Display panel, its manufacturing method and display device

Abstract

This application relates to a display panel, a method for manufacturing the same, and a display device. The display panel further includes at least one groove. Along a direction parallel to the plane of the substrate, the groove has a second cross-section perpendicular to the plane of the substrate. The second cross-section includes two opposing sides, each side including at least a first sub-side, a second sub-side, and a third sub-side. The first sub-side contacts the bottom of the groove. Along a direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer, the second sub-side is located between the first and third sub-sides. The third sub-side includes a vertex away from the substrate, the vertical distance from the vertex to the substrate being equal to the vertical distance from the surface of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate to the substrate. Along the direction away from the substrate, the third sub-side includes a first to an Nth inclined edge connected in sequence with a decreasing tilt angle, the tilt angle of which is the angle between the inclined edge and the plane of the substrate. Accordingly, the working life of the OLED light-emitting unit is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a display panel, a method for manufacturing the same, and a display device. Background Technology

[0002] Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display devices have attracted widespread attention due to their many advantages, such as high brightness, low power consumption, wide viewing angle, ultra-thinness, and flexibility.

[0003] To improve the lifespan of OLED light-emitting units in OLED display devices, related technologies stack multiple individual OLED light-emitting units, allowing the same amount of current to flow sequentially through these units, resulting in simultaneous emission and increased brightness and efficiency. This forms a series-connected OLED light-emitting unit; that is, a series-connected OLED light-emitting unit comprises multiple individual OLED light-emitting units connected in series. Compared to a single OLED light-emitting unit, a series-connected OLED light-emitting unit can achieve significantly higher current efficiency and brightness, and its lifespan is greatly extended.

[0004] However, in OLED display devices containing tandem OLED light-emitting units, there is a phenomenon where the tandem OLED light-emitting units abnormally transform into a single OLED light-emitting unit, which not only reduces the service life but also increases the risk of leakage current. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a display panel, its manufacturing method, and a display device that can improve the working life of OLED light-emitting units while reducing the risk of leakage current, in order to address the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides a display panel, the display panel comprising:

[0007] substrate;

[0008] The first electrode layer is located on one side of the substrate;

[0009] A pixel definition layer is located on the side of the first electrode layer away from the substrate, and the pixel definition layer includes a plurality of pixel openings; wherein,

[0010] The display panel further includes at least one groove; the groove is located between two adjacent pixel openings along a direction parallel to the plane of the substrate; the groove has a first cross-section parallel to the plane of the substrate, and the area of ​​the first cross-section gradually increases along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer; the groove has a second cross-section perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the second cross-section including two opposing sides, the sides including at least a first sub-side, a second sub-side, and a third sub-side;

[0011] The first sub-edge contacts the bottom of the groove, and the angle between the first sub-edge and the plane where the substrate is located is a1, 80°≤a1≤90°; along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer, the second sub-edge is located between the first sub-edge and the third sub-edge; the third sub-edge includes a vertex away from the substrate, and the vertical distance from the vertex to the substrate is equal to the vertical distance from the surface of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate to the substrate; wherein, along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer, the third sub-edge includes the first to Nth inclined edges connected in sequence with a decreasing inclination angle, and the inclination angle of the inclined edge is the angle between the inclined edge and the plane where the substrate is located, where N is a positive integer greater than 1;

[0012] A light-emitting unit layer is located on the side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate, and the light-emitting unit layer at least partially covers the pixel opening and the groove.

[0013] Secondly, this application also provides a display device, which includes a display panel as described in the first aspect above.

[0014] Thirdly, this application also provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, the method comprising:

[0015] Provide substrate;

[0016] A first electrode layer is formed on one side of the substrate;

[0017] A pixel definition layer is formed on the side of the first electrode layer away from the substrate, and the pixel definition layer includes a plurality of pixel openings;

[0018] At least one groove is formed; wherein, along a direction parallel to the plane of the substrate, the groove is located between two adjacent pixel openings; the groove has a first cross-section parallel to the plane of the substrate, and the area of ​​the first cross-section gradually increases along the direction of the substrate toward the first electrode layer; the groove has a second cross-section perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the second cross-section including two opposing sides, the sides including at least a first sub-side, a second sub-side, and a third sub-side;

[0019] The first sub-edge contacts the bottom of the groove, and the angle between the first sub-edge and the plane where the substrate is located is a1, 80°≤a1≤90°; along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer, the second sub-edge is located between the first sub-edge and the third sub-edge; the third sub-edge includes a vertex away from the substrate, and the vertical distance from the vertex to the substrate is equal to the vertical distance from the surface of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate to the substrate; wherein, along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer, the third sub-edge includes the first to Nth inclined edges connected in sequence with a decreasing inclination angle, and the inclination angle of the inclined edge is the angle between the inclined edge and the plane where the substrate is located, where N is a positive integer greater than 1;

[0020] A light-emitting unit layer is formed, the light-emitting unit layer being located on the side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate, and the light-emitting unit layer at least partially covering the pixel opening and the groove.

[0021] The aforementioned display panel, its manufacturing method, and display device include a substrate, a first electrode layer, a pixel definition layer, and a light-emitting unit layer stacked sequentially, wherein the pixel definition layer includes a plurality of pixel openings.

[0022] The display panel also includes at least one recess, which may be located in the pixel definition layer; the recess is located between two adjacent pixel openings along a direction parallel to the plane of the substrate; the recess has a first cross-section parallel to the plane of the substrate, and the area of ​​the first cross-section gradually increases along the direction of the substrate toward the first electrode layer; the recess has a second cross-section perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the second cross-section including two opposite sides, the sides including at least a first sub-side, a second sub-side and a third sub-side.

[0023] The first sub-edge contacts the bottom of the groove, and the angle between the first sub-edge and the plane of the substrate is a1, 80°≤a1≤90°; along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer, the second sub-edge is located between the first sub-edge and the third sub-edge; the third sub-edge includes a vertex away from the substrate, and the vertical distance from the vertex to the substrate is equal to the vertical distance from the surface of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate to the substrate; wherein, along the direction away from the substrate, the third sub-edge includes the first to the Nth inclined edges connected in sequence with a decreasing inclination angle, and the inclination angle of the inclined edge is the angle between the inclined edge and the plane of the substrate, where N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0024] The light-emitting unit layer is located on the side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate, and the light-emitting unit layer at least partially covers the pixel opening and the groove. In this way, due to the arrangement of the groove and the gradually increasing area of ​​the first cross-section of the groove, the leakage path between different tandem OLED light-emitting units along the light-emitting unit layer can be extended in the direction parallel to the plane where the substrate is located, thereby reducing the leakage between different tandem OLED light-emitting units.

[0025] Based on this, the embodiment of this application, due to the provision of the third sub-side of the groove, reduces the steepness at the groove opening, and can prevent partial film layer breakage in the light-emitting unit layer between different tandem OLED light-emitting units at the groove in the direction parallel to the plane of the substrate. In related technologies, at the breakage point, the cathode layer (located on the surface of the light-emitting unit layer away from the substrate) directly overlaps with the charge generation layer (e.g., the positive charge generation layer P-CGL used to generate holes) in the light-emitting unit layer, causing the tandem OLED light-emitting unit to transform into a single OLED light-emitting unit.

[0026] In this embodiment, the third sub-side of the groove is provided, which smooths out and reduces the steepness of the groove opening, thereby preventing such breakage and avoiding the transformation of the series-connected OLED light-emitting units into a single OLED light-emitting unit, thus improving the working life of the OLED light-emitting unit. At the same time, compared with a single OLED light-emitting unit, the series-connected OLED light-emitting unit is less easy to turn on, and the degree of light leakage from surrounding OLED light-emitting units is less. Therefore, this embodiment avoids the transformation of the series-connected OLED light-emitting unit into a single OLED light-emitting unit and reduces the risk of leakage between different OLED light-emitting units. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or related technologies, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments of this application or related technologies will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a top view of the display panel in one embodiment;

[0029] Figure 2 for Figure 1 One of the enlarged schematic diagrams of point A in the local area;

[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 2 One of the schematic cross-sectional views along line CC';

[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 3 One of the enlarged schematic diagrams of the central groove;

[0032] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram showing a light-emitting unit layer and a second electrode layer disposed on a central groove;

[0033] Figure 6aOne of the schematic diagrams of a groove having a light-emitting unit layer and a second electrode layer disposed on it in the related technology;

[0034] Figure 6b A schematic diagram of a groove with a light-emitting unit layer in a related technology;

[0035] Figure 6c The second schematic diagram shows a groove in a related technology in which a light-emitting unit layer and a second electrode layer are provided;

[0036] Figure 7 for Figure 3 Second enlarged schematic diagram of the central groove;

[0037] Figure 8 for Figure 2 Second cross-sectional view along line CC';

[0038] Figure 9 for Figure 1 The second enlarged schematic diagram of part A;

[0039] Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a series-connected OLED light-emitting unit in one embodiment;

[0040] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of a display device in one embodiment.

[0041] Figure description: Substrate-310, First electrode-320, Pixel definition layer-330, Light-emitting unit layer-340, Second electrode layer-350, Planarization layer-360, Pixel opening-331, Groove-332. Detailed Implementation

[0042] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0043] To facilitate understanding of this application, a more complete description will be provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate embodiments of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of this application will be thorough and complete.

[0044] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application.

[0045] It is understood that the terms "first," "second," etc., used herein may be used to describe various elements, but these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, without departing from the scope of this application, a first resistor may be referred to as a second resistor, and similarly, a second resistor may be referred to as a first resistor. Both the first resistor and the second resistor are resistors, but they are not the same resistor.

[0046] It is understood that the term "connection" in the following embodiments should be understood as "electrical connection," "communication connection," etc., if the connected circuits, modules, units, etc., have electrical signal or data transmission with each other.

[0047] It is understandable that "at least one" refers to one or more, and "multiple" refers to two or more. "At least a part of an element" refers to part or all of an element.

[0048] When used herein, the singular forms of “a,” “an,” and “the” may also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising / including” or “having,” etc., specify the presence of the stated features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Meanwhile, the term “and / or” as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0049] The display panel provided in this application embodiment may be, but is not limited to, an OLED display panel.

[0050] In one exemplary embodiment, combined with Figures 1 to 3 A display panel is provided, comprising a substrate 310, a first electrode layer, a pixel definition layer 330, a light-emitting unit layer 340, and a second electrode layer 350 sequentially stacked thereon; wherein, Figure 2 The light-emitting unit layer 340 and the second electrode layer 350 are not shown in the diagram.

[0051] The substrate 310 provides support for the films and devices on it. The substrate 310 can be a rigid substrate or a flexible substrate. The substrate 310 also includes an array layer, which includes multiple pixel circuits. Each pixel circuit is used to drive the corresponding connected sub-pixel to emit light. A first electrode layer is located on one side of the substrate 310. The first electrode layer can serve as an anode layer and may include multiple anodes. The first electrode layer may include multiple first electrodes 320, which are spaced apart. Each first electrode 320 corresponds to a sub-pixel, and one first electrode 320 can serve as the anode of a corresponding sub-pixel. Correspondingly, the second electrode layer 350 is located on the side of the light-emitting unit layer 340 away from the pixel definition layer 330, and the second electrode layer 350 can serve as a cathode layer. The pixel definition layer 330 is located on the side of the first electrode layer away from the substrate 310. The pixel definition layer 330 includes a plurality of pixel openings 331 arranged in an array. Sub-pixels are set in the pixel openings 331. The sub-pixels may include sub-pixels of three colors: red (R), green (G), and blue (B), but are not limited to these.

[0052] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3 The display panel also includes at least one recess 332, which may be located in the pixel definition layer 330; along the direction parallel to the plane where the substrate 310 is located, the recess 332 is located between two adjacent pixel openings 331.

[0053] The light-emitting unit layer 340 is located on the side of the pixel definition layer 330 away from the substrate 310, and the light-emitting unit layer 340 at least partially covers the pixel opening 331 and the groove 332. The light-emitting unit layer 340 may include a hole injection layer HIL, a hole transport layer HTL, an organic light-emitting layer, a negative charge generation layer N-CGL for generating electrons, a positive charge generation layer P-CGL for generating holes, an electron transport layer ETL, and an electron injection layer EIL, all stacked together. The organic light-emitting layer may be located within the pixel opening 331. The film layers other than the organic light-emitting layer, namely the hole injection layer HIL, the hole transport layer HTL, the negative charge generation layer N-CGL for generating electrons, the positive charge generation layer P-CGL for generating holes, the electron transport layer ETL, and the electron injection layer EIL, are located not only within the pixel opening 331 but also on the surface of the pixel definition layer 330 away from the substrate 310, and thus also within the groove 332.

[0054] In other words, each sub-pixel includes a hole injection layer HIL, a hole transport layer HTL, an organic light-emitting layer, a negative charge generation layer N-CGL for generating electrons, a positive charge generation layer P-CGL for generating holes, an electron transport layer ETL, and an electron injection layer EIL stacked together. That is, each sub-pixel may include a series-connected OLED light-emitting unit. On the surface of the pixel definition layer 330 between two adjacent sub-pixels away from the substrate 310 and within the groove 332, film layers other than the organic light-emitting layer are stacked together, namely, the hole injection layer HIL, the hole transport layer HTL, the negative charge generation layer N-CGL for generating electrons, the positive charge generation layer P-CGL for generating holes, the electron transport layer ETL, and the electron injection layer EIL.

[0055] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3 In this embodiment, the groove 332 has a first cross-section parallel to the plane of the substrate 310, and the area of ​​the first cross-section gradually increases along the direction from the substrate 310 to the first electrode layer. Thus, compared to a display panel without the groove 332, the groove 332 in this embodiment can extend the leakage path between different sub-pixels along the film layers other than the organic light-emitting layer in the light-emitting unit layer 340 in the direction parallel to the plane of the substrate 310, thereby reducing leakage between different sub-pixels (i.e., between two adjacent sub-pixels), and also reducing leakage between different tandem OLED light-emitting units (between two adjacent tandem OLED light-emitting units). The film layers other than the organic light-emitting layer in the light-emitting unit layer 340 can be understood as the common film layers in the light-emitting unit layer 340.

[0056] As the resolution of display panels increases, the distance between two adjacent sub-pixels becomes smaller. In order to further extend the leakage path on the common film layer in the light-emitting unit layer 340 of the high-resolution display panel, the depth and steepness of the groove between two adjacent sub-pixels will increase. However, the common film layer may break at the groove opening, affecting the display effect.

[0057] In this regard, refer to Figure 4In this embodiment, the groove 332 has a second cross-section perpendicular to the plane of the substrate 310. The second cross-section includes two opposing sides, each side including at least a first sub-side S1, a second sub-side S2, and a third sub-side S3. The first sub-side S1 contacts the bottom of the groove 332, and the angle between the first sub-side S1 and the plane of the substrate 310 is α1, where 80°≤α1≤90°. Along the direction from the substrate 310 to the first electrode layer, the second sub-side S2 is located between the first sub-side S1 and the third sub-side S3. The third sub-side S3 includes a vertex D away from the substrate 310, and the vertical distance from vertex D to the substrate 310 is equal to the vertical distance from the surface of the pixel definition layer 330 away from the substrate 310 to the substrate 310. Along the direction from the substrate 310 to the first electrode layer, the third sub-side S3 includes a first to Nth inclined edge connected in sequence with an inclination angle α decreasing in a decreasing trend. The inclination angle α of the inclined edge is the angle between the inclined edge and the plane of the substrate 310, and N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0058] in, Figure 4 The example illustrates N=3, and the third sub-side S3 includes a first inclined side S31, a second inclined side S32, and a third inclined side S33 arranged sequentially. The inclination angle α of the inclined sides S31, S32, and S33 shows a decreasing trend.

[0059] Thus, for reference Figure 5 Because of the arrangement of the first to Nth inclined edges of the third sub-edge S3 of the groove 332, the steepness at the groove opening of the groove 332 is reduced, which can prevent the film layers other than the organic light-emitting layer in the light-emitting unit layer 340 between different sub-pixels from breaking at the groove 332 in the direction parallel to the plane of the substrate 310. On the one hand, by way of example, referring to Figure 6a If a common film layer, such as the cathode layer, breaks at a steep notch, some sub-pixels will have no signal input to their cathodes, affecting the display effect. On the other hand, for example, refer to... Figure 6b Because the charge generation layer is generally thin, it may fracture when it covers steep grooves. (Refer to...) Figure 6c This causes the cathode layer to directly overlap with the charge generation layer in the light-emitting unit layer 340 (e.g., directly overlap with the positive charge generation layer P-CGL used to generate holes), thereby causing the tandem OLED light-emitting units in the sub-pixel to be transformed into a single OLED light-emitting unit.

[0060] refer to Figure 5In this embodiment, due to the arrangement of the first to Nth inclined edges of the third sub-side S3 of the groove 332, the steepness at the groove opening of the groove 332 is reduced, thereby preventing such breakage, improving the display effect, and avoiding the transformation of the series-connected OLED light-emitting units into a single OLED light-emitting unit, thus improving the working life of the OLED light-emitting unit; at the same time, compared with a single OLED light-emitting unit, the series-connected OLED light-emitting unit is less easy to turn on, and the degree of light leakage from the surrounding OLED light-emitting units is less. Therefore, this embodiment avoids the transformation of the series-connected OLED light-emitting units into a single OLED light-emitting unit, reducing the risk of leakage between different OLED light-emitting units.

[0061] In one exemplary embodiment, reference is made to Figure 7 The third sub-side S3 is a gently transitioning arc shape, and the inclination angle of the first inclined side is a2, where a2≤30°.

[0062] In this embodiment, when N is large, as the tilt angles of the first to the Nth tilted edges gradually decrease, the tilt angle of the Nth tilted edge approaches 0, making the third sub-edge S3 appear as a gently transitioning arc shape. This better reduces the steepness at the groove opening of the groove 332, and can better prevent the film layers other than the organic light-emitting layer in the light-emitting unit layer 340 between different sub-pixels from breaking at the groove 332 in the direction parallel to the plane of the substrate 310. Specifically, when the tilt angle of the first tilted edge is a2 and a2≤30°, the tilt angle of the Nth tilted edge can be made to approach 0, and the groove opening of the groove 332 is smooth enough to avoid the film layers other than the organic light-emitting layer in the light-emitting unit layer 340 from breaking at the groove 332. When all the inclined sides from the first inclined side to the Nth inclined side are arc-shaped, even if the value of N is small, as the maximum inclination angle of the tangent from the first inclined side to the Nth inclined side gradually decreases, the third sub-side S3 will also present a gently transitioning arc shape, thereby better reducing the steepness at the groove opening of the groove 332.

[0063] In one exemplary embodiment, reference is made to Figure 4 The third sub-edge S3 is a broken line, and the inclination angle of the Nth inclined edge is a3, where a3≤30°.

[0064] In this embodiment, the connection method between two adjacent inclined edges changes from the first to the Nth inclined edge. Simultaneously, as the inclination angle of the first to the Nth inclined edge gradually decreases, the third sub-edge S3 becomes a zigzag shape, effectively reducing the steepness at the groove opening of the groove 332. This prevents breakage of the film layers (excluding the organic light-emitting layer) in the light-emitting unit layer 340 between different sub-pixels at the groove 332 in the direction parallel to the plane of the substrate 310. Specifically, when the inclination angle of the Nth inclined edge is a3 and a3≤30°, the groove opening of the groove 332 is sufficiently smooth to prevent breakage of the film layers (excluding the organic light-emitting layer) in the light-emitting unit layer 340 at the groove 332.

[0065] In one exemplary embodiment, reference is made to Figure 4 The second sub-side S2 is a straight line, and the maximum angle between the second sub-side S2 and the plane containing the substrate 310 is a4, where a4 ≤ a1.

[0066] In this embodiment, the second sub-side S2 is a straight line, and both the second sub-side S2 and the first sub-side S1 are straight lines, making the second sub-side S2 easy to manufacture, and thus making the groove 332 easy to manufacture. The maximum angle between the second sub-side S2 and the plane containing the substrate 310 is a4 and a4≤a1, which further ensures that the light-emitting unit layer 340 will not break not only at the groove opening, but also within the groove 332 (i.e., in the middle of the groove 332) due to its steepness. This ensures that the light-emitting unit layer 340 will not break at any position when covering the entire groove 332, thus guaranteeing the integrity of the light-emitting unit layer 340.

[0067] In an exemplary embodiment, the second sub-side S2 is arc-shaped, and the maximum angle between the tangent of the second sub-side S2 and the plane where the substrate 310 is located is a5, where a5 ≤ a1.

[0068] In this embodiment, the second sub-side S2 is arc-shaped, which makes the transition between the third sub-side S3 and the second sub-side S2 smoother. This further ensures that the light-emitting unit layer 340 will not break in the middle of the groove 332 due to its steepness. As a result, the light-emitting unit layer 340 will not break at any position when it covers the entire groove 332, thus ensuring the integrity of the light-emitting unit layer 340.

[0069] In one exemplary embodiment, reference is made to Figure 3 The bottom of the groove 332 is set in the pixel definition layer 330.

[0070] In this embodiment, the bottom of the groove 332 is disposed in the pixel definition layer 330, making the groove 332 easy to manufacture. The groove 332 can extend the leakage path between different sub-pixels along the film layer other than the organic light-emitting layer in the light-emitting unit layer 340 in the direction parallel to the plane where the substrate 310 is located, thereby reducing the leakage between different sub-pixels (that is, between two adjacent sub-pixels), that is, reducing the leakage between different tandem OLED light-emitting units (between two adjacent tandem OLED light-emitting units).

[0071] In one exemplary embodiment, reference is made to Figure 8 The display panel also includes a planarization layer 360, which is located on the side of the first electrode layer near the substrate 310. The bottom of the groove 332 is located at the contact point between the pixel definition layer and the planarization layer 360.

[0072] In this embodiment, the bottom of the groove 332 is located at the contact surface between the pixel definition layer 330 and the planarization layer 360, making the groove 332 deeper. This helps to better extend the leakage path between different sub-pixels along the film layers other than the organic light-emitting layer in the light-emitting unit layer 340. At the same time, even though the groove 332 is deeper, the setting of the third sub-edge S3 of the groove 332 can ensure that the light-emitting unit layer 340 breaks at the groove 332, thereby ensuring the working life of the sub-pixel.

[0073] In one exemplary embodiment, reference is made to Figure 8 The display panel also includes a planarization layer 360, which is located on the side of the first electrode layer near the substrate 310. A groove 332 extends through the pixel definition layer to the planarization layer 360 and the bottom of the groove is disposed in the planarization layer 360.

[0074] In this embodiment, the bottom of the groove 332 is located in the planarization layer 360, making the groove 332 deeper. This further facilitates the extension of the leakage path between different sub-pixels along the film layers other than the organic light-emitting layer in the light-emitting unit layer 340. At the same time, even though the groove 332 is deep, the setting of the third sub-edge S3 of the groove 332 can ensure that the light-emitting unit layer 340 will not break at the groove 332, thereby ensuring the working life of the sub-pixel.

[0075] In one exemplary embodiment, reference is made to Figure 9The plurality of pixel openings 331 include a plurality of first color pixel openings 331, a plurality of second color pixel openings 331 and a plurality of third color pixel openings 331; the number of grooves 332 surrounding the first color pixel openings 331 is b1, the number of grooves 332 surrounding the second color pixel openings 331 is b2, and the number of grooves 332 surrounding the third color pixel openings 331 is b3, b1>b2>b3, wherein, along the direction surrounding the pixel openings 331, two adjacent grooves 332 are spaced apart.

[0076] For example, the first color pixel opening 331, the second color pixel opening 331, and the third color pixel opening 331 can respectively correspond to the blue pixel opening 331 for setting the blue sub-pixel, the green pixel opening 331 for setting the green sub-pixel, and the red pixel opening 331 for setting the red sub-pixel. Typically, the activation voltage of the blue sub-pixel B, green sub-pixel G, and red sub-pixel R decreases sequentially, meaning the red sub-pixel R is the easiest to activate. Therefore, when only the blue sub-pixel B is activated, the green sub-pixel G and the red sub-pixel R will experience "stealing" (i.e., current leakage). Similarly, when only the green sub-pixel G is activated, the red sub-pixel R will experience "stealing" (i.e., current leakage). Accordingly, the number of grooves 332 around the blue pixel opening 331, green pixel opening 331, and red pixel opening 331 increases sequentially to protect the corresponding blue sub-pixel B and green sub-pixel G from being "stealed," thus extending the leakage path and improving current leakage.

[0077] In one exemplary embodiment, reference continues to... Figure 10 The sub-pixel may include a hole injection layer HIL, a hole transport layer HTL, a first organic light-emitting layer, an electron transport layer ETL, a negative charge generation layer N-CGL for generating electrons, a positive charge generation layer P-CGL for generating holes, a hole transport layer HTL, a second organic light-emitting layer, an electron transport layer ETL, and an electron injection layer EIL stacked together.

[0078] In this embodiment, the first electrode, hole injection layer HIL, hole transport layer HTL, first organic light-emitting layer, electron transport layer ETL, and negative charge generation layer N-CGL for generating electrons can constitute a single first OLED light-emitting unit. The positive charge generation layer P-CGL for generating holes, hole transport layer HTL, second organic light-emitting layer, electron transport layer ETL, electron injection layer EIL, and second electrode layer 350 can constitute a single second OLED light-emitting unit. The first OLED light-emitting unit and the second OLED light-emitting unit are stacked to achieve series connection, thereby forming a sub-pixel.

[0079] In one exemplary embodiment, reference is made to Figure 11This application provides a display device, which includes a display panel as provided in any of the above embodiments. The display device may be, but is not limited to, an OLED display device, and may be a mobile phone, tablet computer, wearable electronic product, etc.

[0080] The display device and display panel provided in the embodiments of this application belong to the same inventive concept, can solve the same technical problem, and thus achieve the same technical effect. Repeated content will not be repeated.

[0081] In one exemplary embodiment, this application also provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, which can be used to manufacture the display panel of any of the above embodiments. The method includes:

[0082] S1202 provides a substrate.

[0083] S1204, a first electrode layer is formed on one side of the substrate.

[0084] S1206, a pixel definition layer is formed on the side of the first electrode layer away from the substrate, the pixel definition layer including a plurality of pixel openings.

[0085] S1208, forming at least one groove; wherein, along a direction parallel to the plane of the substrate, the groove is located between two adjacent pixel openings; the groove has a first cross-section parallel to the plane of the substrate, and the area of ​​the first cross-section gradually increases along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer; the groove has a second cross-section perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the second cross-section including two opposing sides, the sides including at least a first sub-side, a second sub-side and a third sub-side; the first sub-side contacts the bottom of the groove, and the angle between the first sub-side and the plane of the substrate is a1, 80°≤a1≤90°; along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer, the second sub-side is located between the first sub-side and the third sub-side; the third sub-side includes a vertex away from the substrate, the vertical distance from the vertex to the substrate is equal to the vertical distance from the surface of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate to the substrate; wherein, along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer, the third sub-side includes the first to the Nth inclined edges connected in sequence with a decreasing inclination angle, the inclination angle of the inclined edge being the angle between the inclined edge and the plane of the substrate, where N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0086] The manufacturing method and display panel provided in this application belong to the same inventive concept, can solve the same technical problem, and thus achieve the same technical effect. Repeated content will not be described again.

[0087] S1210, forming a light-emitting unit layer, the light-emitting unit layer is located on the side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate, the light-emitting unit layer at least partially covers the pixel opening and groove.

[0088] In an exemplary embodiment, forming at least one groove in S1208 may include at least the following steps:

[0089] S12081 provides a barrier fabrication mask template.

[0090] S12082, diffraction compensation exposure is performed on the barrier preparation mask to form a groove for the preparation mask.

[0091] S12083, at least one groove is prepared using a groove preparation mask.

[0092] The barrier preparation mask is used to form the barrier opening. If the barrier opening is formed in the display panel, the barrier opening formed in the display panel shall include at least the following features:

[0093] Along a direction parallel to the plane of the substrate, the blocking opening is located between two adjacent pixel openings; the blocking opening has a first cross-section parallel to the plane of the substrate, and the area of ​​the first cross-section gradually increases along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer; the blocking opening has a second cross-section perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the second cross-section includes two opposite sides, the sides are straight lines, and the angle between the sides and the plane of the substrate is a1, 80°≤a1≤90°.

[0094] In other words, in this embodiment, the mask used to prepare the groove is exposed with diffraction compensation so that the groove prepared based on the mask has the first sub-edge, the second sub-edge and the third sub-edge.

[0095] In an exemplary embodiment, the barrier preparation mask can be subjected to diffraction compensation exposure again, so that the surface between two adjacent groove walls in the groove finally prepared based on the mask has a smooth transition along the direction surrounding the groove opening. This avoids the corners between two adjacent groove walls being too sharp along the direction surrounding the groove opening, which could lead to breakage of the common film layer. In other words, this embodiment not only uses the third sub-edge to smooth the surface between the pixel definition layer surface away from the substrate and the groove wall, but also further uses diffraction compensation exposure to smooth the corners between two adjacent groove walls along the direction surrounding the groove opening, making the entire perimeter of the groove smooth, thereby largely avoiding breakage of the common film layer.

[0096] In an exemplary embodiment, forming at least one groove in S1208 may include at least: using a surface treatment process to form at least one groove by bombarding the surface of the pixel definition layer away from the first electrode layer with gas.

[0097] In this embodiment, a conventional surface treatment process in the field of display technology is adopted. The groove is formed by bombarding the surface of the pixel definition layer away from the first electrode layer with gas in the surface treatment process. The method is simple and low cost.

[0098] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above 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 application.

[0099] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that, The display panel includes: substrate; The first electrode layer is located on one side of the substrate; A pixel definition layer is located on the side of the first electrode layer away from the substrate, and the pixel definition layer includes a plurality of pixel openings; wherein, The display panel further includes at least one groove; the groove is located between two adjacent pixel openings along a direction parallel to the plane of the substrate; the groove has a first cross-section parallel to the plane of the substrate, and the area of ​​the first cross-section gradually increases along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer; the groove has a second cross-section perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the second cross-section including two opposing sides, the sides including at least a first sub-side, a second sub-side, and a third sub-side; The first sub-edge contacts the bottom of the groove, and the angle between the first sub-edge and the plane where the substrate is located is a1, 80°≤a1≤90°; along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer, the second sub-edge is located between the first sub-edge and the third sub-edge; the third sub-edge includes a vertex away from the substrate, and the vertical distance from the vertex to the substrate is equal to the vertical distance from the surface of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate to the substrate; wherein, along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer, the third sub-edge includes the first to Nth inclined edges connected in sequence with a decreasing inclination angle, and the inclination angle of the inclined edge is the angle between the inclined edge and the plane where the substrate is located, where N is a positive integer greater than 1; A light-emitting unit layer is located on the side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate, and the light-emitting unit layer at least partially covers the pixel opening and the groove; A planarization layer is located on the side of the first electrode layer near the substrate; wherein the bottom of the groove is disposed at the contact point between the pixel definition layer and the planarization layer, or the groove extends through the pixel definition layer to the planarization layer and the bottom of the groove is disposed in the planarization layer; The plurality of pixel openings includes a plurality of first color pixel openings, a plurality of second color pixel openings, and a plurality of third color pixel openings; The number of grooves surrounding the opening of the first color pixel is b1, the number of grooves surrounding the opening of the second color pixel is b2, and the number of grooves surrounding the opening of the third color pixel is b3, where b1 > b2 > b3, and two adjacent grooves are spaced apart along the direction surrounding the pixel opening.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The third sub-side is a gently transitioning arc shape, and the inclination angle of the first inclined side is a2, where a2≤30°.

3. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The third sub-edge is a broken line, and the inclination angle of the Nth inclined edge is a3, where a3 ≤ 30°.

4. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The maximum angle between the tangent of the second sub-side and the plane containing the substrate is a4, where a4 ≤ a1.

5. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light-emitting unit layer includes: A hole transport layer is located on the side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate, and is located within the groove and the pixel opening; The first organic light-emitting layer is located within the hole transport layer of the pixel opening; A negative charge generation layer is located on the side of the hole transport layer away from the pixel definition layer, and the hole transport layer is located in the groove, and the first organic light-emitting layer is located in the pixel opening; A positive charge generation layer is located on the side of the negative charge generation layer away from the hole transport layer, and the negative charge generation layer is located in the groove and the negative charge generation layer is located in the pixel opening; The second organic light-emitting layer is located within the positive charge generation layer of the pixel opening; An electron transport layer is located on the side of the positive charge generation layer away from the negative charge generation layer, and the positive charge generation layer is located within the groove, and the second organic light-emitting layer is located within the pixel opening.

6. A display device, characterized in that, Includes the display panel as described in any one of claims 1-5.

7. A method for manufacturing a display panel, characterized in that, The method includes: Provide substrate; A first electrode layer is formed on one side of the substrate; A pixel definition layer is formed on the side of the first electrode layer away from the substrate, and the pixel definition layer includes a plurality of pixel openings; At least one groove is formed; wherein, along a direction parallel to the plane of the substrate, the groove is located between two adjacent pixel openings; the groove has a first cross-section parallel to the plane of the substrate, and the area of ​​the first cross-section gradually increases along the direction of the substrate toward the first electrode layer; the groove has a second cross-section perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the second cross-section including two opposing sides, the sides including at least a first sub-side, a second sub-side, and a third sub-side; The first sub-edge contacts the bottom of the groove, and the angle between the first sub-edge and the plane where the substrate is located is a1, 80°≤a1≤90°; along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer, the second sub-edge is located between the first sub-edge and the third sub-edge; the third sub-edge includes a vertex away from the substrate, and the vertical distance from the vertex to the substrate is equal to the vertical distance from the surface of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate to the substrate; wherein, along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer, the third sub-edge includes the first to Nth inclined edges connected in sequence with a decreasing inclination angle, and the inclination angle of the inclined edge is the angle between the inclined edge and the plane where the substrate is located, where N is a positive integer greater than 1; A light-emitting unit layer is formed, the light-emitting unit layer being located on the side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate, and the light-emitting unit layer at least partially covering the pixel opening and the groove; A planarization layer is formed on the side of the first electrode layer near the substrate; wherein the bottom of the groove is disposed at the contact point between the pixel definition layer and the planarization layer, or the groove extends through the pixel definition layer to the planarization layer and the bottom of the groove is disposed in the planarization layer; The plurality of pixel openings includes a plurality of first color pixel openings, a plurality of second color pixel openings, and a plurality of third color pixel openings; The number of grooves surrounding the opening of the first color pixel is b1, the number of grooves surrounding the opening of the second color pixel is b2, and the number of grooves surrounding the opening of the third color pixel is b3, where b1 > b2 > b3, and two adjacent grooves are spaced apart along the direction surrounding the pixel opening.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The formation of at least one groove includes: Provide a barrier for fabricating a mask template; The barrier preparation mask is subjected to diffraction compensation exposure to form a groove preparation mask; At least one groove is prepared using the groove preparation mask template; The barrier preparation mask is used to form a barrier opening. If a barrier opening is formed in the display panel: Along a direction parallel to the plane of the substrate, the blocking opening is located between two adjacent pixel openings; the blocking opening has a first cross-section parallel to the plane of the substrate, and the area of ​​the first cross-section gradually increases along the direction from the substrate to the first electrode layer; the blocking opening has a second cross-section perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, the second cross-section including two opposite sides, the sides being straight lines, and the angle between the sides and the plane of the substrate being a1, 80°≤a1≤90°.

9. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The formation of at least one groove includes: A surface treatment process is employed, in which gas is used to bombard the surface of the pixel definition layer away from the first electrode layer to form at least one groove.

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