Display panel, display device and preparation method of display panel

Abstract

The invention relates to a display panel, a display device and a preparation method of the display panel. The display panel includes a substrate; the pixel definition layer is arranged on one side of the substrate; the partition structure and the supporting structure are arranged on the side, away from the substrate, of the pixel defining layer; the partition structure comprises a first partition part and a second partition part located on the side, facing the base plate, of the first partition part. The supporting structure comprises a first sub-part and a second sub-part located on the side, facing the substrate, of the first sub-part. The first sub-part and the first partition part are made of the same material on the same layer, and the second sub-part and the second partition part are made of the same material on the same layer. Therefore, according to the display panel, the display device and the preparation method of the display panel, the preparation process of the display panel can be simplified.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display technology is regarded as the most promising new flat panel display technology of the next generation. Compared with liquid crystal display technology, OLED display technology has the advantages of low energy consumption, low cost, self-luminescence, wide viewing angle and fast response speed. However, the current preparation process of OLED display panels is relatively complicated. Summary of the invention

[0003] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a display panel, a display device and a method for manufacturing a display panel that can simplify the manufacturing process.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a display panel, comprising: a substrate;

[0005] A pixel definition layer is disposed on one side of the substrate;

[0006] The partition structure and the support structure are arranged on a side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate;

[0007] The partition structure includes a first partition portion and a second partition portion located on a side of the first partition portion facing the substrate;

[0008] The support structure includes a first sub-section and a second sub-section located on a side of the first sub-section facing the substrate;

[0009] The first sub-portion and the first partition portion are of the same layer and material, and the second sub-portion and the second partition portion are of the same layer and material.

[0010] The display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application can simplify the manufacturing process of the display panel by using the same layer and material for the first sub-portion and the first partition portion, and the same layer and material for the second sub-portion and the second partition portion.

[0011] In one embodiment, the display panel includes a plurality of first electrodes, and a pixel definition layer is disposed around the periphery of each first electrode; the pixel definition layer is surrounded to form a plurality of pixel openings, the first electrodes are disposed corresponding to the pixel openings, and the pixel openings expose the corresponding first electrodes;

[0012] Preferably, the support structure includes a third sub-section, the third sub-section is located on a side of the second sub-section away from the first sub-section, and the third sub-section and the first electrode are in the same layer and material;

[0013] Preferably, the display panel comprises a protective layer, and the protective layer is at least located between the pixel definition layer and the partition structure;

[0014] Preferably, the support structure includes a fourth sub-section, the fourth sub-section is located between the third sub-section and the second sub-section, and the fourth sub-section and the protective layer are in the same layer and made of the same material;

[0015] Preferably, the support structure comprises a fifth sub-section, and the fifth sub-section is located on a side of the third sub-section away from the first sub-section;

[0016] Preferably, the material of the fifth sub-section includes an organic material;

[0017] Preferably, the orthographic projections of the protective layer and the partition structure on the substrate are both located within the orthographic projection of the pixel definition layer on the substrate;

[0018] Preferably, the protection layer includes a first protection portion, and the first protection portion is located between the partition structure and the pixel definition layer;

[0019] Preferably, the first protection portion is provided with an opening, and the opening penetrates the first protection portion along the thickness direction of the substrate;

[0020] Preferably, the distance between the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first protection portion on the substrate and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the opening on the substrate is greater than or equal to 5 μm;

[0021] Preferably, the protective layer includes a second protective portion connected to the first protective portion, and the orthographic projection of the second protective portion on the substrate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the surface of the partition structure facing the substrate on the substrate;

[0022] Preferably, the display panel comprises a light-emitting functional layer and a second electrode, the light-emitting functional layer is at least partially located in the pixel opening, and the second electrode is located on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the first electrode;

[0023] Preferably, a touch electrode is provided on a side of the partition structure facing away from the substrate, and the touch electrode and the second electrode are made of the same layer and material;

[0024] Preferably, the orthographic projection of the second partition portion on the substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the first partition portion on the substrate;

[0025] Preferably, the material of the first partition portion includes an inorganic insulating material;

[0026] Preferably, the material of the first partition portion includes at least one of silicon oxide and silicon nitride;

[0027] Preferably, the material of the first partition portion includes a conductive material;

[0028] Preferably, the material of the first partition portion includes indium tin oxide;

[0029] Preferably, the material of the second partition portion includes an organic insulating material;

[0030] Preferably, the material of the second partition portion includes polyimide;

[0031] Preferably, a depression is formed between the first partition portion, the second partition portion and the pixel definition layer, and the depth of the depression ranges from 500nm to 800nm;

[0032] Preferably, the thickness of the first electrode is in the range of 1.2 μm to 1.6 μm.

[0033] In one embodiment, the distance between the surface of the support structure facing away from the substrate and the substrate is greater than the distance between the surface of the partition structure facing away from the substrate and the substrate;

[0034] Preferably, the orthographic projection of the support structure on the substrate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the partition structure on the substrate.

[0035] In one embodiment, the protective layer includes a first protective layer and a second protective layer arranged in sequence in a direction away from the substrate;

[0036] Preferably, the thickness of the first protective layer is less than the thickness of the second protective layer;

[0037] Preferably, the material of at least one of the first protective layer and the second protective layer comprises an inorganic insulating material;

[0038] Preferably, the material of the first protective layer includes silicon nitride;

[0039] Preferably, the material of the second protective layer includes silicon oxide;

[0040] Preferably, at least one of the first protective layer and the second protective layer has a thickness in the range of 10 nm to 15 nm.

[0041] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a display device, comprising the display panel in the above-mentioned first aspect.

[0042] The display device provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a display panel. The first sub-portion and the first partition portion are made of the same layer and material, and the second sub-portion and the second partition portion are made of the same layer and material, so that the manufacturing process of the display panel can be simplified.

[0043] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for preparing a display panel, comprising:

[0044] providing a substrate;

[0045] forming a pixel definition layer on one side of the substrate;

[0046] forming a partition structure and a support structure on a side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate;

[0047] Among them, the partition structure includes a first partition part and a second partition part located on the side of the first partition part facing the substrate; the supporting structure includes a first sub-part and a second sub-part located on the side of the first sub-part facing the substrate; the first sub-part and the first partition part are of the same layer and material, and the second sub-part and the second partition part are of the same layer and material.

[0048] The method for preparing a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application is used to prepare a display panel. By using the same layer and material for the first sub-portion and the first partition portion, and the same layer and material for the second sub-portion and the second partition portion, the preparation process of the display panel can be simplified.

[0049] In one embodiment, after providing the substrate, the method includes:

[0050] A plurality of first electrodes are formed on one side of the substrate and arranged at intervals; a pixel definition layer is arranged around the periphery of each first electrode, and the pixel definition layer is surrounded to form a plurality of pixel openings, the first electrodes and the pixel openings are arranged correspondingly, and the pixel openings expose the corresponding first electrodes;

[0051] Preferably, the process of forming a plurality of first electrodes spaced apart on one side of the substrate further includes forming a third sub-portion of the support structure, the third sub-portion being located on a side of the second sub-portion away from the first sub-portion;

[0052] Preferably, after forming the pixel definition layer on one side of the substrate and before forming the partition structure and the support structure on the side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate, the method further includes:

[0053] forming a protective material layer on a side of the first electrode facing away from the substrate;

[0054] Preferably, in the process of forming the protective material layer on the side of the first electrode facing away from the substrate, the method further includes: forming a fourth sub-section of the support structure, the fourth sub-section being located between the third sub-section and the second sub-section;

[0055] Preferably, in the process of forming the protective material layer on the side of the first electrode facing away from the substrate, the method further includes: forming the protective material layer on the side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate;

[0056] Preferably, the protective material layer located on the side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate includes a first protective material portion, and the first protective material portion is located between the partition structure and the pixel definition layer;

[0057] Preferably, the protective material layer located on the side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate includes a second protective material portion connected to the first protective material portion, and the orthographic projection of the second protective material portion on the substrate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the surface of the partition structure facing the substrate on the substrate;

[0058] Preferably, the first protective material portion is provided with an opening, and the opening penetrates the first protective material portion along the thickness direction of the substrate.

[0059] In one embodiment, a partition structure and a support structure are formed on a side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate, including:

[0060] forming a second partition material layer on a side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate;

[0061] Performing a first patterning process on the second partition material layer to expose the protective material layer located on a side of the first electrode facing away from the substrate;

[0062] forming a first partition material layer on a side of the second partition material layer and the protective material layer facing away from the substrate;

[0063] Performing a second patterning process on the first partition material layer to expose a portion of the second partition material layer, and the retained first partition material layer forms a first partition portion and a first sub-portion;

[0064] Performing a third patterning process on the exposed second partition material layer to form a recess between the pixel definition layer, the first partition material layer, and the second partition material layer, and the remaining second partition material layer forms a second partition portion and a second sub-portion;

[0065] Alternatively, a second partition material layer is formed on a side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate;

[0066] forming a first partition material layer on a side of the second partition material layer facing away from the substrate;

[0067] Performing a fourth patterning process on the first partition material layer and the second partition material layer to expose the protective material layer located on the side of the first electrode facing away from the substrate, and forming a recess between the pixel definition layer, the first partition material layer and the second partition material layer, the retained first partition material layer forms a first partition portion and a first sub-portion, and the retained second partition material layer forms a second partition portion and a second sub-portion;

[0068] Preferably, the fourth patterning process is performed using an etching process, and the etching rate of the second partition material layer is greater than the etching rate of the first partition material layer.

[0069] In one embodiment, after forming the partition structure and the support structure on the side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate, the method includes:

[0070] Thinning at least a portion of the protective material layer;

[0071] removing the thinned protective material layer to expose the first electrode;

[0072] Preferably, the retained first protective material portion forms a first protective portion;

[0073] Preferably, the retained second protective material portion forms a second protective portion;

[0074] Preferably, the protective material layer is thinned using a hydrofluoric acid solution;

[0075] Preferably, plasma ashing is used to remove the thinned protective material layer;

[0076] Preferably, forming a protective material layer on a side of the first electrode facing away from the substrate comprises: sequentially forming a first protective material layer and a second protective material layer on a side of the first electrode facing away from the substrate;

[0077] The protective material layer is thinned, comprising: removing at least a portion of the second protective material layer to expose the first protective material layer located on the side of the first electrode away from the substrate;

[0078] Removing the thinned protective material layer includes: removing the exposed first protective material layer.

[0079] In one embodiment, after forming a pixel definition layer on one side of the substrate and before forming a protective material layer on the side of the first electrode facing away from the substrate, the method includes: forming a fifth sub-portion of the support structure on the side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate; the fifth sub-portion is located on the side of the third sub-portion facing away from the first sub-portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0080] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or exemplary embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or exemplary embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0081] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0082] Figure 2 Another cross-sectional view of the display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0083] Figure 3 Another cross-sectional view of the display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0084] Figure 4 Another cross-sectional view of the display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0085] Figure 5 A top view of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0086] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after providing a substrate according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0087] Figure 7A schematic diagram of the structure after forming the first electrode provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0088] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after forming a protective material layer provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0089] Fig. 9 A schematic diagram of the structure after forming the first protective material layer and the second protective material layer provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0090] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the structure after forming the second partition material layer provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0091] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after the first patterning process provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0092] Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the structure after forming the first partition material layer provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0093] Fig.13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after the second patterning process provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0094] Fig.14 A schematic diagram of the structure after forming the second partition material layer and the first partition material layer provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0095] Fig.15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after the partition structure is formed according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0096] Fig.16 Another structural schematic diagram after forming a partition structure provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0097] Fig.17 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after thinning the protective material layer provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0098] Fig.18 A schematic flow chart of a method for preparing a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0099] Description of reference numerals:

[0100] 100, display panel; 101, substrate; 111, first electrode; 120, partition structure; 121, first partition portion; 121a, first partition material layer; 122, second partition portion; 122a, second partition material layer; 1241, first recess; 130, pixel definition layer; 131, pixel opening; 140, protective layer; 140a, protective material layer; 141, first protective layer; 141a, first protective material layer; 142, second protective layer; 142a, second Protective material layer; 1431, first protective portion; 1431a, first protective material portion; 1432, second protective portion; 1432a, second protective material portion; 1433a, third protective material portion; 144, opening; 150, supporting structure; 151, first supporting portion; 152, second supporting portion; 1521, fourth sub-portion; 15211, first portion; 15212, second portion; 1522, second sub-portion; 1523, first sub-portion; 1532, second recess. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0101] In order to facilitate the understanding of the present application, the present application will be described more fully below with reference to the relevant drawings. The preferred embodiments of the present application are provided in the drawings. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the understanding of the disclosure of the present application more thorough and comprehensive.

[0102] It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, they do not represent any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of the present application, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element may be referred to as the first element. "Including" or "comprising" and similar words mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word cover the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects.

[0103] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0104] Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display technology is regarded as the most promising new flat panel display technology of the next generation. Compared with liquid crystal display technology, OLED display technology has the advantages of low energy consumption, low cost, self-luminescence, wide viewing angle and fast response speed.

[0105] In the relevant OLED display panel, the display panel may include a substrate and a partition structure arranged on the substrate, a pixel definition layer and a plurality of light-emitting units, the pixel definition layer is located between the partition structure and the substrate, the pixel definition layer defines a plurality of pixel openings, and the light-emitting units are at least partially arranged in the pixel openings. The light-emitting unit may include an anode, a light-emitting functional layer and a cathode arranged in sequence in a direction away from the substrate. Due to the provision of the partition structure, in the process of forming the cathode material, the partition structure can separate the cathode material into a first extension portion and a second extension portion, the first extension portion is located on the side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the anode, and forms a cathode, and the second extension portion is located on the side of the partition structure away from the substrate, and forms a touch electrode, so that the cathode and the touch electrode can be separated by the partition structure.

[0106] A support structure is also provided on the side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate. The support structure can be used to support the mask during the evaporation process to prevent the mask from damaging other film layers of the display panel.

[0107] However, the support structure and the partition structure are prepared step by step, which makes the preparation process of the support structure and the partition structure more complicated.

[0108] In view of at least one of the above problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a display panel, a display device and a method for manufacturing a display panel, which can simplify the manufacturing process of the support structure and the partition structure, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process of the display panel.

[0109] The following will be combined with Figure 1- Fig.18 The display device provided in the embodiment of the present application is described.

[0110] The embodiment of the present application provides a display device, which may include a display panel 100. The display device may be an electronic paper, a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a television, a display, a laptop computer, a digital photo frame, a smart bracelet, a smart watch, a super personal computer, a navigator, a wireless device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld or portable computer, a GPS receiver / navigator, a camera, an MP4 video player, a camcorder, a game console, a clock, a calculator, a television monitor, a computer monitor, a car display (e.g., an odometer display, etc.), a cockpit controller and / or display, a display of a camera view (e.g., a display of a rear-view camera in a vehicle), an electronic billboard or sign, a projector, or other mobile or fixed terminals.

[0111] Exemplarily, the display panel 100 may be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel, a micro organic light-emitting diode (Micro OLED) display panel, a light emitting diode (LED) display panel, a quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED) display panel, a mini light emitting diode (Mini LED) display panel, a micro light emitting diode (Micro LED) display panel, or a liquid crystal (LCD) display panel, etc. The embodiment of the present application is described by taking an OLED display panel as an example.

[0112] The display panel 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application is described below.

[0113] In some embodiments, referring to Fig. 1, an embodiment of the present application provides a display panel 100, and the display panel 100 may include a substrate 101. The substrate 101 may provide support for other film layers that are subsequently disposed.

[0114] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 1 , the display panel 100 may include a plurality of first electrodes 111 , and the first electrodes 111 are disposed at intervals on one side of the substrate 101 .

[0115] Exemplarily, the thickness of the first electrode 111 is in the range of 1.2 μm to 1.6 μm, thereby preventing the first electrode 111 from being too thin and affecting the display effect and service life of the display panel 100 , and preventing the first electrode 111 from being too thick, which is beneficial to making the display panel 100 thinner and reducing the manufacturing cost of the display panel 100 .

[0116] For example, the thickness of the first electrode 111 may be 1.2 μm, 1.3 μm, 1.4 μm, 1.5 μm, 1.6 μm, or any value between 1.2 μm and 1.6 μm.

[0117] In some embodiments, the display panel 100 includes a light-emitting functional layer and a second electrode, wherein the light-emitting functional layer is at least partially located in the pixel opening 131 (FIG. 1), and the second electrode is located on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the first electrode 111 (FIG. 1). The first electrode 111, the light-emitting functional layer and the second electrode together form a light-emitting unit.

[0118] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 1 , the display panel 100 may include a pixel definition layer 130, which may be disposed on a side of the substrate 101 facing the first electrode 111, and the pixel definition layer 130 is disposed around the periphery of each first electrode 111. The pixel definition layer 130 encloses and forms a plurality of pixel openings 131, and the first electrodes 111 are disposed correspondingly to the pixel openings 131, and the pixel openings 131 expose the corresponding first electrodes 111. At least a portion of the light-emitting unit may be disposed correspondingly within the pixel openings 131. In this way, by disposing the pixel definition layer 130, it is convenient to dispose the light-emitting unit on the substrate 101.

[0119] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 1 , the display panel 100 may include a partition structure 120, and the partition structure 120 may be located on a side of the pixel definition layer 130 away from the substrate 101. A touch electrode is disposed on a side of the partition structure 120 away from the substrate 101. For example, the touch electrode and the second electrode are in the same layer and material, so that the second electrode and the touch electrode are formed simultaneously, and the touch electrode and the second electrode may be separated by the partition structure 120, so as to simplify the manufacturing process and reduce the manufacturing cost.

[0120] It should be noted that the "same layer and same material" in the embodiments of the present application means that the base film layer is formed of the same material, and after the base film layer is patterned and / or processed by other processes, different parts of the base film layer are respectively formed into multiple structural film layers. The processing processes for forming different structural film layers can be the same or different, and the different structural film layers formed can have the same or different thicknesses, and can also be on the same horizontal plane or different horizontal planes.

[0121] Exemplarily, the orthographic projection of the partition structure 120 on the substrate 101 is located within the orthographic projection of the pixel definition layer 130 on the substrate 101, thereby alleviating the effect of the partition structure 120 on the light output of the light-emitting unit. For example, the orthographic projection of the partition structure 120 on the substrate 101 may be located between the orthographic projections of at least two adjacent pixel openings 131 on the substrate 101.

[0122] Exemplarily, the partition structure 120 includes a first partition portion 121 and a second partition portion 122, the first partition portion 121 is located on the side of the second partition portion 122 facing away from the substrate 101, and the orthographic projection of the second partition portion 122 on the substrate 101 is located within the orthographic projection of the first partition portion 121 on the substrate 101, so that the partition structure 120 forms an undercut structure with "large top and small bottom", that is, the partition structure 120 has a "roof", so that in the process of forming the second electrode and the touch electrode, the partition structure 120 can isolate the second electrode and the touch electrode.

[0123] The protective layer 140 provided in the embodiment of the present application is described below.

[0124] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 1 , the display panel 100 may include a protective layer 140 , whose orthographic projection on the substrate 101 is located within the orthographic projection of the pixel definition layer 130 on the substrate 101 , thereby alleviating the influence of the protective layer 140 on the light output of the light-emitting unit.

[0125] Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 1 , the protection layer 140 includes a first protection portion 1431 . The first protection portion 1431 is located between the partition structure 120 and the pixel definition layer 130 . The first protection portion 1431 can protect the pixel definition layer 130 .

[0126] Exemplarily, referring to FIG. 1 , an opening 144 may be provided in the first protective portion 1431 , and the opening 144 penetrates the first protective portion 1431 along the thickness direction of the substrate 101 . In the subsequent heating process, it is beneficial for the gas in the organic film layer of the first protective portion 1431 toward the side of the substrate 101 to be discharged through the opening 144 , thereby alleviating the bubbling or rupture of the protective layer 140 .

[0127] Exemplarily, the distance between the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first protection portion 1431 on the substrate 101 and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the opening 144 on the substrate 101 is greater than or equal to 5 μm, so that the partition structure 120 has a better covering effect on the first protection portion 1431, which is conducive to reducing the difficulty of preparing the first protection portion 1431, so that the first protection portion 1431 has a better protection effect on the pixel definition layer 130. For example, the distance can be 5 μm, 6 μm, 7 μm, 8 μm or any value greater than 5 μm.

[0128] For example, see Figure 2 The protective layer 140 includes a second protective portion 1432, which is located on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 facing away from the substrate 101, and the orthographic projection of the second protective portion 1432 on the substrate 101 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the surface of the partition structure 120 facing the substrate 101 on the substrate 101. The second protective portion 1432 can protect the pixel definition layer 130.

[0129] The protective layer 140 may include at least one of a first protective portion 1431 and a second protective portion 1432. In an embodiment in which the first protective portion 1431 and the second protective portion 1432 are provided, the first protective portion 1431 and the second protective portion 1432 are arranged along the extension direction of the substrate 101. The first protective portion 1431 and the second protective portion 1432 are connected, and the total coverage area of ​​the first protective portion 1431 and the second protective portion 1432 on the pixel definition layer 130 is relatively large, which is conducive to improving the protective effect of the protective layer 140 on the pixel definition layer 130.

[0130] For example, see Figure 3 The protective layer 140 includes a first protective layer 141 and a second protective layer 142 arranged in sequence in a direction away from the substrate 101. By forming the protective layer 140 together with the first protective layer 141 and the second protective layer 142 made of different materials, the protective effect of the protective layer 140 is improved.

[0131] Exemplarily, the thickness of the first protective layer 141 is less than the thickness of the second protective layer 142, thereby shortening the plasma ashing process to remove the first protective material layer 141a ( Fig.17 ) time to reduce damage to the first electrode 111 caused by the plasma ashing process.

[0132] Exemplarily, the material of at least one of the first protective layer 141 and the second protective layer 142 includes an inorganic insulating material, which is beneficial to improving the protective effect of at least one of the first protective layer 141 and the second protective layer 142 and reducing the preparation cost.

[0133] Exemplarily, the first protective layer 141 and the second protective layer 142 are both made of inorganic insulating materials, which helps prevent parasitic capacitance from being formed between the protective layer 140 and the touch electrodes, and helps avoid the influence of the protective layer 140 on the touch accuracy of the touch electrodes.

[0134] For example, the material of the first protection layer 141 includes silicon nitride.

[0135] For example, the material of the second protection layer 142 includes silicon oxide.

[0136] Exemplarily, the thickness of at least one of the first protective layer 141 and the second protective layer 142 is in the range of 10 nm to 15 nm, so as to avoid the thickness being too thin to reduce the protection effect, and to avoid the thickness being too thick to be disadvantageous for thinning the display panel 100. For example, the thickness of at least one of the first protective layer 141 and the second protective layer 142 may be 10 nm, 11 nm, 12 nm, 13 nm, 14 nm, 15 nm, or any value between 10 nm and 15 nm.

[0137] The support structure 150 provided in the embodiment of the present application is described below.

[0138] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 1 , the display panel 100 may include a support structure 150, wherein a distance H1 between a surface of the support structure 150 facing away from the substrate 101 and the substrate 101 is greater than a distance H2 between a surface of the partition structure 120 facing away from the substrate 101 and the substrate 101, so that a horizontal height of a surface of the support structure 150 facing away from the substrate 101 is greater than a horizontal height of a surface of the partition structure 120 facing away from the substrate 101, so that the support structure 150 supports the mask. For example, the support structure 150 can be used to support the mask during the evaporation process to prevent the mask from damaging other film layers of the display panel 100.

[0139] In a first embodiment of the support structure 150, the support structure 150 is located on the side of the partition structure 120 facing away from the substrate 101, so that the distance H1 between the surface of the support structure 150 facing away from the substrate 101 and the substrate 101 along the thickness direction of the substrate 101 is greater than the distance H2 between the surface of the partition structure 120 facing away from the substrate 101 and the substrate 101 along the thickness direction of the substrate 101, so that the support structure 150 supports the mask plate and prevents the mask plate from damaging other film layers of the display panel 100.

[0140] In a second embodiment of the support structure 150, see FIGS. 1 and 2. Figure 5, the support structure 150 is located on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 away from the substrate 101, and the orthographic projection of the support structure 150 on the substrate 101 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the partition structure 120 on the substrate 101, that is, the support structure 150 and the partition structure 120 are staggered. The support structure 150 includes a first support portion 151 and a second support portion 152 arranged along the thickness direction of the substrate 101, and at least one of the protective layer 140, the partition structure 120 and the first electrode 111 can be in the same layer and material as the second support portion 152, which is conducive to simplifying the preparation process and reducing the preparation cost. For example, the protective layer 140 is in the same layer and material as the second support portion 152 of a partial thickness, and the partition structure 120 is in the same layer and material as the second support portion 152 of another partial thickness. The second supporting portion 152 is raised by the first supporting portion 151, so that the distance H1 between the surface of the supporting structure 150 facing away from the substrate 101 and the substrate 101 is greater than the distance H2 between the surface of the partition structure 120 facing away from the substrate 101 and the substrate 101, so that the supporting structure 150 can support the mask and prevent the mask from damaging other film layers of the display panel 100. The first supporting portion 151 includes a fifth sub-portion of the supporting structure 150.

[0141] Exemplarily, the first support portion 151 is located on the side of the second support portion 152 facing the substrate 101, or the first support portion 151 is located on the side of the second support portion 152 away from the substrate 101, or the first support portion 151 can be located in the middle of the second support portion 152 along the thickness direction.

[0142] Exemplarily, the material of the first support part 151 may include an organic material.

[0143] Exemplarily, the second supporting portion 152 includes a fourth sub-portion 1521, and the fourth sub-portion 1521 and the protective layer 140 are of the same layer and material, so that the fourth sub-portion 1521 and the protective layer 140 are prepared simultaneously, which is beneficial to simplify the preparation process of the fourth sub-portion 1521 and the protective layer 140 and reduce the preparation cost. Among them, the fourth sub-portion 1521 may include a first portion 15211 and a second portion 15212, the first portion 15211 is located on the side of the second portion 15212 facing the substrate 101, the first portion 15211 and the first protective layer 141 are of the same layer and material, and the second portion 15212 and the second protective layer 142 are of the same layer and material.

[0144] For example, the second supporting portion 152 includes a second sub-portion 1522, which is located on the side of the fourth sub-portion 1521 away from the substrate 101. The second sub-portion 1522 and the second partition portion 122 are in the same layer and material, thereby facilitating the simultaneous preparation of the second sub-portion 1522 and the second partition portion 122, and is conducive to simplifying the preparation process of the second sub-portion 1522 and the second partition portion 122, thereby reducing the preparation cost.

[0145] For example, the second supporting portion 152 includes a first sub-portion 1523, which is located on the side of the second sub-portion 1522 facing away from the substrate 101. The first sub-portion 1523 and the first partition portion 121 are arranged in the same layer and with the same material, so as to facilitate the simultaneous preparation of the first sub-portion 1523 and the first partition portion 121, which is beneficial to simplifying the preparation process of the first sub-portion 1523 and the first partition portion 121 and reducing the preparation cost.

[0146] Exemplarily, the second supporting portion 152 includes a third sub-portion, and the third sub-portion is located on the side of the second sub-portion 1522 away from the first sub-portion 1523. The third sub-portion can be located on the side of the fourth sub-portion 1521 away from the first sub-portion 1523. For example, the third sub-portion and the first electrode 111 are in the same layer and material, which is conducive to simplifying the preparation process of the third sub-portion and the first electrode 111 and reducing the preparation cost.

[0147] For example, see Figure 4 A second recess 1532 is formed between the second sub-portion 1522, the first sub-portion 1523 and the pixel definition layer 130. Alternatively, see Figure 3 The first sub-portion 1523 covers the side of the second sub-portion 1522 facing away from the substrate 101 and the side wall of the second sub-portion 1522 , so that the second recess 1532 is not formed, which is beneficial to improving the supporting effect of the supporting structure 150 .

[0148] The partition structure 120 provided in the embodiment of the present application is further described below.

[0149] In some embodiments, the partition structure 120 may refer to an undercut structure that is larger on top and smaller on the bottom and can separate the second electrode from the touch electrode. The partition structure 120 may be a structure formed by a single film layer or a structure formed by stacking multiple film layers.

[0150] For example, the cross-sectional shape of the partition structure 120 may be an inverted trapezoid, a T-shape, an I-shape, or the like, which is “large at the top and small at the bottom”.

[0151] In some embodiments, the partition structure 120 may include a third partition portion, the third partition portion may be located on a side of the second partition portion 122 away from the first partition portion 121, and the orthographic projection of the second partition portion 122 on the substrate 101 may be located within the orthographic projection of the third partition portion on the substrate 101. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the partition structure 120 formed by the second partition portion 122, the third partition portion, and the first partition portion 121 may be an "I" shape.

[0152] Exemplarily, the material of the first partition portion 121 includes an inorganic insulating material, which is beneficial to reducing the preparation cost of the first partition portion 121. For example, the material of the first partition portion 121 includes at least one of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

[0153] Exemplarily, the material of the first partition portion 121 may include a conductive material, so that the touch electrode located on the side of the first partition portion 121 away from the substrate 101 can be electrically connected to the first partition portion 121, which is beneficial to reducing the resistance of the touch electrode and improving the touch performance. For example, the material of the first partition portion 121 may include metals such as titanium, silver, copper, aluminum, molybdenum, or alloys, or conductive oxides, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), zinc oxide (ZnO), aluminum zinc oxide (AZO), zinc gallium oxide, titanium tantalum oxide, tin oxide, cadmium oxide, indium oxide, any one or more.

[0154] Exemplarily, the material of the second partition portion 122 includes an organic insulating material. For example, the material of the second partition portion 122 includes polyimide. In an embodiment where the first partition portion 121 is a conductive material, the second partition portion 122 can electrically isolate the first partition portion 121 and the second electrode, thereby electrically isolating the second electrode and the touch electrode.

[0155] For example, see Figure 4 A first recess 1241 is formed between the first partition portion 121, the second partition portion 122 and the pixel definition layer 130, and a depth H3 of the first recess 1241 ranges from 500nm to 800nm, thereby preventing the depth H3 of the first recess 1241 from being too small, so that the partition structure 120 has a better isolation effect on the second electrode and the touch electrode. It can also prevent the depth H3 of the first recess 1241 from being too large, so that the first recess 1241 is easier to be filled with other film layers, thereby preventing pores from being formed in the first recess 1241 in the display panel 100 product and affecting the display effect.

[0156] For example, the depth H3 of the first recess 1241 may be 500 nm, 600 nm, 700 nm, 800 nm, or any value between 500 nm and 800 nm.

[0157] The light-emitting unit provided in the embodiments of the present application is further described below.

[0158] In some embodiments, the display panel 100 includes a light-emitting unit. The light-emitting unit may include a first electrode 111 (FIG. 1), a light-emitting functional layer, and a second electrode that are sequentially stacked in a direction away from the substrate 101. For example, a portion of the first electrode 111 may be covered by the pixel definition layer 130 (FIG. 1), and another portion of the first electrode 111 may be exposed by the pixel opening 131, and the other portion of the first electrode 111 may be located between the pixel opening 131 and the substrate 101. At least a portion of the light-emitting functional layer and at least a portion of the second electrode may be located within the pixel opening 131.

[0159] For example, one of the first electrode 111 and the second electrode may be an anode, and the other of the first electrode 111 and the second electrode may be a cathode. The present embodiment is described by taking the first electrode 111 as an anode and the second electrode as a cathode as an example.

[0160] Exemplarily, the first electrode 111 may be electrically connected to a pixel driving circuit, and the pixel driving circuit may be electrically connected to a first power line. The second electrode may be electrically connected to a second power line. One of the first power line and the second power line is used to transmit a high voltage, and the other is used to transmit a low voltage. For example, the first power line is used to transmit a high voltage, and the second power line is used to transmit a low voltage.

[0161] Exemplarily, there may be a plurality of light-emitting units, and the plurality of light-emitting units may be arranged in an array.

[0162] Exemplarily, the light-emitting functional layer may include a light-emitting layer (Emission layer, EML).

[0163] Exemplarily, the light-emitting functional layer may also include one or more of a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an electron injection layer (EIL), an electron transport layer (ETL), a hole blocking layer (HBL) and an electron blocking layer (EBL).

[0164] Exemplarily, the plurality of light-emitting units include, but are not limited to, a first light-emitting unit, a second light-emitting unit, and a third light-emitting unit that emit light of different colors. For example, the first light-emitting unit, the second light-emitting unit, and the third light-emitting unit may be a red light-emitting unit, a green light-emitting unit, and a blue light-emitting unit, respectively. In some other examples, the plurality of light-emitting units may also include a white light-emitting unit.

[0165] The following is a description of a method for manufacturing the display panel 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0166] The method for manufacturing the display panel 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application can be used to manufacture the display panel 100 in the above embodiment. Fig.18 , the preparation method may include the following steps:

[0167] S110: providing a substrate.

[0168] First, see Figure 6 , providing a substrate 101, which can provide support for the remaining film layers that are subsequently arranged.

[0169] Referring to 7, after providing the substrate 101, the method may include forming a plurality of first electrodes 111 spaced apart on one side of the substrate 101, wherein the thickness of the first electrodes 111 ranges from 1.2 μm to 1.6 μm, thereby preventing the first electrodes 111 from being too thin and affecting the display effect and service life of the display panel 100, and preventing the first electrodes 111 from being too thick, which is beneficial to making the display panel 100 thinner and reducing the manufacturing cost of the display panel 100. The first electrodes 111 may be formed before the pixel definition layer 130, or the first electrodes 111 may be formed after the pixel definition layer 130, and the embodiment of the present application does not limit the order of forming the first electrodes 111 and the pixel definition layer 130.

[0170] S120: forming a pixel definition layer on one side of the substrate.

[0171] See also Figure 8 After providing the substrate 101, the method may include forming a pixel definition layer 130 on a side of the substrate 101 facing the first electrode 111, wherein the pixel definition layer 130 surrounds the periphery of each first electrode 111. The pixel definition layer 130 surrounds and forms a plurality of pixel openings 131, and the first electrodes 111 are disposed correspondingly to the pixel openings 131. The pixel openings 131 expose the corresponding first electrodes 111.

[0172] S130: forming a partition structure and a support structure on a side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate; wherein the partition structure comprises a first partition portion and a second partition portion located on a side of the first partition portion facing the substrate; the support structure comprises a first sub-portion and a second sub-portion located on a side of the first sub-portion facing the substrate; the first sub-portion and the first partition portion are of the same layer and material, and the second sub-portion and the second partition portion are of the same layer and material.

[0173] See also Fig.15 After forming the pixel definition layer 130 on one side of the substrate 101 , the method may include forming a partition structure 120 and a support structure 150 on a side of the pixel definition layer 130 facing away from the substrate 101 .

[0174] For example, see Figure 8 and Fig.15 After forming the pixel definition layer 130 on the side of the substrate 101 facing the first electrode 111, the method may include forming a protective material layer 140a on the side of the first electrode 111 facing away from the substrate 101. The protective material layer 140a located on the side of the first electrode 111 facing away from the substrate 101 is a third protective material portion 1433a. The third protective material portion 1433a can protect the first electrode 111 in the subsequent etching process, reduce the damage to the first electrode 111 caused by the etching process, thereby facilitating the increase of the thickness of the first electrode 111, and facilitating the thickness of the first electrode 111 to be greater than 1.2 μm, thereby preventing the first electrode 111 from being too thin and affecting the display effect and service life of the display panel 100.

[0175] For example, see Figure 8 In the process of forming the protective material layer 140a on the side of the first electrode 111 away from the substrate 101, it can also include forming the protective material layer 140a on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 away from the substrate 101, so that the protective material layer 140a can better cover the first electrode 111, which can improve the protective effect of the protective material layer 140a on the first electrode 111. In addition, the protective material layer 140a located on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 away from the substrate 101 can protect the pixel definition layer 130 in the subsequent etching process.

[0176] For example, see Fig.15 The protective material layer 140a located on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 facing away from the substrate 101 includes a second protective material portion 1432a, and the second protective material portion 1432a is connected to the first protective material portion 1431a. The orthographic projection of the second protective material portion 1432a on the substrate 101 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the surface of the partition structure 120 facing the substrate 101 on the substrate 101. The second protective material portion 1432a can improve the protective effect of the third protective material layer 140a on the first electrode 111. In addition, the second protective material portion 1432a can protect the pixel definition layer 130 in the subsequent etching process.

[0177] Exemplarily, along the direction from the third protective material portion 1433a to the second protective material portion 1432a, the size of the second protective material portion 1432a is greater than or equal to 10 μm, so as to better protect the first electrode 111. For example, the size may be 10 μm, 12 μm, 14 μm or any value greater than 10 μm.

[0178] For example, see Fig.15The protective material layer 140a located on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 away from the substrate 101 includes a first protective material portion 1431a, and the first protective material portion 1431a is located between the partition structure 120 and the pixel definition layer 130. The first protective material portion 1431a can prevent the partition structure 120 and the protective material layer 140a from having a gap along the extension direction of the substrate 110, thereby improving the protective effect of the protective material layer 140a on the pixel definition layer 130.

[0179] For example, see Fig.15 The first protective material portion 1431a is enclosed to form an opening 144, and the opening 144 penetrates the first protective material portion 1431a along the thickness direction of the substrate 101. The opening 144 can expose the pixel definition layer 130. During the heating process of the second partition material layer 122a, the organic film layer located on the side of the protective material layer 140a facing the substrate 101, such as the pixel definition layer 130, will produce gas. The opening 144 can be conducive to releasing the gas, thereby avoiding bubbling or rupture of the protective material layer 140a due to the inability to release the gas.

[0180] For example, see Fig. 9 , forming a protective material layer 140a on the side of the first electrode 111 away from the substrate 101, may include sequentially forming a first protective material layer 141a and a second protective material layer 142a on the side of the first electrode 111 away from the substrate 101, and by providing the first protective material layer 141a and the second protective material layer 142a with different materials, the protective effect of the protective material layer 140a can be improved.

[0181] In the support structure 150 ( Figure 2 ) in the second embodiment, see Figure 8 After forming the pixel definition layer 130 on the side of the substrate 101 facing the first electrode 111, and before forming the protective material layer 140a on the side of the first electrode 111 facing away from the substrate 101, it may include forming a first supporting portion 151 on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 facing away from the substrate 101, wherein the first supporting portion 151 includes the fifth sub-portion of the supporting structure 150, for example, the first supporting portion 151 forms the fifth sub-portion. The process of forming the protective material layer 140a on the side of the first electrode 111 away from the substrate 101 may also include forming the protective material layer 140a on the side of the first support portion 151 away from the substrate 101, and forming the fourth sub-portion 1521 (Figure 1) of the protective material layer 140a located on the side of the first support portion 151 away from the substrate 101, that is, the process of forming the protective material layer 140a on the side of the first electrode 111 away from the substrate 101 also includes forming the fourth sub-portion 1521 of the support structure 150, and the fourth sub-portion 1521 may be located between the third sub-portion and the second sub-portion 1522.

[0182] In some embodiments, see Fig.15 After forming a protective material layer 140a on the side of the first electrode 111 facing away from the substrate 101, it can include forming a partition structure 120 on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 facing away from the substrate 101, and the orthographic projection of the partition structure 120 on the substrate 101 is located within the orthographic projection of the pixel definition layer 130 on the substrate 101.

[0183] See also Figure 10-13 and Fig.15 , a first embodiment of forming the partition structure 120 on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 away from the substrate 101 is described. Fig.10 A second partition material layer 122a is formed on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 away from the substrate 101, and the second partition material layer 122a covers the side of the protection material layer 140a away from the substrate 101 and fills the opening 144. Fig.11 , the second partition material layer 122a is subjected to a first patterning process to expose the protective material layer 140a located on the side of the first electrode 111 away from the substrate 101. Fig.12 A first partition material layer 121a is formed on the side of the second partition material layer 122a and the protective material layer 140a away from the substrate 101. Fig.13 , the first partition material layer 121a is subjected to a second patterning process to expose a portion of the second partition material layer 122a, and the retained first partition material layer 121a at least forms a first partition portion 121 ( Fig.15 ). See Fig.15 , the exposed second partition material layer 122a is subjected to a third patterning process to form a first recess 1241 between the pixel definition layer 130, the first partition portion 121 and the second partition material layer 122a, and the retained second partition material layer 122a at least forms the second partition portion 122. In this way, during the third patterning process, since the side of the first electrode 111 and / or the pixel definition layer 130 facing away from the substrate 101 is provided with a protective material layer 140a, damage to the first electrode 111 and / or the pixel definition layer 130 by the third patterning process can be avoided.

[0184] See also Fig.10 , Fig.14 and Fig.15 , a second embodiment of forming the partition structure 120 on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 away from the substrate 101 is described. Fig.10 , a second partition material layer 122a is formed on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 away from the substrate 101, and the second partition material layer 122a covers the side of the protection material layer 140a away from the substrate 101 and fills the opening 144. Then, see Fig.14, a first partition material layer 121a is formed on the side of the second partition material layer 122a away from the substrate 101. Fig.15 , the first partition material layer 121a and the second partition material layer 122a are subjected to a fourth patterning process to expose the protective material layer 140a located on the side of the first electrode 111 away from the substrate 101, and a first recess 1241 is formed between the pixel definition layer 130, the first partition material layer 121a, and the second partition material layer 122a. The retained first partition material layer 121a at least forms the first partition portion 121, and the retained second partition material layer 122a at least forms the second partition portion 122. In this way, the first partition portion 121 and the second partition portion 122 can be formed simultaneously by the fourth patterning process, which can simplify the preparation process of the partition structure 120 and reduce the preparation cost.

[0185] Exemplarily, an etching process (dry etching and / or wet etching) may be used to pattern the film layer. For example, an etching process may be used to perform the fourth patterning process, and the etching rate of the second partition material layer 122a is greater than the etching rate of the first partition material layer 121a. During the fourth patterning process, after the first partition material layer 121a is etched through in the thickness direction, the etching rate of the second partition material layer 122a is greater, and the second partition material layer 122a is "hollowed out", so that the partition structure 120 forms an undercut structure with a larger top and a smaller bottom.

[0186] In a second embodiment of the support structure 150, see Fig.15 In the process of forming the partition structure 120 on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 away from the substrate 101 , the method further includes: sequentially forming a second sub-portion 1522 and a first sub-portion 1523 on the side of the fourth sub-portion 1521 away from the substrate 101 .

[0187] Exemplarily, the second sub-portion 1522 may be formed by the second partition material layer 122a, so that the second partition portion 122 and the second sub-portion 1522 may be simultaneously prepared and formed by the second partition material layer 122a, so as to simplify the preparation process and reduce the preparation cost.

[0188] Exemplarily, the first sub-portion 1523 can be formed by the first partition material layer 121a, so that the first partition portion 121 and the first sub-portion 1523 can be prepared by the first partition material layer 121a at the same time, so as to simplify the preparation process and reduce the preparation cost. Among them, the first support portion 151, the fourth sub-portion 1521, the second sub-portion 1522 and the first sub-portion 1523 together form the support structure 150. The orthographic projection of the support structure 150 on the substrate 101 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the partition structure 120 on the substrate 101. The principle has been explained and will not be repeated.

[0189] Illustratively, in the process of forming a plurality of first electrodes 111 spaced apart on one side of the substrate 101, a third sub-portion of the support structure 150 is formed, and the third sub-portion is located on the side of the second sub-portion 1522 away from the first sub-portion 1523. At this time, the third sub-portion and the first electrode 111 are arranged in the same layer and with the same material.

[0190] In the first embodiment of the support structure 150, after the partition structure 120 is formed on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 away from the substrate 101, the support structure 150 may be formed on the side of the partition structure 120 away from the substrate 101, that is, the support structure 150 is located on the side of the partition structure 120 away from the substrate 101. The principle has been explained and will not be repeated here.

[0191] In some embodiments, see Figure 3 , Fig.16 and Fig.17 After forming the partition structure 120 on the side of the pixel definition layer 130 away from the substrate 101, the method may include thinning at least a portion of the protective material layer 140a, and then removing the thinned protective material layer 140a to expose the first electrode 111, so that the subsequently formed light-emitting functional layer can contact the first electrode 111. In this way, by thinning at least a portion of the protective material layer 140a first, the time for removing the thinned protective material layer 140a can be shortened, thereby alleviating the damage to the first electrode 111 caused by the step of removing the thinned protective material layer 140a.

[0192] For example, the protective material layer 140a is thinned using a hydrofluoric acid solution, which has a high thinning efficiency and good thinning uniformity. In addition, the hydrofluoric acid solution can clean away byproducts generated during the etching process.

[0193] Exemplarily, plasma ashing is used to remove the thinned protective material layer 140 a , which causes less damage to the first electrode 111 and is beneficial for increasing the thickness of the first electrode 111 .

[0194] In some embodiments, the protective material layer 140 a may not be thinned, and at least a portion of the protective material layer 140 a may be directly removed by a plasma ashing process, thereby simplifying the preparation process.

[0195] In the embodiment where the protective material layer 140a includes a first protective material layer 141a and a second protective material layer 142a, see Fig.17, thinning the protective material layer 140a may include removing at least a portion of the second protective material layer 142a to at least expose the first protective material layer 141a located on the side of the first electrode 111 away from the substrate 101. Thinning the protective material layer 140a by removing at least a portion of the second protective material layer 142a is beneficial to controlling the thickness of the thinned protective material layer 140a, and is also beneficial to controlling the thickness of the thinned protective material layer 140a. Figure 3 Removing the thinned protective material layer 140 a may include removing the exposed first protective material layer 141 a , thereby reducing damage to the first electrode 111 .

[0196] See also Figure 2 and Fig.15 In an embodiment where the second protection material portion 1432 a is formed and at least a portion of the second protection material portion 1432 a is retained, the retained second protection material portion 1432 a forms the second protection portion 1432 .

[0197] See also Figure 2 and Fig.15 In an embodiment in which the first protection material portion 1431 a is formed and at least a portion of the first protection material portion 1431 a is retained, the retained first protection material portion 1431 a forms the first protection portion 1431 .

[0198] It is understandable that the protective material layer 140 a may also be completely removed, so that the protective material layer 140 a cannot be observed in the product of the display panel 100 , that is, the protective layer 140 cannot be observed in the product of the display panel 100 .

[0199] In the case of using “including”, “having”, and “comprising” described herein, another component may be added unless a clear limiting term such as “only”, “consisting of”, etc. is used. Unless mentioned otherwise, a term in the singular form may include a plural form and should not be understood as being one in number.

[0200] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0201] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that: include: substrate; A pixel definition layer is disposed on one side of the substrate; A partition structure and a support structure are arranged on a side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate; The partition structure comprises a first partition portion and a second partition portion located on a side of the first partition portion facing the substrate; The support structure comprises a first sub-section and a second sub-section located on a side of the first sub-section facing the substrate; The first sub-portion and the first partition portion are formed in the same layer and made of the same material, and the second sub-portion and the second partition portion are formed in the same layer and made of the same material.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel includes a plurality of first electrodes, the pixel definition layer is arranged around the periphery of each of the first electrodes; the pixel definition layer is surrounded to form a plurality of pixel openings, the first electrodes are arranged corresponding to the pixel openings, and the pixel openings expose the corresponding first electrodes; Preferably, the support structure comprises a third sub-section, the third sub-section is located on a side of the second sub-section away from the first sub-section, and the third sub-section and the first electrode are in the same layer and made of the same material; Preferably, the display panel comprises a protective layer, and the protective layer is at least located between the pixel definition layer and the partition structure; Preferably, the support structure comprises a fourth sub-section, the fourth sub-section is located between the third sub-section and the second sub-section, and the fourth sub-section and the protective layer are made of the same layer and material; Preferably, the support structure comprises a fifth sub-section, and the fifth sub-section is located on a side of the third sub-section away from the first sub-section; Preferably, the material of the fifth sub-section includes an organic material; Preferably, the orthographic projections of the protective layer and the partition structure on the substrate are both located within the orthographic projection of the pixel definition layer on the substrate; Preferably, the protection layer includes a first protection portion, and the first protection portion is located between the partition structure and the pixel definition layer; Preferably, the first protection portion is provided with an opening, and the opening penetrates the first protection portion along the thickness direction of the substrate; Preferably, the distance between the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first protection portion on the substrate and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the opening on the substrate is greater than or equal to 5 μm; Preferably, the protective layer includes a second protective portion connected to the first protective portion, and an orthographic projection of the second protective portion on the substrate does not overlap with an orthographic projection of a surface of the partition structure facing the substrate on the substrate; Preferably, the display panel comprises a light-emitting functional layer and a second electrode, the light-emitting functional layer is at least partially located in the pixel opening, and the second electrode is located on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the first electrode; Preferably, a touch electrode is disposed on a side of the partition structure facing away from the substrate, and the touch electrode and the second electrode are made of the same layer and material; Preferably, the orthographic projection of the second partition portion on the substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the first partition portion on the substrate; Preferably, the material of the first partition portion includes an inorganic insulating material; Preferably, the material of the first partition portion includes at least one of silicon oxide and silicon nitride; Preferably, the material of the first partition portion includes a conductive material; Preferably, the material of the first partition portion includes indium tin oxide; Preferably, the material of the second partition portion includes an organic insulating material; Preferably, the material of the second partition portion includes polyimide; Preferably, a depression is formed between the first partition portion, the second partition portion and the pixel definition layer, and the depth of the depression ranges from 500nm to 800nm; Preferably, the thickness of the first electrode is in the range of 1.2 μm-1.6 μm.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The distance between the substrate and the surface of the support structure facing away from the substrate is greater than the distance between the substrate and the surface of the partition structure facing away from the substrate; Preferably, the orthographic projection of the supporting structure on the substrate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the partition structure on the substrate.

4. The display panel according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The protective layer comprises a first protective layer and a second protective layer arranged in sequence in a direction away from the substrate; Preferably, the thickness of the first protective layer is less than the thickness of the second protective layer; Preferably, the material of at least one of the first protective layer and the second protective layer comprises an inorganic insulating material; Preferably, the material of the first protective layer includes silicon nitride; Preferably, the material of the second protective layer includes silicon oxide; Preferably, at least one of the first protective layer and the second protective layer has a thickness in the range of 10 nm to 15 nm.

5. A display device, characterized in that: The display panel comprises any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A method for preparing a display panel, characterized in that: include: providing a substrate; forming a pixel definition layer on one side of the substrate; forming a partition structure and a support structure on a side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate; Among them, the partition structure includes a first partition part and a second partition part located on the side of the first partition part facing the substrate; the supporting structure includes a first sub-part and a second sub-part located on the side of the first sub-part facing the substrate; the first sub-part and the first partition part are of the same layer and material, and the second sub-part and the second partition part are of the same layer and material.

7. The method for preparing a display panel according to claim 6, characterized in that: After providing the substrate, the method further comprises: A plurality of first electrodes are formed on one side of the substrate and are arranged at intervals; the pixel definition layer is arranged around the periphery of each of the first electrodes, and the pixel definition layer is surrounded to form a plurality of pixel openings, the first electrodes and the pixel openings are arranged correspondingly, and the pixel openings expose the corresponding first electrodes; Preferably, the process of forming a plurality of first electrodes spaced apart on one side of the substrate further includes forming a third sub-portion of the support structure, the third sub-portion being located on a side of the second sub-portion away from the first sub-portion; Preferably, after forming the pixel definition layer on one side of the substrate and before forming the partition structure and the support structure on the side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate, the method further comprises: forming a protective material layer on a side of the first electrode facing away from the substrate; Preferably, in the process of forming the protective material layer on the side of the first electrode away from the substrate, the method further includes: forming a fourth sub-section of the support structure, wherein the fourth sub-section is located between the third sub-section and the second sub-section; Preferably, in the process of forming a protective material layer on a side of the first electrode away from the substrate, the method further includes: forming a protective material layer on a side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate; Preferably, the protective material layer located on a side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate comprises a first protective material portion, and the first protective material portion is located between the partition structure and the pixel definition layer; Preferably, the protective material layer located on the side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate includes a second protective material portion connected to the first protective material portion, and the orthographic projection of the second protective material portion on the substrate does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the surface of the partition structure facing the substrate on the substrate; Preferably, the first protective material portion is provided with an opening, and the opening penetrates the first protective material portion along the thickness direction of the substrate.

8. The method for preparing a display panel according to claim 7, characterized in that: The partition structure and the support structure are formed on the side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate, comprising: forming a second partition material layer on a side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate; performing a first patterning process on the second partition material layer to expose the protective material layer located on a side of the first electrode facing away from the substrate; forming a first partition material layer on a side of the second partition material layer and the protective material layer facing away from the substrate; Performing a second patterning process on the first partition material layer to expose a portion of the second partition material layer, and the remaining first partition material layer forms the first partition portion and the first sub-portion; Performing a third patterning process on the exposed second partition material layer to form a recess between the pixel definition layer, the first partition material layer and the second partition material layer, and the retained second partition material layer forms the second partition portion and the second sub-portion; Alternatively, a second partition material layer is formed on a side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate; forming a first partition material layer on a side of the second partition material layer facing away from the substrate; Performing a fourth patterning process on the first partition material layer and the second partition material layer to expose the protective material layer located on the side of the first electrode facing away from the substrate, and forming a recess between the pixel definition layer, the first partition material layer and the second partition material layer, the retained first partition material layer forms the first partition portion and the first sub-portion, and the retained second partition material layer forms the second partition portion and the second sub-portion; Preferably, the fourth patterning process is performed by an etching process, and an etching rate of the second partition material layer is greater than an etching rate of the first partition material layer.

9. The method for preparing a display panel according to claim 7, characterized in that: After forming a partition structure and a support structure on a side of the pixel definition layer away from the substrate, the method comprises: Performing a thinning process on at least a portion of the protective material layer; removing the thinned protective material layer to expose the first electrode; Preferably, the retained first protective material portion forms a first protective portion; Preferably, the retained second protective material portion forms a second protective portion; Preferably, the protective material layer is thinned using a hydrofluoric acid solution; Preferably, plasma ashing is used to remove the thinned protective material layer; Preferably, forming a protective material layer on a side of the first electrode away from the substrate comprises: sequentially forming a first protective material layer and a second protective material layer on a side of the first electrode away from the substrate; The thinning of the protective material layer comprises: removing at least a portion of the second protective material layer to expose the first protective material layer located on the side of the first electrode away from the substrate; The removing the thinned protective material layer includes: removing the exposed first protective material layer.

10. The method for preparing a display panel according to claim 7, characterized in that: After forming the pixel definition layer on one side of the substrate and before forming the protective material layer on the side of the first electrode facing away from the substrate, the method includes: forming the fifth sub-section of the support structure on the side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate; the fifth sub-section is located on the side of the third sub-section facing away from the first sub-section.

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