 is smaller than the width of the light-emitting material layer 212 in the first direction. When the second retaining wall 32 is subsequently formed, a portion of the second retaining wall 32 forms an extension in the first direction and contacts the first retaining wall 31. The thickness of the extension is no greater than the thickness of the first retaining wall 31. Due to the narrowed width of the second retaining wall 32, space can be left for the colloid flow of the second pixel-defining material layer during its preparation. Furthermore, this configuration provides a thick liquid-repellent layer on the portion of the second retaining wall 32 extending toward the first retaining wall 31, which helps improve the liquid-repellent properties at the contact point between the first retaining wall 31 and the second retaining wall 32, preventing ink within the sub-pixel 21 from overflowing along the contact point between the first retaining wall 31 and the second retaining wall 32.

[0087] In one embodiment, Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, when forming the second retaining wall 32, a gap is left between the second retaining wall 32 and the first retaining wall 31, and then the material of the second retaining wall 32 flows spontaneously and fills the gap. Figure 15 As shown, when preparing the second retaining wall 322 at the recess 541, a gap can be set between the second retaining wall 322 at the recess 541 and the first retaining wall. Due to the characteristics of the material, the material of the second retaining wall 322 at the recess 541 automatically flows and fills the recess 541 and the gap. Figure 16 As shown, the width of the first retaining wall 31 is smaller than the width of the light-emitting material layer 212 in the first direction. When preparing the second retaining wall 32, a gap is set between the second retaining wall 32 and the first retaining wall 31. Due to the characteristics of the material, the material of the second retaining wall 322 automatically flows and fills the recess 541 and the gap. This arrangement is easy to operate and helps to simplify the manufacturing process.

[0088] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present application and does not constitute any form of limitation to the present application. Although the present application has been disclosed as above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present application. Any technician familiar with this profession can make slight changes or modifications to equivalent embodiments with equivalent changes using the technical contents disclosed above without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present application. However, any simple modifications, equivalent changes and modifications made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present application without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present application are still within the scope of the technical solution of the present application.

[0089] The disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright is reserved by the copyright owner. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the official records and files of the Patent and Trademark Office.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that: The display panel includes: substrate; a light-emitting layer located on the substrate, the light-emitting layer including a plurality of sub-pixels, the sub-pixels including a first electrode, a second electrode, and a light-emitting material layer located between the first electrode and the second electrode; wherein sub-pixels of different colors are arranged in a first direction, and sub-pixels of the same color are arranged in a second direction; a pixel defining layer located on the substrate, the pixel defining layer being disposed in the same layer as the light-emitting layer, the pixel defining layer comprising a first retaining wall located between sub-pixels of the same color, and a second retaining wall located between sub-pixels of different colors; a plurality of the first retaining walls being arranged along the first direction, the width of each first retaining wall being less than or equal to the width of the light-emitting material layer in the first direction; the second retaining walls extending in the same direction as the second direction; the first retaining walls and the second retaining walls enclosing pixel openings corresponding one-to-one to the sub-pixels; The first retaining wall comprises a lyophilic layer, and the second retaining wall comprises a lyophilic layer and a lyophobic layer located on a side of the lyophilic layer facing away from the substrate; a surface of the first retaining wall facing away from the substrate is lower than a surface of the second retaining wall facing away from the substrate; The display panel further includes a planar layer located between the substrate and the pixel defining layer; the planar layer is provided with a recess, and a projection of an intersection of an arrangement direction of the first retaining wall and an extension direction of the second retaining wall on the planar layer coincides with the recess; a portion of the lyophilic layer of the second retaining wall is located in the recess; Alternatively, the flat layer is provided with a groove, and the groove coincides with a projection of the second retaining wall on the flat layer; and the liquid-philic layer of the second retaining wall is located in the groove.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The first direction is a row direction, and the second direction is a column direction; or, the first direction is a column direction, and the second direction is a row direction; the multiple sub-pixels include a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel, and the first sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel are arranged alternately in the first direction.

3. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The second blocking wall penetrates the entire display area in the second direction, and a plurality of the first blocking walls are arranged in the display area along the first direction at intervals.

4. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The height of the first retaining wall ranges from 0.2 μm to 1.0 μm; the height of the second retaining wall ranges from 1.0 μm to 1.7 μm.

5. A display device, characterized in that: The display device comprises the display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A method for preparing a display panel, the method being used to prepare the display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The preparation method comprises: forming a first retaining wall and a second retaining wall on the substrate; The step of forming the first retaining wall includes: forming a first pixel defining material layer on the substrate, wherein the first pixel defining material layer is a liquid-philic layer; Patterning the first pixel-defining material layer to form first retaining walls located between sub-pixels of the same color, wherein the arrangement direction of the first retaining walls is the same as the first direction, and the width of each first retaining wall is less than or equal to the width of the light-emitting material layer in the first direction; The step of forming the second retaining wall includes: forming a second pixel defining material layer on the substrate, wherein the second pixel defining material layer includes a lyophilic layer and a lyophobic layer located above the lyophilic layer; patterning the second pixel defining material layer to form second retaining walls located between sub-pixels of different colors, wherein the extending direction of the second retaining walls is the same as the second direction; The first retaining wall and the second retaining wall enclose pixel openings corresponding to the sub-pixels one by one, and the surface of the first retaining wall facing away from the substrate is lower than the surface of the second retaining wall facing away from the substrate, and ink is added to the pixel openings.

7. The preparation method according to claim 6, characterized in that The width of the formed first barrier wall is smaller than the width of the light-emitting material layer in the first direction.

8. The preparation method according to claim 6, characterized in that Before forming the first pixel defining material layer on the substrate, a recess is provided on the planar layer, wherein the projection position of the intersection of the arrangement direction of the first retaining wall and the extension direction of the second retaining wall on the planar layer coincides with the recess; Part of the liquid-philic layer of the second retaining wall is filled in the recess.

9. The preparation method according to claim 6, characterized in that Before forming the first pixel defining material layer on the substrate, a groove is provided on the planar layer, the groove coincides with the projection of the second retaining wall on the planar layer, and the liquid-philic layer of the second retaining wall is filled in the groove.

10. The preparation method according to claim 8 or claim 9, characterized in that: When the second retaining wall is formed, a gap is left between the second retaining wall and the first retaining wall, and then the material of the second retaining wall spontaneously flows and fills the gap.

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