Display panel, display module and display device

Abstract

The invention provides a display panel, a display module and a display device. The display panel comprises a display area, a bending area and a frame area located between the display area and the bending area. The pixel definition layer is located on one side of the substrate and located in the display area and the frame area; the spacer layer is located on the side, away from the substrate, of the pixel definition layer and at least partially located in the frame area; the first packaging layer is located on the side, away from the substrate, of the spacer and at least partially located in the frame area; in the frame area, one end, far away from the display area, of the spacer layer extends out of the first packaging layer and forms an extension part. According to the display panel provided by the invention, the fracture of the touch control wiring layer caused by the stress generated when the bending area is bent can be reduced, and the packaging reliability is improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) is an active light-emitting device with a sandwich structure consisting of multiple organic layers and electrodes on both sides. At present, display screens based on AMOLED (Active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) have been commercialized in the fields of smart phones, watches and laptops.

[0003] However, the performance of existing displays needs to be improved. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present application is to provide a display panel that is beneficial to improving the packaging effect and avoiding the breakage of the touch wiring layer.

[0005] Based on the above purpose, the present application provides a display panel, which includes a display area, a bending area, and a frame area located between the display area and the bending area; the display panel also includes:

[0006] substrate;

[0007] A pixel definition layer, located on one side of the substrate and located in the display area and the frame area;

[0008] a spacer layer, located on a side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate and at least partially located in the border area;

[0009] A first encapsulation layer is located on a side of the spacer away from the substrate and at least partially located in the frame area;

[0010] In the frame area, one end of the spacer layer away from the display area extends out of the first encapsulation layer to form an extension portion.

[0011] Preferably, the display panel further includes:

[0012] A second encapsulation layer, at least partially located on a side of the first encapsulation layer away from the substrate and at least partially located in the border area;

[0013] Preferably, the second encapsulation layer covers the extending portion.

[0014] In one embodiment, the display panel further includes:

[0015] A metal layer, wherein the metal layer is at least partially located in the frame area, and in the frame area, an orthographic projection of a boundary of the first encapsulation layer on the substrate overlaps with an orthographic projection of the metal layer on the substrate.

[0016] In one embodiment, in the frame area, the end of the first encapsulation layer away from the display area includes a first boundary, a second boundary and a third boundary, the third boundary connects the first boundary and the second boundary, the first boundary is parallel to the third boundary, and is parallel to a boundary of the display area close to the frame area, and the distance between the first boundary and the display area is greater than the distance between the third boundary and the display area;

[0017] Preferably, a gap is provided between the metal layer and the second boundary;

[0018] Preferably, the metal layer includes a first touch layer and a second touch layer, the first touch layer is located between the spacer layer and the first packaging layer, the second touch layer is located on a side of the first packaging layer away from the substrate, and an orthographic projection of the first boundary on the substrate coincides with an orthographic projection of a boundary of the second touch layer away from the display area on the substrate;

[0019] Preferably, the display panel further includes:

[0020] A first touch control wiring, located in the first touch control layer;

[0021] A second touch control wiring is located in the second touch control layer;

[0022] The first touch control wiring and the second touch control wiring are connected through the via hole of the first packaging layer.

[0023] In one embodiment, the display panel further includes:

[0024] a fourth metal layer, the fourth metal layer being located between the substrate and the pixel definition layer and at least partially located in the border area;

[0025] a fifth metal layer, the fifth metal layer being located between the fourth metal layer and the pixel definition layer and at least partially located in the border area;

[0026] In one embodiment, the distance between the fourth metal layer and the display area is smaller than the distance between the third boundary and the display area, and the distance between the fifth metal layer and the display area is smaller than the distance between the third boundary and the display area.

[0027] In one embodiment, the display panel further includes:

[0028] A first planarization layer is located between the fourth metal layer and the fifth metal layer and is at least partially located in the border area.

[0029] In one embodiment, the display panel further includes:

[0030] A second planarization layer is located between the fifth metal layer and the pixel definition layer and is at least partially located in the border area.

[0031] Based on the same inventive concept, the present application also discloses a display module, which includes any one of the display panels described above.

[0032] Based on the same inventive concept, the present application also discloses a display device, which includes the display module described above.

[0033] Compared with the prior art, the display panel provided in the present application extends the end of the spacer layer away from the display area out of the first packaging layer to form an extension portion, thereby avoiding covering the boundary of the spacer layer. This reduces the stress generated in the bending area when bending and causes the touch layer to break, thereby improving the reliability of the packaging. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the present application or related technologies, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or related technical descriptions are briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0035] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a related display panel;

[0036] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a border area of ​​a related display panel;

[0037] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Sectional view along BB;

[0038] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a border area of ​​a display panel in an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Sectional view along CC;

[0040] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a border area of ​​a display panel in another embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Sectional view along DD;

[0042] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a layer structure of a border area of ​​a display panel provided in another embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the layer structure of the border area of ​​a display panel provided in another embodiment of the present application.

[0044] Marking Description:

[0045] 100, display panel; 101, display area; 102, bending area; 103, frame area; 104, bonding area; 105, gap; 106, notch; 107, crack; 108, via hole;

[0046] 1. Substrate; 2. Pixel definition layer; 3. Spacer layer; 31. Extension portion; 4. First encapsulation layer; 41. First boundary; 42. Second boundary; 43. Third boundary; 5. First touch layer; 6. Second encapsulation layer; 7. Second touch layer; 8. Fourth metal layer; 81. First planarization layer; 9. Fifth metal layer; 91. Second planarization layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application more clearly understood, the present application is further described in detail below in combination with specific embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the embodiments of the present application should be the usual meanings understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which the present application belongs. The "first", "second" and similar words used in the embodiments of the present application do not represent any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. "Including" or "comprising" and similar words mean that the elements or objects appearing in front of the word cover the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. "Connect" or "connected" and similar words are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like 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.

[0049] Please refer to Figure 1-3As shown, a related display panel 100 includes a display area 101, a bending area 102 and a bonding area 104. The bending area 102 is located between the display area 101 and the bonding area 104. A signal terminal is provided in the display area 101, and a bonding electrode is provided in the bonding area 104. The signal terminal and the bonding electrode are electrically connected through a signal line. In order to reduce the frame (usually the lower frame) of the display panel 100, the bending area 102 needs to be bent so that the bonding area 104 is bonded to the back of the display panel 100.

[0050] Please continue to refer to Figure 2 and 3 As shown, the display panel 100 further includes a substrate 1, and a first touch layer 5 and a second touch layer 7 located on the substrate 1. The first touch layer 5 is encapsulated by a first encapsulation layer 4 (usually an inorganic material), and the second touch layer 7 is encapsulated by a second encapsulation layer 6 (usually an organic material). Figure 1 As shown, there is a frame area 103 between the display area 101 and the bending area 102. Since the frame area 103 is close to the bending area 102, in order to prevent the film from breaking due to excessive stress during bending, the areas of the first encapsulation layer 4 and the second encapsulation layer 6 are reduced at both ends of the frame area 103, forming Figure 2 It should be noted that the display panel 100 also includes frames at other locations, which are usually arranged around the display area 101. For ease of understanding, only the frame between the display area 101 and the bending area 102 is defined as the frame area 103.

[0051] Among them, the first touch layer 5 and the second touch layer 7 include touch wiring, which is used to connect touch electrodes, wherein the touch electrodes are arranged in the display area 101, and the touch electrodes are used to sense touch operations of user fingers or other touch tools, such as clicking, sliding, zooming, etc., and convert these touch information into electrical signals.

[0052] Please continue to refer to Figure 2 As shown, the film layer is prone to breakage at the position of the touch layer corresponding to the notch 106, such as the crack 107 in the figure. After long-term research, the inventors found that the crack 107 is located at the overlap between the boundary of the first encapsulation layer 4 and the boundary of the spacer layer 3, and it is determined that the crack 107 at this position is caused by excessive edge stress at the overlap.

[0053] Based on this, the present application provides a display panel solution to solve the above problems.

[0054] Please refer to Figure 1 , 45, a display panel 100 is provided in an embodiment of the present application, and the display panel 100 includes a display area 101, a bending area 102, and a frame area 103 located between the display area 101 and the bending area 102. It should be noted that the display panel 100 also includes frames at other locations, and for ease of understanding, only the frame located between the display area 101 and the bending area 102 is defined as the frame area 103.

[0055] The display panel 100 further includes a substrate 1, a pixel definition layer 2, a spacer layer 3, and a first encapsulation layer 4. The pixel definition layer 2 is located on one side of the substrate 1 and is located in the display area 101 and the frame area 103. The spacer layer 3 is located on the side of the pixel definition layer 2 away from the substrate 1 and is at least partially located in the frame area 103. The first encapsulation layer 4 is located on the side of the spacer away from the substrate 1 and is at least partially located in the frame area 103.

[0056] In the frame area 103 , one end of the spacer layer 3 away from the display area 101 extends out of the first encapsulation layer 4 to form an extension portion 31 .

[0057] The display panel 100 provided in the present application avoids covering the boundary of the spacer layer 3 by extending the first packaging layer 4 at one end of the spacer layer 3 away from the display area 101 to form an extension portion 31, thereby avoiding the stress generated in the bending area 102 when bending to cause the touch layer to break, thereby improving the reliability of the packaging.

[0058] Specifically, Figure 4 The middle display area 101 is located at the top, and the bending area 102 is located at the bottom. Figure 5 In the embodiment, the display area 101 is located on the right side, and the bending area 102 is located on the left side. Figure 5 The boundary of the first encapsulation layer 4 is shifted to the right, so as to avoid the overlap between the boundary of the first encapsulation layer 4 and the boundary of the spacer layer 3, thereby avoiding excessive edge stress at the overlap to cause cracks.

[0059] Please continue to refer to Figure 5 As shown, in one embodiment, the display panel 100 further includes a second encapsulation layer 6, which is at least partially located on a side of the first encapsulation layer 4 away from the substrate 1 and at least partially located in the border area 103. Preferably, the second encapsulation layer 6 is an organic encapsulation, and the first encapsulation layer 4 is an inorganic encapsulation, which has the advantages of good film-forming properties of organic encapsulation materials and good water and oxygen barrier properties of inorganic encapsulation materials.

[0060] Preferably, the second encapsulation layer 6 covers the extension portion 31 to achieve encapsulation of the extension portion 31 and ensure the encapsulation effect.

[0061] In one embodiment, the display panel 100 also includes a metal layer, which is at least partially located in the border area 103. In the border area 103, the orthographic projection of the boundary of the first packaging layer 4 on the substrate 1 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the metal layer on the substrate 1, which can improve the bending resistance of the display panel 100 in the border area of ​​the first packaging layer 4 and prevent cracks from occurring at the boundary of the first packaging layer 4.

[0062] Please continue to refer to Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment, in the frame area 103, the end of the first encapsulation layer 4 away from the display area 101 includes a first boundary 41, a second boundary 42 and a third boundary 43, the third boundary 43 connects the first boundary 41 and the second boundary 42, the first boundary 41 is parallel to the third boundary 43, and is parallel to the boundary of the display area 101 close to the frame area 103, the distance between the first boundary 41 and the display area 101 is greater than the distance between the third boundary 43 and the display area 101, and this structure can effectively reduce the risk of film fracture due to excessive stress during bending. Preferably, a gap is provided between the metal layer and the second boundary 42, and the gap is used to share the bending stress.

[0063] It should be noted that Figure 4 It is only a schematic diagram of a portion of the border area 103. Figure 4 On the right side, there is Figure 4 The structure is symmetrical, and only part of it is shown here for simplicity.

[0064] Please continue to refer to Figure 5 As shown, in one embodiment, the metal layer includes a first touch layer 5 and a second touch layer 7, the first touch layer 5 is located between the spacer layer 3 and the first packaging layer 4, the second touch layer 7 is located on the side of the first packaging layer 4 away from the substrate 1, and the orthographic projection of the first boundary 41 on the substrate 1 coincides with the orthographic projection of the boundary of the second touch layer 7 away from the display area 101 on the substrate 1, so that cracks can be avoided at the position of the first boundary 41.

[0065] Please continue to refer to Figure 5 As shown, in one embodiment, the second packaging layer 6 partially covers the first packaging layer 4 and partially covers the extension portion 31, which can improve the packaging effect and avoid packaging failure.

[0066] Please refer to Figure 6 and 7 As shown, in one embodiment, the metal layer includes a fourth metal layer 8 and a fifth metal layer 9, the fourth metal layer 8 is located between the substrate 1 and the pixel definition layer 2 and at least partially located in the border area 103, and the fifth metal layer 9 is located between the fourth metal layer 8 and the pixel definition layer 2 and at least partially located in the border area 103.

[0067] Figure 6The middle display area 101 is located at the top, and the bending area 102 is located at the bottom. Figure 7 In the figure, the display area 101 is located on the right side, and the bending area 102 is located on the left side. It should be noted that Figure 4 It is only a schematic diagram of a portion of the border area 103. Figure 6 On the right side, there is Figure 4 Symmetrical structure, only part of the structure is shown here for simplicity. Among them, the fourth metal layer 8 and the fifth metal layer 9 are used to realize different routing functions, such as forming a metal power line. Preferably, the material of the fourth metal layer 8 is Ti-AL-Ti, and the material of the fifth metal layer 9 includes Mo. In other embodiments, the materials of the fourth metal layer 8 and the fifth metal layer 9 can also be replaced by other metal materials, which are not specifically limited.

[0068] In other embodiments, a first metal layer, a second metal layer and a third metal layer are further provided between the fourth metal layer 8 and the substrate 1, wherein the first metal layer is generally used to form the gate of the transistor in the pixel driving circuit, the first metal layer and the second metal layer are generally used to form the first plate and the second plate of the storage capacitor in the pixel driving circuit, the third metal layer is generally used to form the source / drain, bridge wiring and metal power supply line of the transistor, and an insulating layer is generally provided between adjacent metal layers. Among them, the insulating layer can avoid short circuits due to direct contact between different metal layers, ensure that the electrical characteristics of each metal layer are not disturbed, and maintain normal circuit functions. At the same time, signal interference between adjacent metal layers is reduced to improve display quality.

[0069] Please continue to refer to Figure 6 and 7 As shown, in one embodiment, the distance between the third boundary 43 and the display area 101 is greater than the distance between the fourth metal layer 8 and the display area 101. Figure 7 As shown, the fourth metal layer 8 passes through the plane where the third boundary 43 is located, which can prevent the cracks generated at the third boundary 43 from extending inward.

[0070] Please continue to refer to Figure 6 and 7 As shown, in one embodiment, the distance between the fifth metal layer 9 and the display area 101 is less than the distance between the third boundary 43 and the display area 101. Figure 7 As shown, the fifth metal layer 9 passes through the plane where the third boundary 43 is located, which can prevent the cracks generated at the third boundary 43 from extending inward.

[0071] In another embodiment, the distance between the third boundary 43 and the display area 101 is greater than the distance between the fourth metal layer 8 and the display area 101, and at the same time, the distance between the fifth metal layer 9 and the display area 101 is less than the distance between the third boundary 43 and the display area 101, which can better prevent the cracks generated at the third boundary 43 from extending inward. Optionally, the distance between the fourth metal layer 8 and the display area 101 is equal to the distance between the fifth metal layer 9 and the display area 101. In another embodiment, the distance between the fourth metal layer 8 and the display area 101 is not equal to the distance between the fifth metal layer 9 and the display area 101, which is not specifically limited.

[0072] Please continue to refer to Figure 6 As shown, in one embodiment, a gap 105 is provided between the fourth metal layer 8, the fifth metal layer 9, the first touch layer 5, and the second touch layer 7 and the second boundary 42, and the gap 105 is used to share the bending stress. Furthermore, the gap 105 can be as large as possible to better share the bending stress.

[0073] Please refer to Figure 8 As shown, in one embodiment, the display panel 100 further includes a first planarization layer 81 . The first planarization layer 81 is located between the fourth metal layer 8 and the fifth metal layer 9 and is at least partially located in the border area 103 . Figure 8 In the figure, the display area 101 is located on the right side, and the bending area 102 is located on the left side. The first planarization layer 81 can eliminate the height difference between different film layers, provide a flat surface for the deposition of subsequent film layers, and at the same time, play an insulating role, which can avoid short circuits between adjacent metal layers due to unevenness and protect the film layer structure below from damage.

[0074] Please refer to Figure 8 As shown, in one embodiment, the display panel 100 further includes a second planarization layer 91, which is located between the fifth metal layer 9 and the pixel definition layer 2 and at least partially located in the frame area 103. The second planarization layer 91 is used to form the pixel definition layer 2, which can eliminate the height difference between different film layers and provide a flat surface for the deposition of subsequent film layers. At the same time, it plays an insulating role, which can avoid short circuits between adjacent metal layers due to unevenness and protect the underlying film layer structure from damage.

[0075] In one embodiment, the display panel 100 includes a first touch line and a second touch line, the first touch line is located in the first touch layer 5, the second touch line is located in the second touch layer 7, and the first touch line and the second touch line are connected through a via hole in the first packaging layer 4. In the current display panel, the touch line mainly runs on the first touch layer 5, and the second touch layer 7 mainly plays a role in switching lines. In this embodiment, the second touch layer 7 is also used for running the touch line, realizing double-layer wiring, which is conducive to dispersing stress and further preventing cracks from occurring.

[0076] Reference Fig. 9 As shown, in one embodiment, the first touch layer 5 and the second touch layer 7 are connected through the via 108, the fifth metal layer 9 and the first touch layer 5 are connected through the via 108, and the fourth metal layer 8 is connected through the via 108, and the touch signals of the first touch layer 5 and the second touch layer 7 are transmitted to the control unit through the fifth metal layer 9 and the fourth metal layer 8.

[0077] Based on the same inventive concept, another embodiment of the present application further discloses a display module, which includes the display panel 100 in the above embodiment. The display module may also include a polarizer, a cover plate, a circuit board, a driving chip and other structures.

[0078] A display module provided in this embodiment has a display panel 100, in which an end of the spacer layer 3 away from the display area 101 is extended out of the first packaging layer 4 to form an extension portion 31, thereby avoiding covering the boundary of the spacer layer 3. Thus, stress generated in the bending area 102 when bending is avoided to cause the touch layer to break, thereby improving the reliability of the packaging and the performance of the display module.

[0079] Based on the same inventive concept, another embodiment of the present application further discloses a display device, which includes the display module in the above embodiment. Further, the display device includes a mobile phone, VR equipment, computer, television, car display equipment, etc.

[0080] A display device provided in this embodiment has a display module including a display panel 100. The display panel 100 avoids covering the boundary of the spacer layer 3 by extending one end of the spacer layer 3 away from the display area 101 out of the first packaging layer 4 and forming an extension portion 31. This avoids the stress generated in the bending area 102 when bending and causing the touch layer to break, thereby improving the reliability of the packaging and the performance of the display device.

[0081] Although the present application has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, many alternatives, modifications and variations of these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description.

[0082] It should be noted that the above describes some embodiments of the present application. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recorded in the claims can be performed in an order different from that in the above embodiments and still achieve the desired results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the specific order or continuous order shown to achieve the desired results. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0083] The embodiments of the present application are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the embodiments of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that: The display panel comprises a display area, a bending area and a frame area between the display area and the bending area; the display panel further comprises: substrate; A pixel definition layer, located on one side of the substrate and located in the display area and the frame area; a spacer layer, located on a side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate and at least partially located in the frame area; A first encapsulation layer is located on a side of the spacer away from the substrate and at least partially located in the frame area; In the frame area, one end of the spacer layer away from the display area extends out of the first encapsulation layer to form an extension portion.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel further includes: A second encapsulation layer, at least partially located on a side of the first encapsulation layer away from the substrate and at least partially located in the border area; Preferably, the second encapsulation layer covers the extending portion.

3. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel further includes: A metal layer, wherein the metal layer is at least partially located in the frame area, and in the frame area, an orthographic projection of a boundary of the first encapsulation layer on the substrate overlaps with an orthographic projection of the metal layer on the substrate.

4. The display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: In the frame area, the end of the first encapsulation layer away from the display area includes a first boundary, a second boundary and a third boundary, the third boundary connects the first boundary and the second boundary, the first boundary is parallel to the third boundary, and is parallel to the boundary of the display area close to the frame area, and the distance between the first boundary and the display area is greater than the distance between the third boundary and the display area; Preferably, a gap is provided between the metal layer and the second boundary; Preferably, the metal layer includes a first touch layer and a second touch layer, the first touch layer is located between the spacer layer and the first packaging layer, the second touch layer is located on a side of the first packaging layer away from the substrate, and an orthographic projection of the first boundary on the substrate coincides with an orthographic projection of a boundary of the second touch layer away from the display area on the substrate; Preferably, the display panel further includes: A first touch control wiring, located in the first touch control layer; A second touch control wiring is located in the second touch control layer; The first touch control wiring and the second touch control wiring are connected through the via hole of the first packaging layer.

5. The display panel according to claim 4, characterized in that: The metal layer comprises: a fourth metal layer, the fourth metal layer being located between the substrate and the pixel definition layer and at least partially located in the border area; A fifth metal layer is located between the fourth metal layer and the pixel definition layer and is at least partially located in the border area.

6. The display panel according to claim 5, characterized in that: The distance between the third boundary and the display area is greater than the distance between the fourth metal layer and the display area; and / or A distance between the third boundary and the display area is greater than a distance between the fifth metal layer and the display area.

7. The display panel according to claim 5, characterized in that: The display panel further includes: A first planarization layer is located between the fourth metal layer and the fifth metal layer and is at least partially located in the border area.

8. The display panel according to claim 5, characterized in that: The display panel further includes: A second planarization layer is located between the fifth metal layer and the pixel definition layer and is at least partially located in the border area.

9. A display module, characterized in that: Comprising a display panel as described in any one of claims 1-8.

10. A display device, characterized in that: Comprising the display module as claimed in claim 9.

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