Display panel, manufacturing method thereof and display device

Abstract

The invention discloses a display panel and a manufacturing method thereof and a display device.The display panel comprises a substrate, a pixel definition layer and a light-emitting unit, the display panel further comprises a partition layer, the partition layer is arranged below the pixel definition layer, and under orthographic projection of the substrate, the boundary of the partition layer is within the projection range of the pixel definition layer; a preset distance is formed between the partition layer and the projection boundary of the pixel definition layer, and the pixel definition layer and the partition layer form a partition structure; the light-emitting unit comprises a cathode, a light-emitting functional layer and an anode, the cathode is arranged on the substrate, the light-emitting functional layer is arranged on the cathode, and the anode is arranged on the light-emitting functional layer; and the partition structure is used for partitioning the cathode and forming a cathode redundancy part on the pixel definition layer when the cathode is subjected to whole-surface deposition. According to the scheme, the partition structures are arranged, so that the cathodes are deposited on the whole surface through the partition structures, the light-emitting efficiency of the light-emitting units is improved, and the quality of the display panel is improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display devices are widely used in various fields due to their light weight, wide viewing angle, fast response, low temperature resistance, high luminous efficiency, and the ability to produce curved flexible displays. As mass production technology becomes increasingly mature, OLED display panels are gradually becoming mainstream real panels.

[0003] Existing organic light-emitting display panels mainly include two categories, one is an upright organic light-emitting display panel, wherein the light-emitting unit in the upright organic light-emitting display panel includes an anode, a light-emitting functional layer and a cathode stacked in sequence from a base substrate; the other is an inverted organic light-emitting display panel, which includes a cathode, a light-emitting functional layer and an anode stacked in sequence from a base substrate. For an upright organic light-emitting display panel, the active metal in the cathode is easily corroded by water and oxygen, resulting in a reduction in the life of the display panel. For an inverted organic light-emitting display panel, the active metal in the cathode is also easily oxidized during the manufacturing process or has problems such as process residues, resulting in low luminous efficiency of the inverted organic light-emitting display panel. In this regard, the art is in urgent need of a solution to the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present application is to provide a display panel, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device. By setting a partition structure, the cathode is deposited through the entire surface of the partition structure without the need for an etching step, thereby reducing the possibility of active metals in the cathode being oxidized during the process or having process residues, improving the luminous efficiency of the light-emitting unit, and improving the quality of the display panel.

[0005] The present application discloses a display panel, comprising a base substrate, a pixel definition layer and a light-emitting unit, wherein the pixel definition layer is arranged on the base substrate and is provided with a plurality of opening areas, and the light-emitting unit is arranged on the base substrate and is located in the opening areas; the display panel also comprises a partition layer, wherein the partition layer is arranged under the pixel definition layer, and under the orthographic projection of the base substrate, the boundary of the partition layer is within the projection range of the pixel definition layer and has a preset distance from the projection boundary of the pixel definition layer, and the pixel definition layer and the partition layer form a partition structure; the light-emitting unit comprises a cathode, a light-emitting functional layer and an anode, wherein the cathode is arranged on the base substrate, the light-emitting functional layer is arranged on the cathode, and the anode is arranged on the light-emitting functional layer; the partition structure is used to isolate the cathode from a cathode redundant portion formed on the pixel definition layer when the cathode is deposited on the entire surface.

[0006] Optionally, the cathode is formed of magnesium or silver material; the anode is formed of one or both of magnesium material and silver material, and a plurality of the light-emitting units share the anode; and light from the light-emitting unit is emitted from one side of the substrate.

[0007] Optionally, the light-emitting functional layer includes an electron transport layer, a light-emitting layer and a hole transport layer, the electron transport layer is arranged on the cathode, the light-emitting layer is arranged on the electron transport layer, the hole transport layer is arranged on the light-emitting layer, and the anode is arranged on the hole transport layer.

[0008] Optionally, the display panel also includes a cathode auxiliary electrode, which is formed of a transparent metal oxide material, is arranged under the cathode and is electrically connected to the cathode; the cathode auxiliary electrodes of two adjacent light-emitting units are separated by the pixel definition layer; and the isolation layer is arranged on the cathode auxiliary electrode.

[0009] Optionally, the partition layer is formed of a metal material; a gap is provided between the cathode and the partition structure; and the preset distance is greater than or equal to 5000 angstroms and less than or equal to 50000 angstroms.

[0010] The present application also discloses a method for manufacturing a display panel, comprising the steps of:

[0011] Providing a substrate;

[0012] Depositing a barrier layer on the substrate;

[0013] Depositing a pixel definition layer on the isolation layer, patterning the pixel definition layer, and then etching the isolation layer, so that the pixel definition layer and the isolation layer form an isolation structure;

[0014] Depositing cathode material on the entire surface to form a cathode in the opening area;

[0015] forming a light-emitting functional layer and an anode in sequence to form a plurality of light-emitting units;

[0016] Wherein, under the orthographic projection of the base substrate, the boundary of the isolation layer is within the projection range of the pixel definition layer and has a preset distance from the projection boundary of the pixel definition layer.

[0017] Optionally, the step of forming a substrate isolation layer on the substrate includes:

[0018] Depositing a cathode auxiliary electrode and a partition layer in sequence on the substrate;

[0019] Sequentially etching the partition layer and the cathode auxiliary electrode at the non-opening area to form a partition hole;

[0020] The step of depositing a pixel definition layer on the isolation layer, patterning the pixel definition layer, and then etching the isolation layer so that the pixel definition layer and the isolation layer form an isolation structure includes:

[0021] A pixel definition layer is formed at the non-opening area; wherein the pixel definition layer fills the partition hole, and the radial width of the pixel definition layer is greater than the width of the partition hole;

[0022] The partition layer is etched using the pixel definition layer as a protection layer, so that the pixel definition layer and the partition layer form a partition structure.

[0023] Optionally, the step of depositing cathode material on the entire surface and forming a cathode in the opening area includes:

[0024] Depositing cathode material on the entire surface, forming a cathode in the opening area, and forming a cathode redundancy portion on the pixel definition layer; wherein the partition structure is used to separate the cathode from the cathode redundancy portion;

[0025] The step of sequentially forming a light-emitting functional layer and an anode to form a plurality of light-emitting units includes:

[0026] Using the partition structure to form a light-emitting functional layer of a plurality of light-emitting units in the opening area;

[0027] The anode is deposited on the entire surface to form a plurality of light-emitting units.

[0028] Optionally, the thickness of the cathode is greater than or equal to 100 angstroms and less than or equal to 300 angstroms; the preset distance is greater than or equal to 5000 angstroms and less than or equal to 50000 angstroms; and the thickness of the isolation layer is greater than or equal to 100 angstroms and less than or equal to 600 angstroms.

[0029] The present application also discloses a display device, comprising a driving circuit and the above-mentioned display panel, wherein the driving circuit is used to drive the display panel to display.

[0030] The present application forms a partition structure by utilizing a partition layer and a pixel definition layer. The partition structure can be arranged around each opening area, so that in the process of forming the cathode, a whole-surface deposition process can be used, and cathode materials are laid at various positions of the substrate. However, in the opening area, the cathodes between adjacent light-emitting units can be completely separated by the partition structure, and the cathode redundancy layer remaining on the pixel definition layer is also disconnected from the cathode to prevent the problem of current crosstalk. The present application avoids the problem of oxidation of active metal materials in the cathode when etching the cathode pattern in the subsequent process by the process of whole-surface deposition of cathode materials, and also avoids the influence caused by the residue of etching materials during the etching process. It is worth mentioning that the present application uses a partition structure to form the cathode. By using active metal as the cathode, on the one hand, the oxidation of the active metal of the cathode can be avoided, and on the other hand, the work function of the cathode can be reduced to improve the phenomenon that hole injection and electron injection in the inverted organic light-emitting display panel cannot be balanced, and solves the problem of low luminous efficiency of the current inverted organic light-emitting display panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] The included drawings are used to provide a further understanding of the embodiments of the present application, which constitute a part of the specification, are used to illustrate the implementation methods of the present application, and together with the text description, explain the principles of the present application. 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 creative work. In the drawings:

[0032] Figure 1 is a schematic top view of a display panel according to a first embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross section along the cutting line AA;

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an inverted organic light emitting display panel of the present application;

[0035] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a display panel according to a second embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 5 This application Figure 4 An enlarged schematic diagram of a partition structure;

[0037] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a method for manufacturing a display panel of the present application;

[0038] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the process of manufacturing the display panel of the present application;

[0039] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of a display device of the present application.

[0040] Among them, 100, display panel; 101, opening area; 102, non-opening area; 110, base substrate; 120, pixel definition layer; 130, light-emitting unit; 131, anode; 132, light-emitting functional layer; 1321, electron transport layer; 1322, light-emitting layer; 1323, hole transport layer; 1324, electron injection layer; 1325, hole blocking layer; 1326, electron blocking layer; 1327, hole injection layer; 133, cathode; 134, cathode auxiliary electrode; 135, cathode redundant part; 140, partition layer; 141, partition structure; 150, drive circuit layer; 200, display device; 210, drive circuit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] It should be understood that the terms used herein, the specific structures and functional details disclosed are only for describing specific embodiments and are representative, but the present application can be implemented in many alternative forms and should not be construed as being limited to only the embodiments described herein.

[0042] In the description of the present application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features; "multiple" means two or more. In addition, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", etc. indicating orientation or positional relationships are described based on the orientation or relative positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the simplified description of the present application, rather than indicating that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0043] The present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and optional embodiments.

[0044] Figure 1 is a schematic top view of a display panel according to the first embodiment of the present application, Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross section along the cutting line AA, see Figure 1-2As shown, the present application discloses a display panel 100, which includes a base substrate 110, a pixel definition layer 120, a light-emitting unit 130 and a partition layer 140. The pixel definition layer 120 is arranged on the base substrate 110 and is provided with a plurality of opening areas 101. The light-emitting unit 130 is arranged on the base substrate 110 and is located in the opening area 101; the partition layer 140 is arranged under the pixel definition layer 120. Under the orthographic projection of the base substrate 110, the boundary of the partition layer 140 is within the projection range of the pixel definition layer 120 and is aligned with the pixel The projection boundary of the definition layer 120 has a preset distance w, and the pixel definition layer 120 and the isolation layer 140 form an isolation structure 141; the light-emitting unit 130 includes a cathode 133, a light-emitting functional layer 132 and an anode 131, the cathode 133 is arranged on the base substrate 110, the light-emitting functional layer 132 is arranged on the cathode 133, and the anode 131 is arranged on the light-emitting functional layer 132; the isolation structure 141 is used to isolate the cathode 133 from the cathode redundant part 135 formed on the pixel definition layer 120 when the cathode 133 is deposited on the entire surface.

[0045] The present application forms a partition structure 141 by using a partition layer 140 and a pixel definition layer 120. The partition structure 141 can be arranged around each opening area 101, so that in the process of forming the cathode 133, a whole-surface deposition process can be used. Cathode 133 material is laid at various positions of the substrate 110, but in the opening area 101, the cathodes 133 between adjacent light-emitting units 130 can be completely separated by the partition structure 141, and the cathode 133 redundant layer of the remaining part of the pixel definition layer 120 is also disconnected from the cathode 133 to prevent the problem of current crosstalk. The present application avoids the problem of oxidation of active metal materials in the cathode 133 when etching the cathode 133 pattern in the subsequent process by depositing the cathode 133 material on the whole surface, and also avoids the influence caused by the residual etching material during the etching process. It is worth mentioning that the present application uses a partition structure 141 to form a cathode 133. By using an active metal as the cathode 133, on the one hand, oxidation of the active metal of the cathode 133 can be avoided, and on the other hand, the work function of the cathode 133 can be reduced to improve the phenomenon that the hole injection and electron injection in the inverted organic light-emitting display panel 100 cannot be balanced, thereby solving the problem of low luminous efficiency of the current inverted organic light-emitting display panel 100.

[0046] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an inverted organic light emitting display panel of the present application, see Figure 3As shown, the light-emitting functional layer 132 in the light-emitting unit 130 of the inverted organic light-emitting display panel 100 is different. Generally speaking, the light-emitting functional layer 132 includes an electron transport layer 1321, a light-emitting layer 1322 and a hole transport layer 1323, wherein the electron transport layer 1321 is arranged on the cathode 133, the light-emitting layer 1322 is arranged on the electron transport layer 1321, the hole transport layer 1323 is arranged on the light-emitting layer 1322, and the anode 131 is arranged on the hole transport layer 1323. The electron transport layer 1321 is arranged on a side close to the cathode 133, and the hole transport layer 1323 is arranged on a side close to the anode 131, which is completely opposite to the light-emitting functional layer 132 in the light-emitting unit 130 of the upright organic light-emitting display panel 100. The electron transport layer 1321 in this embodiment is connected to the cathode 133 through an electron injection layer 1324, and a hole blocking layer 1325 is also arranged between the electron transport layer 1321 and the light-emitting layer 1322. The hole transport layer 1323 is connected to the anode 131 through the hole injection layer 1327 , and an electron blocking layer 1321 is further provided between the hole transport layer 1323 and the light emitting layer 1322 .

[0047] The present application adopts bottom emission technology in the inverted organic light emitting display panel 100, that is, a light-transmitting cathode 133 is adopted, and an opaque anode 131 with strong reflective effect is adopted, so that light is emitted from the anode 131 arranged in the upper layer toward the cathode 133 arranged in the lower layer, thereby realizing bottom emission. Generally speaking, for the inverted bottom emission display panel 100, if you want to have a higher luminous efficiency, the work function of the anode 131 is required to be as high as possible, and the work function of the cathode 133 is required to be as low as possible. When the anode 131 is selected as a reflective electrode and the cathode 133 is selected as a light-transmitting electrode, the work function of the anode 131 will be reduced, and the work function of the cathode 133 will be increased, resulting in the problem of low luminous efficiency of the inverted bottom emission display panel 100. Therefore, it is necessary to add a light-transmitting active metal to the cathode 133 to reduce the work function of the cathode 133, and to add an ITO or IZO material with a higher work function to the anode 131 to increase the work function of the anode 131. In the case of adding active metal to the cathode 133, two aspects need to be considered. The first aspect is the light transmittance of the active metal. The transmittance of the metal is related to its lattice structure, which refers to the way in which metal atoms are arranged according to a specific rule. When the lattice structure of the metal is tight enough and there is not enough space for photons to pass through, the metal will show an opaque characteristic. If the thickness of the metal is reduced to a certain extent, photons may pass through the lattice structure of the metal, making the metal translucent. Another solution needs to consider the work function. While setting the thickness considering the light transmittance, the work function also needs to be taken into account, and its thickness also affects the work function. Generally speaking, taking the cathode 133 as an example of being formed of an active metal material, and the active metal material is magnesium or silver, the thickness of the cathode 133 needs to be smaller than the thickness of the reflective metal layer in the anode 131 to achieve a higher luminous efficiency.

[0048] However, when the active metal material used for the cathode 133 is relatively thin, for example, 100 to 300 angstroms, it is easy to be oxidized during the deposition and etching steps in the process; specifically, in the etching process, there are also photoresist residues and etching problems, which will affect the work function of the cathode 133, thereby causing the inverted bottom-emitting display panel 100 to have a low luminous efficiency. In this regard, the present application uses a partition structure 141 formed by a pixel definition layer 120 and a partition layer 140 to form a patterned cathode 133 during the entire surface deposition of the cathode 133. Even when a thinner active metal is formed as the cathode 133, oxidation and other problems will not occur in a vacuum environment. It is worth mentioning that when the active metal deposition of the cathode 133 is relatively thin, it is easy to be oxidized during the deposition process. For the upright top-emitting display panel 100, the cathode 133 material is generally formed of indium tin oxide material, and the anode 131 material is generally formed of two layers of indium tin oxide material sandwiched by a layer of silver material. The thickness of the silver material is relatively thick to form a reflective electrode, and there are two layers of indium tin oxide material for protection, so it is relatively not easy to have oxidation problems. However, for the inverted bottom-emitting display panel 100, there is no indium tin oxide material protection above the cathode 133, and it is very easy to be oxidized in the subsequent process. In this embodiment, the partition structure 141 is used to protect the cathode 133.

[0049] In this embodiment, the manufacturing process sequence of the light emitting unit 130 is to first form the cathode 133 of the bottom layer, then form the light emitting functional layer 132 , and finally form the anode 131 .

[0050] After depositing the entire surface of the cathode 133, no other processes are required, and the light-emitting functional layer 132 can be directly formed, so that the cathode 133 is in direct contact with the light-emitting functional layer 132, and the processes can be performed under the same environment, reducing the impact of the intermediate processes on the cathode 133 and the light-emitting functional layer 132. It can be understood that the cathode 133 mentioned in this embodiment refers to the use of one or two of magnesium materials or silver materials. For example, magnesium and silver are selected in a ratio of 1:9 and evaporated simultaneously to form a cathode. Of course, the cathode 133 material is not limited to the above-mentioned magnesium or silver materials, and other active metals also fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0051] Specifically, the anode 131 is formed by depositing a reflective metal material on the entire surface, and the plurality of light-emitting units 130 share the anode 131; for the inverted bottom-emitting display panel 100 in this embodiment, the light emitting direction of the light-emitting unit 130 is from the anode 131 toward the cathode 133, that is, the light emitted by the light-emitting unit is emitted from one side of the base substrate.

[0052] In order to match the work function of the cathode 133 and the light-emitting functional layer 132, the anode 131 of this embodiment can first use a sputtering process to form a thin layer of indium tin oxide material with a thickness of about 0.01mm to 0.1mm, and then vacuum evaporate a reflective metal material with high reflectivity, which can generally be a silver material. Because the anode 131 does not need to be light-transmissive, the anode 131 can be made thick and formed on the entire surface, so that the resistance drop of the anode 131 formed on the entire surface at different positions is smaller than that of the entire cathode 133 formed by indium tin oxide in the upright top-emitting display panel 100, and the resistance drop at different positions is more uniform, avoiding different voltages at different positions. Among them, another advantage of the inverted bottom-emitting display panel 100 is that after the light-emitting unit 130 completes the process, the emitted light does not emit from the encapsulation layer above the light-emitting unit 130. Therefore, the selectivity of the material and process of the encapsulation layer is greater, and better encapsulation of the light-emitting unit 130 can be achieved.

[0053] Continue to see Figure 2 As shown, the isolation layer 140 can also be formed of a metal material, that is, after the driving circuit layer 150 on the base substrate 110 is processed, a layer of isolation layer 140 is formed on the driving circuit layer 150, and a layer of pixel definition layer 120 is formed on the isolation layer 140. The pixel definition layer 120 is subjected to a patterning process, that is, after a plurality of opening areas 101 are formed on the pixel definition layer 120, the isolation layer 140 is etched using the pattern of the pixel definition layer 120, so that in each non-opening area 102, the radial width of the pixel definition layer 120 is greater than the width of the isolation layer 140, that is, at the junction of the opening area 101 and the non-opening area 102, the pixel definition layer 120 protrudes from the isolation layer 140.

[0054] Of course, in order to prevent the cathodes 133 of two adjacent light-emitting units 130 from overlapping with the partition layer 140 and causing electrical connection, the material of the partition layer 140 can be changed, for example, to a non-conductive material, or an insulating material can be added inside the partition layer 140 to prevent the cathodes 133 of two adjacent light-emitting units 130 from conducting with the partition layer 140. For example, when forming the partition layer 140, a gap can be provided in the partition layer 140 surrounding the opening area 101, and when forming the pixel definition layer 120, the gap is filled by the pixel definition layer 120, so that the partition layers 140 surrounding each opening area 101 are independent and not connected to each other.

[0055] It is worth mentioning that the cathode redundant portion 135 in this embodiment can also be removed in subsequent processes. For example, after forming the light-emitting functional layer 132 , the light-emitting functional layer 132 and the cathode redundant portion 135 above the pixel definition layer 120 can be removed in sequence.

[0056] Figure 4is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a display panel according to a second embodiment of the present application, see Figure 4 As shown, the present application also discloses a display panel 100, which includes a base substrate 110, a pixel definition layer 120, a light-emitting unit 130 and a partition layer 140, wherein the pixel definition layer 120 is disposed on the base substrate 110 and is provided with a plurality of opening areas 101, and the light-emitting unit 130 is disposed on the base substrate 110 and is located in the opening area 101; the partition layer 140 is disposed under the pixel definition layer 120, and under the orthographic projection of the base substrate 110, the boundary of the partition layer 140 is within the projection range of the pixel definition layer 120 and is aligned with the image The projection boundary of the pixel definition layer 120 has a preset distance w, and the pixel definition layer 120 and the isolation layer 140 form an isolation structure 141; the light-emitting unit 130 includes a cathode 133, a light-emitting functional layer 132 and an anode 131, the cathode 133 is arranged on the base substrate 110, the light-emitting functional layer 132 is arranged on the cathode 133, and the anode 131 is arranged on the light-emitting functional layer 132; the isolation structure 141 is used to isolate the cathode 133 from the cathode redundant part 135 formed on the pixel definition layer 120 when the cathode 133 is deposited on the entire surface.

[0057] The display panel 100 further includes a cathode auxiliary electrode 134 . The cathode auxiliary electrode 134 is formed of a transparent metal oxide material. The cathode auxiliary electrode 134 is disposed under the cathode 133 and is electrically connected to the cathode 133 .

[0058] In order to further improve the luminous efficiency of the inverted bottom-emitting light-emitting unit 130, the present embodiment further provides a cathode auxiliary electrode 134 below the cathode 133. The transparent metal oxide material of the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 includes an indium tin oxide material (ITO) or an indium zinc oxide material (IZO), and the light transmittance of such a material is greater than 90% of the metal material. The cathode auxiliary electrode 134 is connected to the pixel active switch in the driving circuit layer 150 through a via hole. It can be understood that a driving circuit layer 150 is also provided on the base substrate 110. The driving circuit layer 150 generally includes a pixel driving circuit of the light-emitting unit 130, such as a pixel active switch, a data driving line, a scanning control line, etc. The cathode 133 of each light-emitting unit 130 is connected to the pixel active switch through the cathode auxiliary electrode 134, and the voltage of the cathode 133 and the shutdown are controlled by the pixel active switch.

[0059] Specifically, the cathode auxiliary electrodes 134 of two adjacent light-emitting units 130 are separated by the pixel definition layer 120. Considering that the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 needs to be directly connected to the cathode 133 of each light-emitting unit 130, the cathode auxiliary electrodes 134 of adjacent light-emitting units 130 also need to be spaced apart to avoid electrical crosstalk. When the partition layer 140 is formed of a metal material, the partition layer 140 is in direct contact with the cathode auxiliary electrode 134, so the partition layers 140 of adjacent light-emitting units 130 also need to be spaced apart.

[0060] Furthermore, the partition layer 140 is disposed on the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 . After the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 and the partition layer 140 are formed on the entire surface, a circle of gaps is disposed around each opening area 101 , and the gaps are filled with the pixel definition layer 120 .

[0061] When the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 is formed of ITO or IZO material, there is a risk of residual organic photoresist on the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 due to the direct contact between ITO and IZO and the organic photoresist or PDL. Once the residual problem occurs, it is necessary to use additional processes such as plasma treatment to remove it, otherwise it will cause device defects and greatly reduce the life. In this embodiment, the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 can be protected by the upper partition layer 140. After the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 and the partition layer 140 are deposited on the entire surface in sequence, an organic photoresist material is formed on the partition layer 140 to form protection, a gap is formed in the non-opening area 102, and a pixel definition layer 120 is formed at the position of the gap. After the pixel definition layer 120 is patterned, the width of the pixel definition layer 120 above the partition layer 140 is greater than the width of the gap. The pixel definition layer 120 is used as a protective layer to etch the partition layer 140 exposed in the opening area 101. The partition layer 140 under the pixel definition layer 120 is protected by the pixel definition layer 120 and is not etched. The partition layer 140 material not protected by the pixel definition layer 120 is etched away, and the etching liquid will also etch away the partition layer 140 material at the edge of the pixel definition layer 120, so that a partition structure 141 is formed between the pixel definition layer 120 and the partition layer 140. In a non-opening area 102, the width of the pixel definition layer 120 is greater than the sum of the width of the underlying partition layer 140 and the width of the gap, that is, under the orthographic projection of the base substrate 110, the boundary of the partition layer 140 is within the projection range of the pixel definition layer 120, and has a preset distance w from the projection boundary of the pixel definition layer 120, and the pixel definition layer 120 and the partition layer 140 form a partition structure 141.

[0062] At this time, the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 is exposed at the position of the opening area 101, and when the cathode 133 is formed, it is directly in contact with the cathode 133 to form an electrode that drives the light-emitting unit 130 to emit light. The cathode auxiliary electrode 134 in this embodiment is never in contact with the organic photoresist, thereby avoiding the problem of the organic photoresist remaining on the cathode auxiliary electrode 134. Moreover, since the material of the partition layer 140 is different from that of the cathode auxiliary electrode 134, the etching solution used in the process of etching the partition layer 140 will only react with the partition metal, and will not react with the cathode auxiliary electrode 134. Therefore, after etching the partition layer 140 that is not below the pixel definition layer 120, the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 is exposed, and a partition structure 141 is formed between the partition layer 140 and the pixel definition layer 120.

[0063] In the process of forming the driving circuit layer 150 , at least one via hole is provided corresponding to the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 of each light emitting unit 130 , so that the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 can be connected to the driving circuit layer 150 .

[0064] Specifically, the via hole corresponding to each light-emitting unit 130 is arranged under the isolation layer 140, so that at the position of the via hole, on the positive projection of the base substrate 110, the edge portion of the isolation layer 140 overlaps with the edge portion of the cathode auxiliary electrode 134. At this time, there is a connection between the isolation layer 140 and the cathode auxiliary electrode 134. The metal material of the isolation layer 140 reduces the resistance drop of the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 here, which can greatly reduce the resistance of the cathode auxiliary electrode 134, thereby improving the luminous efficiency of the light-emitting unit 130.

[0065] In one embodiment, the partition structure 141 in the present application can be realized by setting the parameters of the thickness of the partition layer 140 and the preset distance w, wherein the thickness of the partition layer 140 is the partition height difference, specifically the length of the bottom surface of the portion of the pixel definition layer 120 protruding from the partition layer 140 from the top surface of the cathode auxiliary electrode 134, and the preset distance w is the width of the pixel definition layer 120 protruding from the partition layer 140. Only when the cathode 133 is formed, the patterned cathode 133 is formed by the partition structure 141. When the light-emitting functional layer 132 is subsequently formed, the partition structure 141 can also be used to form a partitioned light-emitting functional layer 132, but because the anode 131 requires a certain degree of flatness and is continuously laid on the entire surface. Therefore, the partition structure 141 also needs to ensure that the anode 131 is not isolated.

[0066] Figure 5 This application Figure 4 See the enlarged schematic diagram of the partition structure. Figure 5As shown, in a specific embodiment, when the thickness of the cathode 133 is between 100 angstroms and 300 angstroms (it is worth mentioning that the length range in this application includes the end value), the thickness h of the partition layer 140 in the partition structure 141 can meet 100 angstroms to 600 angstroms, so as to at least partition the cathode 133. Preferably, it is between 200 angstroms and 500 angstroms.

[0067] In another specific embodiment, when the light-emitting functional layer 132 needs to be isolated, the thickness of the isolation layer 140 needs to be further increased. When the thickness of the light-emitting functional layer 132 is in the range of 100 angstroms to 800 angstroms, the thickness h of the isolation layer 140 is set within 200 angstroms to 1500 angstroms, so that the isolation structure 141 isolates the cathode 133 and the light-emitting functional layer 132 together. Of course, the thickness of the light-emitting functional layer 132 in this embodiment can be the thickness of the electronic paper transmission layer, and can also refer to the overall thickness of the light-emitting functional layer 132. That is, in this embodiment, the isolation of the light-emitting functional layer 132 of multiple light-emitting units 130 can be achieved by isolating one or more film layers in the light-emitting functional layer 132 through the isolation structure 141.

[0068] Specifically, the preset distance w is greater than or equal to 5000 angstroms and less than or equal to 50000 angstroms, and can further be between 10000 angstroms and 30000 angstroms. A shorter preset distance w in this embodiment results in an insignificant partition effect, while a longer preset distance w results in an increased area of ​​the non-opening region 102 .

[0069] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a method for manufacturing a display panel of the present application, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the process of manufacturing the display panel of this application, see Figure 6-7 As shown, the present application also discloses a method for manufacturing a display panel, comprising the steps of:

[0070] S110: providing a substrate;

[0071] S120: depositing a partition layer on the substrate;

[0072] S130: depositing a pixel definition layer on the isolation layer, patterning the pixel definition layer, and then etching the isolation layer, so that the pixel definition layer and the isolation layer form an isolation structure;

[0073] S140: Depositing cathode material on the entire surface to form a cathode in the opening area;

[0074] S150: sequentially forming a light-emitting functional layer and an anode to form a plurality of light-emitting units;

[0075] Wherein, under the orthographic projection of the base substrate 110 , the boundary of the partition layer 140 is within the projection range of the pixel definition layer 120 , and has a preset distance w from the projection boundary of the pixel definition layer 120 .

[0076] In this embodiment, the present application forms a partition structure 141 by utilizing a partition layer 140 and a pixel definition layer 120. The partition structure 141 can be arranged around each opening area 101, so that in the process of forming the cathode 133, a whole-surface deposition process can be used, and cathode 133 materials are laid at various positions of the substrate 110. However, in the opening area 101, the cathodes 133 between adjacent light-emitting units 130 can be completely separated by the partition structure 141, and the redundant layer of the partial cathode 133 remaining on the pixel definition layer 120 is also disconnected from the cathode 133 to prevent the problem of current crosstalk.

[0077] The present application uses a process of depositing the cathode 133 material on the entire surface, thereby avoiding the problem of oxidation of the active metal material in the cathode 133 when etching the cathode 133 pattern, and also avoiding the influence caused by the residual etching material during the etching process. It is worth mentioning that the present application uses a partition structure 141 to form the cathode 133. By using an active metal as the cathode 133, on the one hand, oxidation of the active metal in the cathode 133 is avoided, and on the other hand, the work function of the cathode 133 can be reduced to improve the phenomenon that the hole injection and electron injection in the inverted organic light-emitting display panel 100 cannot be balanced, and the problem of low luminous efficiency of the current inverted organic light-emitting display panel 100 is solved.

[0078] Specifically, when the display panel further includes a cathode auxiliary electrode, the step S120 includes:

[0079] S121: depositing a cathode auxiliary electrode and a partition layer on the substrate in sequence;

[0080] S122: etching the partition layer and the cathode auxiliary electrode in sequence at the non-opening area to form a partition hole.

[0081] In this embodiment, in the step of etching the partition hole, a protective organic photoresist is formed on the partition layer 140, and no organic photoresist is provided at the location of the partition hole. The partition layer 140 and the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 at the location of the partition hole are etched away respectively through two etchings.

[0082] The step S130 includes:

[0083] S131: forming a pixel definition layer at the non-opening area; wherein the pixel definition layer fills the partition hole, and a radial width of the pixel definition layer is greater than a width of the partition hole.

[0084] Part of the pixel definition layer 120 is located in the partition hole, which is used to partition the cathode auxiliary electrodes 134 of adjacent light-emitting units 130, and to separate the partition layer 140 to avoid electrical connection between the partition layers 140 of adjacent light-emitting units 130. There is also a part of the pixel definition layer 120 located outside the partition hole. After etching the pixel definition layer 120, the radial width of this part is much larger than the width of the partition hole, and is located in the non-opening area 102. It can be understood that the partition hole in this embodiment is the notch mentioned above.

[0085] S132: etching the partition layer using the pixel definition layer as a protection layer, so that the pixel definition layer and the partition layer form a partition structure.

[0086] After the pixel definition layer 120 is etched, the partition layer 140 is exposed at the position of the opening area 101. At this time, the pixel definition layer 120 is used as a protective layer to etch the partition layer 140. The pixel definition layer 120 is used as a protective layer to etch the partition layer 140 exposed in the opening area 101. The partition layer 140 under the pixel definition layer 120 is protected by the pixel definition layer 120 and is not etched. The material of the partition layer 140 not protected by the pixel definition layer 120 is etched away, and the etching solution will also etch away the material of the partition layer 140 at the edge of the pixel definition layer 120, so that a partition structure 141 is formed between the pixel definition layer 120 and the partition layer 140. Among them, in a non-opening area 102, the width of the pixel definition layer 120 is greater than the sum of the width of the underlying partition layer 140 and the width of the gap, that is, under the orthographic projection of the base substrate 110, the boundary of the partition layer 140 is within the projection range of the pixel definition layer 120 and has a preset distance w from the projection boundary of the pixel definition layer 120, and the pixel definition layer 120 and the partition layer 140 form a partition structure 141.

[0087] In this embodiment, the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 can be protected by the partition layer 140 above. After the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 and the partition layer 140 are deposited on the entire surface in sequence, an organic photoresist material is formed on the partition layer 140 to form protection, a partition hole is formed in the non-opening area 102, and a pixel definition layer 120 is formed at the location of the partition hole. The pixel definition layer 120 is used as a protective layer and the partition layer 140 is etched. At this time, at the location of the opening area 101, the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 is exposed, and when the cathode 133 is formed, it is directly in contact with the cathode 133 to form an electrode that drives the light-emitting unit 130 to emit light. The cathode auxiliary electrode 134 in the present embodiment is never in contact with the organic photoresist, thereby avoiding the problem of residual organic photoresist on the cathode auxiliary electrode 134. Moreover, since the material of the partition layer 140 is different from that of the cathode auxiliary electrode 134, the etching solution used in the process of etching the partition layer 140 will only react with the partition metal but not with the cathode auxiliary electrode 134. Therefore, after etching the partition layer 140 which is not under the pixel definition layer 120, the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 is exposed, and a partition structure 141 is formed between the partition layer 140 and the pixel definition layer 120.

[0088] The steps of S140 include:

[0089] The cathode material is deposited on the entire surface, a cathode is formed in the opening area, and a cathode redundancy portion is formed on the pixel definition layer. The partition structure is used to separate the cathode from the cathode redundancy portion. The partition structure also separates the cathodes of adjacent light-emitting units so that there is no electrical connection between the two.

[0090] The steps of S150 include:

[0091] S151: forming a light-emitting functional layer of a plurality of light-emitting units in the opening area by using the partition structure;

[0092] S152: Depositing anodes on the entire surface to form a plurality of light-emitting units.

[0093] In this embodiment, the present application forms a partition structure 141 by using a partition layer 140 and a pixel definition layer 120. The partition structure 141 can be arranged around each opening area 101, so that in the process of forming the cathode 133, a whole-surface deposition process can be used, and cathode 133 materials are laid at various positions of the substrate 110, but in the opening area 101, the cathodes 133 between adjacent light-emitting units 130 can be completely separated by the partition structure 141, and the remaining part of the cathode 133 redundant layer on the pixel definition layer 120 is also disconnected from the cathode 133 to prevent the problem of current crosstalk. The cathode 133, the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 and the whole surface of the anode 131 in this embodiment make the inverted bottom-emitting display panel 100 have high luminous efficiency and high display brightness. Furthermore, because the anode 131 does not need to be light-transmissive, the anode 131 can be made thick and formed on the entire surface, so that the resistance drop of the anode 131 formed on the entire surface at different positions is smaller than that of the entire cathode 133 formed by indium tin oxide in the upright top-emitting display panel 100, and the resistance drop at different positions is more uniform, avoiding different voltages at different positions. Among them, another advantage of the inverted bottom-emitting display panel 100 is that after the light-emitting unit 130 completes the process, the emitted light does not emit from the encapsulation layer above the light-emitting unit 130. Therefore, the selectivity of the material and process of the encapsulation layer is greater, and better encapsulation of the light-emitting unit 130 can be achieved.

[0094] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the display device of the present application, see Figure 8 As shown, the present application further discloses a display device, wherein the display device 200 includes a driving circuit 210 and a display panel 100 of any one of the above embodiments, wherein the driving circuit 210 is used to drive the display panel 100 to display.

[0095] It should be noted that the inventive concept of the present application can form a large number of embodiments, but the length of the application document is limited and it is impossible to list them one by one. Therefore, under the premise of no conflict, the embodiments or technical features described above can be arbitrarily combined to form new embodiments. After the embodiments or technical features are combined, the original technical effects will be enhanced.

[0096] The above content is a further detailed description of the present application in combination with specific optional implementation methods, and it cannot be determined that the specific implementation of the present application is limited to these descriptions. For ordinary technicians in the technical field to which the present application belongs, several simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, which should be deemed to fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A display panel, comprising a base substrate, a pixel definition layer and a light-emitting unit, wherein the pixel definition layer is disposed on the base substrate and has a plurality of opening areas, and the light-emitting unit is disposed on the base substrate and is located in the opening areas; characterized in that: The display panel further includes a partition layer, which is disposed under the pixel definition layer. Under the orthographic projection of the base substrate, the boundary of the partition layer is within the projection range of the pixel definition layer and has a preset distance from the projection boundary of the pixel definition layer. The pixel definition layer and the partition layer form a partition structure. The light-emitting unit comprises a cathode, a light-emitting functional layer and an anode, wherein the cathode is arranged on the substrate, the light-emitting functional layer is arranged on the cathode, and the anode is arranged on the light-emitting functional layer; The partition structure is used to partition the cathode from a cathode redundancy portion formed on the pixel definition layer when the cathode is deposited on the entire surface.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cathode is formed of one or both of magnesium material and silver material; the anode is formed by depositing a reflective metal material on the entire surface, and multiple light-emitting units share the anode; and light from the light-emitting unit is emitted from one side of the substrate.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The light-emitting functional layer includes an electron transport layer, a light-emitting layer and a hole transport layer. The electron transport layer is arranged on the cathode, the light-emitting layer is arranged on the electron transport layer, the hole transport layer is arranged on the light-emitting layer, and the anode is arranged on the hole transport layer.

4. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The display panel further includes a cathode auxiliary electrode, the cathode auxiliary electrode is formed of a transparent metal oxide material, the cathode auxiliary electrode is arranged under the cathode and is electrically connected to the cathode; The cathode auxiliary electrodes of two adjacent light-emitting units are separated by the pixel definition layer; The partition layer is arranged on the cathode auxiliary electrode.

5. The display panel according to claim 4, characterized in that: The partition layer is formed of a metal material; a gap is provided between the cathode and the partition structure; The preset distance is greater than or equal to 5000 angstroms and less than or equal to 50000 angstroms.

6. A method for manufacturing a display panel, characterized in that: Includes steps: Providing a substrate; Depositing a barrier layer on the substrate; Depositing a pixel definition layer on the isolation layer, patterning the pixel definition layer, and then etching the isolation layer, so that the pixel definition layer and the isolation layer form an isolation structure; Depositing cathode material on the entire surface to form a cathode in the opening area; forming a light-emitting functional layer and an anode in sequence to form a plurality of light-emitting units; Wherein, under the orthographic projection of the base substrate, the boundary of the isolation layer is within the projection range of the pixel definition layer and has a preset distance from the projection boundary of the pixel definition layer.

7. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 6, characterized in that: The step of forming a substrate isolation layer on the substrate substrate comprises: Depositing a cathode auxiliary electrode and a partition layer in sequence on the substrate; Sequentially etching the partition layer and the cathode auxiliary electrode at the non-opening area to form a partition hole; The step of depositing a pixel definition layer on the isolation layer, patterning the pixel definition layer, and then etching the isolation layer so that the pixel definition layer and the isolation layer form an isolation structure includes: A pixel definition layer is formed at the non-opening area; wherein the pixel definition layer fills the partition hole, and the radial width of the pixel definition layer is greater than the width of the partition hole; The partition layer is etched using the pixel definition layer as a protection layer, so that the pixel definition layer and the partition layer form a partition structure.

8. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 6, characterized in that: The step of depositing cathode material on the entire surface and forming a cathode in the opening area comprises: Depositing cathode material on the entire surface, forming a cathode in the opening area, and forming a cathode redundancy portion on the pixel definition layer; wherein the partition structure is used to separate the cathode from the cathode redundancy portion; The step of sequentially forming a light-emitting functional layer and an anode to form a plurality of light-emitting units includes: Using the partition structure to form a light-emitting functional layer of a plurality of light-emitting units in the opening area; The anode is deposited on the entire surface to form a plurality of light-emitting units.

9. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 6, wherein: The thickness of the cathode is greater than or equal to 100 angstroms and less than or equal to 300 angstroms; The preset distance is greater than or equal to 5000 angstroms and less than or equal to 50000 angstroms; the thickness of the isolation layer is greater than or equal to 100 angstroms and less than or equal to 600 angstroms.

10. A display device, characterized in that: It comprises a driving circuit and the display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the driving circuit is used to drive the display panel to display.

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