Display panel, manufacturing method thereof and display device

Abstract

The invention relates to a display panel, a manufacturing method thereof and a display device. The display panel includes: a substrate; the driving circuit layer is arranged on one side of the substrate, the driving circuit layer comprises a thin film transistor structure layer and a metal wire, the thin film transistor structure layer comprises a first protection layer, and the first protection layer covers the metal wire; wherein the metal wire comprises a first surface far away from the substrate and a side surface adjacent to the first surface, the first protective layer at least covers the side surface of the metal wire, and the first protective layer covering the side surface of the metal wire is of a flat structure. Therefore, the first protective layer can completely cover the metal wires, so that the metal wires are effectively protected. At the moment, the metal wires do not make contact with the etching liquid, and therefore lateral etching does not occur.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In recent years, OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) has attracted widespread attention due to its huge application market in the display field. Compared with other display technologies, OLED modules have many advantages, such as wide viewing angle, fast response speed, no need for backlighting, and flexible display.

[0003] However, the performance of current OLED display products needs to be improved. Summary of the invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a display panel and a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device, aiming to improve the performance of the display panel.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present application, a display panel is provided. The display panel includes: a substrate; a driving circuit layer, which is arranged on one side of the substrate, the driving circuit layer includes a thin film transistor structure layer and a metal wiring, the thin film transistor structure layer includes a first protective layer, and the first protective layer covers the metal wiring; wherein the metal wiring includes a first surface away from the substrate and a side surface adjacent to the first surface, the first protective layer at least covers the side surface of the metal wiring, and the first protective layer covering the side surface of the metal wiring is a flat structure.

[0006] In the display panel in the embodiment of the present application, the first protective layer of the thin film transistor structure layer covers the metal wiring, wherein the metal wiring includes a first surface away from the substrate and a side surface adjacent to the first surface, and the first protective layer at least covers the side surface of the metal wiring, and the first protective layer covering the side surface of the metal wiring is a flat structure. In other words, the first protective layer maintains a flat and complete morphology without holes and defects, so that the first protective layer can completely cover the metal wiring, thereby effectively protecting the metal wiring. At this time, the metal wiring will not contact the etching solution, so that lateral etching will not occur, which is conducive to preventing water and oxygen from invading the display area, thereby helping to improve the performance of the display panel.

[0007] In some embodiments, a cross-sectional structure of the metal wiring in a thickness direction of the display panel is a polygonal structure.

[0008] In some embodiments, a cross-sectional structure of the metal wiring in a thickness direction of the display panel is a trapezoidal structure.

[0009] In some embodiments, the metal routing includes a first metal layer, a second metal layer, and a third metal layer which are stacked, wherein the second metal layer is located on a side of the first metal layer away from the substrate, and the third metal layer is located on a side of the second metal layer away from the first metal layer, wherein the second metal layer is made of a different material from the first metal layer, and / or the second metal layer is made of a different material from the third metal layer.

[0010] In some embodiments, the materials of the first metal layer and the third metal layer are titanium, and the material of the second metal layer is aluminum.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first protection layer also covers the first surface of the metal trace.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first protection layer is a passivation protection layer.

[0013] In some embodiments, the number of the metal routings is multiple, and the multiple metal routings include a first metal routing and a second metal routing, the second metal layer of the first metal routing has a first width, and the second metal layer of the second metal routing has a second width; wherein the absolute value of the difference between the first width and the second width does not exceed 10% of the first width, and the absolute value of the difference between the first width and the second width does not exceed 10% of the second width.

[0014] In some embodiments, it is characterized in that the metal routing includes a VDD signal line and / or a Vdata signal line.

[0015] In some embodiments, the thin film transistor structure layer further includes a first source-drain metal layer, the first protective layer is located on a side of the first source-drain metal layer away from the substrate, and the metal wiring is arranged in the same layer as the first source-drain metal layer.

[0016] In some embodiments, the thin film transistor structure layer also includes an active layer, a gate insulating layer, a gate layer and an interlayer insulating layer, the gate insulating layer is located between the active layer and the gate layer, and the interlayer insulating layer is located between the gate layer and the first source and drain metal layer; the metal routing is arranged on the side of the interlayer insulating layer away from the substrate.

[0017] In some embodiments, the display panel also includes: a first electrode layer, arranged on a side of the driving circuit layer away from the substrate, the first electrode layer including a plurality of first electrode portions arranged at intervals; an isolation layer, arranged on a side of the first electrode layer away from the substrate, the isolation layer being provided with a plurality of first openings for exposing the first electrode portions.

[0018] In some embodiments, the isolation layer is made of silicon nitride.

[0019] In some embodiments, the display panel further includes: a light-emitting functional layer, including a plurality of light-emitting functional portions arranged at intervals, the light-emitting functional portions being arranged on a side of the first electrode portion away from the substrate; a partition structure, separating adjacent light-emitting functional portions; and a second electrode layer, arranged on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the substrate.

[0020] In some embodiments, the second electrode layer includes a plurality of second electrode portions spaced apart from each other, the second electrode portions are disposed on a side of the light-emitting functional portion away from the substrate, the partition structure includes a conductive material, and the second electrode portions are electrically connected to the partition structure.

[0021] In some embodiments, the partition structure includes an isolator and a blocking portion, the blocking portion is located on a side of the isolator facing away from the substrate, and the top surface of the isolator is located within the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the blocking portion on the substrate.

[0022] In some embodiments, the partition structure also includes a supporting portion, which is arranged on a side of the insulator close to the substrate, and the bottom surface of the insulator is located within the orthographic projection of the substrate, and the top surface of the supporting portion is located within the orthographic projection of the substrate; the insulator and the supporting portion both include conductive materials, and the second electrode portion is electrically connected to at least one of the insulator and the supporting portion.

[0023] In some embodiments, the partition structure defines a plurality of second openings, the light-emitting functional portion and the second electrode portion are disposed within the second openings, and an orthographic projection of the first opening on the substrate is within an orthographic projection of the second opening on the substrate.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present application, a display panel is proposed, which includes: a substrate; a driving circuit layer, which is arranged on one side of the substrate, the driving circuit layer includes a thin film transistor structure layer and a metal wiring, the thin film transistor structure layer includes a first protective layer, and the first protective layer covers the metal wiring; a second protective layer, which is arranged on a side of the first protective layer away from the metal wiring, and the orthographic projection of the metal wiring on the substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the second protective layer on the substrate.

[0025] In some embodiments, the display panel also includes: a first electrode layer, arranged on a side of the driving circuit layer away from the substrate, the first electrode layer including a plurality of first electrode portions arranged at intervals; an isolation layer, arranged on a side of the first electrode layer away from the substrate, the isolation layer being provided with a plurality of first openings for exposing the first electrode portions.

[0026] In some embodiments, the display panel has a display area and a non-display area, the non-display area includes a frame area, the metal trace is located in the frame area or the display area, and the second protective layer is arranged on the same layer as the isolation layer and is made of the same material.

[0027] In some embodiments, the isolation layer is made of silicon nitride.

[0028] According to another aspect of the present application, a display device is provided, comprising the display panel in any one of the above embodiments.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present application, a method for manufacturing a display panel is provided, the manufacturing method comprising:

[0030] Providing a substrate, the substrate comprising a substrate, a driving circuit layer located on one side of the substrate, and a first electrode layer located on a side of the driving circuit layer away from the substrate, the first electrode layer comprising a plurality of first electrode portions arranged at intervals, wherein the driving circuit layer comprises a thin film transistor structure layer and a metal wiring, the thin film transistor structure layer comprises a first protective layer, and the first protective layer covers a first surface of the metal wiring away from the substrate and a side surface of the metal wiring adjacent to the first surface;

[0031] A second protective layer is formed, wherein the second protective layer is disposed on a side of the first protective layer away from the metal wiring, and the orthographic projection of the metal wiring on the substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the second protective layer on the substrate.

[0032] In some embodiments, the display panel has a display area and a non-display area, the non-display area includes a frame area, and the metal trace is located in the frame area; the manufacturing method further includes:

[0033] forming an isolation material layer covering the first electrode layer, wherein the isolation material layer extends from the display area to the frame area and covers a portion of the first protection layer located in the frame area, wherein a portion of the isolation layer material layer extending to the frame area is the second protection layer;

[0034] forming a first via hole on the isolation material layer;

[0035] forming a metal pattern layer on the isolation material layer, wherein the metal pattern layer comprises a pattern opening, wherein the pattern opening exposes a portion of the isolation material layer, and an orthographic projection of the pattern opening on the substrate overlaps with an orthographic projection of the first electrode portion on the substrate;

[0036] The isolation material layer exposed by the pattern opening is patterned, and a first opening for exposing the first electrode portion is formed in the isolation material layer.

[0037] In some embodiments, the manufacturing method further comprises:

[0038] While patterning the isolation material layer exposed by the pattern opening, a portion of the isolation material layer located on the metal trace is removed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a display panel in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic top view of a display area of ​​a display panel in an embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a display area of ​​a display panel in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a thin film transistor structure layer in an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of metal routing in a border area in an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of metal routing in the border area in another embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In order to facilitate the understanding of the present application, the present application will be described more fully below with reference to the relevant drawings. The preferred embodiments of the present application are provided in the drawings. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosure of the present application more thorough and comprehensive.

[0046] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0047] When describing positional relationships, unless otherwise specified, when an element such as a layer, film, or substrate is referred to as being "on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be intervening elements. Further, when a layer is referred to as being "under" another layer, it can be directly under or there may be one or more intervening elements. It is also understood that when a layer is referred to as being "between" two layers, it can be the only layer between the two layers or there may be one or more intervening elements.

[0048] In the case of using “including”, “having”, and “comprising” described herein, another component may be added unless a clear limiting term such as “only”, “consisting of”, etc. is used. Unless mentioned otherwise, a term in the singular form may include a plural form and should not be understood as being one in number.

[0049] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element without departing from the scope of the present application.

[0050] It should also be understood that when interpreting an element, even if not explicitly described, the element is interpreted as including a range of error, which should be within the acceptable deviation range of the specific value determined by those skilled in the art. For example, "approximately", "approximately" or "substantially" can mean within one or more standard deviations, which are not limited here.

[0051] Furthermore, in the specification, the phrase “planar distribution schematic diagram” refers to a drawing when a target portion is viewed from above, and the phrase “cross-sectional schematic diagram” refers to a drawing when a section taken by vertically cutting the target portion is viewed from the side.

[0052] In addition, the drawings are not drawn to a 1:1 scale, and the relative sizes of the elements in the drawings are drawn only as examples and not necessarily according to the true scale.

[0053] In recent years, OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) has attracted widespread attention due to its huge application market in the display field. Compared with other display technologies, OLED modules have many advantages, such as wide viewing angle, fast response speed, no need for backlighting, and flexible display.

[0054] The performance of OLED display panels is affected by many factors. For example, the display area of ​​OLED display panels may have black spots. After extensive research, the inventors found that one of the reasons for the appearance of black spots in the display area of ​​the display panel is that the display panel is provided with metal wiring, which is used to transmit electrical signals. However, during the manufacturing process of the display panel, the metal wiring is prone to side etching (also called side etching or side etching) under the action of the etching solution, and holes are formed on the sides of the metal wiring. Water and oxygen are prone to accumulate in the holes. If the water and oxygen in the holes invade the display area, it is easy to cause black spots in the display area.

[0055] In view of the above problems, an embodiment of the first aspect of the present application proposes a display panel, aiming to improve the performance of the display panel.

[0056] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the display panel 100 in the embodiment of the first aspect of the present application includes a substrate 110 and a driving circuit layer 111. The driving circuit layer 111 is arranged on one side of the substrate 110, and the driving circuit layer 111 includes a thin film transistor structure layer 112 and a metal wiring 113. The thin film transistor structure layer 112 includes a first protective layer 1122, and the first protective layer 1122 covers the metal wiring 113. Among them, the metal wiring 113 includes a first surface away from the substrate 110 and a side surface adjacent to the first surface, and the first protective layer 1122 at least covers the side surface of the metal wiring 113, and the first protective layer 1122 covering the side surface of the metal wiring 113 is a flat structure.

[0057] Specifically, the display panel 100 may be an OLED display panel, in which the substrate 110 may be a rigid substrate 110 or a flexible substrate. When the substrate 110 is a rigid substrate, the material of the substrate 110 may be glass or silicon wafer, etc. When the substrate 110 is a flexible substrate, the material of the substrate 110 may be metal foil, polymer plastic, etc.

[0058] The metal wiring 113 is a wiring for transmitting electrical signals, for example, it can be a VDD signal line or a Vdata signal line. The display panel 100 has a display area 101 and a non-display area, and the non-display area includes a frame area 102. The metal wiring 113 can be a metal wiring located in the frame area 102, or a metal wiring located in the display area 101.

[0059] In the display panel 100 in the embodiment of the present application, the first protective layer 1122 of the thin film transistor structure layer 112 covers the metal wiring 113, wherein the metal wiring 113 includes a first surface 11301 away from the substrate 110 and a side surface 11302 adjacent to the first surface 11301, and the first protective layer 1122 at least covers the side surface 11302 of the metal wiring 113, and the first protective layer 1122 covering the side surface 11302 of the metal wiring 113 is a flat structure. In other words, the first protective layer 1122 maintains a flat and complete morphology without holes and defects, so that the first protective layer 1122 can completely cover the metal wiring 113, thereby effectively protecting the metal wiring 113. At this time, the metal wiring 113 will not contact the etching solution, so that lateral etching will not occur, which is conducive to preventing water and oxygen from invading the display area, thereby helping to improve the performance of the display panel.

[0060] In some embodiments, the cross-sectional structure of the metal trace 113 in the thickness direction of the display panel is a polygonal structure.

[0061] In the related art, when the metal trace is etched laterally, the actual form (shape, size, etc.) of the metal trace will deviate from expectations. For example, pits may form on the surface of the metal trace or the trace may be etched to present a curved surface structure.

[0062] In this embodiment, the cross-sectional structure of the metal wiring 113 in the thickness direction of the display panel is a polygonal structure, which indicates that the shape of the metal wiring 113 has not deviated from the expected change, indicating that the metal wiring 113 has not been laterally etched.

[0063] Specifically, the cross-sectional structure of the metal wiring 113 in the thickness direction of the display panel may be a trapezoidal structure or a quadrilateral structure.

[0064] In some embodiments, the metal trace 113 includes a first metal layer 1131, a second metal layer 1132, and a third metal layer 1133, which are stacked, wherein the second metal layer 1132 is located on a side of the first metal layer 1131 away from the substrate 110, and the third metal layer 1133 is located on a side of the second metal layer 1132 away from the first metal layer 1131. The second metal layer 1132 and the first metal layer 1131 are made of different materials, and / or the second metal layer 1132 and the third metal layer 1133 are made of different materials.

[0065] Specifically, the material of the first metal layer 1131 and the third metal layer 1133 may be titanium, and the material of the second metal layer 1132 may be aluminum. Aluminum has a relatively low resistivity, which is beneficial for reducing power consumption during signal transmission. However, aluminum also has the problem of being easily diffused when in contact with other metal oxides. Therefore, the material of the second metal layer 1132 of the metal trace 113 is aluminum, and the material of the first metal layer 1131 and the third metal layer 1133 is titanium, which can both optimize impedance and prevent aluminum diffusion.

[0066] Furthermore, the first protection layer 1122 also covers the first surface 11301 of the metal wiring 113 , so that the first protection layer 1122 completely covers the metal wiring 113 , thereby having a better protection effect.

[0067] Furthermore, the first protective layer 1122 may be a passivation protective layer.

[0068] In some embodiments, there are multiple metal traces 113, and the multiple metal traces 113 include a first metal trace 113a and a second metal trace 113b. The second metal layer 1132 of the first metal trace 113a has a first width, and the second metal layer 1132 of the second metal trace 113b has a second width; wherein the absolute value of the difference between the first width and the second width does not exceed 10% of the first width, and the absolute value of the difference between the first width and the second width does not exceed 10% of the second width.

[0069] The width may be understood to refer to the width of the orthographic projection of the metal layer on the substrate 110 .

[0070] In the related art, when the metal trace is lateral etched, the actual form (shape, size, etc.) of the metal trace will deviate from the expected, especially the size of the second metal layer will change significantly. This is because the second metal layer, as the middle layer of the metal trace, often uses metal aluminum with low resistivity, and metal aluminum has a high etching efficiency and is more susceptible to etching.

[0071] In this embodiment, the second metal layer 1132 of the first metal routing 113a among the multiple metal routings 113 has a first width, the second metal layer 1132 of the second metal routing 113b has a second width, and the absolute value of the difference between the first width and the second width does not exceed 10% of the first width and 10% of the second width. Therefore, it can be explained that no lateral etching occurs to each metal routing 113.

[0072] In some embodiments, the metal trace 113 is a VDD signal line or a Vdata signal line. Specifically, in one example, the metal trace 113 is a VDD signal line. In another example, the metal trace 113 is a Vdata signal line. In yet another example, there are multiple metal traces 113, some of which are VDD signal lines, and other metal traces 113 are Vdata signal lines.

[0073] In some embodiments, Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, the thin film transistor structure layer 112 further includes a first source-drain metal layer 1121 , a first protective layer 1122 is located on a side of the first source-drain metal layer 1121 away from the substrate 110 , and the metal wiring 113 is disposed on the same layer as the first source-drain metal layer 1121 .

[0074] In this embodiment, the metal wiring 113 is disposed in the same layer as the first source-drain metal layer 1121 of the thin film transistor structure layer 112. Since the first protective layer 1122 is located on the side of the first source-drain metal layer 1121 away from the substrate 110, the first protective layer 1122 can cover the metal wiring 113 at the same time, so that the first protective layer 1122 plays a protective role on the metal wiring 113. It can be understood that the first protective layer 1122 can play a protective role for both the metal wiring 113 of the display area 101 and the metal wiring of the frame area 102.

[0075] In some embodiments, the thin film transistor structure layer 112 also includes an active layer 1123, a gate insulating layer 1124, a gate layer 1125 and an interlayer insulating layer 1126, the gate insulating layer 1124 is located between the active layer 1123 and the gate layer 1125, and the interlayer insulating layer 1126 is located between the gate layer 1125 and the first source and drain metal layer 1121; the metal routing 113 is arranged on the side of the interlayer insulating layer 1126 facing away from the substrate 110.

[0076] The metal routing 113 is arranged on the side of the interlayer insulating layer 1126 away from the substrate 110, so that the metal routing 113 is located between the interlayer insulating layer 1126 and the first protective layer 1122, and the first protective layer 1122 is usually an insulating film layer. In this way, the metal routing 113 is located between the upper and lower insulating film layers. Such a setting can prevent the metal routing 113 from leaking electricity, which is beneficial to improving the working stability of the display panel 100.

[0077] In some embodiments, Figure 2 , Figure 3As shown, the display panel 100 further includes a first electrode layer 120 and an isolation layer 160. The first electrode layer 120 is disposed on a side of the driving circuit layer 111 away from the substrate 110, and the first electrode layer 120 includes a plurality of first electrode portions 121 disposed at intervals. The isolation layer 160 is disposed on a side of the first electrode layer 120 away from the substrate 110, and the isolation layer 160 is provided with a plurality of first openings 161 for exposing the first electrode portions 121.

[0078] Specifically, the first electrode layer 120 includes a plurality of first electrode portions 121 arranged at intervals, and the first electrode portion 121 is an anode of the OLED light emitting element. The isolation layer 160 can be a pixel definition layer PDL, or other insulating film layer, and the isolation layer 160 can keep adjacent first electrode portions 121 in an insulating relationship.

[0079] Furthermore, the material of the isolation layer 160 may be silicon nitride, which has good insulation properties.

[0080] In some embodiments, the display panel 100 further includes a light-emitting functional layer 130, a partition structure 140, and a second electrode layer 150, wherein the light-emitting functional layer 130 includes a plurality of light-emitting functional portions 131 arranged at intervals, the light-emitting functional portions 131 are arranged on a side of the first electrode portion 121 away from the substrate 110, and the partition structure 140 partitions adjacent light-emitting functional portions 131. The second electrode portion 151 is arranged on a side of the light-emitting functional layer 130 away from the substrate 110.

[0081] Specifically, the light-emitting functional layer 130 includes a plurality of light-emitting functional parts 131 arranged at intervals, the light-emitting functional part 131 is the light-emitting part of the OLED light-emitting element, and the light-emitting functional part 131 may include an organic light-emitting layer. In addition, the light-emitting functional part 131 may also include an electron injection layer, an electron transport layer, a hole transport layer, a hole injection layer, and other auxiliary film layers that help improve the light-emitting performance. The second electrode layer 150 is the cathode layer of the display panel.

[0082] The partition structure 140 is used to partition the light-emitting functional layer 130 to form light-emitting functional parts 131 that are arranged at intervals.

[0083] In some embodiments, the second electrode layer 150 includes a plurality of second electrode portions 151 spaced apart from each other. The second electrode portions 151 are disposed on a side of the light-emitting functional portion 131 facing away from the substrate 110 . The partition structure 140 includes a conductive material, and the second electrode portions 151 are electrically connected to the partition structure 140 .

[0084] Specifically, the second electrode layer 150 includes a plurality of second electrode portions 151 disposed at intervals, and the second electrode portions 151 are cathodes of the OLED light emitting elements. The partition structure 140 is also used to partition the second electrode layer 150 to form the second electrode portions 151 disposed at intervals.

[0085] The partition structure 140 includes a conductive material, and the second electrode portion 151 is electrically connected to the partition structure 140. The arrangement is such that the second electrode portions 151 spaced apart from each other can be electrically connected through the partition structure 140, thereby making the multiple cathodes electrically connected to each other. This is beneficial to reducing the number of cathode wirings connected to the cathodes in the display panel 100. Since the number of cathode wirings will affect the size of the border area 102 of the display panel 100, it is beneficial to reduce and increase the size of the border area 102 of the display panel 100, thereby helping to increase the screen-to-body ratio of the display device.

[0086] In some embodiments, the partition structure 140 includes an insulator 141 and a blocking portion 142, wherein the blocking portion 142 is located on the side of the insulator 141 away from the substrate 110, and the orthographic projection of the top surface of the insulator 141 on the substrate 110 is located within the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the blocking portion 142 on the substrate 110. The insulator 141 is mainly used to isolate the light-emitting functional portion 131 in the light-emitting functional layer 130. The blocking portion 142 is located on the side of the insulator 141 away from the substrate 110, and the orthographic projection of the top surface of the insulator 141 on the substrate 110 is located within the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the blocking portion 142 on the substrate 110, that is, there is a certain distance between the edge of the bottom surface of the blocking portion 142 and the edge of the top surface of the insulator 141, so that the portion of the blocking portion 142 that exceeds the edge of the insulator 141 forms a step structure. The setting of the step structure is conducive to isolating the light-emitting material layers formed on different sides of the partition structure 140 from each other during the evaporation process.

[0087] Further, the partition structure 140 may further include a bearing portion 143, which is disposed on a side of the isolating body 141 close to the substrate 110, and the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the isolating body 141 on the substrate 110 is located within the orthographic projection of the top surface of the bearing portion 143 on the substrate 110. The isolating body 141 and the bearing portion 143 both include conductive materials, and the second electrode portion 151 is electrically connected to at least one of the isolating body 141 and the bearing portion 143.

[0088] In this embodiment, by providing the carrier portion 143 at the bottom of the isolator 141 , the resistance of the second electrode portion 151 is reduced, thereby reducing the voltage drop of the second electrode layer 150 , and further improving the uniformity of the display brightness of the display panel 100 .

[0089] In some embodiments, the partition structure 140 defines a plurality of second openings 145, the light-emitting functional portion 131 and the second electrode portion 151 are disposed in the second openings 145, and the orthographic projection of the first opening 161 on the substrate 110 is located within the orthographic projection of the second opening 145 on the substrate 110. In this embodiment, the partition structure 140 defines a plurality of second openings 145, the light-emitting functional portion 131 and the first electrode portion 121 are disposed in the second openings 145, thereby isolating the light-emitting functional portions 131 in different second openings 145 from each other, and isolating the first electrode portions 121 in different second openings 145 from each other.

[0090] In some embodiments, the display panel 100 further includes a first encapsulation layer 170, which includes a plurality of encapsulation parts 171 arranged at intervals, and the encapsulation parts 171 encapsulate the light-emitting functional parts 131. In this way, the encapsulation parts 171 can encapsulate and protect the light-emitting functional parts 131 one by one.

[0091] Furthermore, the display panel 100 may further include a second encapsulation layer (not shown in the figure), which is disposed on the side of the first encapsulation layer 170 away from the substrate 110, and covers the top surface of the first encapsulation layer 170 and the partition structure 140. The first encapsulation layer 170 encapsulates the light-emitting functional part 131 one by one through the encapsulation parts 171 arranged at intervals, and the second encapsulation layer can be encapsulated on the entire surface, thereby further improving the encapsulation performance.

[0092] Furthermore, the display panel 100 may further include a third encapsulation layer (not shown), which is disposed on the side of the second encapsulation layer away from the substrate 110. Thus, multi-layer encapsulation is achieved through the first encapsulation layer 170, the second encapsulation layer and the third encapsulation layer to further improve the encapsulation performance.

[0093] Specifically, the first encapsulation layer 170 and the third encapsulation layer may be inorganic film layers, and the second encapsulation layer may be an organic film layer. The inorganic film layer mainly serves to isolate water vapor and air, and the organic film layer is mainly used to provide flexibility. In addition, the second encapsulation layer is an organic film layer, which may also serve to flatten the first encapsulation layer 170.

[0094] The second aspect of the present application provides a display panel 100, such as Figures 1 to 4 , Figure 6As shown, the display panel 100 includes a substrate 110, a driving circuit layer 111, and a second protective layer 300. The driving circuit layer 111 is disposed on one side of the substrate 110, and the driving circuit layer 111 includes a thin film transistor structure layer 112 and a metal wiring 113. The thin film transistor structure layer 112 includes a first protective layer 1122, and the first protective layer 1122 covers the metal wiring 113. The second protective layer 300 is disposed on a side of the first protective layer 1122 away from the metal wiring 113, and the orthographic projection of the metal wiring 113 on the substrate 110 is located within the orthographic projection of the second protective layer 300 on the substrate 110.

[0095] In the display panel 100 in the embodiment of the present application, the first protective layer 1122 of the thin film transistor structure layer 112 covers the metal wiring 113, thereby protecting the metal wiring 113. In addition, a second protective layer 300 is also provided in the display panel 100, and the second protective layer 300 is provided on the side of the first protective layer 1122 away from the metal wiring 113, and the orthographic projection of the metal wiring 113 on the substrate 110 is located within the orthographic projection of the second protective layer 300 on the substrate 110, so that the second protective layer 300 also has a protective effect on the metal wiring 113. Therefore, through the dual protective effect of the first protective layer 1122 and the second protective layer 300 on the metal wiring 113, the metal wiring 113 can be prevented from being affected by the etching solution and being side-etched, thereby improving the performance of the display panel 100.

[0096] In some embodiments, the display panel 100 also includes a first electrode layer 120 and an isolation layer 160, wherein the first electrode layer 120 is arranged on the side of the driving circuit layer 111 away from the substrate 110, the first electrode layer 120 includes a plurality of first electrode portions 121 arranged at intervals, the isolation layer 160 is arranged on the side of the first electrode layer 120 away from the substrate 110, and the isolation layer 160 is provided with a plurality of first openings 161 for exposing the first electrode portions 121.

[0097] In one embodiment, the display panel 100 has a display area 101 and a non-display area, the non-display area includes a frame area 102, the metal trace 113 is located in the frame area, and the second protection layer 300 and the isolation layer 160 are arranged in the same layer and made of the same material.

[0098] In this embodiment, when the metal routing 113 is a metal routing of the border area 102, the second protective layer 300 can be set on the same layer as the isolation layer 160 and have the same material. Thus, the second protective layer 300 and the isolation layer 160 can be manufactured through the same process and can share the same mask plate, which is beneficial to reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0099] Furthermore, the material of the isolation layer 160 may be silicon nitride, which has good insulation properties.

[0100] The third aspect of the present application provides a display device, including the display panel 100 in any of the above embodiments. The display device can be, for example, a display, a television, a digital camera, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a navigator, or any other product or component with a display function.

[0101] The fourth aspect of the present application provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, the method comprising:

[0102] A substrate is provided, the substrate comprising a substrate 110, a driving circuit layer 111 located at one side of the substrate 110, and a first electrode layer 120 located at a side of the driving circuit layer 111 away from the substrate 110, the first electrode layer 120 comprising a plurality of first electrode portions 121 arranged at intervals, wherein the driving circuit layer 111 comprises a thin film transistor structure layer 112 and a metal wiring 113, the thin film transistor structure layer 112 comprises a first protective layer 1122, and the first protective layer 1122 covers a first surface 11301 of the metal wiring 113 away from the substrate 110 and a side surface 11302 of the metal wiring 113 adjacent to the first surface 11301;

[0103] A second protection layer 300 is formed. The second protection layer 300 is disposed on a side of the first protection layer 1122 away from the metal trace 113 . The orthographic projection of the metal trace 113 on the substrate 110 is located within the orthographic projection of the second protection layer 300 on the substrate 110 .

[0104] In the manufacturing method of the display panel in the embodiment of the present application, a second protective layer 300 is formed, and the second protective layer 300 is arranged on the side of the first protective layer 1122 away from the metal wiring 113, and the orthographic projection of the metal wiring 113 on the substrate 110 is located within the orthographic projection of the second protective layer 300 on the substrate 110. The second protective layer 300 and the first protective layer 1122 can jointly protect the metal wiring 113 to prevent the metal wiring 113 from being lateral-etched by the etching solution.

[0105] It is understandable that the second protection layer 300 can be retained or removed in subsequent processes.

[0106] In some embodiments, the display panel 100 has a display area 101 and a non-display area, the non-display area includes a frame area 102, the metal trace 113 is located in the frame area 102, and the manufacturing method further includes:

[0107] An isolation material layer is formed to cover the first electrode layer 120 , the isolation material layer extends from the display area 101 to the frame area 102 , and covers the portion of the first protection layer 1122 located in the frame area 102 , wherein the portion of the isolation material layer extending to the frame area 102 is the second protection layer 300 ;

[0108] forming a first via hole in the isolation material layer;

[0109] forming a metal pattern layer on the isolation material layer, wherein the metal pattern layer comprises a pattern opening, wherein the pattern opening exposes a portion of the isolation material layer, and an orthographic projection of the pattern opening on the substrate overlaps an orthographic projection of the first electrode portion on the substrate;

[0110] The isolation material layer exposed by the pattern opening is patterned, and a first opening 161 for exposing the first electrode portion 121 is formed in the isolation material layer.

[0111] Specifically, the isolation material layer is a material layer used to form the isolation layer 160 . After the isolation material layer is etched, the isolation layer 160 is formed.

[0112] The first via hole is a VSS routing via hole located in the border area. When the first via hole is formed, positions other than the first via hole will be protected. Therefore, the portion of the isolation material layer located on the metal routing 113 will be protected and will not be damaged.

[0113] The metal pattern layer may correspond to the partition structure 140 in the above embodiment. When the metal pattern layer is patterned by etching, the metal wiring 113 can be prevented from being etched due to the protective effect of the isolation material layer on the metal wiring 113 .

[0114] In some embodiments, the manufacturing method further comprises:

[0115] While patterning the isolation material layer exposed by the pattern opening, the portion of the isolation material layer located on the metal wiring 113 is removed. The portion of the isolation material layer extending to the frame area 102 and having a protective effect on the metal wiring 113 is the second protection layer 300. The second protection layer 300 can be retained or removed in subsequent processes. The method in this embodiment chooses to remove it in subsequent processes.

[0116] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0117] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that: include: substrate; A driving circuit layer, disposed on one side of the substrate, the driving circuit layer comprising a thin film transistor structure layer and a metal wiring, the thin film transistor structure layer comprising a first protective layer, and the first protective layer covers the metal wiring; The metal wiring includes a first surface away from the substrate and a side surface adjacent to the first surface, the first protective layer at least covers the side surface of the metal wiring, and the first protective layer covering the side surface of the metal wiring is a flat structure.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross-sectional structure of the metal wiring in the thickness direction of the display panel is a polygonal structure; Optionally, a cross-sectional structure of the metal wiring in a thickness direction of the display panel is a trapezoidal structure; Optionally, the metal trace comprises a first metal layer, a second metal layer and a third metal layer which are stacked, wherein the second metal layer is located on a side of the first metal layer away from the substrate, and the third metal layer is located on a side of the second metal layer away from the first metal layer, wherein the second metal layer and the first metal layer are made of different materials, and / or the second metal layer and the third metal layer are made of different materials; Optionally, the first metal layer and the third metal layer are made of titanium, and the second metal layer is made of aluminum; Optionally, the first protective layer also covers the first surface of the metal trace; Optionally, the first protective layer is a passivation protective layer; Optionally, there are multiple metal routings, the multiple metal routings include a first metal routing and a second metal routing, the second metal layer of the first metal routing has a first width, and the second metal layer of the second metal routing has a second width; The absolute value of the difference between the first width and the second width does not exceed 10% of the first width, and the absolute value of the difference between the first width and the second width does not exceed 10% of the second width; Optionally, the display panel has a display area and a non-display area, the non-display area includes a frame area, and the metal wiring is located in the frame area or the display area.

3. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The metal wiring includes a VDD signal line and / or a Vdata signal line.

4. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thin film transistor structure layer further includes a first source-drain metal layer, the first protective layer is located on a side of the first source-drain metal layer away from the substrate, and the metal wiring is arranged in the same layer as the first source-drain metal layer; Optionally, the thin film transistor structure layer further includes an active layer, a gate insulating layer, a gate layer and an interlayer insulating layer, the gate insulating layer is located between the active layer and the gate layer, and the interlayer insulating layer is located between the gate layer and the first source and drain metal layer; The metal wiring is arranged on a side of the interlayer insulating layer away from the substrate.

5. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel further includes: A first electrode layer, arranged on a side of the driving circuit layer away from the substrate, the first electrode layer comprising a plurality of first electrode portions arranged at intervals; an isolation layer, disposed on a side of the first electrode layer away from the substrate, the isolation layer being provided with a plurality of first openings for exposing the first electrode portion; Optionally, the material of the isolation layer is silicon nitride.

6. The display panel according to claim 5, characterized in that: The display panel further includes: a light-emitting functional layer, comprising a plurality of light-emitting functional parts arranged at intervals, wherein the light-emitting functional parts are arranged on a side of the first electrode part away from the substrate; A partition structure, separating adjacent light-emitting functional parts; A second electrode layer is arranged on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the substrate; Optionally, the second electrode layer includes a plurality of second electrode portions arranged at intervals, the second electrode portion is arranged on a side of the light-emitting functional portion away from the substrate, the partition structure includes a conductive material, and the second electrode portion is electrically connected to the partition structure; Optionally, the partition structure comprises an isolating body and a blocking portion, the blocking portion is located on a side of the isolating body away from the substrate, and an orthographic projection of a top surface of the isolating body on the substrate is located within an orthographic projection of a bottom surface of the blocking portion on the substrate; Optionally, the partition structure further includes a bearing portion, the bearing portion is arranged on a side of the isolating body close to the substrate, and an orthographic projection of a bottom surface of the isolating body on the substrate is located within an orthographic projection of a top surface of the bearing portion on the substrate; The isolating body and the carrying part both include conductive materials, and the second electrode part is electrically connected to at least one of the isolating body and the carrying part; Optionally, the partition structure defines a plurality of second openings, the light-emitting functional portion and the second electrode portion are disposed in the second openings, and an orthographic projection of the first opening on the substrate is located within an orthographic projection of the second opening on the substrate.

7. A display panel, characterized in that: include: substrate; A driving circuit layer, disposed on one side of the substrate, the driving circuit layer comprising a thin film transistor structure layer and a metal wiring, the thin film transistor structure layer comprising a first protective layer, and the first protective layer covers the metal wiring; A second protective layer is arranged on a side of the first protective layer away from the metal wiring, and the orthographic projection of the metal wiring on the substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the second protective layer on the substrate; Optionally, the display panel further includes: A first electrode layer, arranged on a side of the driving circuit layer away from the substrate, the first electrode layer comprising a plurality of first electrode portions arranged at intervals; an isolation layer, disposed on a side of the first electrode layer away from the substrate, the isolation layer being provided with a plurality of first openings for exposing the first electrode portion; Optionally, the display panel has a display area and a non-display area, the non-display area includes a frame area, the metal wiring is located in the frame area, and the inorganic protection layer and the isolation layer are arranged in the same layer and made of the same material; Optionally, the material of the isolation layer is silicon nitride; Optionally, the display panel has a display area and a non-display area, and the metal wiring is located in the display area.

8. A display device comprising the display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A method for manufacturing a display panel, characterized in that: The production method comprises: Providing a substrate, the substrate comprising a substrate, a driving circuit layer located on one side of the substrate, and a first electrode layer located on a side of the driving circuit layer away from the substrate, the first electrode layer comprising a plurality of first electrode portions arranged at intervals, wherein the driving circuit layer comprises a thin film transistor structure layer and a metal wiring, the thin film transistor structure layer comprises a first protective layer, and the first protective layer covers a first surface of the metal wiring away from the substrate and a side surface of the metal wiring adjacent to the first surface; A second protective layer is formed, wherein the second protective layer is disposed on a side of the first protective layer away from the metal wiring, and the orthographic projection of the metal wiring on the substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the second protective layer on the substrate.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The display panel has a display area and a non-display area, the non-display area includes a frame area, and the metal wiring is located in the frame area; the manufacturing method further includes: forming an isolation material layer covering the first electrode layer, wherein the isolation material layer extends from the display area to the frame area and covers a portion of the first protection layer located in the frame area, wherein a portion of the isolation layer material layer extending to the frame area is the second protection layer; forming a first via hole on the isolation material layer; forming a metal pattern layer on the isolation material layer, wherein the metal pattern layer comprises a pattern opening, wherein the pattern opening exposes a portion of the isolation material layer, and an orthographic projection of the pattern opening on the substrate overlaps with an orthographic projection of the first electrode portion on the substrate; Performing patterning on the isolation material layer exposed by the pattern opening, and forming a first opening in the isolation material layer for exposing the first electrode portion; Optionally, the manufacturing method further comprises: While patterning the isolation material layer exposed by the pattern opening, a portion of the isolation material layer located on the metal trace is removed.

Images