Array substrate, manufacturing method thereof and display device

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an array substrate, a preparation method thereof and a display device, the array substrate comprising: a substrate substrate; a plurality of light emitting devices arranged in an array on the substrate substrate, an interval region of the plurality of light emitting devices being provided with a transparent region, the light emitting device comprising a first electrode, an organic light emitting layer and a second electrode which are arranged in a stack on the substrate substrate, a normal projection of the organic light emitting layer on the substrate substrate and the transparent region not overlapping each other, the first electrode being a reflective electrode, the second electrode being configured to partially transmit and partially reflect light emitted by the organic light emitting layer; a pixel definition layer arranged on the substrate substrate, the pixel definition layer comprising: a first opening region arranged at intervals and a second opening region configured to define the transparent region, each light emitting device being arranged at one first opening region, an isolation layer being arranged in the second opening region, the isolation layer being configured to prevent the second electrode from extending to the transparent region.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to an array substrate, a method for fabricating the same, and a display device. Background Technology

[0002] Organic light-emitting devices such as OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) have advantages such as self-illumination, wide viewing angle, wide color gamut, high contrast, and thinness, and are widely used in display products.

[0003] Currently, OLED transparent display panels are becoming increasingly popular. OLED transparent display panels have light-emitting areas and transparent areas. On the one hand, the light-emitting areas emit light to achieve the display, and on the other hand, the transparent areas achieve the transparent characteristics of the display panel. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The array substrate, its fabrication method, and display device provided in this disclosure can ensure the transparency of the transparent area, as well as the display color gamut and improve the light extraction efficiency.

[0005] In a first aspect, some embodiments of this disclosure provide an array substrate, comprising: a substrate; a plurality of light-emitting devices arranged in an array on the substrate, wherein transparent regions are provided at the intervals between the plurality of light-emitting devices, each light-emitting device including a first electrode, an organic light-emitting layer and a second electrode stacked on the substrate, wherein the orthographic projection of the organic light-emitting layer on the substrate does not overlap with the transparent regions, the first electrode is a reflective electrode, and the second electrode is configured to partially transmit and partially reflect light emitted by the organic light-emitting layer; and a pixel defining layer disposed on the substrate, the pixel defining layer including: a first opening region spaced apart and a second opening region configured to define transparent regions, each light-emitting device being disposed at one of the first opening regions, and an isolation layer being disposed in the second opening region, the isolation layer being configured to prevent the second electrode from extending into the transparent regions.

[0006] Optionally, the second electrodes of the plurality of light-emitting devices are interconnected, the sidewall of the pixel defining layer near the second opening area is a ramp surface, the second electrode covers at least a portion of the ramp surface and is connected to the edge of the isolation layer.

[0007] Optionally, the orthographic projection of the isolation layer on the substrate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the second electrode on the substrate.

[0008] Optionally, the material of the second electrode is magnesium, and the material of the insulating layer includes lithium 8-hydroxyquinoline or bis(2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinoline)-4-(p-phenylphenol)aluminum.

[0009] Optionally, the thickness of the isolation layer in the direction perpendicular to the substrate is 1nm-10nm.

[0010] Optionally, the thickness of the second electrode in the direction perpendicular to the substrate is 10nm-15nm.

[0011] Optionally, the transmittance of the second electrode is 50%-70%.

[0012] Optionally, the light-emitting device further includes an electron transport layer and an electron injection layer, the electron transport layer and the electron injection layer being located between the organic light-emitting layer and the second electrode, the electron transport layer and the electron injection layer extending into the transparent region, and the isolation layer being located on the side of the electron injection layer away from the substrate. The electron injection layer is made of sodium fluoride, or the electron injection layer is made of an n-type doped electron transport layer material.

[0013] Secondly, some embodiments of this disclosure provide a display device, including: the array substrate provided in the first aspect above.

[0014] Thirdly, some embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for fabricating an array substrate, comprising: providing a substrate; sequentially forming a first electrode of a plurality of light-emitting devices and forming a pixel defining layer on the substrate, wherein the plurality of light-emitting devices are arranged in an array on the substrate, and transparent regions are provided in the spacer regions of the plurality of light-emitting devices, the first electrode is a reflective electrode, the pixel defining layer includes: a first opening region spaced apart and a second opening region configured to define the transparent region, each light-emitting device corresponding to a first opening region; forming an organic light-emitting layer of the plurality of light-emitting devices in the first opening region, wherein the orthographic projection of the organic light-emitting layer on the substrate does not overlap with the transparent region; forming an isolation layer in the second opening region; forming a second electrode of the plurality of light-emitting devices on the organic light-emitting layer, wherein the isolation layer is configured to prevent the second electrode from extending into the transparent region, and the second electrode is configured to partially transmit and partially reflect the light emitted by the organic light-emitting layer.

[0015] In the array substrate and its fabrication method and display device provided in some embodiments of this disclosure, the light-emitting device includes: a first electrode, a second electrode, and an organic light-emitting layer stacked between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode is a reflective electrode, and the second electrode is configured to partially transmit and partially reflect the light emitted by the organic light-emitting layer, thereby achieving a strong microcavity effect to ensure the display color gamut and improve the light extraction efficiency. Furthermore, by providing an isolation layer in the transparent area, the isolation layer is configured to prevent the second electrode from extending into the transparent area, thereby minimizing the impact of the second electrode on the transmittance of the transparent area and helping to ensure high transparency in the transparent area.

[0016] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. In order to better understand the technical means of the embodiments of this disclosure and to implement them in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure more apparent and understandable, specific implementation methods of the embodiments of this disclosure are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an array substrate according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0019] Figure 2 A planar schematic diagram of an array substrate according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0020] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of an array substrate according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0021] Figure 4 This image shows a photograph taken when the Liq inkjet material is in a wet film state after printing;

[0022] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the film layers of the light-emitting device in a display pixel is shown in some embodiments of this disclosure;

[0023] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a portion of the film layer within a transparent pixel is shown in some embodiments of this disclosure;

[0024] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a method for fabricating an array substrate according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0026] It should be noted that the term "and / or" used in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. The term "multiple" includes two or more cases. Words such as "including" or "contains" mean that the element or object preceding the word covers the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "up," "down," "left," and "right" are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0027] It should be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being on another layer or substrate, it can mean that the layer or element is directly on the other layer or substrate, or that there is an intermediate layer between the layer or element and the other layer or substrate. The term "transparent" as described herein is a broad concept, encompassing objects such as films and substrates whose transmittance exceeds a set threshold. Higher transmittance equates to higher transparency. The set threshold can be determined based on the needs of the actual application scenario; for example, it can be 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 95%, etc., and this embodiment does not impose any limitations on this.

[0028] Currently, in some large-size transparent display panels based on organic electroluminescent devices, in order to ensure the transparency of the transparent area, the cathode usually adopts a transparent electrode with high transmittance, such as IZO (Indium zinc oxide). However, because IZO has high transmittance (for example, it can reach more than 95% or even higher), it will destroy the strong microcavity effect of the top-emitting device, resulting in reduced light emission efficiency and worse color gamut.

[0029] Based on this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide an array substrate and its fabrication method, a display substrate, and an apparatus in which the second electrode of the light-emitting device is configured as an electrode capable of partially transmitting and partially reflecting the light emitted by the organic light-emitting layer, thereby ensuring that the light-emitting device can form an optical microcavity to achieve a strong microcavity effect, ensuring the display color gamut and improving the light extraction efficiency; and by setting an isolation layer in the transparent area, the isolation layer is configured to prevent the second electrode from extending into the transparent area, thereby minimizing the impact of the second electrode on the transmittance of the transparent area, which is beneficial to ensuring high transparency in the transparent area.

[0030] The array substrate provided in some embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that this array substrate can be applied to transparent displays, for example, to transparent display panels such as large-size OLED display panels; or, it can be applied to other suitable scenarios, for example, to transparent windows with light-emitting functions such as vehicle windows, building windows, etc. This embodiment does not limit its application in this regard.

[0031] Figure 1 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of an array substrate according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 2 A planar schematic diagram of an array substrate according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 1 It can be along Figure 2 The cross-sectional view obtained from section AA in the diagram. See also... Figure 1 and Figure 2 This disclosure provides an array substrate 10, which may include a substrate 100 and a plurality of light-emitting devices 110 disposed on the substrate 100.

[0032] The substrate 100 can be made of a transparent material. For example, the substrate 100 can be a transparent flexible substrate, or it can be a transparent rigid substrate such as glass or ultra-thin glass (UTG).

[0033] Multiple light-emitting devices 110 are arranged in an array on a substrate 100. Each light-emitting device 110 includes a first electrode 111, an organic light-emitting layer 113, and a second electrode 117 stacked on the substrate 100. The organic light-emitting layer 113 is an electroluminescent organic light-emitting layer, and the light-emitting material contained in the organic light-emitting layer 113 of each light-emitting device 110 can be determined according to its emission color. For example, for a red light-emitting device, the organic light-emitting layer 113 may include red organic light-emitting material; for a green light-emitting device, the organic light-emitting layer 113 may include green organic light-emitting material; and for a blue light-emitting device, the organic light-emitting layer 113 may include blue organic light-emitting material. For example, the light-emitting device 110 can be an OLED light-emitting device.

[0034] The first electrode 111 is a reflective electrode; light emitted from the organic light-emitting layer 113 is reflected after hitting the first electrode 111. The second electrode 117 is configured to partially transmit and partially reflect the light emitted from the organic light-emitting layer 113. When light emitted from the organic light-emitting layer 113 hits the second electrode 117, part of it is transmitted into the human eye, and the other part is reflected back. It should be noted that the transmittance of the second electrode 117 needs to meet the requirements of the microcavity effect; for example, the transmittance can be close to 50%, such as 50%, 60%, or 70%.

[0035] The total internal reflection first electrode 111, the semi-transparent second electrode 117, and the organic light-emitting layer 113 placed between the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 117 can form an optical microcavity to achieve a strong microcavity effect, ensuring the display color gamut and improving light extraction efficiency. The optical microcavity is formed by placing the organic light-emitting layer 113 within a resonant cavity composed of a total internal reflection film and a semi-reflective film. Since the thickness of the organic light-emitting device 110 can be comparable to the wavelength of light, the semi-transparent second electrode 117 can be considered as a semi-reflective film, and the first electrode 111 can be considered as a total internal reflection film, thus giving the light-emitting device 110 a microcavity effect. It should be noted that "semi-transparent" and "semi-reflective" here are broad descriptions, including cases where the transmittance or reflectance is 50%, and cases where the difference between the transmittance or reflectance and 50% is within an acceptable deviation range. This embodiment does not impose such limitations.

[0036] One of the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 117 serves as the anode, and the other serves as the cathode. For ease of explanation, the following text will primarily use the example of the first electrode 111 being the anode and the second electrode 117 being the cathode.

[0037] For example, in the top-emitting array substrate 10, the first electrode 111 is closer to the substrate 100 than the second electrode 117. The first electrode 111 is a reflective electrode. For example, the structure of the first electrode 111 can be a composite structure composed of a transparent conductive oxide film / metal film / transparent conductive oxide film stacked sequentially. The transparent conductive oxide film is made of, for example, any one of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) and IZO, and the metal film is made of, for example, any one of gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), and platinum (Pt). Alternatively, the first electrode 111 can also be a single-layer structure, and the material of the single-layer structure can be a metallic material, such as any one of gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), nickel (Ni), and platinum (Pt).

[0038] like Figure 2As shown, transparent regions 120 are provided in the spacer areas of the plurality of light-emitting devices 110. The orthographic projection of the organic light-emitting layer 113 of the plurality of light-emitting devices 110 onto the substrate 100 does not overlap with the transparent regions 120. For example, if the plurality of light-emitting devices 110 are arranged in an array, a transparent region 120 can be provided between every two adjacent light-emitting devices 110 along the row direction. Alternatively, a transparent region 120 can be provided every few light-emitting devices 110. It should be noted that... Figure 2 The arrangement of the light-emitting device 110 and the transparent area 120 shown is only illustrative. The specific arrangement of the multiple light-emitting devices 110 and the transparent area 120 can be set according to the needs of the actual application scenario. This embodiment does not limit this.

[0039] For example, Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of an array substrate according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. For example... Figure 3 As shown, when the array substrate 10 is applied to a transparent display, the array substrate 10 may include a plurality of pixel units P arranged in an array. Each pixel unit P may include a plurality of display pixels, and each display pixel may include a light-emitting device 110 and a pixel driving circuit for driving the light-emitting device 110 to emit light. For example, the plurality of display pixels may include: a red pixel R, a green pixel G, and a blue pixel B. The red pixel R may include a red light-emitting device, the green pixel G may include a green light-emitting device, and the blue pixel B may include a blue light-emitting device. Each pixel unit P is provided with a transparent pixel T. It can be understood that the area where the transparent pixel T is located is also the aforementioned transparent area 120.

[0040] like Figure 3 As shown, a pixel unit P may include a red pixel R, a green pixel G, a blue pixel B, and a transparent pixel T. The red pixel R, green pixel G, and blue pixel B can be arranged according to... Figure 3 The image shows an RGB layout, with the transparent pixel T positioned below the RGB pixels. It should be noted that... Figure 3 The arrangement shown is for illustrative purposes only. In other embodiments, other arrangements may be used, such as a Delta arrangement, a PenTile arrangement, or a GGRB arrangement between the red pixel R, green pixel G, and blue pixel B. The arrangement and size relationship of the display pixels and transparent pixels T within the pixel unit P can be set according to the needs of the actual application scenario, and this embodiment does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0041] like Figure 1As shown, the array substrate 10 may further include a pixel defining layer 130 disposed on one side of the substrate 100. The pixel defining layer 130 may include a first opening region 131 and a second opening region 132, wherein the first opening region 131 is configured to define the light-emitting region of the light-emitting device 110. Each light-emitting device 110 is disposed at a first opening region 131, and at least a portion of the first electrode 111 of the corresponding light-emitting device 110 is exposed at the lower port of the first opening region 131.

[0042] For example, the pixel defining layer 130 can be made of a hydrophobic material. When the organic light-emitting layer 113 is printed by inkjet printing, the hydrophobic pixel defining layer 130 can cause the inkjet material falling on it to slide off and move into the first opening area 131. It can also prevent the inkjet material in the first opening area 131 from climbing, which is beneficial to more accurately defining the light-emitting area of ​​the light-emitting device 110.

[0043] The second opening region 132 is configured to define the aforementioned transparent region 120. An isolation layer 121 is disposed within the second opening region 132. The isolation layer 121 is configured to prevent the second electrode 117 from extending into the transparent region 120. For example, the second electrodes 117 of the plurality of light-emitting devices 110 may be interconnected, i.e., connected as one unit, which is equivalent to each light-emitting device 110 sharing the second electrode 117. The second electrode 117 may cover other display areas (or light-emitting areas) in the array substrate 10 except for the isolation layer 121.

[0044] In some embodiments, the sidewall of the pixel defining layer 130 near the second opening region 132 can be a ramp surface, i.e., along a direction perpendicular to the substrate 100, the opening size of the second opening region 132 gradually increases with the increase of the distance from the substrate 100. For example, as Figure 1 As shown, the second electrode 117 conformally covers at least a portion of the sloped surface (i.e., the portion of the sidewall area still exposed after the isolation layer 121 is formed within the second opening region 132), and the edge of the second electrode 117 near the second opening region 132 is in contact with the edge of the isolation layer 121. It should be noted that "in contact" here can be understood as: the edge of the second electrode 117 near the second opening region 132 is in contact with the edge of the isolation layer 121; or, there may be a slight gap between the edge of the second electrode 117 near the second opening region 132 and the edge of the isolation layer 121; or, within an acceptable range of transparent area size error, there may be a slight overlap between the edge of the second electrode 117 near the second opening region 132 and the edge of the isolation layer 121. The specific degree of contact is determined based on the actual process results, and this embodiment does not impose any limitations on this.

[0045] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the isolation layer 121 on the substrate 100 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the second electrode 117 on the substrate 100. It should be noted that "not overlapping" here can be understood as no overlap at all, or, within an acceptable error range, the edge of the second electrode 117 near the second opening region 132 may slightly overlap with the edge of the isolation layer 121, and their orthographic projections on the substrate 100 may also be considered as not overlapping.

[0046] By setting the isolation layer 121, the formation of the second electrode 117 with partial transmission and partial reflection characteristics into the transparent area 120 during the production process can be avoided as much as possible, which would reduce the transparency of the transparent area 120. This helps to ensure the transparency of the transparent area 120 while maintaining the display color gamut and improving the light output efficiency.

[0047] For example, the second electrode 117 can be formed by a vapor deposition process. The isolation layer 121 is configured to prevent the material of the second electrode 117 from being deposited into the transparent region 120 during the vapor deposition of the second electrodes 117 of the plurality of light-emitting devices 110. Utilizing the characteristic that the adhesion of the second electrode 117 material to the isolation layer 121 material is very weak, even repelling it, while the adhesion to other areas is relatively strong, the second electrode 117 material cannot be deposited onto the isolation layer 121, thereby preventing the second electrode 117 from forming in the transparent region 120.

[0048] In some embodiments, the characteristics that the second electrode 117 needs to meet may include: ① being able to conduct electricity; ② being able to partially transmit and partially reflect the light emitted by the organic light-emitting layer 113, so that the light-emitting device 110 has a strong microcavity effect; and ③ the material of the second electrode 117 cannot be deposited on the isolation layer 121. The characteristics that the isolation layer 121 needs to meet may include: ① being transparent; and ② the material of the second electrode 117 cannot be deposited on the isolation layer 121 by means of a fabrication process such as a vapor deposition process.

[0049] In some embodiments, the material of the second electrode 117 can be magnesium (Mg), and the material of the insulating layer 121 can include Liq material (lithium 8-hydroxyquinoline). This utilizes the property that pure Mg cannot be deposited on Liq material, preventing Mg from being deposited on the transparent area 120. This maintains the high transparency of the transparent area while preserving the strong microcavity effect of the light-emitting device 110, ensuring the display color gamut and improving the light extraction efficiency.

[0050] It should be noted that a sufficiently thin metal film can possess certain light transmittance characteristics. For example, when the second electrode 117 is a magnesium metal layer, the thickness of the magnesium metal layer in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 100 can be 10nm-15nm, such as 10nm, 13nm, or 15nm. In this case, the transmittance of the second electrode 117 can reach 50% to 70%, such as 50%, 60%, or 70%, to achieve a strong microcavity effect. Of course, in other examples, the thickness of the magnesium metal layer can also be slightly thinner (such as 5nm, 6nm, or 8nm) or slightly thicker (such as 16nm or 17nm), and correspondingly, the transmittance can be slightly lower or higher, to achieve a strong microcavity effect, thereby meeting the color gamut and light extraction efficiency requirements of practical application scenarios. This embodiment does not impose any limitations on this.

[0051] It should be noted that, in addition to Mg, the second electrode 117 can also be made of other materials that can meet the above characteristics, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0052] It should also be noted that, in addition to Liq material, the isolation layer 121 can also be made of other materials that can meet the above characteristics, and this embodiment does not limit this. For example, when the second electrode 117 is a magnesium metal layer, the material of the isolation layer 121 can also include: BAlq material (bis(2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinoline)-4-(p-phenylphenol)aluminum).

[0053] In some embodiments, the thickness of the isolation layer 121 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 100 can be 1nm-10nm, for example, it can be 1nm, 2nm, 4nm, 6nm, 8nm or 10nm, to ensure that the isolation layer 121 has high transparency, thereby ensuring the transparency of the transparent area 120.

[0054] For example, the isolation layer 121 can be printed onto the transparent area 120 using inkjet printing (IJP). Taking Liq material as an example, Liq inkjet material (also called Liq "ink") can be prepared in advance. The Liq inkjet material can be printed onto the transparent area 120 using the inkjet printing process. Then, the printed Liq inkjet material can be dried to form a transparent Liq material layer in the transparent area 120, which serves as the isolation layer 121.

[0055] In some embodiments, the light-emitting device 110 may further include a common functional layer 115, which covers the display area where the plurality of light-emitting devices 110 are located and the transparent region 120 located between the light-emitting devices 110. For example, the common functional layer 115 may include an electron transport layer (ETL) and an electron injection layer (EIL). The electron transport layer and the electron injection layer are located between the organic light-emitting layer 113 and the second electrode 117, and extend to the transparent region 120, i.e., conformally covering the sidewalls and bottom surface of the second opening region 132. At this time, the isolation layer 121 is located on the side of the electron injection layer away from the substrate 100. That is, the isolation layer 121 is formed on the electron injection layer of the transparent region 120.

[0056] The electron transport layer may include a material capable of transporting electrons. The electron transport layer may be intrinsic (undoped) or doped, and doping may be used to enhance conductivity. This embodiment does not limit the material of the electron transport layer.

[0057] The electron injection layer may include a material capable of injecting electrons. In some embodiments, the material of the electron injection layer may include sodium fluoride (NaF), or the material of the electron injection layer may include an n-type doped electron transport layer material to facilitate pixelation printing of the isolation layer 121.

[0058] For example, the electron transport layer and electron injection layer can be formed by vapor deposition using an open mask with an opening in the display area (or light-emitting area). In this case, the electron transport layer and electron injection layer will cover not only the area where the light-emitting device 110 is located, but also the transparent area 120, and belong to the common layer of the entire display area (or light-emitting area). The Liq inkjet material is hydrophobic on NaF or n-type doped electron transport layer material. During printing, the Liq inkjet material falling on it can be confined to the second opening area 132, thereby maintaining the pixelated printing of the Liq inkjet material.

[0059] For example, Figure 4 The image shown is an photograph of the Liq inkjet material in a wet film state after printing. Figure 4 The relatively darker areas represent the Liq inkjet material printing areas. Experiments have shown that when printing Liq inkjet material on NaF or n-type doped electron transport layer materials, the Liq inkjet material is confined within the opening area used to define the transparent region 120, achieving, for example... Figure 4 The pixelated print shown.

[0060] In some embodiments, the organic light-emitting layer 113 may include a light-emitting material layer (EML) for emitting light of a specific color. Optionally, the organic light-emitting layer 113 may further include a hole injection layer (HIL) and / or a hole transport layer (HTL), wherein the hole injection layer and / or the hole transport layer may be located between the first electrode 111 and the light-emitting material layer. Taking the light-emitting device 110 comprising an anode, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light-emitting material layer, an electron transport layer, an electron injection layer, and a cathode stacked sequentially as an example, an inkjet printing process can be used to sequentially stack the hole injection layer, the hole transport layer, and the light-emitting material layer on the anode of the light-emitting device 110, and the aforementioned transparent region 120 may not require printing of the organic light-emitting layer 113 to better ensure the transparency of the transparent region 120. In this case, the orthographic projections of the hole injection layer, the hole transport layer, and the light-emitting material layer on the substrate 100 may all not overlap with the transparent region 120.

[0061] Of course, in other embodiments, the light-emitting device 110 may also include other functional film layers, and this embodiment does not limit this. For example, it may also include an electron blocking layer and a hole blocking layer, with the electron blocking layer located between the anode and the light-emitting material layer, and the hole blocking layer located between the cathode and the light-emitting material layer, but is not limited thereto. For example, the hole blocking layer or the electron blocking layer may be made of organic materials.

[0062] Taking the array substrate 10 as an example of transparent display, the following describes the partial film structure of the display pixel and the transparent pixel, with the first electrode 111 adopting an ITO / reflective metal / ITO stacked structure, the second electrode 117 adopting a magnesium metal layer, and the isolation layer 121 adopting a Liq material layer. Figure 5 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the film layer of the light-emitting device 110 in a display pixel in some embodiments of the present disclosure, namely... Figure 1 An exemplary membrane structure diagram of region A1 in the middle. Figure 6 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of a portion of the film layer within a transparent pixel in some embodiments of this disclosure, namely... Figure 1 An exemplary membrane structure diagram of region A2 in the middle.

[0063] like Figure 5 As shown, the light-emitting device 110 may include, from bottom to top, an ITO layer 201, a reflective metal layer 202, an ITO layer 203, a hole injection layer 301, a hole transport layer 302, a light-emitting material layer 303, an electron transport layer 401, an electron injection layer 402, and a magnesium metal layer 117a.

[0064] like Figure 6As shown, the film layers within the transparent pixel may include: a backplane common layer 140, an electron transport layer 401, an electron injection layer 402, and a Liq material layer 121a, stacked sequentially from bottom to top. The backplane common layer 140 may include one or more transparent inorganic film layers located between the substrate 100 and the second electrode 117, and covering the transparent pixel. For example, the backplane common layer 140 may include transparent film layers such as silicon oxynitride (SiON) and / or silicon oxide (SiO), which can be specifically configured according to actual needs.

[0065] In some embodiments, the array substrate 10 further includes a backplane functional layer (not shown) located between the substrate 100 and the first electrode 111. For example, the backplane functional layer may include, but is not limited to, a buffer layer and a driving circuit layer located on the substrate 100. The driving circuit layer can be used to form a pixel driving circuit corresponding to each light-emitting device 110. The pixel driving circuit can be connected to the first electrode 111 of the light-emitting device 110 to drive the light-emitting device 110 to emit light.

[0066] For example, the driving circuit layer, from bottom to top, may sequentially include an active layer, a first gate insulating layer (GI1), a first gate metal layer (Gate1), a second gate insulating layer (GI2), a second gate metal layer (Gate2), an interlayer insulating layer (IDL), a first source-drain metal layer (SD1), a passivation layer (PVX), a first planarization layer (PLN1), a second source-drain metal layer (SD2), and a second planarization layer (PLN2). These functional layers are configured to form transistors, capacitors, and multiple signal lines for pixel driving in the pixel driving circuit. For example, the multiple signal lines may include: power signal lines, data signal lines, reset signal lines, scan signal lines, enable signal lines, and initialization signal lines, etc., as detailed in related technologies, and will not be elaborated here. It should be noted that in other examples, the driving circuit layer may also include more or fewer functional layers. For example, it may also include more source-drain metal layers, such as a third source-drain metal layer (SD3), depending on the needs of the actual product. This embodiment does not limit this.

[0067] It should be noted that some transparent film layers in the backplane functional layer can extend to the transparent pixel. For example, the backplane common layer 140 in the transparent pixel may include, but is not limited to, one or more of the following film layers: the buffer layer, the first gate insulating layer (GI1), the second gate insulating layer (GI2), the interlayer insulating layer (IDL), the passivation layer (PVX), the first planarization layer (PLN1), and the second planarization layer (PLN2). This embodiment does not limit this.

[0068] In some embodiments, the array substrate 10 may further include an encapsulation layer (not shown) located on the side of the second electrode 117 of the light-emitting device 110 away from the substrate 100. The encapsulation layer can encapsulate the array substrate 10 to prevent external water, oxygen, etc. from penetrating into the interior of the array substrate 10, thereby protecting the components (e.g., the light-emitting device 110) inside the array substrate 10.

[0069] For example, the encapsulation layer may include a first encapsulation layer, a second encapsulation layer, and a third encapsulation layer stacked sequentially. The materials of the first and third encapsulation layers may include inorganic materials, such as silicon nitride, silicon oxide, and silicon oxynitride. Inorganic materials have high density and can prevent the intrusion of water, oxygen, etc. For example, the first and third encapsulation layers can be formed using processes such as chemical vapor deposition. For example, the material of the second encapsulation layer may include organic materials, such as polymers containing desiccants or polymers that can block moisture, such as polymer resins. For example, the second encapsulation layer can be formed using processes such as inkjet printing.

[0070] This disclosure provides a display substrate comprising: a substrate, a pixel defining layer disposed on the substrate, and a plurality of pixel units. Each pixel unit includes: a plurality of display pixels and at least one transparent pixel. The pixel defining layer may include: a first opening region and a second opening region disposed at intervals, the first opening region being configured to define a light-emitting region of the display pixel, and the second opening region being configured to define a transparent region of the transparent pixel.

[0071] Each display pixel includes a light-emitting device, comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and an organic light-emitting layer stacked between the first and second electrodes. The orthographic projection of the organic light-emitting layer onto the substrate does not overlap with the transparent region. The first electrode is a reflective electrode, and the second electrode is configured to partially transmit and partially reflect the light emitted by the organic light-emitting layer. The transparent pixel includes an isolation layer disposed within a second opening region, configured to prevent the second electrode from extending into the transparent region of the transparent pixel. For specific structural details, please refer to the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments; they will not be repeated here.

[0072] This disclosure provides a display device in some embodiments, including the array substrate 10 provided in some of the embodiments above. For example, the display device may be a transparent display panel, a transparent display screen, a virtual reality (VR) device, an augmented reality (AR) device, or other display components or products with transparent display functions.

[0073] This disclosure provides a light-emitting device in several embodiments, including an array substrate 10 as described in some of the embodiments above. For example, the light-emitting device can provide illumination and / or achieve specific lighting effects. For example, multiple light-emitting devices 110 in the array substrate 10 can emit light of the same color (such as white or red light). For example, the switching of the multiple light-emitting devices 110 can be controlled synchronously to achieve synchronous lighting. Alternatively, the switching of each light-emitting device 110 can be independent; in use, different light-emitting devices 110 can be configured to be independently controlled for lighting, thereby achieving specific lighting effects to control the light-emitting device to display a preset pattern.

[0074] For example, the light-emitting device can be a transparent window with light-emitting function, such as a car window or a building window, and this embodiment does not limit this.

[0075] In addition, some embodiments of this disclosure provide a method for fabricating an array substrate, used to fabricate the array substrate 10 provided in some of the embodiments above. Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a method for fabricating an array substrate according to some embodiments of this disclosure is shown. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the method may include the following steps:

[0076] Step S101: Provide a substrate.

[0077] Step S102: A first electrode of a plurality of light-emitting devices and a pixel defining layer are sequentially formed on a substrate. The plurality of light-emitting devices are arranged in an array on the substrate. A transparent region is provided in the spacer region of the plurality of light-emitting devices. The first electrode is a reflective electrode. The pixel defining layer includes: a first opening region spaced apart and a second opening region configured to define a transparent region. Each light-emitting device corresponds to a first opening region.

[0078] Step S103: An organic light-emitting layer for multiple light-emitting devices is formed in the first opening area, and the orthographic projection of the organic light-emitting layer on the substrate does not overlap with the transparent area.

[0079] Step S104: An isolation layer is formed in the second opening area;

[0080] In step S105, a second electrode of a plurality of light-emitting devices is formed on the organic light-emitting layer, wherein the isolation layer is configured to prevent the second electrode from extending into the transparent region, and the second electrode is configured to partially transmit and partially reflect the light emitted by the organic light-emitting layer.

[0081] It should be noted that the specific implementation methods of the structures and films mentioned in the above preparation process can be found in the relevant descriptions in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here. Of course, in addition to the structures and films mentioned in the above preparation process, the array substrate 10 may also include other structures such as encapsulation layers, etc. For details, please refer to the relevant technologies, which will not be elaborated here.

[0082] In some embodiments, before performing step S103, the method further includes: forming an electron transport layer and an electron injection layer on the organic light-emitting layer 113 by a vapor deposition process, wherein the electron transport layer and the electron injection layer cover the transparent region 120, and the material of the electron injection layer includes sodium fluoride, or the material of the electron injection layer includes an n-type doped electron transport layer material. Step S103 may include: printing Liq inkjet material on the electron injection layer of the transparent region 120 by an inkjet printing process; and drying the printed Liq inkjet material to form an isolation layer 121. Step S104 may include: forming a magnesium metal film on the organic light-emitting layer 113 by a vapor deposition process to obtain the second electrodes 117 of the plurality of light-emitting devices 110.

[0083] For ease of understanding, the following description uses an array substrate 10 applied to a transparent display as an example to illustrate an exemplary fabrication process of the array substrate 10.

[0084] First, a driving circuit layer can be fabricated on the substrate 100. Then, a patterned reflective anode, such as the ITO / reflective metal / ITO stacked structure described above, can be fabricated on the driving circuit layer. It is understood that the metal film layer included in the driving circuit layer needs to avoid the area where the transparent pixels are located to ensure the transparency of the transparent pixels.

[0085] Next, a pixel defining layer 130 with hydrophobic properties is prepared. The pixel defining layer 130 includes a first opening region 131 and a second opening region 132. Each first opening region 131 defines a light-emitting region of a light-emitting device 110, and at least a portion of the first electrode 111 of the corresponding light-emitting device 110 is exposed at the lower port of the first opening region 131. Each second opening region 132 defines a transparent region 120 of a transparent pixel. The arrangement of the first opening regions 131 and the second opening regions 132 can be designed according to the needs of the actual product.

[0086] Furthermore, an organic light-emitting layer 113 is printed within the first opening region 131 using an inkjet printing process. For example, a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, and a light-emitting material layer can be printed sequentially. For instance, for a red light-emitting device, a red organic light-emitting material is printed in the corresponding first opening region 131; for a green light-emitting device, a green organic light-emitting material is printed in the corresponding first opening region 131; and for a blue light-emitting device, a blue organic light-emitting material is printed in the corresponding first opening region 131.

[0087] Furthermore, an open mask is used to deposit a common layer for transporting or injecting electrons into the light-emitting device 110. For example, the common layer may include an electron transport layer and an electron injection layer. For example, the electron injection layer can be made of NaF or an n-type doped electron transport layer material. Experiments have shown that pixelated printing of Liq inkjet materials can be maintained on NaF or n-type doped ETL layers.

[0088] Furthermore, Liq inkjet material is printed in the second opening region 132, and the printed Liq inkjet material is dried using a vacuum drying device (VaccumDry, VCD) to form a Liq material layer in the second opening region 132 as an isolation layer 121.

[0089] Furthermore, by using an open mask to deposit Mg electrodes, and because a Liq material layer is set inside the transparent pixel as an isolation layer 121, Mg cannot be deposited onto the transparent pixel. This ensures the transparency of the transparent pixel, while Mg can be deposited on the normal display area as a cathode, thereby maintaining the strong microcavity effect in the normal display area, ensuring the display color gamut and improving light extraction efficiency.

[0090] It should be noted that in the fabrication of some array substrates 10, such as large-size OLED display panels, due to cost and process issues, high-precision metal masks (FMMs) cannot be used. Therefore, openmask evaporation is used to deposit the OLED common layer and inkjet printing is used to achieve pixelation of the film layer.

[0091] It should also be noted that the accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed herein only relate to the structures involved in the embodiments of this disclosure; other structures can be referred to with conventional designs. Where there is no conflict, the embodiments of this disclosure and the features described therein can be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.

[0092] Although some embodiments of this disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make further changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An array substrate, characterized in that, include: Substrate; Multiple light-emitting devices are arranged in an array on the substrate. Transparent regions are provided between the multiple light-emitting devices. Each light-emitting device includes a first electrode, an organic light-emitting layer, and a second electrode stacked on the substrate. The orthographic projection of the organic light-emitting layer on the substrate does not overlap with the transparent regions. The first electrode is a reflective electrode. The second electrode is configured to partially transmit and partially reflect the light emitted by the organic light-emitting layer. A pixel defining layer is disposed on the substrate, the pixel defining layer including: a first opening region spaced apart and a second opening region configured to define a transparent region, each of the light-emitting devices being disposed in a first opening region, and an isolation layer being disposed in the second opening region, the isolation layer being configured to prevent the second electrode from extending into the transparent region; The second electrodes of the plurality of light-emitting devices are interconnected, the sidewall of the pixel defining layer near the second opening area is a slope, the second electrode conformally covers at least a portion of the slope and is in contact with the edge of the isolation layer.

2. The array substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The orthographic projection of the isolation layer on the substrate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the second electrode on the substrate.

3. The array substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material of the second electrode is magnesium, and the material of the insulating layer includes lithium 8-hydroxyquinoline or bis(2-methyl-8-hydroxyquinoline)-4-(p-phenylphenol)aluminum.

4. The array substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the isolation layer in the direction perpendicular to the substrate is 1nm-10nm.

5. The array substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the second electrode in the direction perpendicular to the substrate is 10nm-15nm.

6. The array substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmittance of the second electrode is 50%-70%.

7. The array substrate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light-emitting device further includes an electron transport layer and an electron injection layer, the electron transport layer and the electron injection layer being located between the organic light-emitting layer and the second electrode, the electron transport layer and the electron injection layer extending into the transparent region, and the isolation layer being located on the side of the electron injection layer away from the substrate. The electron injection layer is made of sodium fluoride, or the electron injection layer is made of an n-type doped electron transport layer material.

8. A display device, characterized in that, include: The array substrate according to any one of claims 1-7.

9. A method for fabricating an array substrate, characterized in that, include: Provide substrates; A plurality of light-emitting devices are sequentially formed on the substrate, including first electrodes for a plurality of light-emitting devices and a pixel defining layer. The plurality of light-emitting devices are arranged in an array on the substrate, and transparent regions are provided in the spacer regions of the plurality of light-emitting devices. The first electrodes are reflective electrodes. The pixel defining layer includes: first opening regions spaced apart and second opening regions configured to define the transparent regions. Each light-emitting device corresponds to one first opening region. An organic light-emitting layer for the plurality of light-emitting devices is formed in the first opening area, wherein the orthographic projection of the organic light-emitting layer on the substrate does not overlap with the transparent area; An isolation layer is formed within the second opening region; The second electrodes of the plurality of light-emitting devices are formed on the organic light-emitting layer, wherein the isolation layer is configured to prevent the second electrodes from extending into the transparent region, the second electrodes are configured to partially transmit and partially reflect the light emitted by the organic light-emitting layer, the second electrodes of the plurality of light-emitting devices are interconnected, the sidewall of the pixel defining layer near the second opening region is a slope surface, the second electrode conformally covers at least a portion of the slope surface and is in contact with the edge of the isolation layer.

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