Display panel and display device

Abstract

The invention provides a display panel which is provided with a display area, a hole opening area and an isolation area, the isolation area at least partially surrounds the hole opening area, and the display area at least partially surrounds the isolation area. The display panel comprises a substrate located in a display area and an isolation area. The inorganic insulating layer is arranged on one side of the substrate and extends from the display area to the isolation area; the insulation isolation layer is located on the side, away from the substrate, of the inorganic insulation layer, extends from the display area to the isolation area, is located at the isolation area and is disconnected, and a first isolation cavity is formed between the disconnected positions.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) is an active light-emitting display device with the advantages of self-luminescence, wide viewing angle, high contrast, low power consumption, fast response speed, etc. With the continuous development of display technology, OLED technology is increasingly being applied to various display devices, especially in smart terminal products such as mobile phones and tablet computers.

[0003] As the application scenarios of display panels gradually increase, the demand for display effects and performance of the panels is getting higher and higher. In order to adapt to different application scenarios, display devices usually have the need to punch holes to facilitate the installation of devices such as cameras and sensors. However, punching holes in display panels can easily cause GDSH (Growing Dark Spot at HIAA, water vapor oxidation in the opening area caused by cracks, scratches, top injuries, etc. caused by packaging or external forces). Therefore, the reliability test of display panels is an important indicator for determining whether a product can be mass-produced, and avoiding the GDSH phenomenon is a major problem facing display panels. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, an object of the present application is to provide a display panel and a display device that overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems.

[0005] Based on the above purpose, in a first aspect of the present application, a display panel is provided, wherein the display panel comprises a display area, an opening area and an isolation area, wherein the isolation area at least partially surrounds the opening area, and the display area at least partially surrounds the isolation area;

[0006] The display panel includes a base substrate located in the display area and the isolation area;

[0007] An inorganic insulating layer, disposed on one side of the base substrate and extending from the display area to the isolation area;

[0008] The insulating isolation layer is located on a side of the inorganic insulating layer away from the substrate, extends from the display area to the isolation area, and is disconnected at the isolation area, forming a first isolation cavity between the disconnected parts.

[0009] In some embodiments, a distance between a side of the disconnection portion of the insulating isolation layer away from the base substrate and the inorganic insulating layer is not less than a thickness of the insulating isolation layer.

[0010] In some embodiments, the disconnection portion of the insulating isolation layer extends toward a side away from the inorganic insulating layer, and an angle between an extension direction of the disconnection portion and a plane where the inorganic insulating layer is located is no greater than 90°.

[0011] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the insulating isolation layer on the base substrate at least partially covers the orthographic projection of the first isolation cavity on the base substrate, and the cross-sectional shape of the first isolation cavity perpendicular to the base substrate is trapezoidal.

[0012] In some embodiments, the inorganic insulating layer is provided with a second isolation cavity, and the orthographic projection of the second isolation cavity on the base substrate is located within the orthographic projection range of the first isolation cavity on the base substrate.

[0013] In some embodiments, the second isolation cavity has a depth less than a thickness of the inorganic insulating layer.

[0014] In some embodiments, the display area further includes a pixel circuit, the pixel circuit includes a transistor structure, and the transistor structure includes at least a first electrode, a first active layer, and a second electrode layer;

[0015] The inorganic insulating layer at least includes a first insulating layer, a second insulating layer and a third insulating layer;

[0016] The first insulating layer is located between the base substrate and the first electrode, the second insulating layer is located between the first electrode and the first active layer, and the third insulating layer is located between the first active layer and the second electrode layer;

[0017] The first isolation cavity is disposed on the same layer as the second electrode layer.

[0018] In some embodiments, the isolation region includes at least a first metal layer and a second active layer;

[0019] The first metal layer is located between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, and the second active layer is located between the second insulating layer and the third insulating layer;

[0020] The first metal layer is disposed in the same layer as the first electrode, the second active layer is disposed in the same layer as the first active layer, the orthographic projection of the first metal layer on the base substrate is located within the orthographic projection range of the second active layer on the base substrate, and the first isolation cavity is perpendicular to the base substrate and corresponds to the first metal layer;

[0021] The first metal layer and the first electrode are formed through the same mask, and the second active layer and the first active layer are formed through the same mask.

[0022] In some embodiments, there is at least one first isolation cavity, and the at least one first isolation cavity is arranged from a side of the isolation area close to the display area to a side of the opening area.

[0023] A second aspect of the present application provides a display device, comprising the display panel as described in the first aspect.

[0024] From the above description, it can be seen that the display panel provided by the present application uses an isolation cavity formed between the disconnected parts of the insulating isolation layer to replace the metal isolation column in the related art. On the one hand, there is not much change to the overall film layer of the display panel, only the coating relationship of the film layer (the coating of the insulating isolation layer) is changed, and the first isolation cavity is used to replace the original isolation column design, and the cathode layer of the display area and the isolation area are disconnected by the first isolation cavity, so that the isolation area of ​​the display panel will not adsorb the potassium ions of the polarizer to produce a chemical reaction during the reliability test, thereby avoiding corrosion of the cathode layer of the display panel, and further avoiding the failure of the packaging at the border of the isolation area of ​​the display area, and avoiding the phenomenon of display black spots between the isolation areas of the display area, thereby improving the anti-GDSH ability of the display panel and improving the display effect and service life of the display panel.

[0025] On the other hand, by setting the first isolation cavity and the second electrode layer of the display area on the same layer, the isolation column required for the preparation of the first isolation cavity is completed during the preparation of the second electrode, without the need for additional isolation column design. The function of isolating the cathode layer of the display area and the isolation area can be achieved with the existing mask plate and process flow.

[0026] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present invention, it can be implemented according to the contents of the specification. In order to make the above and other purposes, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present invention are listed below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] 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.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a light-emitting unit of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram showing a top view of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] Figure 3A schematic diagram of an isolation column structure in the related art;

[0031] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of another isolation column structure in the related art;

[0032] Figure 5 A schematic cross-sectional view of a display panel structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 6 It is a schematic cross-sectional view of another display panel structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an initial film layer structure of another display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the position of photoresist on another display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Fig. 9 A schematic cross-sectional view of another display panel structure according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Fig.10 A partial cross-sectional view of an implementation of a display area of ​​a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Fig.11 A top view of the distribution of first isolation cavities in a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig.12 This is a flow chart of a method for preparing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] In the related art, an OLED display panel includes an organic material layer, wherein the organic material layer includes a plurality of light-emitting units, the light-emitting unit may include one or more light-emitting devices connected in series, the light-emitting device may be an organic light-emitting diode, and the light-emitting side of the light-emitting device may include a stacked anode, a light-emitting functional layer and a cathode, and the organic material layer may be driven to emit light by applying an electrical signal to the anode and the cathode.

[0043] Among them, the organic material layer of each light-emitting device can realize color display by emitting monochromatic light or white light in combination with a color filter, that is, each light-emitting device shares the same continuous organic material layer, the organic material layer can emit white light or other monochromatic light, the color filter layer has multiple filter parts corresponding to the light-emitting units, a filter part and the corresponding light-emitting unit can constitute a sub-pixel, and multiple sub-pixels constitute a pixel unit. The colors of light that can be transmitted by different filter parts can be different, so that different sub-pixels can emit different colors. The same pixel unit includes multiple sub-pixels of different colors. For example, a pixel unit can include three sub-pixels with luminous colors of red, green, and blue.

[0044] In the related art, the organic material layer is a continuous whole-layer structure, which makes it easy for leakage to occur between a light-emitting unit and the surrounding light-emitting units, resulting in cross-color. Each light-emitting unit may include multiple light-emitting devices connected in series. The light-emitting devices of the same light-emitting unit share an anode and a cathode. There are multiple light-emitting sublayers between the anode and the cathode, and at least two adjacent light-emitting sublayers can be connected in series through a charge generation layer. Positive charges (holes) can be transferred between two adjacent light-emitting units through the charge generation layer. For example, when the light-emitting unit of the red filter part in the corresponding color filter layer emits light, due to the influence of leakage, the light-emitting unit of the green filter part in the corresponding color filter layer will also emit light, resulting in a decrease in the purity of the light emission of a single pixel and a decrease in the color gamut of the entire display panel.

[0045] refer to Figure 1 As shown in the figure, it is a schematic diagram of the structure of the light-emitting unit in the OLED display panel in the related art. Among them, the light-emitting unit may include multiple light-emitting devices connected in series, each light-emitting unit includes an anode ANO, a cathode CAT, and multiple light-emitting sublayers OLP between the anode and the cathode, and the light-emitting devices LD of the same light-emitting unit may share the same anode and the same cathode, that is, the same light-emitting unit may have only one anode and one cathode.

[0046] In some exemplary embodiments, reference Figure 1 As shown, the organic material layer may include multiple sublayers OLP connected in series, at least one sublayer OLP is connected in series with an adjacent sublayer OLP through a charge generation layer CLG, and when an electrical signal is applied to the anode, each sublayer OLP can emit light, and different sublayers OLP emit light of different colors.

[0047] In some exemplary embodiments, any sub-layer OLP may include a stacked hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an emitting layer (EML), an electron transport layer (ETL), and an electron injection layer (EIL). The number of hole injection layers, hole transport layers, electron transport layers, and electron injection layers is not specifically limited, and adjacent emitting sub-layers OLP may share one or more of the hole injection layer, hole transport layer, electron transport layer, and electron injection layer. At the same time, a charge generation layer CLG may be provided between at least two adjacent sub-layers OLP, so that the two adjacent sub-layers OLP are connected in series.

[0048] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1As shown, the organic material layer may include three sublayers OLP of different colors, namely, a first sublayer OLPr emitting red light, a second sublayer OLPg emitting green light, and a third sublayer OLPb emitting blue light. When the first sublayer OLPr, the second sublayer OLPg, and the third sublayer OLPb emit light at the same time, the organic material layer OL emits white light. The first sublayer OLPr and the second sublayer OLPg share a hole injection layer HIL, a hole transport layer HTL1, an electron transport layer ETL2, and an electron injection layer EIL, and the light-emitting material layer G-EML of the second sublayer OLPg is disposed on the surface of the light-emitting material layer R-EML of the first sublayer OLPr, so that the first sublayer OLPr and the second sublayer OLPg are directly connected in series without providing a dedicated charge generation layer. The surface of the second sublayer OLPg may be provided with a charge generation layer CGL. The third sublayer OLPb shares the electron injection layer EIL with the first sublayer OLPr and the second sublayer OLPg. The hole injection layer HIL2 of the third sublayer OLPb is arranged on the surface of the charge generation layer CGL. The hole transport layer HTL2 and the hole transport layer HTL3 of the third sublayer OLPb are stacked on the surface of the charge generation layer CGL. The third sublayer OLPb can be connected in series with the second sublayer OLPg and the first sublayer OLPr through the charge generation layer CGL. In addition, a hole first insulating layer HBL can be arranged between the electron transport layer HYL of the third sublayer OLPb and the light emitting material layer BEML.

[0049] In some embodiments, since each light-emitting unit shares an organic material layer, carriers (such as holes) of one light-emitting unit may move to other light-emitting units, especially to adjacent light-emitting units, through film layers such as the charge generation layer CLG, causing leakage and resulting in cross-color.

[0050] In the related art, reference Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, an opening area 300 is provided in the display area 100 of the OLED display panel, and the opening area 300 is used to install a camera. An inorganic insulating layer 2 extending from the display area 100 to the isolation area 200 is provided on the base substrate 1. A metal isolation column 10 is provided in the isolation area 200 on the inorganic insulating layer 2. The isolation column 10 is used to isolate the organic material and the cathode layer of the isolation area 200 extending from the display area 100 to the periphery of the through hole. The metal isolation column 10 is usually composed of three metal layers of titanium-aluminum-titanium. In the process of forming the isolation column 10, wet etching is usually used. The isolation column 10 is formed with an undercut structure (Etch) by the method. However, the metal material of the isolation column 10, even if it is an undercut structure, may also cause the cathode to be connected through the isolation column 10 during the preparation of the cathode, and it is impossible to completely cut off the power. On the side of the isolation column 10 away from the organic material layer, there is also a packaging layer and a polarizer extending from the display area 100 to the isolation area 200. The potassium ions and water vapor in the polarizer enter the isolation area 200 along the edge of the through hole. In the reliability test, the positively charged potassium ions will be adsorbed on the isolation column 10. After the water vapor enters, it will be electrolyzed to produce hydroxide ions. The hydroxide ions combine with the potassium ions to form a strong alkaline environment, which corrodes the cathode layer of the display panel, causing the cathode layer to expand and form holes, thereby causing the packaging layer at the border between the isolation area 200 and the display area 100 to fail, and the border between the isolation area 200 and the display area 100 will show a display black spot phenomenon (GDSH).

[0051] In addition, refer to Figure 4 As shown, in the related art, an insulating isolation layer 3 is formed on the upper surface of the isolation column 10, which is usually composed of an insulating isolation layer 3-aluminum-titanium, and the insulating isolation layer 3 does not completely cover the isolation column 10. Due to the presence of aluminum in the isolation column 10, during the preparation of the anode, since the isolation area 200 does not require an anode, during the etching of the anode, the Ag ions in the etching solution will react with the aluminum to expand, resulting in the cathode still being connected through the isolation column 10 during the preparation of the cathode, and it is impossible to achieve complete power off, and the border between the isolation area 200 and the display area 100 will still show a display black spot phenomenon (GDSH).

[0052] In order to solve the problem that the isolation column 10 cannot effectively realize cathode power off during the reliability test of the related art, thereby causing the border between the isolation area 200 and the display area 100 to still have a black spot phenomenon, refer to Figures 5 to 9As shown, the present application provides a display panel, which has a display area 100, an opening area 300 and an isolation area 200, wherein the isolation area 200 at least partially surrounds the opening area 300, and the display area 100 at least partially surrounds the isolation area 200; the display panel includes a substrate 1 located in the display area 100 and the isolation area 200; an inorganic insulating layer 2, which is arranged on one side of the substrate 1 and extends from the display area 100 to the isolation area 200; an insulating isolation layer 3, which is located on a side of the inorganic insulating layer 2 away from the substrate, extends from the display area 100 to the isolation area 200, and the insulating isolation layer 3 is disconnected at the isolation area 200, and a first isolation cavity 31 is formed between the disconnected parts.

[0053] By forming a first isolation cavity 31 between the insulating isolation layer 3 and the disconnection of the insulating isolation layer 3 at the isolation area 200, during the preparation of the cathode, the first isolation cavity 31 formed by the height difference at the disconnection not only blocks the cathode layer of the isolation area 200 extending from the display area 100 to the periphery of the opening area 300, but also avoids the conductive connection between the cathode and the isolation column 10, so that the isolation area 200 of the display panel will not become a charged electrode during the reliability test, thereby avoiding the reaction of chemical substances in the polarizer of the display panel, further avoiding corrosion of the cathode layer of the display panel, and further avoiding the failure of the packaging at the border between the display area 100 and the isolation area 200, and avoiding the phenomenon of black spots between the display area 100 and the isolation area 200.

[0054] Furthermore, compared with the related art, there are fewer changes on the original film layer of the display panel, which is beneficial to the design. Only the coating relationship of the film layer is changed, that is, the insulating isolation layer 3 forms an isolation cavity to replace the isolation column 10, without adding too many additional mask plates, which effectively increases the production capacity. At the same time, there are fewer changes in the overall structure of the display panel, and there is no impact on the overall performance.

[0055] In some exemplary embodiments, the insulating isolation layer 3 and the inorganic insulating layer 2 may be inorganic non-metallic materials. For example, the insulating isolation layer 3 and the inorganic insulating layer 2 may be any one or more of silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride (SiNx) and silicon oxynitride (SiON), and may be a single layer, a multi-layer or a composite layer.

[0056] In some embodiments, reference Figure 5 As shown, the distance between the disconnection point of the insulating isolation layer 3 and the inorganic insulating layer 2 away from the substrate 1 is not less than the thickness of the insulating isolation layer 3 .

[0057] In some optional embodiments, the distance between the side of the insulating isolation layer 3 at the break away from the substrate 1 and the inorganic insulating layer 2 is not less than the thickness of the insulating isolation layer 3. The film layer of the insulating isolation layer 3 at the break may be thicker, or it may extend toward the side away from the inorganic insulating layer 2 at the break.

[0058] In some embodiments, when the insulating isolation layer 3 has a thicker film layer at the disconnection, the height difference between the junction isolation layer and the inorganic insulating layer 2 at the disconnection is greater. The greater height difference, on the one hand, increases the height of the isolation cavity, thereby facilitating the disconnection of the organic material layer and the cathode extending from the display area 100 to the isolation area 200. On the other hand, in the subsequent preparation process of the organic material layer and the cathode layer, the greater height difference makes the cathode continuity worse here, that is, the cathode is disconnected at the disconnection, and the disconnected cathode is not charged, so the potassium ions in the polarizer will not be adsorbed, and no chemical reaction will occur, thereby causing cathode corrosion, further causing the display area 100 and the isolation area 200 to border the encapsulation failure. Improve the ability of the display panel to resist GDSH.

[0059] In some embodiments, reference Figure 6 As shown, the disconnection portion of the insulating isolation layer 3 extends toward a side away from the inorganic insulating layer 2, and the angle between the extension direction of the disconnection portion and the plane where the inorganic insulating layer 2 is located is not greater than 90°.

[0060] In this embodiment, through the above-mentioned arrangement, the height difference between the insulating isolation layer 3 and the inorganic insulating layer 2 at the disconnection point is larger. In the subsequent preparation process of the organic material layer and the cathode layer, the larger height difference makes the continuity of the cathode at this point worse, that is, the cathode is disconnected at the disconnection point, and the disconnected cathode is not charged, so the potassium ions in the polarizer will not be adsorbed, and no chemical reaction will occur at the cathode, thereby causing cathode corrosion, further causing the encapsulation failure at the border between the display area 100 and the isolation area 200, thereby improving the display panel's ability to resist GDSH.

[0061] In some optional embodiments, the angle between the extending direction of the disconnection and the plane where the inorganic insulating layer 2 is located is between 0° and 90°, that is, the two disconnections can extend away from the inorganic insulating layer 2 and toward the middle direction, or away from the inorganic insulating layer 2 and toward the opposite direction, which is not specifically limited here. As long as a height difference between the disconnection and the inorganic insulating layer 2 can be formed, it is sufficient.

[0062] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the insulating isolation layer 3 on the base substrate 1 at least partially covers the orthographic projection of the first isolation cavity 31 on the base substrate 1 , and the cross-sectional shape of the first isolation cavity 31 perpendicular to the base substrate 1 is trapezoidal.

[0063] In this embodiment, the two disconnect points are further limited to extend away from the inorganic insulating layer 2 and toward the middle, and an undercut structure (undercut) is formed between the insulating isolation layer 3 and the isolation cavity. In the process of preparing the organic material layer and the cathode layer, an evaporation deposition method is generally used for preparation. On the one hand, the height difference between the disconnect point and the inorganic insulating layer 2 realizes the disconnection of the organic material layer and the cathode layer at the disconnect point. On the other hand, the undercut structure prevents the organic material layer and the cathode layer from being deposited here during the preparation process, thereby further realizing the disconnection of the organic material layer and the cathode layer here.

[0064] In addition, compared with the above embodiment in which the disconnection of the insulating isolation layer 3 extends away from the inorganic insulating layer 2 and in the opposite direction, in the preparation process, in this embodiment, the bottom cut structure formed by the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape of the first isolation cavity 31 is easier to prepare.

[0065] In this embodiment, the preparation process can be carried out by the following process: providing a base substrate 1, preparing an inorganic insulating layer 2 on one side of the base substrate 1, preparing an isolation column 10 at a position corresponding to the first isolation cavity 31 on a side of the inorganic insulating layer 2 away from the base substrate 1, wherein the isolation column 10 is trapezoidal, preparing an insulating isolation layer 3 on a side of the isolation column 10 away from the base substrate 1, laying a photoresist 51 at other positions of the insulating isolation layer 3 different from the first isolation cavity 31, and exposing and developing the corresponding position of the first isolation cavity 31, etching the insulating isolation layer 3 at the corresponding position of the first isolation cavity 31, and etching the isolation column 10, wherein, since the disconnection of the insulating isolation layer 3 is formed at this time, the insulating isolation layer 3 forms an undercut structure, and in the process of etching the isolation column 10, the isolation column 10 can be etched by dry etching and wet etching respectively, so as to form the first isolation cavity 31 with a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape in the embodiment of the present application.

[0066] In some embodiments, reference Figure 6 As shown, the inorganic insulating layer 2 is provided with a second isolation cavity 21 , and the orthographic projection of the second isolation cavity 21 on the base substrate 1 is located within the orthographic projection range of the first isolation cavity 31 on the base substrate 1 .

[0067] In this embodiment, the organic material layer and the cathode layer are first disconnected by utilizing the height difference between the disconnection point of the insulating isolation layer 3 and the inorganic insulating layer 2, thereby achieving a power-off effect. In order to further increase the height difference, a second isolation cavity 21 is prepared at the position of the inorganic insulating layer 2 corresponding to the first isolation cavity 31, which is equivalent to forming a height difference at the position of the first isolation cavity 31 while adding the height difference formed at the position of the second isolation cavity 21, so that the organic material layer and the cathode layer are cut off from each other due to the height difference, thereby achieving the disconnection of the organic material layer and the cathode layer. This can also enhance the ability of the display panel to suppress the GDSH phenomenon and enhance the display effect of the display panel.

[0068] It can be understood that the second isolation cavity 21 is located in the isolation area 200. During the process of forming the second isolation cavity 21, the remaining film layers of the display panel are not affected. The preparation is completed only by increasing etching or directly etching the isolation insulating layer or the isolation column 10 using the same mask. The existing process flow can be implemented without affecting the existing overall film layers of the display panel, and the overall performance of the display panel is not affected.

[0069] In some embodiments, the depth of the second isolation cavity 21 is less than the thickness of the inorganic insulating layer 2. The inorganic insulating layer 2 and the insulating isolation layer 3 can both be made of inorganic insulating materials. The preparation of the second cavity in the inorganic insulating layer 2 does not affect the overall performance of the display panel, nor does it change the overall film structure of the display panel. If the depth of the second isolation cavity 21 is too large and penetrates the inorganic insulating layer 2, it may interfere with the arrangement of other film layers.

[0070] In some embodiments, reference Figures 7 to 10 As shown, the display area 100 also includes a pixel circuit, the pixel circuit includes a transistor structure, the transistor structure includes at least a first electrode 11, a first active layer 12 and a second electrode layer 13; the inorganic insulating layer 2 includes at least a first insulating layer 14, a second insulating layer 15 and a third insulating layer 16; the first insulating layer 14 is located between the base substrate 1 and the first electrode 11, the second insulating layer 15 is located between the first electrode 11 and the first active layer 12, and the third insulating layer 16 is located between the first active layer 12 and the second electrode layer 13; the first isolation cavity 31 is arranged on the same layer as the second electrode layer 13.

[0071] In some exemplary embodiments, the first electrode 11 is a gate, the second electrode layer 13 includes a source and a drain arranged in the same layer, the first insulating layer 14 is a buffer layer, the second insulating layer 15 is a gate insulating layer, and the third insulating layer 16 is an interlayer dielectric layer.

[0072] During the preparation of the display panel, the inorganic insulating layer 2 extends from the display area 100 to the isolation area 200. After the preparation of the second electrode layer 13 is completed in the display area 100, the second electrode layer 13 needs to be patterned to form a source and a drain arranged in the same layer. During the preparation of the second electrode layer 13, similarly, the second electrode layer 13 extends from the display area 100 to the isolation area 200. During the patterning of the second electrode layer 13, the second electrode layer 13 at the position corresponding to the first isolation cavity 31 is patterned to form an isolation column 10, and then an insulating isolation layer 3 is prepared on the side of the isolation column 10 away from the base substrate 1, so as to facilitate the formation of the first isolation cavity 31 between the insulating isolation layer 3 at the position corresponding to the first isolation cavity 31 and the inorganic insulating layer 2, and the insulating isolation layer 3 and the isolation column 10 are directly etched to form the first isolation cavity 31.

[0073] It should be noted that the reference Fig.10 As shown, the display area 100 also includes an anode 42 and a conductive connection structure 41. After etching the insulating isolation layer 3, the isolation column 10 also needs to be etched. During the preparation process of the anode 42 and the conductive connection structure 41, the entire film layer extends from the display area 100 to the isolation area 200, and then patterning is performed to form the anode 42 and the conductive connection structure 41. In the process of patterning the conductive connection structure 41 in the display area 100, the film layer of the conductive connection structure 41 located in the isolation area 200 and the patterning of the conductive connection structure 41 in the display area 100 are formed through a single patterning process, so that the film layer of the conductive connection structure 41 in the isolation area 200 is completely etched away. In the isolation area 200, the film layer where the connection column is located is deeper than the film layer where the connection structure is located. During the process of patterning the conductive connection structure 41, the film layer of the conductive connection structure 41 corresponding to the first isolation cavity 31 is over-etched, so that the isolation column 10 is etched away during the preparation of the conductive connection structure 41. During this process, the isolation column 10 at the undercut structure still exists and needs to be removed. During the process of patterning the anode 42 in the display area 100, the anode 42 layer located in the isolation area 200 is etched through a communication process with the patterning of the anode 42 in the display area 100. In the process of etching the anode 42 layer at the corresponding position of the isolation area 200, it is removed using an etching solution to form the first isolation cavity 31, and the insulating isolation layer 3 forms an undercut structure (undercut) at the first isolation cavity 31.

[0074] The first isolation cavity 31 is arranged on the same layer as the second electrode layer 13. During the preparation of the first isolation cavity 31, the existing process flow can be implemented without affecting the existing overall film layer of the display panel, and has no effect on the overall performance of the display panel. At the same time, the preparation of the isolation column 10 before forming the first isolation cavity 31 is achieved through the same composition process as the second electrode layer 13, and does not increase the preparation steps of the composition process.

[0075] In some embodiments, reference Figures 7 to 9 As shown, the isolation region 200 includes at least a first metal layer 22 and a second active layer 23; the first metal layer 22 is located between the first insulating layer 14 and the second insulating layer 15, and the second active layer 23 is located between the second insulating layer 15 and the third insulating layer 16; the first metal layer 22 is arranged on the same layer as the first electrode 11, and the second active layer 23 is arranged on the same layer as the first active layer 12, the orthographic projection of the first metal layer 22 on the substrate 1 is located within the orthographic projection range of the second active layer 23 on the substrate 1, and the first isolation cavity 31 is perpendicular to the substrate 1 and corresponds to the first metal layer 22.

[0076] In the vertical direction of the display area 100, the film layers with the pixel circuit area are more and the height is also higher. In the process of preparing the pixel circuit, the first electrode 11 layer and the first active layer 12 also extend from the display area 100 to the isolation area 200. In the process of patterning the first electrode 11 layer, the first electrode 11 and the first metal layer 22 are formed by a one-time communication process, and the first active layer 12 and the second active layer 23 are formed in the process of patterning the film layer where the first active layer 12 is located. Correspondingly, in the vertical direction of the corresponding areas of the first metal layer 22 and the second active layer 23 in the isolation area 200, there are more film layers and the height is also higher. Similarly, the height of the metal column corresponding to the first metal layer 22 and the second electrode layer 13 in the vertical direction is also higher than that of other positions. After the preparation of the first isolation cavity 31 is completed, the disconnection of the insulating isolation layer 3 is higher than that of other areas, and the isolation effect of the formed first isolation cavity 31 is better, so that the disconnection at the isolation cavity is achieved during the preparation of the organic material layer and the cathode layer.

[0077] In some embodiments, the first metal layer 22 and the first electrode 11 are formed by using the same mask, and the second active layer 23 and the first active layer 12 are formed by using the same mask.

[0078] In some embodiments, reference Fig.11 As shown, it is a top view schematic diagram of the distribution of the first isolation cavity 31 in the display panel of the embodiment of the present application. There is at least one first isolation cavity 31, and at least one first isolation cavity 31 sub-isolation area 200 is arranged on the side close to the display area 100 toward the side of the opening area 300.

[0079] There can be multiple first isolation cavities 31, and multiple first isolation cavities 31 evenly arranged from the isolation area 200 close to the display area 100 to the opening area 300 have a better isolation effect on the organic material layer and the cathode layer. The orthographic projections of the multiple first isolation cavities 31 on the base substrate 1 are all around the periphery of the opening area 300. In addition, the multiple parallel first isolation cavities 31 do not affect the overall performance of the film layer of the existing display panel during the preparation process, and do not change the film layer structure too much. The preparation of multiple first isolation cavities 31 can be achieved by using the existing display panel process flow.

[0080] It should be noted that for different display panels, the opening area 300 is different, and the orthographic projections of the multiple first isolation cavities 31 on the base substrate 1 are also different. If the cross-sectional shape of the opening area 300 is circular, the orthographic projection of the first isolation cavity 31 on the base substrate 1 is a circular ring; if the opening area 300 is a bar, the orthographic projection of the first isolation cavity 31 on the base substrate 1 is similar to an ellipse.

[0081] Based on the same inventive concept, Fig.12 As shown, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for preparing a display panel, which is applicable to the display panel of any of the above embodiments, and the method includes:

[0082] S10, providing a substrate.

[0083] In this step, the substrate substrate may be a flexible substrate or a rigid substrate. For example, the rigid substrate may include a glass substrate. The flexible substrate may include a first flexible material layer, a first inorganic material layer, a semiconductor layer, a second flexible material layer, and a second inorganic material layer stacked together. The materials of the first flexible material layer and the second flexible material layer may be polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or a surface-treated polymer soft film, etc. The materials of the first inorganic material layer and the second inorganic material layer may be silicon nitride (SiNx) or silicon oxide (SiOx), etc., for improving the water and oxygen resistance of the substrate substrate, and the material of the semiconductor layer may be amorphous silicon (a-Si). However, this embodiment is not limited to this.

[0084] S20, forming an inorganic insulating layer on one side of the base substrate.

[0085] In some embodiments, the inorganic insulating layer may include a first insulating layer, a second insulating layer and a third insulating layer; wherein the first insulating layer may be a buffer layer, the second insulating layer may be a gate insulating layer, and the third insulating layer may be an interlayer dielectric layer. The inorganic insulating layer may be any one or more of silicon oxide (SiOx), silicon nitride (SiNx) and silicon oxynitride (SiON), and may be a single layer, a multilayer or a composite layer.

[0086] S30, forming an insulating isolation layer on a side of the inorganic insulating layer away from the substrate, and disconnecting the insulating isolation layer in the isolation region to form a first isolation cavity between the disconnected portions.

[0087] In this step, refer to Figures 7 to 9 As shown, first, an isolation column is formed on the side of the inorganic insulating layer away from the substrate, an isolation insulating layer is covered on the surface of the isolation column away from the substrate, photoresist is coated on the area outside the corresponding position of the first cavity, the insulating isolation layer on the side of the metal column away from the substrate is etched, and the metal column is further etched to form a first isolation cavity.

[0088] Then, an organic material layer, a cathode layer, a packaging layer, a polarizer, etc. are prepared on the side of the insulating isolation layer away from the substrate.

[0089] It should be noted that the metal column can be formed by the same patterning process as the second electrode layer set in the same layer as the pixel circuit in the display area, and there is no need to prepare the metal column separately. During the etching process, it can be removed by over-etching in the process of patterning the conductive connection structure. For the metal column coated in the undercut structure, it can be removed by using the etching solution in the anode preparation process of the isolation area.

[0090] S40, performing opening in the opening area.

[0091] After the display area and the isolation area are prepared in this step, the opening area is cut and opened to form the opening area, thereby completing the preparation of the display panel.

[0092] Based on the same inventive concept, the embodiment of the present application provides a display device, including the display panel of any of the above embodiments. The display device in the embodiment of the present application may include a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a television, and a smart wearable display device, etc. The smart wearable display device may include a smart watch, a head-mounted VR imaging device, etc., which is not specifically limited in the embodiment of the present application.

[0093] Those 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 (including the claims) 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.

[0094] In addition, to simplify the description and discussion, and in order not to make the embodiments of the present application difficult to understand, the known power supply / ground connection with the integrated circuit (IC) chip and other components may or may not be shown in the provided drawings. In addition, the device can be shown in the form of a block diagram to avoid making the embodiments of the present application difficult to understand, and this also takes into account the fact that the details of the implementation of these block diagram devices are highly dependent on the platform to be implemented in the embodiments of the present application (that is, these details should be fully within the scope of understanding of those skilled in the art). In the case of elaborating specific details (e.g., circuits) to describe exemplary embodiments of the present application, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present application can be implemented without these specific details or when these specific details are changed. Therefore, these descriptions should be considered to be illustrative rather than restrictive.

[0095] Although the present application has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments of the present application, many replacements, modifications and variations of these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. For example, other memory architectures (e.g., dynamic RAM (DRAM)) may use the embodiments discussed.

[0096] The embodiments of the present application are intended to cover all such substitutions, modifications and variations that fall within the broad scope of the appended claims. Therefore, any omissions, modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the embodiments of the present application should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A display panel, wherein: A display area, an opening area and an isolation area are provided, wherein the isolation area at least partially surrounds the opening area, and the display area at least partially surrounds the isolation area; The display panel includes a base substrate located in the display area and the isolation area; An inorganic insulating layer, disposed on one side of the base substrate and extending from the display area to the isolation area; The insulating isolation layer is located on a side of the inorganic insulating layer away from the substrate, extends from the display area to the isolation area, and is disconnected at the isolation area, forming a first isolation cavity between the disconnected parts.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between the disconnection part of the insulating isolation layer and the inorganic insulating layer, which is away from the substrate, is not less than the thickness of the insulating isolation layer.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The disconnection portion of the insulating isolation layer extends toward a side away from the inorganic insulating layer, and an angle between an extension direction of the disconnection portion and a plane where the inorganic insulating layer is located is not greater than 90°.

4. The display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: The orthographic projection of the insulating isolation layer on the base substrate at least partially covers the orthographic projection of the first isolation cavity on the base substrate, and the cross-sectional shape of the first isolation cavity perpendicular to the base substrate is trapezoidal.

5. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inorganic insulating layer is provided with a second isolation cavity, and the orthographic projection of the second isolation cavity on the base substrate is located within the orthographic projection range of the first isolation cavity on the base substrate.

6. The display panel according to claim 5, characterized in that: The depth of the second isolation cavity is less than the thickness of the inorganic insulating layer.

7. The display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: The display area further includes a pixel circuit, the pixel circuit includes a transistor structure, and the transistor structure includes at least a first electrode, a first active layer and a second electrode layer; The inorganic insulating layer at least includes a first insulating layer, a second insulating layer and a third insulating layer; The first insulating layer is located between the base substrate and the first electrode, the second insulating layer is located between the first electrode and the first active layer, and the third insulating layer is located between the first active layer and the second electrode layer; The first isolation cavity is disposed on the same layer as the second electrode layer.

8. The display panel according to claim 7, characterized in that: The isolation region comprises at least a first metal layer and a second active layer; The first metal layer is located between the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer, and the second active layer is located between the second insulating layer and the third insulating layer; The first metal layer is disposed in the same layer as the first electrode, the second active layer is disposed in the same layer as the first active layer, the orthographic projection of the first metal layer on the base substrate is located within the orthographic projection range of the second active layer on the base substrate, and the first isolation cavity is perpendicular to the base substrate and corresponds to the first metal layer; The first metal layer and the first electrode are formed through the same mask, and the second active layer and the first active layer are formed through the same mask.

9. The display panel according to claim 5, characterized in that: There is at least one first isolation cavity, and the at least one first isolation cavity is arranged from a side of the isolation area close to the display area to a side of the opening area.

10. A display device, characterized in that: Comprising a display panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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