Display panel, manufacturing method thereof and display device

Abstract

The application provides a display panel, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device. The display panel comprises a pixel light-emitting unit and a transparent unit. The transparent unit is designed as a foldable structure. When the display panel is in an elongated state, the foldable transparent unit is in a flat state. When the display panel is in a shortened state, the foldable transparent unit is in a folded state. The state of the display panel is switched by changing the state of the foldable transparent unit, avoiding stretching of the entire screen area, preventing thin-film transistor performance degradation, preventing film layer peeling, and ensuring normal operation of the display panel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display panel technology, and in particular to display panels, methods of manufacturing the same, and display devices. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, stretchable display devices typically use stretchable materials such as PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) as the substrate for the display panel. The stretching properties of the stretchable material enable the stretching of both the display panel and the display device. In this case, stretching occurs not only in the desired stretching area but across the entire screen area. Therefore, a difference in release pressure arises between the substrate formed by the stretchable material and the unstretched material layers stacked on it. This leads to TFT (thin-film transistor) performance degradation and makes the film layers prone to peeling, resulting in decreased display panel performance or even damage. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a display panel, a method for manufacturing the same, and a display device.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides a display panel having an extended state and a shortened state that can be switched along the extension direction;

[0005] The display panel includes:

[0006] Substrate;

[0007] The substrate has multiple pixel light-emitting units arranged along the stretching direction, and multiple foldable transparent units located between adjacent pixel light-emitting units;

[0008] When the display panel is in the extended state, the foldable transparent unit is in a flat state;

[0009] When the display panel is in a shortened state, the foldable transparent unit bends away from the light emission direction of the pixel light-emitting unit so that the adjacent pixel light-emitting unit comes into contact.

[0010] This application also provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, including:

[0011] Preparation of substrate;

[0012] Multiple pixel light-emitting units arranged in a straight line and multiple foldable transparent units located between adjacent pixel light-emitting units are formed on the substrate.

[0013] When the display panel is in an extended state, the foldable transparent unit is in a flat state; when the display panel is in a shortened state, the foldable transparent unit bends away from the light emission direction of the pixel light-emitting unit so that the adjacent pixel light-emitting unit abuts.

[0014] The application further provides a display device comprising the display panel.

[0015] As can be seen from the above, the display panel, the manufacturing method thereof and the display device provided by the application have the following advantages: the display panel comprises a pixel light-emitting unit and a transparent unit, the transparent unit is designed as a foldable structure, the foldable transparent unit is in a flat state when the display panel is in an elongated state, and the foldable transparent unit is in a folded state when the display panel is in a shortened state. The state of the display panel is switched by changing the state of the foldable transparent unit, avoiding stretching the entire screen area, preventing TFT performance deterioration, preventing film layer peeling, and ensuring normal operation of the display panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the application, the drawings needed in the embodiments will be briefly introduced as follows. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only embodiments of the application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a display panel in an elongated state according to an embodiment of the application.

[0018] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a display panel in a shortened state according to an embodiment of the application.

[0019] Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a transfer substrate according to an embodiment of the application.

[0020] Figure 4 FIG. 4 is an intermediate structural schematic diagram of a display panel after forming a substrate substrate on a transfer substrate according to an embodiment of the application.

[0021] Figure 5 FIG. 5 is an intermediate structural schematic diagram of a display panel when forming a substrate substrate on a transfer substrate according to an embodiment of the application.

[0022] Figure 6 FIG. 6 is an intermediate structural schematic diagram of a display panel after forming a thin film transistor layer on a substrate substrate according to an embodiment of the application.

[0023] Figure 7 FIG. 7 is an intermediate structural schematic diagram of a display panel after forming a light-emitting layer on a thin film transistor layer according to an embodiment of the application.

[0024] Figure 8 FIG. 8 is a structural schematic diagram of a display panel after removing a transfer substrate according to an embodiment of the application.

[0025] The reference signs in the figure include: a pixel light emitting unit 1, a foldable transparent unit 2, a transfer substrate 3, a substrate 4, an upper substrate 5, a first thin film transistor layer 6, a second thin film transistor layer 7, and a light emitting layer 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and drawings.

[0027] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present application should be understood as the general meaning understood by those skilled in the art to which the present application belongs. The terms such as "include" or "contain" mean that the elements or objects appearing before the terms cover the elements or objects listed after the terms and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. The terms such as "connected" or "connected" are not limited to physical or mechanical connection, but can include electrical connection, whether direct or indirect.

[0028] With the development of flexible display technology, the consumer market of stretchable display devices, such as stretchable display screens, gradually expands, making stretchable display technology gradually become a key research direction of display technology.

[0029] In the related art, the stretchable display device usually uses a stretchable material such as PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) as a substrate display panel, and realizes the stretching of the display panel and the display device by virtue of the stretching performance of the stretchable material. In this case, the stretching occurs not only in the part that is desired to be stretched, but also in the entire screen area. Therefore, the release pressure between the substrate formed by the stretchable material and the non-stretchable material film layer stacked thereon will be different, resulting in TFT (thin film transistor) performance degradation and easy film layer peeling, which reduces the performance of the display panel and even causes damage.

[0030] In view of the above shortcomings of the stretchable display panel in the related art, the embodiments of the present application provide a display panel and a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device.

[0031] The display panel and the manufacturing method thereof, and the display device provided by the present application, the display panel includes a pixel light emitting unit and a transparent unit, and the transparent unit is designed as a foldable structure. When the display panel is in an elongated state, the foldable transparent unit is in a flat state, and when the display panel is in a shortened state, the foldable transparent unit is in a folded state. By changing the state of the foldable transparent unit, the state of the display panel is switched, avoiding stretching the entire screen area, thereby preventing TFT performance degradation and preventing film layer peeling, and ensuring normal operation of the display panel.

[0032] Figure 1The structure of the display panel in the extended state is shown. Figure 2 The structure of the display panel in the shortened state is shown.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2 The display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application has an extended state and a shortened state switched along the stretching direction.

[0034] The display panel comprises a substrate.

[0035] The substrate is provided with a plurality of pixel light emitting units 1 arranged along the stretching direction, and a plurality of foldable transparent units 2 located between adjacent pixel light emitting units 1.

[0036] When the display panel is in the extended state, the foldable transparent units 2 are in a flat state.

[0037] When the display panel is in the shortened state, the foldable transparent units 2 are folded towards the light-emitting direction away from the pixel light emitting units 1, so that the adjacent pixel light emitting units 1 abut.

[0038] The display panel shown in the figure is a rectangular display panel, and the stretching direction of the display panel is the long side direction of the rectangle. In specific implementation, the display panel can also have other shapes, for example, a square, and the stretching direction of the display panel can also be the short side direction of the rectangle. The shape and stretching direction of the display panel are not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0039] The embodiment sets the foldable transparent units 2 between the pixel light emitting units 1, so that the display panel can be switched between the extended state and the shortened state. When the display panel is in the extended state, the foldable transparent units 2 are in a flat state, and at this time the display panel as a whole is a flat panel. When the display panel is in the shortened state, the foldable transparent units 2 are completely folded, so that the adjacent pixel light emitting units 1 abut, and the foldable transparent units 2 no longer display, and the length of the display panel in the stretching direction is reduced.

[0040] Regarding the folding direction of the foldable transparent units 2, considering that if the foldable transparent units 2 are located on the side of the light-emitting direction of the display panel in the folded state, the display effect of the display panel will be affected, therefore, the foldable transparent units 2 are arranged to be folded towards the side away from the light-emitting direction of the display panel in the folded state, so as to avoid affecting the display effect.

[0041] In addition, for the folding position of the foldable transparent unit 2, the embodiment sets the folding position at the middle position of the foldable transparent unit 2 to prevent the positions of the foldable transparent unit 2 other than the folding position and the connecting position from being bent during folding, and further reduce the risk of performance degradation of the display panel. In order to ensure that the folding position is located at the set middle position during folding, a pre-bending angle can be set at the middle position during the process of manufacturing the display panel, so that the folding position is located at the set middle position, and the influence of the folding position is prevented.

[0042] The substrate substrate and each film layer of the foldable transparent unit 2 of the embodiment have high light transmittance and no color. Therefore, when the display panel is in the elongated state, the foldable transparent unit 2 is transparent, and the pixel light emitting unit 1 illuminates the adjacent foldable transparent unit 2, so that the display panel is used as a transparent display panel. When the display panel is in the shortened state, the foldable transparent unit 2 is folded and does not serve as a display area. At this time, the display panel is similar to a common display panel, and the pixel light emitting unit 1 is driven to emit light, so that the display panel displays an image.

[0043] In this way, the display panel is switched between the transparent display panel and the common display panel by changing the state of the foldable transparent unit 2. During the switching process, the foldable transparent unit 2 is folded or restored to the flat state, and the pixel light emitting unit 1 does not change. At this time, only the two connecting positions of the foldable transparent unit 2 and the pixel light emitting unit and the folding position are flexibly deformed, and the remaining positions are not deformed. Compared with the stretchable display panel of the related art, the stretching area is greatly reduced, the release pressure difference between the film layers is very small, the performance degradation of the TFT due to stretching is avoided, and the peeling between the film layers is prevented, so that the normal use of the display panel is ensured.

[0044] In order to make the entire display panel emit light uniformly and avoid uneven brightness of the displayed image, the size of each pixel light emitting unit 1 needs to be the same, and the size of each foldable transparent unit 2 needs to be the same.

[0045] As an optional embodiment, the first length of each pixel light emitting unit 1 along the stretching direction is the same, and the second length of each foldable transparent unit 2 along the stretching direction is the same.

[0046] Reference Figure 1 In the embodiment, the first length is the length a in the figure, and the second length is the length b in the figure. In this way, by setting the first length of each pixel light emitting unit 1 to be the same and the second length of each foldable transparent unit 2 to be the same, the size of each pixel light emitting unit 1 is made the same, and the size of the area illuminated by each pixel light emitting unit 1, i.e., the size of the area composed of one pixel light emitting unit 1 and the adjacent foldable transparent unit 2, is made the same, so that the entire display panel emits light uniformly.

[0047] In order to ensure that the resolution of the display panel is the normal resolution in the elongated state and the shortened state, the length of the display panel in the elongated state needs to be an integer multiple of the length of the display panel in the shortened state.

[0048] In an optional embodiment, the second length is N times the first length, where N is a positive integer.

[0049] In this way, the length of the display panel in the elongated state is (N+1) times the length of the display panel in the shortened state, and the ratio between the length of the display panel in the elongated state and the length of the display panel in the shortened state can be determined by designing the value of N. For example, when N is 2, the length of the display panel in the elongated state is 3 times the length of the display panel in the shortened state. Considering that when N is too large, the pixel light emitting unit 1 can not be able to fully illuminate the adjacent foldable transparent unit 2, affecting the display effect of the display panel, in some embodiments, the value of N can be 1, 2, or 3, and in this case, the display panel has a good display effect in the elongated state.

[0050] In order to ensure that the resolution of the display panel is the normal resolution in the elongated state and the shortened state, the length of the display panel in the elongated state needs to be an integer multiple of the length of the display panel in the shortened state.

[0051] In an optional embodiment, the display panel in the shortened state includes a plurality of sub-light emitting units arranged perpendicular to the stretching direction. In the shortened state, every N+1 adjacent sub-light emitting units belonging to different pixel light emitting units 1 are driven by the same signal.

[0052] In this embodiment, the pixel light emitting unit 1 includes a plurality of sub-light emitting units capable of being driven respectively, each of which can be driven by a signal to emit light based on red, green, and blue three basic colors. In some embodiments, the light emitting device of the sub-light emitting unit can be an OLED (organic light emitting diode) or a u-LED (ultra-LED), both of which have good light emitting effect.

[0053] In the elongated state, each pixel is a square with a side length of N+1 times the first length, and therefore, in order to make each pixel still a square with a side length of N+1 times the first length in the shortened state, in this embodiment, the same signal is driven to every N+1 adjacent sub-light emitting units (i.e., N+1 adjacent sub-light emitting units along the stretching direction) belonging to different pixel light emitting units 1, so that the light emitting conditions of the N+1 sub-light emitting units are the same.

[0054] In some embodiments, the sub-light emitting units are grouped, and every N+1 sub-light emitting units are set as a group from one end of the telescopic direction along the telescopic direction, and each group of sub-light emitting units is driven.

[0055] In this way, when the display panel is in the shortened state, the N+1 sub-light emitting units with the same light emitting condition are taken as one pixel, so that each pixel is still a square with a side length of N+1 times the first length. The resolution of the display panel also has different resolutions when in the extended state and the shortened state due to this driving mode. For example, when N is 2, for a display panel with a resolution of 1920*1080 in the extended state, the resolution of the display panel is 640*1080 in the shortened state.

[0056] In view of the fact that the foldable transparent unit 2 needs to be folded away from the light-emitting direction of the display panel, i.e., folded to the back of the display panel when the display panel is in the shortened state, the foldable transparent unit 2 needs to occupy the back space of the display panel. In order to ensure that the foldable transparent unit 2 can occupy as small a back space as possible when in the folded state, and in order to ensure that the foldable transparent unit 2 can be folded smoothly, the thickness of the foldable transparent unit 2 needs to be reduced as much as possible.

[0057] As an optional embodiment, the pixel light emitting unit 1 includes a first thin film transistor layer, a light emitting layer, and a first packaging layer which are arranged on the substrate in a stack. The foldable transparent unit 2 includes a second thin film transistor layer arranged on the substrate. The thickness of the second thin film transistor layer is smaller than the thickness of the first thin film transistor layer.

[0058] In this embodiment, the foldable transparent unit 2 does not have a light emitting layer, and the second thin film transistor layer of the foldable transparent unit 2 is only used to jointly constitute the entire thin film transistor layer of the display panel with the first thin film transistor layer of the pixel light emitting unit 1. Therefore, without affecting the normal function of the second thin film transistor layer, the thickness of the foldable transparent unit 2 can be reduced by reducing the thickness of the second thin film transistor layer as much as possible, thereby making the foldable transparent unit 2 easy to fold.

[0059] In specific implementation, the second thin film transistor layer can be made thinner than the first thin film transistor layer by forming the first thin film transistor layer and the second thin film transistor layer respectively, or by forming the first thin film transistor layer and the second thin film transistor layer at the same time and then removing part of the second thin film transistor layer.

[0060] Also, because the foldable transparent unit 2 does not have a light-emitting layer, the foldable transparent unit 2 can be further reduced in thickness without the encapsulation layer.

[0061] As an optional embodiment, the foldable transparent unit 2 further includes a second encapsulation layer disposed on the second thin-film transistor layer. The thickness of the second encapsulation layer is less than 40% of the thickness of the first encapsulation layer.

[0062] In this embodiment, in order to protect the second thin-film transistor layer, the second encapsulation layer is formed on the second thin-film transistor layer, and in order to reduce the thickness of the foldable transparent unit 2, the second encapsulation layer is thinned, and the thickness of the second encapsulation layer is reduced as much as possible under the premise of meeting the protection performance of the second encapsulation layer, so that the foldable transparent unit 2 is easy to fold.

[0063] For example, in an embodiment, the thickness of the first encapsulation layer can be 30,000 angstroms, and the thickness of the second encapsulation layer can be 10,000 angstroms, and at this time, the thickness of the second encapsulation layer is 33.3% of the thickness of the first encapsulation layer.

[0064] In specific implementation, the second encapsulation layer can be thinner than the first encapsulation layer by forming the first encapsulation layer and the second encapsulation layer respectively, or by forming the first encapsulation layer and the second encapsulation layer at the same time and then removing part of the second encapsulation layer.

[0065] As an optional embodiment, the pixel light-emitting unit 1 further includes a first buffer layer disposed between the substrate substrate and the first thin-film transistor layer. The foldable transparent unit 2 further includes a second buffer layer disposed between the substrate substrate and the second thin-film transistor layer.

[0066] The thickness of the second buffer layer is less than 10% of the thickness of the first buffer layer.

[0067] The buffer layer is used to buffer the thin-film transistor layer, and therefore, the thickness of the buffer layer can be thinned as much as possible under the premise of meeting the buffering performance, so that the foldable transparent unit 2 is easy to fold.

[0068] For example, in an embodiment, the thickness of the first buffer layer can be 30,000 angstroms, and the thickness of the second buffer layer can be 1,000 angstroms, and at this time, the thickness of the second buffer layer is 3.3% of the thickness of the first buffer layer.

[0069] As an optional embodiment, the first thin film transistor layer includes a first gate insulating layer, a first interlayer dielectric layer and a first passivation layer which are arranged in a stack. The second thin film transistor layer includes a second gate insulating layer, a second interlayer dielectric layer and a second passivation layer which are arranged in a stack.

[0070] The materials of the gate insulating layer and the interlayer dielectric layer can be any one of SiO (silicon monoxide), SiO2 (silicon dioxide), Si3N4 (silicon nitride), Al2O3 (aluminum oxide) and SiO x N y (oxynitride silicon) or other inorganic materials. The material of the passivation layer can be an organic resin.

[0071] The thickness of the second gate insulating layer is less than 20% of the thickness of the first gate insulating layer, the thickness of the second interlayer dielectric layer is less than 10% of the thickness of the first interlayer dielectric layer, and the thickness of the second passivation layer is less than 10% of the thickness of the first passivation layer.

[0072] For example, in one embodiment, the thickness of the first gate insulating layer can be 3000 angstroms, and the thickness of the second gate insulating layer can be 500 angstroms, in which case the thickness of the second gate insulating layer is 1.7% of the thickness of the first gate insulating layer. The thickness of the first interlayer dielectric layer can be 20000 angstroms, and the thickness of the second interlayer dielectric layer can be 1000 angstroms, in which case the thickness of the second interlayer dielectric layer is 5% of the thickness of the first interlayer dielectric layer. The thickness of the first passivation layer can be 30000 angstroms, and the thickness of the second passivation layer can be 1000 angstroms, in which case the thickness of the second passivation layer is 3.3% of the thickness of the first passivation layer.

[0073] The gate insulating layer, the interlayer dielectric layer, the passivation layer and the anode layer are the layers in the thin film transistor layer whose thickness changes have the least impact on the performance of the thin film transistor layer. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the second thin film transistor layer is thinned by thinning the second gate insulating layer, the second interlayer dielectric layer, the second passivation layer and the second anode layer, so as to achieve the purpose of thinning the second thin film transistor layer while avoiding affecting the performance of the second thin film transistor layer.

[0074] In some embodiments, considering the cost and other factors in actual production, only part of the film layers capable of being thinned as described above can be thinned, for example, only the buffer layer and the passivation layer are thinned.

[0075] As an optional embodiment, the thin film transistor layer further comprises an active layer disposed between the substrate and the gate insulating layer, a gate layer disposed between the gate insulating layer and the interlayer dielectric layer, a source-drain layer disposed between the interlayer dielectric layer and the passivation layer, and an anode layer disposed on the source-drain layer. The active layer can be a polysilicon active layer, or an oxide active layer, such as an IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) active layer or an ITZO (indium tin zinc oxide) active layer. The material of the gate layer and the source-drain layer can be any one of Mo (molybdenum), Cu (copper), Al (aluminum), and Ti (titanium), or an alloy material thereof. The material of the anode layer can be any one of ITO (indium tin oxide), IZO (indium zinc oxide), and ZnO:Al (aluminum-doped zinc oxide).

[0076] Based on the same inventive concept, the display panel corresponding to any of the above embodiments, the disclosure also provides a manufacturing method of a display panel, the display panel having an elongated state and a shortened state switched along the extension and contraction direction, the manufacturing method comprising:

[0077] Step S1, preparing a substrate 4.

[0078] In this embodiment, the substrate 4 is a high-transparency flexible substrate 4, so that the foldable transparent unit 2 has good light transmittance and can be folded.

[0079] As an optional embodiment, the preparation of the substrate 4 comprises the following steps:

[0080] Step S101, coating a resin on the transfer substrate 3 to obtain a resin material layer. Figure 3 The structure of the transfer substrate 3 of the embodiment of the application is shown. Figure 4 The intermediate structure of the display panel of the embodiment of the application after forming the substrate 4 on the transfer substrate 3 is shown.

[0081] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The transfer substrate 3 comprises a plurality of first regions arranged along a straight line, and a plurality of second regions between adjacent first regions, the surface of each first region close to the resin material layer is a plane, and the surface of each second region close to the resin material layer is a concave surface.

[0082] In this embodiment, the coated resin can be a varnish type flexible resin.

[0083] In the embodiment, the first area is used to form the pixel light emitting unit 1 of the display panel, and the second area is used to form the foldable transparent unit 2 of the display panel.

[0084] In this way, by forming the foldable transparent unit 2 in the second area, the foldable transparent unit 2 has a pre-folding angle, so that the foldable transparent unit 2 is easy to fold.

[0085] Step S102, the resin material layer is compacted and shaped using the upper substrate 5 matched with the transfer substrate 3.

[0086] Figure 5 The intermediate structure of the display panel of the embodiment of the application when forming the substrate 4 on the transfer substrate 3 is shown. Referring to Figure 5 The surface of the upper substrate 5 corresponding to the first area close to the transfer substrate 3 is a plane, and the surface of the upper substrate 5 corresponding to the second area close to the transfer substrate 3 is a convex surface. By compacting the resin material layer with the upper substrate 5, the resin material layer is formed as a structure with a plane corresponding to the first area and a concave shape corresponding to the second area.

[0087] Step S103, the resin material layer after compacting and shaping is once cured.

[0088] In the embodiment, the resin material layer can be once cured by irradiating UV (ultraviolet) or heating to preliminarily shape the resin material layer.

[0089] Step S104, the upper substrate 5 is removed.

[0090] Step S105, the resin material layer after once curing is twice cured to obtain the substrate 4.

[0091] In the embodiment, after preliminary shaping, the upper substrate 5 is removed, and then the resin material layer after once curing can be twice cured by high temperature to completely cure the resin material layer to form the substrate 4. The high temperature for twice curing can be 230-450°C.

[0092] Step S2, forming a plurality of pixel light emitting units 1 arranged in the extension and contraction direction on the substrate 4, and forming a plurality of foldable transparent units 2 located between adjacent pixel light emitting units 1.

[0093] When the display panel is in the extended state, the foldable transparent unit 2 is in a flat state; when the display panel is in the shortened state, the foldable transparent unit 2 is bent away from the light emitting direction of the pixel light emitting unit 1, so that the adjacent pixel light emitting units 1 abut.

[0094] Thus, the display panel obtained by the manufacturing method of the embodiment can switch between transparent display panel and ordinary display panel by changing the state of the foldable transparent unit 2, and during the switching process, the foldable transparent unit 2 is folded or restored to a flat state, and the pixel light emitting unit 1 does not change, at this time only the two junctions of the foldable transparent unit 2 and the pixel light emitting unit 1 and the folding are flexibly deformed, and the rest is not deformed. Compared with the stretchable display panel of the related art, the stretching area is greatly reduced, the release pressure difference between the film layers is very small, the performance degradation of TFT due to stretching is avoided, and peeling between the film layers is prevented, ensuring the normal use of the display panel.

[0095] As an optional embodiment, a plurality of pixel light emitting units 1 arranged in a straight line and a plurality of foldable transparent units 2 located between adjacent pixel light emitting units 1 are formed on the substrate 4, comprising:

[0096] Step S201, forming a first thin film transistor layer 6 and a second thin film transistor layer 7 on the substrate 4.

[0097] Figure 6 The intermediate structure of the display panel of the embodiment of the application after forming the thin film transistor layer on the substrate 4 is shown.

[0098] Step S202, forming a light emitting layer 8 on the first thin film transistor layer 6.

[0099] Figure 7 The intermediate structure of the display panel of the embodiment of the application after forming the light emitting layer 8 on the first thin film transistor layer 6 is shown.

[0100] As an optional embodiment, when the light emitting device constituting the light emitting layer 8 is OLED, the light emitting layer 8 is formed by patterning.

[0101] As another optional embodiment, when the light emitting device constituting the light emitting layer 8 is u-LED, an LED chip is placed in each first area to form the light emitting layer 8.

[0102] Step S203, forming a first encapsulation layer on the light emitting layer 8.

[0103] The thickness of the second thin film transistor layer 7 is less than the thickness of the first thin film transistor layer 6, the first thin film transistor layer 6, the light emitting layer 8 and the first encapsulation layer constitute the pixel light emitting unit 1, and the second thin film transistor layer 7 constitutes the foldable transparent unit 2.

[0104] In this way, by forming the second thin film transistor layer 7 which is thinner than the first thin film transistor layer 6, it is ensured that the foldable transparent unit 2 can occupy as small a back space as possible when in the folded state, and it is ensured that the foldable transparent unit 2 can be folded smoothly. By not forming an encapsulation layer on the foldable transparent unit 2, the thickness of the foldable transparent unit 2 is further reduced.

[0105] As an optional embodiment, after the first thin film transistor layer 6 and the second thin film transistor layer 7 are formed on the substrate substrate 4, the method further comprises:

[0106] forming a second encapsulation layer on the second thin film transistor layer 7.

[0107] wherein the thickness of the second encapsulation layer is less than 50% of the thickness of the first encapsulation layer.

[0108] In this way, by forming the second encapsulation layer which is thinner than the first encapsulation layer, the foldable transparent unit 2 is facilitated to fold under the premise of ensuring the protection performance of the second encapsulation layer.

[0109] As an optional embodiment, after the first encapsulation layer, or the first encapsulation layer and the second encapsulation layer are formed, the transfer substrate 3 is removed to obtain a finished display panel.

[0110] Figure 8 The structure of the display panel of the embodiment of the present application after the transfer substrate 3 is removed is shown.

[0111] As an optional embodiment, before the first thin film transistor layer 6 and the second thin film transistor layer 7 are formed on the substrate substrate 4, the method further comprises:

[0112] forming a first buffer layer and a second buffer layer on the substrate substrate 4.

[0113] wherein the thickness of the second buffer layer is less than 10% of the thickness of the first buffer layer.

[0114] In specific implementation, a buffer layer can be obtained by depositing an inorganic material (such as Al2O3) above the substrate substrate 4 through coating, magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation or PECVD, and then etching the buffer layer corresponding to the second region to obtain the first buffer layer and the second buffer layer.

[0115] In this way, by forming the second buffer layer which is thinner than the first buffer layer, the foldable transparent unit 2 is facilitated to fold under the premise of ensuring the buffer performance of the second buffer layer.

[0116] As an optional embodiment, forming the first thin film transistor layer 6 and the second thin film transistor layer 7 on the substrate substrate 4 comprises:

[0117] Step S201-1, forming a first gate insulating layer and a second gate insulating layer on the substrate 4.

[0118] In this embodiment, before forming the first gate insulating layer and the second gate insulating layer, an a-Si layer can be first deposited on the substrate 4 by coating, magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation or PECVD (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) method, etc. to obtain a-Si, and then the a-Si layer is annealed to convert the a-Si into P-Si (polysilicon), and then a film layer is prepared on the P-Si and patterned to obtain the active layer.

[0119] Subsequently, an inorganic material (such as Si3N4) layer can be deposited on the active layer by coating, magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation or PECVD method, etc. to obtain a gate insulating layer, and then the gate insulating layer corresponding to the second region is etched to obtain the first gate insulating layer and the second gate insulating layer.

[0120] Step S201-2, forming a first interlayer dielectric layer and a second interlayer dielectric layer on the first gate insulating layer and the second gate insulating layer, respectively.

[0121] In this embodiment, before forming the first interlayer dielectric layer and the second interlayer dielectric layer, a gate material layer can be first deposited on the first interlayer dielectric layer and the second interlayer dielectric layer by coating, magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation or PECVD method, etc. to obtain a gate material layer, and then a film layer is prepared on the gate material layer and patterned to obtain the gate layer.

[0122] Subsequently, an inorganic material (such as SiO x N y ) layer can be deposited on the gate layer by coating, magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation or PECVD method, etc. to obtain an interlayer dielectric layer, and then the interlayer dielectric layer corresponding to the second region is etched to obtain the first interlayer dielectric layer and the second interlayer dielectric layer.

[0123] Step S201-3, forming a first passivation layer and a second passivation layer on the first interlayer dielectric layer and the second interlayer dielectric layer, respectively.

[0124] In this embodiment, before forming the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer, a source-drain material layer can be first obtained on the first interlayer dielectric layer and the second interlayer dielectric layer by coating, magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation or PECVD method, etc., and then a film layer is prepared on the source-drain material layer and patterned to obtain the source-drain layer.

[0125] Subsequently, a layer of organic resin can be deposited on the source-drain layer by coating, magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation or PECVD to obtain a passivation material layer, and then a film layer is prepared on the passivation material layer and is patterned to obtain a passivation layer, and the passivation layer corresponding to the second region is etched to obtain the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer.

[0126] Subsequently, a layer of alloy material (for example, ITO) can be deposited on the first passivation layer and the second passivation layer by coating, magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation or PECVD to obtain an anode material layer, and then a film layer is prepared on the anode material layer and is patterned to obtain an anode layer.

[0127] The thickness of the first gate insulating layer is less than 50% of the thickness of the second gate insulating layer, the thickness of the first interlayer dielectric layer is less than 50% of the thickness of the second interlayer dielectric layer, the thickness of the first passivation layer is less than 50% of the thickness of the second passivation layer, and the thickness of the first anode layer is less than 50% of the thickness of the second anode layer.

[0128] In this way, the second thin film transistor layer 7 is thinned by thinning the second gate insulating layer, the second interlayer dielectric layer and the second passivation layer, so that the performance of the second thin film transistor layer 7 is not affected while the purpose of thinning the second thin film transistor layer 7 is achieved.

[0129] Based on the same inventive concept, the display device corresponding to any of the display panels described above is also provided.

[0130] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope of the application (including the claims) to these examples; the above embodiments or technical features in different embodiments can also be combined, and the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other changes to the aspects of the embodiments of the application as described above, which are not provided in detail.

[0131] Although the application has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, numerous alternatives, modifications, and variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0132] The embodiments of the application are intended to cover all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as falling within the broad scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, any one of the steps of the embodiments of the application can be performed in any order, and many other changes to the aspects of the embodiments of the application as described above can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the application.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized by, The display panel has an elongated state and a shortened state switched along a stretching direction; The display panel comprises: a substrate substrate; a plurality of pixel light-emitting units arranged along the stretching direction are arranged on the substrate substrate, and a plurality of foldable transparent units are arranged between adjacent pixel light-emitting units; When the display panel is in the elongated state, the foldable transparent units are in a flat state; When the display panel is in the shortened state, the foldable transparent units are bent away from the light-emitting direction of the pixel light-emitting units, so that the adjacent pixel light-emitting units abut.

2. The display panel of claim 1, wherein, The first length of each pixel light-emitting unit along the stretching direction is the same, and the second length of each foldable transparent unit along the stretching direction is the same.

3. The display panel of claim 2, wherein, The second length is N times the first length; wherein N is a positive integer.

4. The display panel of claim 3, wherein, Each pixel light-emitting unit comprises a plurality of sub-light-emitting units arranged perpendicular to the stretching direction; when the display panel is in the shortened state, every N+1 adjacent sub-light-emitting units belonging to different pixel light-emitting units are driven with the same signal.

5. The display panel of claim 1, wherein, The pixel light-emitting unit comprises a first buffer layer, a first thin film transistor layer, a light-emitting layer and a first packaging layer arranged on the substrate substrate in a stacked manner; the foldable transparent unit comprises a second buffer layer and a second thin film transistor layer arranged on the substrate substrate; The thickness of the second thin film transistor layer is less than the thickness of the first thin film transistor layer.

6. The display panel of claim 5, wherein, The foldable transparent unit further comprises a second packaging layer arranged on the second thin film transistor layer; The thickness of the second packaging layer is less than 40% of the thickness of the first packaging layer.

7. The display panel of claim 5, wherein, The pixel light-emitting unit further comprises a first buffer layer arranged between the substrate substrate and the first thin film transistor layer; the foldable transparent unit further comprises a second buffer layer arranged between the substrate substrate and the second thin film transistor layer; The thickness of the second buffer layer is less than 10% of the thickness of the first buffer layer.

8. The display panel of claim 5, wherein, The first thin film transistor layer comprises a first gate insulating layer, a first interlayer dielectric layer and a first passivation layer arranged in a stacked manner, and the second thin film transistor layer comprises a second gate insulating layer, a second interlayer dielectric layer and a second passivation layer arranged in a stacked manner; The thickness of the second gate insulating layer is less than 20% of the thickness of the first gate insulating layer, the thickness of the second interlayer dielectric layer is less than 10% of the thickness of the first interlayer dielectric layer, and the thickness of the second passivation layer is less than 10% of the thickness of the first passivation layer.

9. A manufacturing method of a display panel, comprising: The display panel has an elongated state and a shortened state switched along a stretching direction; The manufacturing method comprises: preparing a substrate substrate; forming a plurality of pixel light-emitting units arranged along the stretching direction on the substrate substrate, and forming a plurality of foldable transparent units between adjacent pixel light-emitting units; When the display panel is in the elongated state, the foldable transparent units are in a flat state; when the display panel is in the shortened state, the foldable transparent units are bent away from the light-emitting direction of the pixel light-emitting units, so that the adjacent pixel light-emitting units abut.

10. The method of manufacturing according to claim 9, wherein, The preparation substrate base plate comprises: coating resin on a transfer substrate to obtain a resin material layer; wherein the transfer substrate comprises a plurality of first regions arranged along a straight line, and a plurality of second regions located between adjacent first regions, each first region is a plane close to the surface of the resin material layer, and each second region is a concave surface close to the surface of the resin material layer; using an upper substrate matched with the transfer substrate to compact and shape the resin material layer; performing primary curing on the compacted and shaped resin material layer; removing the upper substrate; performing secondary curing on the primary cured resin material layer to obtain the substrate base plate.

11. The method of manufacturing according to claim 9, wherein, The method comprises: forming a first thin film transistor layer and a second thin film transistor layer on the substrate base plate; forming a light emitting layer on the first thin film transistor layer; forming a first encapsulation layer on the light emitting layer; wherein the thickness of the second thin film transistor layer is less than the thickness of the first thin film transistor layer, the first thin film transistor layer, the light emitting layer and the first encapsulation layer constitute the pixel light emitting unit, and the second thin film transistor layer constitutes the foldable transparent unit.

12. The method of manufacturing according to claim 11, wherein, After forming the first thin film transistor layer and the second thin film transistor layer on the substrate base plate, the method further comprises: forming a second encapsulation layer on the second thin film transistor layer; wherein the thickness of the second encapsulation layer is less than 40% of the thickness of the first encapsulation layer.

13. The method of manufacturing according to claim 11, wherein, Before forming the first thin film transistor layer and the second thin film transistor layer on the substrate base plate, the method further comprises: forming a first buffer layer and a second buffer layer on the substrate base plate; wherein the thickness of the second buffer layer is less than 10% of the thickness of the first buffer layer.

14. The method of manufacturing of claim 11, wherein, The method comprises: forming a first gate insulating layer and a second gate insulating layer on the substrate base plate; forming a first interlayer dielectric layer and a second interlayer dielectric layer on the first gate insulating layer and the second gate insulating layer, respectively; forming a first passivation layer and a second passivation layer on the first interlayer dielectric layer and the second interlayer dielectric layer, respectively; wherein the thickness of the second gate insulating layer is less than 20% of the thickness of the first gate insulating layer, the thickness of the second interlayer dielectric layer is less than 10% of the thickness of the first interlayer dielectric layer, and the thickness of the second passivation layer is less than 10% of the thickness of the first passivation layer.

15. A display device comprising: The display panel comprises any one of claims 1 to 8.

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