Display panel and display device

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses a display panel and a display device. The display panel comprises a substrate, a conductive layer, an active layer and a protective layer. The conductive layer is located on one side of the substrate and comprises a first conductive branch. The active layer is located on the side, away from the substrate, of the conductive layer and comprises a first active layer branch, and the first active layer branch is electrically connected with the first conductive branch. The protection layer is located on the side, away from the substrate, of the active layer and makes contact with the first active layer subsection, the protection layer and the first active layer subsection are at least partially overlapped in the thickness direction of the display panel, and the material of the protection layer comprises at least one of metal oxide or silicon nitride. Oxidizing gas in air is prevented from entering the junction position of the first active layer subsection and the first conductive subsection through the protective layer, oxidation reaction between the oxidizing gas and metal at the junction position in a subsequent high-temperature process is avoided, and the stability of electrical connection between the first active layer subsection and the first conductive subsection is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Thin film transistors are a type of field effect transistor. Because of their high electron mobility, small subthreshold swing and low off-state current, they can be used as key components of display panels and play a very important role in the performance of display panels.

[0003] A thin film transistor generally includes an active layer, a source electrode, a gate electrode and a drain electrode. In the current thin film transistor manufacturing process, after the active layer is prepared and electrically connected to the source and drain electrodes, the active layer and the source and drain electrodes may have poor contact, resulting in low reliability of the display panel. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides a display panel and a display device, which use a protective layer to block oxidizing gas in the air from entering the junction between a first active layer section and a first conductive section, thereby avoiding oxidation reaction between the oxidizing gas and the metal at the junction during subsequent high-temperature processes, and ensuring the stability of the electrical connection between the first active layer section and the first conductive section.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a display panel, including:

[0006] substrate substrate;

[0007] A conductive layer, located on one side of the substrate, the conductive layer comprising a first conductive portion;

[0008] An active layer, located on a side of the conductive layer away from the substrate, the active layer comprising a first active layer section, the first active layer section being electrically connected to the first conductive section;

[0009] a protective layer, located on a side of the active layer away from the base substrate and in contact with the first active layer portion, wherein along a thickness direction of the display panel, the protective layer at least partially overlaps with the first active layer portion;

[0010] The material of the protection layer includes at least one of metal oxide or silicon nitride.

[0011] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for preparing a display panel, which is used to prepare the display panel described in any one of the first aspects.

[0012] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a display device, comprising the display panel described in any one of the first aspects.

[0013] In the display panel provided by the embodiment of the present invention, the active layer is located on the side of the conductive layer away from the base substrate, and the first active layer section is electrically connected to the first conductive section. The protective layer is located on the side of the active layer away from the base substrate, the protective layer is in contact with the first active layer section, and along the thickness direction of the display panel, the protective layer and the first active layer section at least partially overlap. In this way, the protective layer located above the first active layer section and at least partially overlapping with the first active layer section is used to block the oxidizing gas in the environment from entering the interface between the first active layer section and the first conductive section from above the first active layer section, thereby avoiding the oxidizing gas from reacting with the interface during the subsequent high-temperature process, thereby avoiding the contact resistance at the interface from becoming larger, ensuring the stability of the electrical connection between the first active layer section and the first conductive section, and improving the reliability of the display panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view along the A-A' direction;

[0016] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Another cross-sectional schematic diagram along the A-A' direction;

[0017] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 Another cross-sectional schematic diagram along the A-A' direction;

[0020] Figure 7 is a schematic flow chart of a method for manufacturing a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 8 is a schematic flow chart of another method for preparing a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Fig. 9 is a process flow chart of a method for preparing a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Fig.10 A schematic structural diagram of a display device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention clearer, the technical solution of the present invention will be fully described below in combination with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention through specific implementation methods. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view along the A-A' direction. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The display panel includes a base substrate 10, a conductive layer 20, an active layer 30 and a protective layer 40. The conductive layer 20 is located on one side of the base substrate 10, and the conductive layer 20 includes a first conductive sub-portion 210. The active layer 30 is located on the side of the conductive layer 20 away from the base substrate 10, and the active layer 30 includes a first active layer sub-portion 310, and the first active layer sub-portion 310 is electrically connected to the first conductive sub-portion 210. It should be noted that the material of the active layer can be indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) or polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si). It can be understood that in other embodiments, the material of the active layer can also be other materials that may have problems in the background technology of the present application, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this. The protective layer 40 is located on the side of the active layer 30 away from the base substrate 10, and is in contact with the first active layer sub-portion 310. Along the thickness direction of the display panel, the protective layer 40 and the first active layer sub-portion 310 at least partially overlap. The material of the protection layer 40 includes at least one of metal oxide or silicon nitride.

[0026] Specifically, Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, only the thin film transistor in the display panel is illustrated by way of example, and an organic light-emitting layer or a liquid crystal layer may be included above the thin film transistor, that is, the display panel in the embodiment of the present invention may be an OLED display panel or an LCD display panel, and those skilled in the art may set it as needed.

[0027] For example, Figure 2As shown, the display panel includes a thin film transistor T, wherein the first conductive subdivision 210 is one of the source and drain electrodes of the thin film transistor T. For example, when the voltage signal received by the first conductive subdivision 210 is a low voltage signal, the first conductive subdivision 210 is the source electrode of the thin film transistor T; when the voltage signal received by the first conductive subdivision 210 is a high voltage signal, the first conductive subdivision 210 is the drain electrode of the thin film transistor T. The first conductive subdivision 210 is electrically connected to a data signal line (not shown in the figure) in the display panel, and then provides a data signal to the thin film transistor through the data signal line. In addition, the display panel also includes an active layer 30 and a gate 50. The active layer 30 is located on a side of the gate 50 close to the base substrate 10, that is, the thin film transistor T is a top gate structure. The gate 50 is electrically connected to a scan signal line (not shown in the figure) in the display panel, and then provides a scan signal to the thin film transistor T through the scan signal line.

[0028] In the top-gate thin film transistor of the prior art, the source and drain electrodes are located on the side of the active layer away from the substrate, that is, the preparation process of the source and drain electrodes is after the preparation process of the active layer. In the embodiment of the present invention, in order to reduce the difficulty of the process preparation of the top-gate thin film transistor, the source and drain electrodes are arranged in the same layer as the light-shielding metal layer located on the side of the active layer close to the substrate, that is, the first conductive sub-section 210 is arranged on the side of the active layer 30 close to the substrate 10. In other words, the first conductive sub-section 210 is prepared first, and then the active layer 30 is prepared, so that the first active layer sub-section 310 of the active layer 30 is in contact and electrically connected with the first conductive sub-section 210. However, after the active layer 30 is prepared, there is a high-temperature annealing process. At this time, the oxidizing gas in the environment will enter the junction position of the first conductive sub-section 210 and the first active layer sub-section 310 through the active layer 30, and an oxidation reaction will occur in the high-temperature environment, thereby resulting in a large contact resistance at the junction position, so that the first conductive sub-section 210 and the first active layer sub-section 310 are in poor contact, affecting the reliability of the display panel.

[0029] To this end, the embodiment of the present invention provides a protective layer 40 on the side of the active layer 30 away from the base substrate 10. The protective layer 40 contacts the first active layer section 310, and along the thickness direction of the display panel, the protective layer 40 at least partially overlaps with the first active layer section 310. In other words, along the thickness direction of the display panel, the protective layer 40 at least partially overlaps with the junction position of the first active layer section 310 and the first conductive section 210. The material of the protective layer 40 includes at least one of metal oxide or silicon nitride. The diffusion rate of oxidizing gas in metal oxide and silicon nitride is relatively small. In other words, the protective layer 40 has a relatively strong barrier ability to oxidizing gas. In this way, after the active layer 30 is prepared, the protective layer 40, which is in contact with the first active layer division 310 and located above the first active layer division 310, is used to block the oxidizing gas in the environment from diffusing from above the first active layer division 310 to the outside of the junction between the first active layer division 310 and the first conductive division 210, thereby avoiding oxidation reaction between the oxidizing gas and the metal at the junction under subsequent high-temperature processes, thereby avoiding large contact resistance at the junction, ensuring the stability of the electrical connection between the first active layer division 310 and the first conductive division 210, and thereby improving the reliability of the display panel.

[0030] It should be noted that, in another embodiment, the protective layer 40 contacts and covers the first active layer division 310. Since the first active layer division 310 is electrically connected to the first conductive division 210, the protective layer 40 covers the first active layer division 310. In other words, the protective layer 40 covers the boundary between the first active layer division 310 and the first conductive division 210. In this way, the oxidizing gas in the environment can be better blocked from diffusing from above the first active layer division 310 to the boundary between the first active layer division 310 and the first conductive division 210, thereby further improving the reliability of the display panel.

[0031] In summary, the embodiment of the present invention sets a protective layer located on the side of the active layer away from the base substrate and in contact with the first active layer section. In addition, along the thickness direction of the display panel, the protective layer at least partially overlaps with the first active layer section. Since the material of the protective layer includes at least one of metal oxide or silicon nitride, that is, the protective layer has a strong blocking ability against oxidizing gas, the protective layer located above the first active layer section and at least partially overlapping with the first active layer section can block the oxidizing gas in the environment from diffusing from above the first active layer section to the interface between the first active layer section and the first conductive section, thereby avoiding oxidation reaction between the oxidizing gas and the interface in subsequent high-temperature processes, thereby avoiding the contact resistance at the interface from becoming larger, ensuring the stability of the electrical connection between the first active layer section and the first conductive section, and improving the reliability of the display panel.

[0032] Optionally, based on the above embodiment, continue to refer to Figure 2 The active layer 30 also includes a second active layer portion 320. Along the first direction X, the second active layer portion 320 is located on one side of the first active layer portion 310. The first direction X is parallel to the plane where the substrate is located. The protective layer 40 contacts and covers at least a portion of the second active layer portion 320.

[0033] For example, Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the active layer 30 further includes a second active layer section 320, and the second active layer section 320 is electrically connected to the first active layer section 310. In other words, the second active layer section 320 is integrally arranged with the first active layer section 310, and further, a protective layer 40 is required to be arranged to contact and cover at least a portion of the second active layer section 320, that is, the protective layer 40 is also located above the second active layer section 320, so as to block the oxidizing gas from entering the first active layer section 310 from above the second active layer section 320, thereby diffusing to the boundary between the first active layer section 310 and the first conductive section 210, so as to avoid an oxidation reaction between the oxidizing gas and the boundary in subsequent high-temperature processes, thereby avoiding an increase in the contact resistance at the boundary, thereby ensuring the stability of the electrical connection between the first active layer section 310 and the first conductive section 210, and further improving the reliability of the display panel.

[0034] Optionally, based on the above embodiment, continue to refer to Figure 2 , a gate insulating layer 60 and a gate 50 are further provided on the side of the protective layer 40 away from the base substrate 10. The gate 50 is located on the side of the gate insulating layer 60 away from the base substrate 10. The material of the protective layer 40 includes a metal oxide. A first opening 410 is provided on the protective layer 40, and the first opening 410 penetrates the protective layer 40 along the thickness direction of the display panel, and the first opening 410 at least partially overlaps with the second active layer subdivision 320. The gate insulating layer 60 contacts the second active layer subdivision 320 through the first opening 410.

[0035] For example, Figure 2In the embodiment shown, the gate insulating layer 60 and the gate 50 are both arranged on the side of the protective layer 40 away from the base substrate 10. The material of the protective layer 40 includes metal oxides, and the metal oxides include insulating materials such as aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide or molybdenum trioxide. Metal oxides such as aluminum oxide have the function of promoting the conductorization of the active layer 30, and then by setting the protective layer 40 to contact and cover the second active layer division 320, the conductorization of the second active layer division 320 can be promoted by the protective layer 40. In some embodiments, there is no need to add a conductorization process in the subsequent process, thereby saving the process flow and reducing the production cost. In addition, the side of the active layer 30 away from the base substrate 10 also includes a gate insulating layer 60 and a gate 50 arranged in a stacked manner. The gate 50 is located on the side of the gate insulating layer 60 away from the base substrate 10. Since the protective layer 40 is a metal oxide, it can conduct the active layer 30 below. Therefore, it is necessary to set an opening at the position of the protective layer 40 corresponding to the gate 50 to prevent the protective layer 40 from conducting the active layer 30 at the position corresponding to the gate 50, so as to ensure that the gate 50 and the active layer 30 can form a channel region. Specifically, on the basis of setting the protective layer 40 to contact and cover the second active layer division 320, it is also necessary to set the protective layer 40 to include a first opening 410. Along the thickness direction of the display panel, the first opening 410 penetrates the protective layer 40, and the first opening 410 at least partially overlaps with the second active layer division 320. In this way, the gate insulating layer 60 contacts the second active layer division 320 through the first opening 410, so as to form a channel region at the contact position between the gate insulating layer 60 and the second active layer division 320, so as to ensure the normal operation of the thin film transistor.

[0036] Optionally, based on the above embodiment, continue to refer to Figure 2 , along the first direction X, the width of the first opening 410 is smaller than the width of the gate 50. Specifically, since the width of the first opening 410 is the width of the contact region between the gate insulating layer 60 and the second active layer portion 320, in other words, the width of the first opening 410 is the length of the channel region, thus, by setting the width of the first opening 410 to be smaller than the width of the gate 50, that is, when the width of the channel region is constant, the length of the channel region is reduced, the width-to-length ratio of the thin film transistor T can be increased, and then the driving capability of the thin film transistor T can be improved.

[0037] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present invention does not limit the width of the first opening 410. In other embodiments, Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Another cross-sectional schematic diagram along the A-A' direction. Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, along the first direction X, the width of the first opening 410 may also be the same as the width of the gate 50. Those skilled in the art may set the width as required.

[0038] Optionally, in yet another embodiment, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 and Figure 5 The display panel further includes a first electrode 710, and the first electrode 710 is located on a side of the protective layer 40 away from the base substrate 10. The protective layer 40 includes an insulating protective layer. A second opening 420 is provided on the protective layer 40. Along the thickness direction of the display panel, the second opening 420 penetrates the protective layer 40, and the second opening 420 at least partially overlaps with the second active layer subdivision 320. The first electrode 710 contacts the second active layer subdivision 320 through the second opening 420.

[0039] Specifically, the protective layer 40 includes an insulating protective layer, which can be understood as the material of the protective layer 40 is an insulating material during the manufacturing process or use of the display panel. Exemplarily, the material of the protective layer 40 may include at least one of metal oxides or silicon nitrides. For example, it may be aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide, molybdenum trioxide, silicon nitride, and the like. Among them, some materials in metal oxides and silicon nitrides may be semiconductor materials under normal circumstances, but as long as they meet the requirements of being insulating materials during the manufacturing process and use of the display panel, they can be used as the material of the insulating protective layer, that is, the embodiment of the present invention does not limit the material of the insulating protective layer to be an insulating material in all cases, as long as it is guaranteed to be an insulating material during the manufacturing process and use of the display panel.

[0040] In addition, on the basis of setting the protective layer 40 to block the oxidizing gas from diffusing from above the second active layer division 320 to the junction of the first active layer division 310 and the first conductive division 210, since the protective layer 40 includes an insulating protective layer, it is necessary to set a second opening 420 on the protective layer 40. Along the thickness direction of the display panel, the second opening 420 penetrates the protective layer 40, and the second opening 420 at least partially overlaps with the second active layer division 320. In this way, the first electrode 710 contacts the second active layer division 320 through the second opening 420, so that the thin film transistor T can transmit signals to the light-emitting element 70 through the first electrode 710, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the display panel.

[0041] On this basis, if Figure 4In the illustrated embodiment, the display panel may be a liquid crystal display panel, and the display panel includes a first electrode 710 and a second electrode 720. The first electrode 710 is a pixel electrode, and the second electrode 720 is a common electrode. The first electrode 710 is located on a side of the protective layer 40 away from the base substrate 10, and the second electrode 720 is located on a side of the first electrode 710 close to the base substrate 10. In addition, on a side of the first electrode 710 away from the base substrate 10, the display panel also includes a liquid crystal layer 100 and a color filter substrate 200. Specifically, the liquid crystal layer 100 is located on a side of the color filter substrate 200 close to the base substrate 10. The liquid crystal layer 100 includes a plurality of liquid crystal molecules, and the deflection state of the liquid crystal molecules is controlled by the first electrode 710 and the second electrode 720, thereby changing the light transmission state of the liquid crystal layer 100. The color filter substrate 200 includes color resist layers 201 of different colors and black resist blocks 202 located between adjacent color resist layers, and the color display of the display panel is realized by the color filter substrate 200.

[0042] And as Figure 5 In the embodiment shown, the display panel can also be an OLED display panel, and the display panel includes a light-emitting element 70 and a thin film transistor T, and the thin film transistor T is electrically connected to the light-emitting element 70, and then the thin film transistor T provides a driving signal for the light-emitting element 70. The light-emitting element 70 includes a first electrode 710, a second electrode 720, and a light-emitting functional layer 730 located between the first electrode 710 and the second electrode 720. Among them, the first electrode 710 is an anode, and the second electrode 720 is a cathode. Among them, the first electrode 710 is located on the side of the light-emitting functional layer 730 close to the base substrate 10, and the second electrode 720 is located on the side of the light-emitting functional layer 730 away from the base substrate 10. In addition, the light-emitting functional layer 730 can be a film layer including a hole injection layer, a hole transport layer, a light-emitting layer, an electron transport layer, and an electron injection layer arranged in a stacked manner. Specifically, when no voltage is applied to the first electrode 710 and the second electrode 720, the light-emitting element 70 does not emit light. When voltage is applied to the first electrode 710 and the second electrode 720, the first electrode 710 injects holes into the hole injection layer, and the second electrode 720 injects electrons into the electron injection layer. The holes and electrons recombine in the light-emitting layer to form photoexcitons, which radiate light.

[0043] Optionally, based on the above embodiment, continue to refer to Figure 2 The display panel further includes a gate 50, which is located on a side of the active layer 30 away from the base substrate 10. The conductive layer 20 further includes a second conductive sub-portion 220, which at least partially overlaps the gate 50 along the thickness direction of the display panel. The first conductive sub-portion 210 and the second conductive sub-portion 220 are arranged in the same layer.

[0044] Specifically, the second conductive subdivision 220 is a light shielding metal layer. Along the thickness direction of the display panel, the second conductive subdivision 220 at least partially overlaps with the gate 50, and then the light on the back of the display panel is shielded by the second conductive subdivision 220, so as to prevent the light on the back of the display panel from irradiating the contact position (channel region) between the gate insulating layer 60 and the second active layer subdivision 320 and generating light leakage, thereby preventing the light leakage from affecting the working performance of the thin film transistor and ensuring the normal operation of the thin film transistor T. In the embodiment of the present invention, the first conductive subdivision 210 and the second conductive subdivision 220 are arranged in the same layer. During the manufacturing process, the first conductive subdivision 210 and the second conductive subdivision 220 can be manufactured and formed using the same mask in the same manufacturing process, and there is no need to manufacture masks for the first conductive subdivision 210 and the second conductive subdivision 220 respectively, which saves costs, reduces the number of processes, and improves production efficiency.

[0045] Optionally, based on the above embodiment, Figure 6 yes Figure 1 Another cross-sectional schematic diagram along the A-A' direction. Figure 6 The display panel further includes a gate insulating layer 60, which is located on the side of the protective layer 40 away from the base substrate 10. The material of the gate insulating layer 60 includes SiO2. The display panel further includes a passivation layer 80 and an organic layer 800, the passivation layer 80 is located on the side of the gate insulating layer 60 away from the base substrate 10, and the organic layer 800 is located on the side of the passivation layer 80 away from the base substrate 10. The passivation layer 80 includes a first passivation layer 810 and a second passivation layer 820 arranged in a stacked manner, and the second passivation layer 820 is located on the side of the first passivation layer 810 away from the base substrate 10. The material of the first passivation layer 810 includes SiO2, and the material of the second passivation layer 820 includes SiN x .

[0046] Specifically, the passivation layer 80 is located on the side of the protective layer 40 away from the base substrate 10. The passivation layer 80 includes a first passivation layer 810 and a second passivation layer 820 which are stacked. Among them, the first passivation layer 810 is closer to the active layer 30 than the second passivation layer 820. Since the material of the first passivation layer 810 includes SiO2, that is, the first passivation layer 810 has a poor blocking ability against oxidizing gas, and then before preparing the first passivation layer 810, the protective layer 40 is first prepared on the active layer 30, and the protective layer 40 is used to block the oxidizing gas from entering the junction between the first active layer section 310 and the first conductive section 210, thereby improving the reliability of the display panel.

[0047] Optionally, based on the above embodiment, continue to refer to Figure 2The display panel further includes a buffer layer 90. The buffer layer 90 is located between the active layer 30 and the conductive layer 20. A via hole 910 is provided in the buffer layer 90. The first active layer sub-section 310 is electrically connected to the first conductive sub-section 210 through the via hole 910.

[0048] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the first conductive sub-portion 210 is located on the side of the active layer 30 close to the substrate 10, and a buffer layer 90 is originally provided between the active layer 30 and the substrate 10, and the buffer layer 90 is used as an interlayer insulating layer between the active layer 30 and the conductive layer 20, and there is no need to add an interlayer insulating layer, and the first active layer sub-portion 310 is electrically connected to the first conductive sub-portion 210 through a via 910 located in the buffer layer 90. Compared with the solution in the prior art that an interlayer insulating layer needs to be provided between the source, drain and gate when the source and drain are located on the side of the active layer away from the substrate, the cost is saved, the number of processes is reduced, and the production efficiency is improved.

[0049] Based on the above inventive concept, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for preparing a display panel. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a method for preparing a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention, see Figure 7 , the preparation method comprises:

[0050] S110, providing a substrate.

[0051] The substrate may be a rigid substrate or a flexible substrate; the rigid substrate may include a glass substrate or a silicon substrate, and the flexible substrate may include a polyimide substrate or a stainless steel substrate. The substrate may also be other types of substrates known to those skilled in the art, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0052] S120, preparing a conductive layer on one side of the substrate, wherein the conductive layer includes a first conductive portion.

[0053] Specifically, a single layer of metal or a stacked layer of metal is deposited on the substrate, and a conductive layer is formed on one side of the substrate through a patterning process. The conductive layer includes a first conductive section and a second conductive section. The first conductive section serves as a source or drain of a thin film transistor, and the second conductive section can serve as a light-shielding metal layer of a display panel, which blocks light from the back of the display panel from entering the display panel through the light-shielding metal layer, thereby avoiding affecting the performance of the thin film transistor. In this way, during production, the first conductive section and the second conductive section can be produced and formed using the same mask in the same production process, without the need to produce masks for the first conductive section and the second conductive section separately, thereby saving costs, reducing the number of processes, and improving production efficiency.

[0054] S130, preparing an active layer on a side of the conductive layer away from the substrate, and preparing a protective layer on a side of the active layer away from the conductive layer.

[0055] The active layer includes a first active layer section, and the first active layer section is electrically connected to the first conductive section. Specifically, when the first conductive section is arranged on a side of the active layer close to the substrate, that is, the first conductive section is prepared first and then the active layer is prepared, since there is a high-temperature annealing process after the active layer is prepared, the oxidizing gas in the environment will enter the junction between the first conductive section and the first active layer section through the active layer, and an oxidation reaction will occur under the high-temperature environment, thereby causing a large contact resistance at the junction, resulting in poor contact between the first conductive section and the first active layer section, and affecting the reliability of the display panel.

[0056] To this end, the embodiment of the present invention prepares a protective layer on the side of the active layer away from the substrate. The protective layer contacts the first active layer section, and along the thickness direction of the display panel, the protective layer and the first active layer section at least partially overlap, in other words, along the thickness direction of the display panel, the protective layer and the junction position of the first active layer section and the first conductive section at least partially overlap. The material of the protective layer includes at least one of metal oxide or silicon nitride. The diffusion rate of the oxidizing gas in the metal oxide and the silicon nitride is relatively small, in other words, the protective layer has a relatively strong blocking ability for the oxidizing gas. In this way, after the active layer is prepared, the protective layer at least located above the first active layer section is used to block the oxidizing gas in the environment from diffusing from the top of the first active layer section to the junction of the first active layer section and the first conductive section, so as to avoid the oxidizing gas from reacting with the metal at the junction position under the subsequent high temperature process, thereby avoiding the contact resistance at the junction position from being large, ensuring the stability of the electrical connection between the first active layer section and the first conductive section, and thus improving the reliability of the display panel.

[0057] In summary, the embodiment of the present invention prepares an active layer on the side of the conductive layer away from the substrate, and prepares a protective layer on the side of the active layer away from the conductive layer. The material of the protective layer includes at least one of metal oxide or silicon nitride. The protective layer is then used to block the oxidizing gas in the environment from diffusing from above the first active layer section to the interface between the first active layer section and the first conductive section, thereby preventing the oxidizing gas from reacting with the interface during subsequent high-temperature processes, thereby preventing the contact resistance at the interface from becoming larger, ensuring the stability of the electrical connection between the first active layer section and the first conductive section, and improving the reliability of the display panel.

[0058] In yet another embodiment, Figure 8 is a schematic flow chart of another method for preparing a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 9is a process flow chart of a method for preparing a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present invention, see Figure 8 and Fig. 9 , the method for preparing the display panel comprises:

[0059] S210, providing a substrate.

[0060] S220, preparing a conductive layer on one side of the substrate, wherein the conductive layer includes a first conductive portion.

[0061] Specifically, after the conductive layer 20 is prepared, a buffer layer 90 is deposited on the base substrate 10 by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, so that the buffer layer 90 covers the conductive layer 20. The material of the buffer layer 90 includes SiN x Or at least one of SiO2, and the buffer layer 90 can be a single-layer structure or a stacked-layer structure, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present invention. Then, a via hole 910 is formed in the buffer layer 90 at a position corresponding to the first conductive sub-portion 210 by an etching process, so that along the thickness direction of the display panel, the via hole 910 at least partially overlaps with the first conductive sub-portion 210.

[0062] S230, preparing an entire active layer and an entire protective layer on a side of the conductive layer away from the base substrate, illuminating the entire active layer and the entire protective layer using a half-mask process, and etching the entire active layer and the entire protective layer respectively to form a first opening on the protective layer.

[0063] Specifically, an entire active layer and an entire protective layer are deposited on the buffer layer 90, and the entire active layer and the entire protective layer fill the via 910, so that the entire active layer is electrically connected to the first conductive subdivision 210 through the via 910. The entire active layer and the entire protective layer are illuminated by the same half-mask process, and after illumination, the entire protective layer is etched by a dry etching process, and the entire active layer under the entire protective layer is etched by a wet etching process, so as to form an active layer 30 and a protective layer 40. A first opening 410 is formed on the protective layer 40, and the first opening 410 at least partially overlaps with the second active layer subdivision 320. It can be understood that the first opening 410 is used to make the gate insulating layer 60 formed subsequently contact with the second active layer subdivision 320 to form a channel region. Specifically, after the protective layer 40 is prepared, since the material of the protective layer 40 includes metal oxides, the metal oxides include materials such as aluminum oxide, titanium dioxide or molybdenum trioxide, and metal oxides such as aluminum oxide have the function of promoting the conductorization of the active layer 30, that is, the existence of the protective layer 40 will affect the subsequent formation of the channel region, therefore, a first opening 410 is etched on the protective layer 40, and along the thickness direction of the display panel, the first opening 410 penetrates the protective layer 40, and the first opening 410 at least partially overlaps with the second active layer section 320. In this way, when the stacked gate insulating layer 60 and the gate 50 are subsequently prepared on the side of the protective layer 40 away from the base substrate 10, the gate insulating layer 60 contacts the second active layer section 320 through the first opening 410, so as to form a channel region at the contact position between the gate insulating layer 60 and the second active layer section 320, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the thin film transistor.

[0064] S240. Prepare a whole gate insulating layer and a whole gate layer on a side of the protective layer away from the base substrate, illuminate the whole gate insulating layer and the whole gate layer using the same mask process, and etch the whole gate insulating layer and the whole gate layer respectively to form a gate insulating layer and a gate. Along the thickness direction of the display panel, the gate insulating layer and the gate overlap, and the gate insulating layer contacts with a portion of the second active layer through the first opening.

[0065] Specifically, a whole layer of gate insulating layer and a whole layer of gate are deposited on the protective layer 40, and the whole layer of gate insulating layer and the whole layer of gate are illuminated by the same mask process. Among them, the illumination by the same mask process can be understood as illuminating the whole layer of gate insulating layer and the whole layer of gate through the same mask mask to pattern the whole layer of gate insulating layer and the whole layer of gate, and after illumination, different etching processes are used to etch the whole layer of gate insulating layer and the whole layer of gate respectively to form the gate insulating layer 60 and the gate 50. It should be noted that at this time, the etching position of the whole layer of gate insulating layer is the same as the etching position of the whole layer of gate, so that the gate insulating layer 60 and the gate 50 overlap along the thickness direction of the display panel. In addition, the gate insulating layer 60 contacts the second active layer division 320 through the first opening 410 to form a channel region at the contact position between the gate insulating layer 60 and the second active layer division 320 to ensure the normal operation of the thin film transistor.

[0066] S250, preparing a passivation layer on a side of the gate away from the substrate, etching the passivation layer and the protective layer to form a second opening in the protective layer, wherein the second opening at least partially overlaps with the second active layer portion, and preparing a first electrode on a side of the protective layer away from the substrate, wherein the first electrode contacts the second active layer portion through the second opening.

[0067] Specifically, a passivation layer 80 is deposited on the side of the gate 50 away from the base substrate 10, and an organic layer 800 is deposited on the side of the passivation layer 80 away from the base substrate 10, so that the passivation layer 80 covers the gate 50, the gate insulating layer 60, the protective layer 40 and the buffer layer 90. The material of the passivation layer 80 includes SiN x Or at least one of SiO2, and the passivation layer 80 can be a single layer structure or a stacked structure. Exemplarily, when the passivation layer 80 is a stacked structure, the passivation layer 80 includes a first passivation layer 810 and a second passivation layer 820. The material of the first passivation layer 810 includes SiO2, and the material of the second passivation layer 820 includes SiN x. Since the protective layer 40 includes an insulating protective layer, it can be understood that during the manufacturing process or use of the display panel, the material of the protective layer 40 is an insulating material, and the presence of the entire layer of insulating material will cause the subsequent first electrode 710 to be unable to be electrically connected to the active layer 30. To this end, the embodiment of the present invention etches the passivation layer 80 and the protective layer 40 to form a second opening 420 on the protective layer 40. Along the thickness direction of the display panel, the second opening 420 penetrates the protective layer 40, and the second opening 420 at least partially overlaps with the second active layer division 320. It should be noted that the passivation layer 80 and the protective layer 40 can be etched together, or the passivation layer 80 and the protective layer 40 can be etched separately, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this. In this way, the first electrode 710 is in contact with the second active layer division 320 through the second opening 420, so that the thin film transistor T can transmit signals to the light-emitting element through the first electrode 710, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the display panel. It should be noted that the second opening 420 in the embodiment of the present invention refers to an opening located in the protective layer 40. It can be understood that if the first electrode 710 is to contact the second active layer portion 320, other openings need to be set at the position corresponding to the second opening 420 on the passivation layer 80, the organic layer and the inorganic layer.

[0068] In summary, in the embodiment of the present invention, when the material of the protective layer includes a metal oxide material, since the metal oxide material can promote the conductorization of the active layer, a first opening is set in the protective layer so that there is an unconducted area in the active layer corresponding to the gate, so that a channel area is formed at the contact position between the gate insulating layer and the active layer, thereby ensuring the normal operation of the thin film transistor. In addition, when the material of the protective layer includes an insulating material, when the first electrode is set, a second opening is also set on the protective layer so that the first electrode contacts the active layer through the second opening, thereby ensuring that the first electrode can transmit signals normally.

[0069] Based on the same inventive concept, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a display device. Fig.10 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a display device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Fig.10 As shown, the display device includes the display panel 01 in the above embodiment. The display device includes the display panel 01 of any embodiment of the present invention. Therefore, the display device provided by the embodiment of the present invention has the corresponding beneficial effects of the display panel 01 provided by the embodiment of the present invention, which will not be repeated here. Exemplarily, the display device can be an electronic device such as a mobile phone, a computer, a smart wearable device (for example, a smart watch), and a vehicle-mounted display device, which is not limited in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] Note that the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and the technical principles used. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and that various obvious changes, readjustments, combinations and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in more detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may include more other equivalent embodiments without departing from the concept of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that: include: substrate substrate; A conductive layer, located on one side of the substrate, the conductive layer comprising a first conductive portion; An active layer, located on a side of the conductive layer away from the substrate, the active layer comprising a first active layer section, the first active layer section being electrically connected to the first conductive section; a protective layer, located on a side of the active layer away from the base substrate and in contact with the first active layer portion, wherein along a thickness direction of the display panel, the protective layer at least partially overlaps with the first active layer portion; The material of the protection layer includes at least one of metal oxide or silicon nitride.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The active layer also includes a second active layer section, which is located on one side of the first active layer section along a first direction; the first direction is parallel to the plane where the substrate is located; and the protective layer contacts and covers at least a portion of the second active layer section.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: A gate insulating layer and a gate are also provided on a side of the protective layer away from the base substrate, and the gate is located on a side of the gate insulating layer away from the base substrate; The material of the protective layer includes metal oxide; The protective layer is provided with a first opening, and the first opening penetrates the protective layer along the thickness direction of the display panel, and the first opening at least partially overlaps with the second active layer portion; The gate insulating layer contacts the second active layer portion through the first opening.

4. The display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: Along the first direction, a width of the first opening is less than or equal to a width of the gate.

5. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The display panel further comprises a first electrode, and the first electrode is located on a side of the protection layer away from the base substrate; The protective layer comprises an insulating protective layer; The protective layer is provided with a second opening, and the second opening penetrates the protective layer along the thickness direction of the display panel, and the second opening at least partially overlaps with the second active layer portion; The first electrode contacts the second active layer section through the second opening.

6. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel further comprises a gate, and the gate is located on a side of the active layer away from the base substrate; The conductive layer further includes a second conductive sub-portion, and along the thickness direction of the display panel, the second conductive sub-portion at least partially overlaps with the gate; The first conductive section and the second conductive section are arranged in the same layer.

7. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel further comprises a gate insulating layer, wherein the gate insulating layer is located on a side of the protection layer away from the base substrate; The material of the gate insulating layer includes SiO2; The display panel further comprises a passivation layer, wherein the passivation layer is located on a side of the gate insulating layer away from the base substrate; The passivation layer comprises a first passivation layer and a second passivation layer which are stacked, and the second passivation layer is located on a side of the first passivation layer away from the substrate; The material of the first passivation layer includes SiO2, and the material of the second passivation layer includes SiN x .

8. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel further includes a buffer layer; The buffer layer is located between the active layer and the conductive layer; The buffer layer is provided with a via; The first active layer section is electrically connected to the first conductive section through the via hole.

9. A method for preparing a display panel, used for preparing the display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The preparation method comprises: providing a substrate base plate; A conductive layer is prepared on one side of the substrate, wherein the conductive layer includes a first conductive portion; An active layer is prepared on a side of the conductive layer away from the substrate, and a protective layer is prepared on a side of the active layer away from the conductive layer; wherein the active layer includes a first active layer section, the first active layer section is electrically connected to the first conductive section; the protective layer is in contact with the first active layer section, and along the thickness direction of the display panel, the protective layer and the first active layer section at least partially overlap; The material of the protection layer includes at least one of metal oxide or silicon nitride.

10. The preparation method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The active layer further includes a second active layer section, and along a first direction, the second active layer section is located at one side of the first active layer section; the first direction is parallel to the plane where the substrate is located; The material of the protective layer includes metal oxide; Preparing an active layer on a side of the conductive layer away from the substrate, and preparing a protective layer on a side of the active layer away from the conductive layer comprises: Preparing a whole active layer and a whole protective layer on a side of the conductive layer away from the substrate; The entire active layer and the entire protective layer are illuminated by a half-mask process, and the entire active layer and the entire protective layer are etched respectively to form a first opening on the protective layer, wherein the first opening at least partially overlaps with a portion of the second active layer.

11. The preparation method according to claim 10, characterized in that: After irradiating the entire active layer and the entire protective layer with light by using a half-mask process, and etching the entire active layer and the entire protective layer respectively to form a first opening on the protective layer, the method further includes: Prepare a whole layer of gate insulating layer and a whole layer of gate on the side of the protective layer away from the substrate; Using the same mask process to illuminate the entire gate insulating layer and the entire gate layer, and respectively etching the entire gate insulating layer and the entire gate layer to form a gate insulating layer and a gate, wherein the gate insulating layer and the gate overlap along a thickness direction of the display panel; The gate insulating layer contacts the second active layer portion through the first opening.

12. The preparation method according to claim 11, characterized in that: After the entire gate insulating layer and the entire gate layer are illuminated by using the same mask process, and the entire gate insulating layer and the entire gate layer are etched respectively to form the gate insulating layer and the gate, the method further includes: Prepare a passivation layer on a side of the gate away from the substrate; Etching the passivation layer and the protection layer to form a second opening in the protection layer, wherein the second opening at least partially overlaps with the second active layer portion; A first electrode is prepared on a side of the protective layer away from the base substrate; the first electrode is in partial contact with the second active layer through the second opening.

13. A display device, characterized in that: A display panel comprising any one of claims 1 to 8.

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