Display panel, preparation method thereof and display device

Abstract

The invention provides a display panel, a preparation method thereof and a display device. The display panel comprises a substrate, and a plurality of sub-pixels are arranged on one side of the substrate in an array mode; the anode layer comprises a display anode pattern for forming sub-pixels and a touch anode pattern; the cathode layer comprises a display cathode pattern for forming sub-pixels and a touch cathode pattern; the touch cathode pattern is electrically connected with the touch anode pattern to form a touch electrode; the first signal circuit is arranged between the anode layer and the substrate, the touch anode pattern is electrically connected with the first signal circuit, and the first signal circuit is at least used for transmitting a touch signal. According to the display panel, the preparation method thereof and the display device, the touch electrodes can be formed while the sub-pixels are formed, additional procedures and masks do not need to be added for forming the touch electrodes, the preparation process of the display panel is simplified, the preparation time is shortened, and the preparation cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] As a new display technology, OLED has great advantages in high brightness, high color gamut, and high contrast. Based on a flexible substrate, it has more flexible application scenarios, achieves ultra-light performance, and can improve the storage ratio of the display. OLED application scenarios occupy more than 60% of the mobile display market share, mainly for mid-to-high-end products. With the iteration and upgrading of technology, the application level has gradually expanded to touch panel displays (TPC) and notebook computers (NB) and other application directions; the technical level has gradually developed in the direction of structural integration and process simplification. Summary of the invention

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

[0004] Based on the above-mentioned purpose, the first aspect of the present application provides a display panel, including: a base substrate, on one side of which a plurality of sub-pixels are arranged in an array; an anode layer, arranged on one side of the base substrate, the anode layer including a display anode pattern for forming the sub-pixels, and a touch anode pattern; the display anode pattern and the touch anode pattern are arranged at intervals; a cathode layer, arranged on a side of the anode layer away from the base substrate, the cathode layer including a display cathode pattern for forming the sub-pixels, and a touch cathode pattern; the touch cathode pattern is electrically connected to the touch anode pattern to form a touch electrode; a first signal circuit, arranged between the anode layer and the base substrate, the touch anode pattern is electrically connected to the first signal circuit, and the first signal circuit is at least used to transmit a touch signal.

[0005] Based on the same inventive concept, the second aspect of the present application further provides a method for preparing a display panel, which is used to prepare the display panel as described in the first aspect, and the method comprises:

[0006] providing a substrate base plate;

[0007] forming a first signal circuit on one side of the base substrate;

[0008] An anode layer is formed on a side of the first signal circuit away from the base substrate; the anode layer includes a display anode pattern for forming the sub-pixel and a touch anode pattern; the display anode pattern and the touch anode pattern are arranged at intervals; the touch anode pattern is electrically connected to the first signal circuit, and the first signal circuit is at least used to transmit a touch signal;

[0009] A cathode layer is formed on a side of the anode layer away from the base substrate, and the cathode layer includes a display cathode pattern for forming the sub-pixel and a touch cathode pattern; the touch cathode pattern is electrically connected to the touch anode pattern to form a touch electrode.

[0010] Based on the same inventive concept, the third aspect of the present application further provides a display device, comprising the display panel as described in the first aspect.

[0011] From the above description, it can be seen that in the display panel and its preparation method and display device provided by the present application, the touch cathode pattern is electrically connected to the first signal circuit through the touch anode pattern, thereby forming a touch circuit capable of transmitting a touch signal, so that the display panel can realize the touch function. At the same time, since the touch cathode pattern and the display cathode pattern can be formed synchronously when the cathode layer is formed, and the touch anode pattern and the display anode pattern can also be formed synchronously when the anode layer is formed, the display panel of this embodiment can form a touch electrode while forming a sub-pixel, without adding additional processes and masks for forming the touch electrode, which helps to simplify the preparation process of the display panel, reduce preparation time and reduce preparation costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] 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.

[0013] Figure 1 It is a top view schematic diagram of a self-capacitive touch structure;

[0014] Figure 2a It is a schematic diagram of the principle when the self-capacitive touch structure is not triggered;

[0015] Figure 2b It is a schematic diagram of the principle when the self-capacitive touch structure is triggered;

[0016] Figure 3 A partial schematic diagram of a sub-pixel of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a first display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a second display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] Figure 6 is a top view schematic diagram of a third display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] Figure 7 for Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the cutaway of section AA;

[0021] Figure 8a A schematic diagram of forming a light shielding layer in a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] Figure 8b A schematic diagram of forming a buffer layer in a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] Figure 8c A schematic diagram of forming an active layer and a gate insulating layer in a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] Figure 8d A schematic diagram of forming a via connection layer in a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] Figure 8e A schematic diagram showing a first electrode layer formed in a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] Figure 8f A schematic diagram of forming an interlayer insulating layer in a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] Figure 8g A schematic diagram of forming a planar layer in a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] Figure 8h A schematic diagram of forming a planar layer via hole in a display panel manufacturing method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 8i A schematic diagram of forming an anode layer in a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 8j A schematic diagram of forming a pixel defining layer in a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 8k A schematic diagram of forming a first partition in a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 8l A schematic diagram of forming a light-emitting functional layer in a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 8m A schematic diagram of forming a cathode layer of a first display panel in a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 9aA schematic diagram of forming a cathode layer of a second display panel in a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 9b Schematic diagram of forming a sacrificial layer in a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] 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.

[0037] It should be noted that the relative arrangement of the components, the numerical expressions and numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present application unless specifically stated otherwise.

[0038] At the same time, it should be understood that for the convenience of description, the sizes of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn according to the actual proportional relationship.

[0039] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the present application, its application, or uses.

[0040] 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.

[0041] The touch control methods applied to OLED can be divided into two categories: mutual capacitance and self capacitance.

[0042] For the self-capacitive touch method, the principle is as follows: Figure 1 , a plurality of electrodes 10 (Electrode) are arranged in an array, and the plurality of electrodes 10 are connected to the chip 20 respectively. Figure 2aWhen the electrode is not triggered, there is a parasitic capacitance between the electrode and the common terminal (Ground, set on the metal spray or PCB, etc.), and the capacitance at the electrode detected by the chip is approximately the capacitance of the parasitic capacitance. Figure 2b When the electrode is triggered, the capacitance generated between the electrode and the conductor of the triggering electrode (such as a finger or other part of the body, the conductor is connected to the vertical grounding) will increase the capacitance at the electrode (capacitance goes up), thereby identifying the location of the conductor. Self-capacitance detects the touch position by the capacitance change generated by the finger and the electrode. Because the capacitance is directly opposite to the area, the capacitance change caused by touch is also relatively large.

[0043] Mutual capacitance detects the touch position by measuring the capacitance change between two electrodes. Since mutual capacitance can measure the changes between multiple electrodes at the same time, it can support multi-touch and has high detection sensitivity and accuracy.

[0044] In a display panel, electrodes for realizing a touch function are usually arranged in a different layer from a structure for emitting light.

[0045] like Figure 3 In the OLED display panel, a plurality of sub-pixels 1600 are arranged in an array on one side of a base substrate 100 (or a substrate, which may be made of glass). The plurality of sub-pixels 1600 include a red sub-pixel that can emit red light, a blue sub-pixel that can emit blue light, and a green sub-pixel that can emit green light. The light emitted by the three sub-pixels 1600 can be mixed to form a preset color so that the display panel can display an image.

[0046] In some embodiments, each sub-pixel 1600 includes an anode 200 (anode) and a cathode 400 (cathode) arranged on the side of the cathode 200 away from the substrate 100, and a light-emitting functional layer 300 is arranged between the anode 200 and the cathode 400. The light-emitting functional layer 300 includes a hole injection layer 310 (hole-injection layer, HIL), a hole transport layer 320 (Hole Transport Layer, HTL), a light-emitting layer 330 (Emission layer, EML), an electron transport layer 340 (Electron Transport Layer, ETL) and an electron injection layer 350 (Electron-injection layer) stacked in sequence along a direction away from the substrate 100.

[0047] The applicant has found that, because the electrode for realizing the touch function is usually arranged in a different layer from the structure for emitting light, when preparing the display panel, the process of forming the electrode 10 and the process of forming the light-emitting structure layer must be carried out separately, and the patterning tools (such as masks) used in the two processes are also completely different. This makes the manufacturing process of the display panel more complicated and the manufacturing cost is higher.

[0048] In order to solve the above problems, the applicant has found that the anode 200 of each sub-pixel 1600 in the display panel is an independent pattern that is not connected to each other, and the gap between adjacent anodes 200 can be used to set the electrode 10 for realizing the touch function, so that the structural layer for light emission and the electrode 10 for touch can be formed simultaneously, thereby achieving the purpose of simplifying the display panel manufacturing process. However, in general, the cathode 400 of each sub-pixel 1600 is a whole layer of continuous structure connected to each other. In combination with the above content, it can be seen that if the above-mentioned purpose of simplifying the display panel manufacturing process is to be achieved, then the whole layer of continuous cathode 400 needs to be separated to form the electrode 10 for realizing the touch function.

[0049] In view of this, if Figure 4 The embodiment of the present application provides a display panel, including: a base substrate 100, on one side of which a plurality of sub-pixels 1600 are arranged in an array; an anode layer 500, arranged on one side of the base substrate 100, the anode layer 500 includes a display anode pattern 510 for forming the sub-pixels 1600, and a touch anode pattern 520; the display anode pattern 510 and the touch anode pattern 520 are arranged at intervals; a cathode layer 600, arranged on a side of the anode layer 500 away from the base substrate 100, the cathode layer 600 includes a display cathode pattern 610 for forming the sub-pixels 1600, and a touch cathode pattern 620; the touch cathode pattern 620 is electrically connected to the touch anode pattern 520 to form a touch electrode; a first signal circuit 700, arranged between the anode layer 500 and the base substrate 100, the touch anode pattern 520 is electrically connected to the first signal circuit 700, and the first signal circuit 700 is at least used to transmit a touch signal.

[0050] For example, Figure 4 The display panel may include a light shielding layer 810 (LS) disposed on one side of the base substrate 100. Exemplarily, the material of the light shielding layer 810 may be Mo. The pattern in the light shielding layer 810 may be used as a bottom gate electrode of a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as TFT) in a driving circuit.

[0051] The display panel further includes a buffer layer 820 (Buffer) covering the light shielding layer 810. The material of the buffer layer 820 may be an insulating material such as SiN or SiO. Of course, the buffer layer 820 may be a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure. When the buffer layer 820 is a multi-layer structure, the materials of the multiple structural layers may be different.

[0052] An active layer 830 (active) is disposed on a side of the buffer layer 820 away from the base substrate 100 , and a pattern in the active layer 830 can be used to form a TFT.

[0053] The display panel further includes a gate insulating layer 840 (GI) covering the active layer 830 , and a material of the gate insulating layer 840 may be the same as that of the buffer layer 820 .

[0054] A first electrode layer 850 is provided on the side of the gate insulating layer 840 away from the base substrate 100, and the material of the first electrode layer 850 may be Mo. The first electrode layer 850 includes at least three patterns, the first pattern is used to form the source electrode 851 or the drain electrode 853 of the TFT, the second pattern is used to form the top gate electrode 852 of the TFT, and the third pattern is used to form at least part of the wiring of the first signal circuit 700. The above three patterns maintain a preset interval between each other. Among them, the source electrode 851 and the drain electrode 853 are respectively connected to the corresponding patterns of the active layer 830 through vias.

[0055] The display panel further includes an interlayer insulating layer 860 (ILD) covering the first electrode layer 850. The material of the interlayer insulating layer 860 may be SiN. A planar layer 870 (PLN) is disposed on the side of the interlayer insulating layer 860 away from the base substrate 100. The material of the planar layer 870 is an organic material and has a large thickness to reduce the capacitance between the first electrode layer 850 and the conductive layer (e.g., the anode layer 500) above the planar layer 870.

[0056] The anode layer 500 is disposed on the side of the planar layer 870 away from the base substrate 100. The display anode pattern 510 is connected to the drain electrode 853 through a via hole, and the touch anode pattern 520 is connected to the first signal circuit 700 through a via hole. A light-emitting functional layer 300 is disposed between the anode layer 500 and the cathode layer 600.

[0057] Exemplarily, the drain electrode 853 of the TFT is connected to the bottom gate electrode through a via hole, and when the TFT is used as a driving transistor of a pixel driving circuit, the source electrode 851 and the drain electrode 853 are connected.

[0058] Exemplarily, the display panel further includes an encapsulation layer 880 covering the cathode layer 600. The encapsulation layer 880 may be a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure. When the encapsulation layer 880 is a multi-layer structure, it may include an organic encapsulation layer and an inorganic encapsulation layer.

[0059] Exemplarily, the relationship between the number a of touch anode patterns 520 and the number b of display anode patterns 510 is a=b, a>b or a<b. The relationship between a and b is determined according to the touch structure design and display structure design of the display panel and is not limited here.

[0060] Exemplarily, the relationship between the number c of the touch cathode patterns 620 and the number d of the display cathode patterns 610 is the same as the relationship between a and b described above, and will not be repeated here. It should be noted that when c<d, some display cathode patterns 610 have corresponding touch cathode patterns 620 (hereinafter referred to as first display cathode patterns), while some display cathode patterns 610 do not have corresponding touch cathode patterns 620 (hereinafter referred to as second display cathode patterns), and the second display cathode patterns can be electrically connected to the first display cathode patterns so that both can receive display signals.

[0061] Exemplarily, the display anode pattern 510 obtains a corresponding display signal through a pixel driving circuit.

[0062] Exemplarily, when the display cathode pattern 610 and the touch cathode pattern 620 are arranged at intervals, the display cathode pattern 610 obtains the corresponding display signal through a separate wiring. For example, the wiring can be arranged between the anode layer 500 and the base substrate 100 .

[0063] Exemplarily, when the display cathode pattern 610 is electrically connected to the corresponding touch cathode pattern 620 , the first signal circuit 700 can transmit signals in time division, that is, transmit the display signal in the current preset time length and transmit the touch signal in the next preset time length.

[0064] In this embodiment, when the anode layer 500 is formed, the display anode pattern 510 and the touch anode pattern 520 are formed simultaneously, that is, when the anode layer 500 is formed by the patterning process, the light shielding area pattern on the mask can be changed, so that the display anode pattern 510 and the touch anode pattern 520 can be formed simultaneously by the same mask, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing the process steps and the number of masks. Similarly, when the cathode layer 600 is formed, the display cathode pattern 610 and the touch cathode pattern 620 can also be formed simultaneously by the same mask.

[0065] The display anode pattern 510 is used to form the anode 200 of the sub-pixel 1600, and the display cathode pattern 610 is used to form the cathode 400 of the sub-pixel 1600, so that the sub-pixel 1600 can have a light-emitting function. At the same time, the touch cathode pattern 620 located above is connected to the first signal circuit 700 through the touch anode pattern 520 located below to form a touch circuit capable of transmitting a touch signal. When an external conductor (such as a finger) approaches the touch cathode pattern 620, the touch signal corresponding to the touch cathode pattern 620 will change. By detecting the change of the touch signal, the position of the conductor in the display panel can be determined, so that the display panel can realize the touch function.

[0066] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, the touch cathode pattern 620 is electrically connected to the first signal circuit 700 through the touch anode pattern 520, thereby forming a touch circuit capable of transmitting a touch signal, so that the display panel can realize the touch function. At the same time, since the touch cathode pattern 620 and the display cathode pattern 610 can be formed simultaneously when the cathode layer 600 is formed, and the touch anode pattern 520 and the display anode pattern 510 can also be formed simultaneously when the anode layer 500 is formed, the display panel of the present embodiment can form a touch electrode while forming the sub-pixel 1600, without adding additional processes and masks for forming the touch electrode, which helps to simplify the manufacturing process of the display panel, reduce the manufacturing time and reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0067] like Figure 4 In some embodiments, the display panel further includes a pixel defining layer 900 disposed between the anode layer 500 and the cathode layer 600 , and the pixel defining layer 900 is provided with a touch opening 910 penetrating to the touch anode pattern 520 , and the touch cathode pattern 620 is connected to the corresponding touch anode pattern 520 through the touch opening 910 .

[0068] Exemplarily, the pixel defining layer 900 further includes a pixel opening 920 , which penetrates to the display anode pattern 510 , and the light emitting function layer 300 and the display cathode pattern 610 are disposed at positions corresponding to the pixel opening 920 .

[0069] Exemplarily, the orthographic projection of the touch opening 910 on the base substrate 100 (hereinafter referred to as the opening projection) can completely cover the orthographic projection of the touch anode pattern 520 on the base substrate 100 (hereinafter referred to as the anode pattern projection), that is, the touch anode pattern 520 is entirely located within the touch opening 910; or, the opening projection and the anode pattern projection partially overlap, that is, a portion of the touch anode pattern 520 is located within the touch opening 910, and the other portion is covered by the pixel defining layer 900, and the touch opening 910 also has an area where the touch anode pattern 520 is not set; or, the opening projection is located within the anode pattern projection, that is, a portion of the touch anode pattern 520 is located within the touch opening 910, and the other portion is covered by the pixel defining layer 900, and the touch anode pattern 520 is set in the entire area within the touch opening 910.

[0070] It should be noted that when forming the sub-pixel 1600 for displaying an image, it is necessary to form a pixel opening 920 that exposes the display anode pattern 510 serving as the anode 200 of the sub-pixel 1600. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the formation of the touch opening 910 that exposes the touch anode pattern 520 can be completed simultaneously with the formation of the pixel opening 920, which neither increases the process steps nor the number of masks used. This is beneficial for simplifying the preparation process of the display panel and reducing the preparation cost.

[0071] It can be known from the above contents that when the touch mode adopted by the display panel is self-capacitance, the touch electrodes need to be spaced apart from each other, that is, the cathode layer 600 needs to be separated.

[0072] In order to separate the cathode layer 600, as Figure 4 In some embodiments, a first partition 1100 is disposed on a side of the pixel defining layer 900 away from the base substrate 100 . The first partition 1100 is close to an edge of the touch opening 910 , and the cathode layer 600 is partitioned by the first partition 1100 .

[0073] Exemplarily, the height of the first spacer 1100 is 1.5 μm to 2.5 μm, for example, 1.5 μm, 1.75 μm, 2 μm, 2.25 μm or 2.5 μm.

[0074] Exemplarily, the orthographic projection of the first partition 1100 on the base substrate 100 partially overlaps with the projection of the opening, that is, the first partition 1100 covers a portion of the touch opening 910 .

[0075] By providing the first partition 1100 , the cathode material layer can be isolated at the position of the first partition 1100 when evaporating or sputtering the cathode material to form mutually separated touch cathode patterns 620 , thereby forming a self-capacitive touch electrode.

[0076] like Figure 4 In some embodiments, the display cathode pattern 610 and the corresponding touch cathode pattern 620 are continuously arranged, and the touch cathode pattern 620 is separated by the first partition 1100; the touch cathode pattern 620 extends into the touch opening 910; in the touch opening 910, the orthographic projection of the touch cathode pattern 620 on the base substrate 100 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the touch anode pattern 520 on the base substrate 100.

[0077] by Figure 4 Taking the direction and structure shown as an example for further explanation, the display cathode pattern 610 corresponds to the touch cathode pattern 620 located on the right side thereof, and the two are arranged continuously. The touch cathode pattern 620 extends into the touch opening 910 and overlaps with the exposed touch anode pattern 520 in the touch opening 910. At the same time, the touch cathode pattern 620 is isolated by the first partition 1100 located on the right side thereof to prevent the touch cathode pattern 620 from being connected to another touch cathode pattern 620 through the adjacent non-corresponding display cathode pattern 610.

[0078] In this embodiment, through the partitioning effect of the first partition 1100, while forming the touch cathode pattern 620, different touch cathode patterns 620 can be spaced apart from each other. At the same time, after the touch cathode pattern 620 is formed, it can be directly electrically connected to the touch anode pattern 520, and the preparation process is relatively simple, which is conducive to reducing the preparation cost.

[0079] The touch cathode pattern 620 in the above embodiment needs to enter the touch opening 910 to be connected to the exposed touch anode pattern 520 in the touch opening 910. The applicant has found that when the touch cathode pattern 620 is located outside the touch opening 910, it can also be connected to the touch anode pattern 520 in the touch opening 910.

[0080] like Figure 5 In some embodiments, the display cathode pattern 610 and the corresponding touch cathode pattern 620 are continuously arranged, and the touch cathode pattern 620 is separated by the first partition 1100; the touch cathode pattern 620 is arranged on the top of the first partition 1100, and a touch connection layer 1200 is formed on the side wall of the first partition 1100, and the touch connection layer 1200 is electrically connected to the touch cathode pattern 620 and the touch anode pattern 520 respectively.

[0081] Exemplarily, the touch connection layer 1200 is not directly connected to the display cathode pattern 610 to prevent the touch cathode pattern 620 from being connected to a non-corresponding display cathode pattern 610 through the touch connection layer 1200 .

[0082] by Figure 5The direction and structure shown in the figure are further described as an example. The display cathode pattern 610 corresponds to the touch cathode pattern 620 located on the left side thereof, and the two are arranged continuously. The touch cathode pattern 620 is located on the top of the first partition 1100, and the touch connection layer 1200 extends downward from the touch cathode pattern 620 along the side wall of the first partition 1100 until it contacts and connects with the exposed touch anode pattern 520 in the touch opening 910. At the same time, the touch cathode pattern 620 is isolated by the first partition 1100 located below it to prevent the touch cathode pattern 620 from being connected to another touch cathode pattern 620 through the adjacent non-corresponding display cathode pattern 610.

[0083] In this embodiment, the first partition 1100 can still partition different touch cathode patterns 620. Different from the above embodiment, in this embodiment, a touch connection layer 1200 is formed between the touch cathode pattern 620 outside the touch opening 910 and the touch anode pattern 520 inside the touch opening 910 by means of the side wall of the first partition 1100, so as to realize electrical connection between the touch cathode pattern 620 and the touch anode pattern 520.

[0084] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the left side wall of the first partition 1100 is inclined downward so that it can partition the touch cathode pattern 620 ; and the right side wall of the first partition 1100 can be a vertical plane so that the touch cathode pattern 620 can be continuously arranged with the corresponding display cathode pattern 610 .

[0085] like Figure 5 In some embodiments, the display panel further includes a sacrificial layer 1300 covering the touch cathode pattern 620 and the display cathode pattern 610 .

[0086] Exemplarily, the sacrificial layer 1300 is formed by an evaporation process.

[0087] Exemplarily, the sacrificial layer 1300 has overlapping selectivity, that is, the sacrificial layer 1300 only overlaps with a preset structural layer.

[0088] Exemplarily, the contact angle between the location where the sacrificial layer 1300 material is disposed and the cathode material is 180°.

[0089] When the touch connection layer 1200 is formed, the sacrificial layer 1300 can protect the display cathode pattern 610 and the touch cathode pattern 620 covered thereon, thereby preventing them from being damaged when the touch connection layer 1200 is formed (eg, during a patterning process).

[0090] In some embodiments, the first signal circuit 700 transmits the touch signal and the display signal in a time-sharing manner.

[0091] Since the display cathode pattern 610 and the corresponding touch cathode pattern 620 are arranged continuously, no matter whether a touch signal or a display signal is received, the signal will be transmitted to both at the same time. In order to avoid mutual interference between the touch signal and the display signal, the first signal circuit 700 of this embodiment adopts a time-division multiplexing strategy, so that the two receive the display signal within the current preset time length to realize the display function, and receive the touch signal within the next preset time length to realize the touch function.

[0092] In addition to the aforementioned self-capacitive touch mode, the display panel can also implement mutual capacitive touch. When the display panel adopts the mutual capacitive touch structure, sensing electrodes and driving electrodes are arranged between the sub-pixels 1600 arranged in an array on the display panel. For example, Figure 6 , second sub-touch electrodes 1400 extending longitudinally are disposed between adjacent sub-pixel columns, and first sub-touch electrodes 1500 corresponding to the sub-pixels 1600 are disposed between adjacent second sub-touch electrodes 1400 .

[0093] The second sub-touch electrode 1400 may be one of a driving electrode (also called a transmitting electrode, TX) and a sensing electrode (also called a receiving electrode, RX), and the first sub-touch electrode 1500 may be the other.

[0094] The first sub-touch electrode 1500 and the second sub-touch electrode 1400 form a grid-like structure and are respectively connected to the touch chip 20 to determine the touch position by detecting the capacitance change between the sensing electrode and the driving electrode.

[0095] Specifically, Figure 6 and Figure 7 In some embodiments, the touch electrode includes a first sub-touch electrode 1500 and a second sub-touch electrode 1400; a second partition 1700 is disposed on a side of the pixel defining layer 900 away from the base substrate 100, a third partition 1800 is disposed in the touch opening 910, the second partition 1700 and the corresponding third partition 1800 are respectively disposed on both sides of the sub-pixel 1600, and the cathode layer 600 is partitioned by the second partition 1700 and the corresponding third partition 1800 to form a cathode layer 600 between the second partition 1700 and the A display cathode pattern 610 is formed between the corresponding third partitions 1800, and a touch cathode pattern 620 is formed on the side of the third partition 1800 away from the corresponding sub-pixel 1600; the touch cathode pattern 620 covers at least a portion of the touch anode pattern 520 to form a first sub-touch electrode 1500; the second sub-touch electrode 1400 is arranged between the second partition 1700 and the pixel defining layer 900, and the extension direction of the second sub-touch electrode 1400 intersects with the extension direction of the first sub-touch electrode 1500.

[0096] Exemplarily, the first touch sub-electrode 1500 may be a sensing electrode, and the second touch sub-electrode 1400 may be a driving electrode.

[0097] Exemplarily, the third partition 1800 may be a metal isolation column, which is formed at a preset position in the touch opening 910 through a patterning process after the anode layer 500 is formed.

[0098] Exemplarily, the third partition 1800 and the second sub-touch electrode 1400 may be formed of the same metal layer through a patterning process.

[0099] by Figure 6 The second sub-touch electrode 1400 is located at the left and right sides of the corresponding sub-pixel 1600, and the first sub-touch electrode 1500 is located at the upper and lower sides of the corresponding sub-pixel 1600. Figure 7 , the third partition 1800 is located between the first sub-touch electrode 1500 and the corresponding sub-pixel 1600, and the second partition 1700 is located directly above the second sub-touch electrode 1400. The second partition 1700 and the third partition 1800 partition the cathode layer 600 into display cathode patterns 610 located at the sub-pixel 1600, and adjacent display cathode patterns 610 are arranged at intervals. The cathode layer 600 is also partitioned into touch cathode patterns 620 located at the side of the third partition 1800 away from the sub-pixel 1600, and the touch cathode pattern 620 is spaced apart from the adjacent touch cathode pattern 620 and the adjacent display cathode pattern 610.

[0100] In this embodiment, the second partition 1700 and the third partition 1800 form a single column of continuous second sub-touch electrodes 1400 and a single row of discontinuous first sub-touch electrodes 1500, thereby forming a mesh structure of touch electrodes, so that the display panel can achieve mutual capacitive touch.

[0101] like Figure 7 In some embodiments, the display panel includes a second signal circuit 1900, which is disposed between the base substrate 100 and the anode layer 500, and the display cathode pattern 610 is electrically connected to the second signal circuit 1900 through the corresponding third partition 1800, and the second signal circuit 1900 is used to transmit the cathode display signal.

[0102] In combination with the foregoing content, it can be known that when the display panel adopts the above-mentioned mutual capacitance touch structure, each display cathode pattern 610 is an independent pattern. In order to transmit the cathode display signal to each display cathode pattern 610, this embodiment uses the third partition 1800 adjacent to the display cathode pattern 610 as a signal transmission structure, and transmits the cathode display signal transmitted by the second signal circuit 1900 to the display cathode pattern 610 through the third partition 1800, so that the sub-pixel 1600 can emit light normally.

[0103] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 In some embodiments, the sub-pixel 1600 includes a pixel driving circuit disposed between the anode layer 500 and the base substrate 100, and the pixel driving circuit includes a thin film transistor; the first signal circuit 700 includes a first wiring layer 710, and the first wiring layer 710 is disposed on the same layer as the top gate electrode 852 of the thin film transistor.

[0104] The first wiring layer 710 of the first signal circuit 700 is arranged on the same layer as the top gate electrode 852 of the TFT. During preparation, the first wiring layer 710 and the top gate electrode 852 can be formed simultaneously through the same mask plate, which helps to reduce the process steps and the number of mask plates used, thereby simplifying the preparation process of the display panel and reducing the preparation cost.

[0105] like Figure 7 In some embodiments, the driving circuit includes a light shielding layer 810 arranged between the active layer 830 of the thin film transistor and the base substrate 100; the first signal circuit 700 includes a second routing layer 720 electrically connected to the first routing layer 710, and the second routing layer 720 and the light shielding layer 810 are arranged on the same layer.

[0106] Exemplarily, the first routing layer 710 and the second routing layer 720 are connected through vias.

[0107] The second wiring layer 720 of the first signal circuit 700 is arranged on the same layer as the light shielding layer 810. During preparation, the second wiring layer 720 and the light shielding layer 810 can be formed simultaneously through the same mask plate, which helps to reduce the process steps, reduce the number of mask plates used, and is beneficial to simplify the preparation process of the display panel and reduce the preparation cost.

[0108] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 In some embodiments, the display panel includes a first partition 1100 or a second partition 1700 , and the first partition 1100 or the second partition 1700 is arranged in an inverted trapezoidal shape.

[0109] Exemplarily, when the first partition 1100 is arranged in an inverted trapezoid, the slope angle of the inverted trapezoid is 0 to 45°, for example, 0, 15°, 20°, 30° or 45°, so as to facilitate control of the evaporation angle when evaporating the light-emitting functional layer 300 .

[0110] Exemplarily, the inverted trapezoid of this embodiment may be an inverted regular trapezoid, or an inverted right-angled trapezoid.

[0111] The first partition 1100 or the second partition 1700 is designed to be an inverted trapezoid, so as to partition the cathode layer 600 at a preset position when forming the cathode layer 600 , so that the cathode layer 600 forms a display cathode pattern 610 and a touch cathode pattern 620 .

[0112] Based on the same inventive concept and in combination with the description of the display panels of the above embodiments, this embodiment provides a method for preparing a display panel. The method has the corresponding technical effects of the display panels of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail herein.

[0113] A method for preparing a display panel, used for preparing the display panel as described in each of the above embodiments, the method comprising:

[0114] Step S100, providing a substrate;

[0115] A light shielding layer 810 is first formed on one side of the base substrate 100 by a patterning process. Figure 8a .

[0116] After forming the light shielding layer 810, a buffer layer 820 is formed by a deposition process, such as Figure 8b .

[0117] An active layer 830 and a gate insulating layer 840 covering the active layer 830 are formed on the surface of the buffer layer 820 by a deposition process. Figure 8c .

[0118] After forming the gate insulating layer 840, a via connection layer 890 is formed by a patterning process, wherein a portion of the pattern of the via connection layer 890 extends downward from the surface of the gate insulating layer 840 to a corresponding pattern in the active layer 830, and another portion of the pattern extends downward from the surface of the gate insulating layer 840 to a corresponding bottom gate electrode in the light shielding layer 810, such as Figure 8d .

[0119] Step S200: forming a first signal circuit on one side of the base substrate.

[0120] After forming the via connection layer 890, a first electrode layer 850 is formed on the surface of the gate insulating layer 840 by deposition and patterning processes. The pattern for forming the source electrode 851 in the first electrode layer 850 is connected to the active layer 830 through the via connection layer 890, and the pattern for forming the drain electrode 853 is connected to the active layer 830 and the bottom gate electrode through the via connection layer 890, respectively. Figure 8e The first electrode layer 850 also includes a portion for forming the first signal circuit 700 , and illustratively, the portion may be connected to the chip 20 for realizing the touch control function.

[0121] After forming the first electrode layer 850, an interlayer insulating layer 860 covering the first electrode layer 850 is formed. Figure 8f .

[0122] After forming the interlayer insulating layer 860, a planarizing layer 870 covering the interlayer insulating layer 860 is formed by a deposition process. Figure 8g .

[0123] After the planarization layer 870 is formed, a via hole penetrating to the drain electrode 853 and the first signal circuit 700 is formed at a preset position, such as Figure 8h .

[0124] Step S300, forming an anode layer on a side of the first signal circuit away from the base substrate; the anode layer includes a display anode pattern for forming the sub-pixel, and a touch anode pattern; the display anode pattern and the touch anode pattern are arranged at intervals; the touch anode pattern is electrically connected to the first signal circuit, and the first signal circuit is at least used to transmit a touch signal.

[0125] The display anode pattern 510 and the touch anode pattern 520 are formed on the surface of the planar layer 870 by a deposition process and a patterning process. Figure 8i The display anode pattern 510 is connected to the drain electrode 853 through a via hole, and the touch anode pattern 520 is connected to the first signal circuit 700 through a via hole. The drain electrode 853 of the TFT can transmit an anode display signal to the display anode pattern 510 so that it can be used to display an image; and the first signal circuit 700 can transmit a touch signal to the touch anode pattern 520 so that it can be used to detect a touch position.

[0126] After forming the anode layer 500, a pixel defining layer 900 is formed to cover a portion of the anode layer 500. Figure 8j Part of the display anode pattern 510 may be partially exposed through a pixel opening 920 disposed in the pixel defining layer 900 , and the touch anode pattern 520 may be partially or fully exposed through a touch opening 910 disposed in the pixel defining layer 900 .

[0127] It should be noted that when the touch structure of the display panel is a mutual capacitance touch structure, after forming the pixel defining layer 900, it is necessary to simultaneously form the third partition 1800 and the second sub-touch electrode 1400 through a deposition process and a patterning process (including exposure, development, and etching, etc.). After forming the third partition 1800, a patterning process is performed to form the second partition 1700.

[0128] When the touch structure of the display panel is a self-capacitive touch structure, after forming the pixel defining layer 900, it is also necessary to form a first partition 1100, such as Figure 8k .

[0129] After forming the first partition 1100 or the second partition 1700, a hole injection layer 310, a hole transport layer 320, a light emitting layer 330, an electron transport layer 340 and an electron injection layer 350 are sequentially formed by evaporation at least in the pixel opening 920. Figure 8l During formation, the evaporation angle needs to be controlled within the range of 0 to 40° to ensure that the structural layer can be terminated at the preset position.

[0130] In step S400, a cathode layer is formed on a side of the anode layer away from the base substrate, wherein the cathode layer includes a display cathode pattern for forming the sub-pixel and a touch cathode pattern; the touch cathode pattern is electrically connected to the touch anode pattern to form a touch electrode.

[0131] If the display panel needs to be formed as Figure 4 The self-capacitive touch structure shown in the figure can be formed by sputtering when forming the cathode layer 600. The cathode material can be IZO, and the thickness can be 300 nm to 600 nm, for example, 300 nm, 400 nm, 500 nm or 600 nm. Sputtering can be performed on the side of the first partition 1100 close to the touch opening 910 so that the material layer covers the pixel opening 920 to form a display cathode pattern 610 and extends into the touch opening 910 to form a touch cathode pattern 620 overlapping the touch anode pattern 520. At the same time, the material layer can be separated by the first partition 1100, such as Figure 8m .

[0132] Of course, the cathode layer 600 may also be formed by an evaporation process, and the evaporation angle needs to be controlled within a range of 0 to 40°.

[0133] After forming the cathode layer 600, the encapsulation layer 880 may be formed. Figure 4 .

[0134] If the display panel needs to be formed as Figure 5In the self-capacitive touch structure shown in FIG. 1 , when forming the cathode layer 600 , a conventional evaporation process can be selected without making special adjustments to the evaporation angle. The cathode material can be AgMg, such as Figure 9a .

[0135] After forming the cathode layer 600, a sacrificial layer 1300 needs to be formed by an evaporation process. Figure 9b .

[0136] After forming the sacrificial layer 1300, a touch connection layer 1200 is formed by an evaporation process. The material of the touch connection layer 1200 may be MgAg, such as Figure 5 .

[0137] If the display panel needs to be formed as Figure 7 In the mutual capacitance touch structure shown, when forming the cathode layer 600, a sputtering process may be selected. The cathode material may be IZO, and the thickness may be 300 nm to 650 nm, for example, 300 nm, 400 nm, 500 nm, 600 nm or 650 nm.

[0138] Based on the same inventive concept and in combination with the description of the display panels of the above embodiments, this embodiment provides a display device having the corresponding technical effects of the display panels of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail herein.

[0139] A display device comprises the display panel as described in the above embodiments.

[0140] 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.

[0141] The various embodiments in the present application are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0142] The description of the present application is given for the purpose of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present application to the disclosed form. Many modifications and variations are obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art. The embodiments are selected and described in order to better illustrate the principles and practical applications of the present application, and to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to understand the present application and thus design various embodiments with various modifications suitable for specific purposes.

[0143] A person skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely illustrative and is not intended to imply that the scope of the present application is limited to these examples. In line with the concept of the present application, the technical features in the above embodiments or different embodiments may be combined, the steps may be implemented in any order, and there are many other variations of the different aspects of the embodiments of the present application as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of simplicity.

[0144] 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.

[0145] The embodiments of the present application are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications and variations that fall within the broad scope of the present application. 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 protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that: include: A base substrate, wherein a plurality of sub-pixels are arranged in an array on one side of the base substrate; an anode layer, disposed on one side of the base substrate, the anode layer comprising a display anode pattern for forming the sub-pixel and a touch anode pattern; the display anode pattern and the touch anode pattern are spaced apart; A cathode layer, disposed on a side of the anode layer away from the base substrate, the cathode layer comprising a display cathode pattern for forming the sub-pixel and a touch cathode pattern; The touch cathode pattern is electrically connected to the touch anode pattern to form a touch electrode; The first signal circuit is arranged between the anode layer and the base substrate. The touch anode pattern is electrically connected to the first signal circuit. The first signal circuit is at least used to transmit a touch signal.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel further includes a pixel defining layer disposed between the anode layer and the cathode layer, the pixel defining layer is provided with a touch opening penetrating to the touch anode pattern, and the touch cathode pattern is connected to the corresponding touch anode pattern through the touch opening.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first partition is disposed on a side of the pixel defining layer away from the base substrate. The first partition is close to the edge of the touch opening, and the cathode layer is partitioned by the first partition.

4. The display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: The display cathode pattern and the corresponding touch cathode pattern are continuously arranged, and the touch cathode pattern is separated by the first partition; The touch cathode pattern extends into the touch opening; in the touch opening, an orthographic projection of the touch cathode pattern on the base substrate and an orthographic projection of the touch anode pattern on the base substrate at least partially overlap.

5. The display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: The display cathode pattern and the corresponding touch cathode pattern are continuously arranged, and the touch cathode pattern is separated by the first partition; The touch cathode pattern is disposed on the top of the first partition, and a touch connection layer is formed on the side wall of the first partition. The touch connection layer is electrically connected to the touch cathode pattern and the touch anode pattern respectively.

6. The display panel according to claim 5, characterized in that: The display panel further includes a sacrificial layer covering the touch cathode pattern and the display cathode pattern.

7. The display panel according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that: The first signal circuit transmits the touch signal and the display signal in a time-sharing manner.

8. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The touch electrode includes a first sub-touch electrode and a second sub-touch electrode; A second partition is disposed on a side of the pixel defining layer away from the base substrate, a third partition is disposed in the touch opening, the second partition and the corresponding third partition are respectively disposed on both sides of the sub-pixel, the cathode layer is partitioned by the second partition and the corresponding third partition, so as to form the display cathode pattern between the second partition and the corresponding third partition, and the touch cathode pattern is formed on a side of the third partition away from the corresponding sub-pixel; The touch cathode pattern covers at least a portion of the touch anode pattern to form the first sub-touch electrode; the second sub-touch electrode is disposed between the second partition and the pixel defining layer, and an extension direction of the second sub-touch electrode intersects with an extension direction of the first sub-touch electrode.

9. The display panel according to claim 8, characterized in that: The display panel includes a second signal circuit, which is arranged between the base substrate and the anode layer. The display cathode pattern is electrically connected to the second signal circuit through the corresponding third partition, and the second signal circuit is used to transmit a cathode display signal.

10. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sub-pixel includes a pixel driving circuit disposed between the anode layer and the base substrate, and the pixel driving circuit includes a thin film transistor; The first signal circuit includes a first wiring layer, and the first wiring layer is arranged in the same layer as the top gate electrode of the thin film transistor.

11. The display panel according to claim 10, characterized in that: The driving circuit includes a light shielding layer disposed between the active layer of the thin film transistor and the base substrate; The first signal circuit includes a second routing layer electrically connected to the first routing layer, and the second routing layer is arranged on the same layer as the light shielding layer.

12. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel includes a first partition or a second partition, and the first partition or the second partition is arranged in an inverted trapezoidal shape.

13. A display device, characterized in that: Comprising the display panel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A method for preparing a display panel, characterized in that: For preparing a display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the method comprising: providing a substrate base plate; forming a first signal circuit on one side of the base substrate; An anode layer is formed on a side of the first signal circuit away from the base substrate; the anode layer includes a display anode pattern for forming the sub-pixel and a touch anode pattern; the display anode pattern and the touch anode pattern are arranged at intervals; the touch anode pattern is electrically connected to the first signal circuit, and the first signal circuit is at least used to transmit a touch signal; A cathode layer is formed on a side of the anode layer away from the base substrate, and the cathode layer includes a display cathode pattern for forming the sub-pixel and a touch cathode pattern; the touch cathode pattern is electrically connected to the touch anode pattern to form a touch electrode.

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