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, a light-emitting unit, a first partition structure and a second partition structure, the light-emitting unit comprises an anode, a light-emitting function layer and a cathode, the second partition structure is arranged on the first partition structure, and the pixel definition layer is arranged on the second partition structure; the first partition structure is used for partitioning the cathodes of the two adjacent light-emitting units, and the second partition structure is used for partitioning the light-emitting functional layers of the two adjacent light-emitting units; wherein on the orthographic projection of the substrate, the radial width of the cathode is smaller than the width of the light-emitting functional layer; the first partition structure is also used for separating the cathode from the second partition structure. According to the invention, the first partition structure and the second partition structure are stacked, the first partition structure is used for partitioning the cathode, and the second partition structure is used for partitioning the light-emitting functional layer, so that a film layer interface between the cathode and the light-emitting functional layer is improved, the light-emitting efficiency of the light-emitting unit is improved, and the service life of the light-emitting unit is prolonged.

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-world 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 arranging two stacked first partition structures and a second partition structure, using the first partition structure to isolate the cathode, and using the second partition structure to isolate the light-emitting functional layer, so as to improve the film layer interface between the cathode and the light-emitting functional layer, and improve the luminous efficiency and life of the light-emitting unit.

[0005] The present application discloses a display panel, which includes a base substrate, a pixel definition layer, a light-emitting unit, a first partition structure and a second partition structure, 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 light-emitting unit includes an anode, a light-emitting functional layer and a cathode, 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 second partition structure is arranged on the first partition structure, the first partition structure is used to separate the cathodes of two adjacent light-emitting units, and the second partition structure is used to separate the light-emitting functional layers of two adjacent light-emitting units; wherein, on the orthographic projection of the base substrate, the radial width of the cathode is smaller than the width of the light-emitting functional layer; the first partition structure is also used to separate the cathode from the second partition structure.

[0006] Optionally, the first partition structure includes a partition layer, which is arranged below the pixel definition layer and in direct contact with 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, and the pixel definition layer and the partition layer form a first partition structure.

[0007] Optionally, the second partition structure includes a conductive portion and a partition portion, the conductive portion is arranged on the pixel definition layer, the partition portion is arranged on the conductive portion, and the radial width of the partition portion is greater than the radial width of the conductive portion; the conductive portion is used to connect the anodes of two adjacent light-emitting units; on the projection of the base substrate, the boundary of the partition portion of the second partition structure is arranged on the side of the first partition structure away from the light-emitting unit; the light-emitting functional layer covers the first partition structure and extends to the pixel definition layer, and has a gap between the conductive portion.

[0008] 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 side of the light-emitting layer close to the cathode, and the hole transport layer is arranged on the side of the light-emitting layer close to the anode; the electron transport layer is separated by the first partition structure, and the radial width of the electron transport layer is equal to the radial width of the cathode; the light-emitting layer and the hole transport layer cover the first partition structure and are separated by the second partition structure, and the radial widths of the light-emitting layer and the hole transport layer are respectively greater than the radial width of the electron transport layer; the electron transport layer, the light-emitting layer and the hole transport layer are also used to separate the cathode from the conductive part.

[0009] Optionally, the light-emitting unit also includes a cathode auxiliary electrode, the cathode auxiliary electrodes in two adjacent light-emitting units are separated and insulated by the pixel definition layer, the cathode auxiliary electrode is arranged under the cathode and is in direct contact with the cathode; the isolation layer is arranged between the cathode auxiliary electrode and the pixel definition, the isolation layer is formed of a conductive material, the isolation layer is in direct contact with the cathode auxiliary electrode, and in two adjacent light-emitting units, the two adjacent isolation layers are separated by the pixel definition layer.

[0010] Optionally, 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; the light output of the light-emitting unit is emitted from one side of the substrate; 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 1000 angstroms.

[0011] The present application also discloses a method for manufacturing a display panel, comprising the steps of:

[0012] Providing a substrate;

[0013] Forming a pixel definition layer and a first partition structure in a non-opening area on the base substrate;

[0014] forming a second partition structure on the first partition structure;

[0015] forming a cathode in the opening area using the first partition structure;

[0016] forming a light-emitting functional layer in the opening area by using the second partition structure;

[0017] forming an anode to form a light emitting unit;

[0018] Wherein, on the orthographic projection of the base substrate, the radial width of the cathode is smaller than the width of the light-emitting functional layer; and the first partition structure is also used to partition the cathode from the second partition structure.

[0019] Optionally, the step of forming a pixel definition layer and a first partition structure in a non-opening area on the base substrate includes:

[0020] Forming a whole-surface barrier material layer in the non-opening area on the substrate;

[0021] Depositing a whole surface of a pixel definition layer material layer on the whole surface of the partition layer material layer, removing the pixel definition layer material in the opening area, and retaining the pixel definition layer in the non-opening area;

[0022] Using the pixel definition layer as a protective layer, the partition layer is etched so that the pixel definition layer and the partition layer form a first partition structure;

[0023] 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;

[0024] The step of forming the second partition structure on the first partition structure includes:

[0025] forming a conductive material layer and a partition material layer on the pixel definition layer in sequence;

[0026] Patterning a partition portion, and etching the conductive portion material layer using the partition portion as a protective layer to form a second partition structure; wherein the radial width of the partition portion is greater than the radial width of the conductive portion;

[0027] The step of forming an anode to form a light-emitting unit includes:

[0028] The second partition structure is used to form a light-emitting functional layer in the opening area, and the anodes of two adjacent light-emitting units are connected via the conductive portion.

[0029] Optionally, the step of forming a substrate isolation layer material layer on the substrate substrate includes:

[0030] Depositing a cathode auxiliary electrode material layer and a barrier layer material layer in sequence on the substrate;

[0031] Sequentially etching the partition layer material layer and the cathode auxiliary electrode at the non-opening area to form a partition hole;

[0032] The step of depositing a whole surface of the pixel definition layer material layer on the whole surface of the isolation layer material layer, removing the pixel definition layer material in the opening area, and retaining the pixel definition layer in the non-opening area comprises:

[0033] Depositing a pixel definition layer material layer on the entire surface; at the location of the partition hole, the pixel definition layer fills the partition hole;

[0034] After removing the pixel definition layer material in the opening area, the pixel definition layer in the non-opening area is retained; 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.

[0035] 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. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] 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:

[0037] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a display panel according to a first embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the film layer of the light-emitting unit of the present application;

[0039] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a first partition structure and a second partition structure of the present application;

[0040] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a display panel according to a second embodiment of the present application;

[0041] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the steps of the method for manufacturing the display panel of the present application;

[0042] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of the display panel of the present application;

[0043] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a display device of the present application.

[0044] Among them, 100, display panel; 101, opening area; 102, non-opening area; 110, base substrate; 120, pixel definition layer; 130, light-emitting unit; 131, cathode; 132, light-emitting functional layer; 1321, hole injection layer; 1322, hole transport layer; 1323, electron blocking layer; 1324, light-emitting layer; 1325, hole blocking layer; 1326, electron transport layer; 1327, electron injection layer; 133, anode; 134, cathode auxiliary electrode; 140, first partition structure; 141, partition layer; 150, second partition structure; 151, conductive part; 152, partition part; 160, pixel driving layer; 200, display device; 210, driving circuit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] 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.

[0046] 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.

[0047] The present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and optional embodiments.

[0048] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a display panel 100 according to the first embodiment of the present application, see Figure 1 As shown, the present application discloses a display panel 100, the display panel 100 includes a base substrate 110, a pixel definition layer 120, a light-emitting unit 130, a first partition structure 140 and a second partition structure 150, 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 light-emitting unit 130 includes an anode 133, a light-emitting functional layer 132 and a cathode 131, the cathode 131 is arranged on the base substrate 110, and the light-emitting functional layer 132 is arranged on the base substrate 110. The cathode 131 is disposed on the anode 133 and the light-emitting functional layer 132; the second partition structure 150 is disposed on the first partition structure 140, the first partition structure 140 is used to separate the cathodes 131 of two adjacent light-emitting units 130, and the second partition structure 150 is used to separate the light-emitting functional layers 132 of two adjacent light-emitting units 130; wherein, on the orthographic projection of the base substrate 110, the radial width of the cathode 131 is smaller than the width of the light-emitting functional layer 132; the first partition structure 140 is also used to separate the cathode 131 from the second partition structure 150.

[0049] The present application sets two stacked first partition structures 140 and second partition structures 150, uses the first partition structure 140 to partition the cathode 131, and uses the second partition structure 150 to partition the light-emitting functional layer 132. By using the first partition structure 140 and the second partition structure 150, the radial width of the cathode 131 is smaller than the radial width of the light-emitting functional layer 132, thereby avoiding the problem of short circuit between the cathode 131 and the anode 133 when the cathode 131, the light-emitting functional layer 132 and the anode 133 of the light-emitting unit 130 are respectively deposited through the partition structures without a mask. On the other hand, the present application uses the first partition structure 140 and the second partition structure 150 to enable the cathode 131, the light-emitting functional layer 132 and the anode 133 of the light-emitting unit 130 to be formed by maskless evaporation, which has the advantage that in the process of forming the cathode 131 and the light-emitting functional layer 132, the cathode 131 and the light-emitting functional layer 132 can be formed in the same environment, avoiding the problem of etching the cathode 131 in the exemplary process to cause oxidation of the cathode 131. At the same time, the film interface between the cathode 131 and the light-emitting functional layer 132 is improved, and the luminous efficiency of the light-emitting unit 130 is improved.

[0050] In one embodiment of the present application, the first partition structure 140 or the second partition structure 150 may be used alone to form the cathode 131, the light-emitting functional layer 132 and the anode 133 of the light-emitting unit 130. The first partition structure 140 or the second partition structure 150 is a key structure used in the maskless evaporation technology, and is usually also called an eaves structure or a conductive partition structure. Mainly through the partitioning ability of the partition structure, when evaporating the anode 133, the cathode 131 and the light-emitting functional layer 132, it is not necessary to use a metal mask, and a patterned cathode 131, the light-emitting functional layer 132 and the anode 133 can be formed in the corresponding opening area 101. In the current maskless evaporation technology, the partition structure is mainly used to form the light-emitting functional layer 132 and the anode 133 or cathode 131 located on the light-emitting functional layer 132, without using the partition structure to separate the anode 133 and the cathode 131. Therefore, in the process of maskless evaporation, there is generally no problem of short circuit between the anode 133 and the cathode 131. In the present application, the cathode 131 disposed below the light-emitting functional layer 132 is also formed by the maskless evaporation technology, thereby improving the phenomenon that the cathode 131 needs an etching step, resulting in a poor film interface between the cathode 131 and the light-emitting functional layer 132. However, when the first partition structure 140 or the second partition structure 150 is used alone, even if the evaporation angle is controlled, there may still be a problem of short circuit between the anode 133 and the cathode 131. In this regard, the present application sets the first partition structure 140 and the second partition structure 150, and utilizes the isolation capabilities of the first partition structure 140 and the second partition structure 150, so that the radial widths of the cathode 131 and the light-emitting functional layer 132 are different, and the side of the cathode 131 is completely covered by the light-emitting functional layer 132, thereby avoiding the problem of short circuit between the cathode 131 and the anode 133.

[0051] Specifically, the second partition structure 150 of the present application is the partition structure in the conventional maskless evaporation technology, and the second partition structure 150 includes a conductive portion 151 and a partition portion 152 arranged on the pixel definition layer 120; the conductive portion 151 is arranged on the pixel definition layer 120, and the partition portion 152 is arranged on the conductive portion 151, and the radial width of the partition portion 152 is greater than the radial width of the conductive portion 151.

[0052] In this embodiment, the main function of the second partition structure 150 is to partition the light-emitting functional layer 132 and the anode 133. Of course, the second partition structure 150 also plays a role in partitioning the cathode 131 during the whole-surface evaporation of the cathode 131. Therefore, in the process of whole-surface evaporation of the cathode 131, in addition to forming the cathode 131 in the opening area 101, a redundant electrode of the first cathode 131 is formed between the first partition structure 140 and the second partition structure 150, and a redundant electrode of the second cathode 131 is formed on the second partition structure 150, and the above three sections of electrodes are not connected to each other. Among them, the first partition structure 140 and the second partition structure 150 are set at different positions, and the first partition structure 140 is set at a position where the second partition structure 150 is closer to the opening area 101, so that the radial width of the cathode 131 is smaller than the radial width of the light-emitting functional layer 132. If the first partition structure 140 is not provided, the cathode 131 and the light-emitting functional layer 132 are both separated by the second partition structure 150, and the radial width of the cathode 131 should be equal to the radial width of the light-emitting functional layer 132, which may easily cause the cathode 131 to short-circuit with the conductive part 151 or the anode 133.

[0053] Among them, the conductive part 151 in the second partition structure 150 is also used to connect the anodes 133 of multiple light-emitting units 130 to form a whole surface of anode 133 wiring. In this embodiment, the display panel 100 of the present application is an inverted bottom-emitting display panel 100, wherein the cathode 131 of the light-emitting unit 130 adopts a light-transmitting electrode, and the anode 133 adopts a reflective electrode, and the outgoing light of the light-emitting unit 130 is emitted from the cathode 131 side, and then emitted from the base substrate 110 side, forming a bottom-emitting display panel 100. Therefore, the cathode 131 arranged at the bottom of the light-emitting functional layer 132 needs to be independently arranged, and the two cathodes 131 are not connected to each other, and are respectively connected to the corresponding pixel driving circuit, while the anode 133 only needs to be given a fixed voltage, so the anodes 133 of multiple light-emitting units 130 are connected together. By setting the anode 133 as a reflective electrode and connecting them together, the resistance drop problem of the anode 133 can be greatly reduced.

[0054] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the film layer of the light emitting unit 130 of the present application, see Figure 2As shown, inversion refers to the order of the light-emitting functional layer 132 in the light-emitting unit 130. In this embodiment, the light-emitting functional layer 132 may generally include an electron transport layer 1326, a light-emitting layer 1324 and a hole transport layer 1322. In the inverted light-emitting layer 1324, the electron transport layer 1326 is generally arranged on the side of the light-emitting layer 1324 close to the cathode 131, and the hole transport layer 1322 is generally arranged on the side of the light-emitting layer 1324 close to the anode 133. Generally speaking, the light-emitting functional layer 132 in the bottom-emitting display panel 100 is an inverted scheme, so that it has a higher light-emitting efficiency. However, the inverted scheme has a high requirement on the work function between the anode 133 and the cathode 131, and the work function of the cathode 131 is as low as possible. In this case, the anode 133 adopts a reflective electrode, which can be made of silver. The cathode 131 adopts a light-transmitting electrode. When the transparent conductive layer is an electrode with a high work function, the problem of low light-emitting efficiency is prone to occur.

[0055] Therefore, it is necessary to add a light-transmitting active metal to the cathode 131 to reduce the work function of the cathode 131, and to add an ITO or IZO material with a higher work function to the anode 133 to increase the work function of the anode 133. In the case of adding an active metal to the cathode 131, two aspects need to be considered. The first aspect is to consider 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 property. 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 light-transmitting. 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 131 as an example of an active metal material, and the active metal material is magnesium or silver, the thickness of the cathode 131 needs to be smaller than the thickness of the reflective metal layer in the anode 133 to achieve a higher luminous efficiency.

[0056] However, when the active metal material used for the cathode 131 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 photoresist residues and etching problems, which will affect the work function of the cathode 131, thereby causing the inverted bottom-emitting display panel 100 to have a low luminous efficiency. However, through the first partition structure 140 of the present application, in the process of proving the deposition of the cathode 131, the first partition structure 140 is used to form a patterned cathode 131. Even when a thinner active metal is formed as the cathode 131, oxidation and other problems will not occur in a vacuum environment. It is worth mentioning that when the active metal deposition of the cathode 131 is relatively thin, it is easy to be oxidized during the deposition process. For the upright top-emitting display panel 100, the cathode 131 material is generally formed of indium tin oxide material, and the anode 133 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 less likely to be oxidized. However, for the inverted bottom-emitting display panel 100, there is no indium tin oxide material protection above the cathode 131, and it is very easy to be oxidized in the subsequent process. This embodiment uses the first partition structure 140 to protect the cathode 131, and combined with the above, the cathode 131 is separated from the first cathode 131 redundant electrode and the second cathode 131 redundant electrode, thereby achieving a better light-emitting effect.

[0057] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the first partition structure 140 and the second partition structure 150 of the present application, see Figure 3 As shown, specifically, the first partition structure 140 includes a partition layer 141, and the partition layer 141 is arranged below the pixel definition layer 120 and is in direct contact with the pixel definition layer 120; under the orthographic projection of the base substrate 110, the boundary of the partition layer 141 is within the projection range of the pixel definition layer 120, and has a preset distance from the projection boundary of the pixel definition layer 120, and the pixel definition layer 120 and the partition layer 141 form the first partition structure 140.

[0058] On the orthographic projection of the base substrate 110, the first partition structure 140 is closer to the opening area 101 than the second partition structure 150, so that the radial width of the cathode 131 formed by the first partition structure 140 is smaller than the radial width of the light-emitting functional layer 132 formed by the second partition structure 150. Therefore, the light-emitting functional layer 132 can be used to separate the anode 133, the cathode 131, the redundant electrode of the first cathode 131, and the redundant electrode of the second cathode 131, thereby avoiding the short-circuit problem when the anode 133 and the cathode 131 are formed separately by maskless evaporation technology.

[0059] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a display panel 100 according to a second embodiment of the present application, see Figure 4 As shown, the light-emitting unit 130 also includes a cathode auxiliary electrode 134. The cathode auxiliary electrodes 134 in two adjacent light-emitting units 130 are separated and insulated by the pixel definition layer 120. The cathode auxiliary electrode 134 is arranged under the cathode 131 and is in direct contact with the cathode 131. The partition layer 141 is arranged between the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 and the pixel definition layer. The partition layer 141 is formed of a conductive material. The partition layer 141 is in direct contact with the cathode auxiliary electrode 134. In two adjacent light-emitting units 130, the two adjacent partition layers 141 are separated by the pixel definition layer 120.

[0060] In this solution, by setting a cathode auxiliary electrode 134 under the cathode 131, the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 can be formed of a transparent conductive material, such as an indium tin oxide material or an indium zinc oxide material. The cathode auxiliary electrode 134 is connected to the pixel active switch in the pixel driving layer 160 through a via. It can be understood that a pixel driving layer 160 is also provided on the base substrate 110. The pixel driving layer 160 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 131 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 131 is controlled and turned off by the pixel active switch. 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 131 of each light-emitting unit 130, the cathode auxiliary electrodes 134 of adjacent light-emitting units 130 also need to be arranged at intervals to avoid electrical crosstalk problems.

[0061] The cathode auxiliary electrode 134 in this scheme generally needs to be formed by etching. After the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 material is laid on the entire surface, the material of the non-opening area 102 is removed by etching, thereby retaining the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 in the opening area 101. During the etching process, the isolation layer 141 can be used to etch and protect the cathode auxiliary electrode 134. Specifically, the isolation layer 141 is arranged between the pixel definition layer 120 and the cathode auxiliary electrode 134. Between two adjacent opening areas 101, the adjacent isolation layer 141 and the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 are insulated and separated by the pixel definition layer 120. When the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 is etched, the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 is protected by the isolation layer 141. In the process of forming the first partition structure 140, the partition layer 141 of the opening area 101 is removed, so as to peel off the partition layer 141 on the cathode auxiliary electrode 134, and form the first partition structure 140 at the edge of the pixel definition layer 120 to perform partitioning when the cathode 131 is formed. It is worth mentioning that the partitioning capabilities of the first partition structure 140 and the second partition structure 150 in the present application are mainly determined by the width of the upper part exceeding the lower part. For example, in a partition structure, the distance w by which the boundary of the pixel definition layer 120 exceeds the boundary of the partition layer 141 and the thickness of the partition layer 141 determine the partitioning capability of the first partition structure 140.

[0062] The partition layer 141 may also be formed of a metal material, that is, after the pixel driving layer 160 on the base substrate 110 is processed, after the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 is formed, a metal material different from the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 is used to form the partition layer 141, and a pixel definition layer 120 is formed on the partition layer 141. The pixel definition layer 120 is subjected to a patterning process, that is, after a plurality of openings are formed as the opening area 101 through the pixel definition layer 120, the partition layer 141 is etched using the pixel definition layer 120, so that at each boundary position between the non-opening area 102 and the opening area 101, the pixel definition layer 120 exceeds the partition layer 141 by a certain distance to form the first partition structure 140. In this process, although the structure of the partition layer 141 is added, it does not bring about the complexity of the process, and can be completely realized through the current process without adding a mask.

[0063] When the partition layer 141 is formed of a metal material, since the partition layer 141 is in direct contact with the cathode auxiliary electrode 134 , the partition layers 141 of adjacent light emitting units 130 also need to be spaced apart and insulated by the pixel definition layer 120 .

[0064] In a specific embodiment, the second partition structure 150 has a stronger partitioning ability than the first partition structure 140. Because in the maskless evaporation technology, due to the use of the second partition structure 150, the material of the pixel definition layer 120 is selected as an inorganic insulating material, resulting in a limited height of the pixel definition layer 120, and the partitioning ability of the first partition structure 140 is limited. If the pixel definition layer 120 is replaced by an organic insulating material, the problem of a thick film layer is prone to occur. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first partition structure 140 can usually only partition part 152 of the film layer of the light-emitting unit 130, but cannot completely partition the light-emitting functional layer 132.

[0065] Specifically, the light-emitting functional layer 132 includes an electron transport layer 1326, a light-emitting layer 1324 and a hole transport layer 1322, the electron transport layer 1326 is arranged on the side of the light-emitting layer 1324 close to the cathode 131, and the hole transport layer 1322 is arranged on the side of the light-emitting layer 1324 close to the anode 133; the electron transport layer 1326 is separated by the first partition structure 140, and the radial width of the electron transport layer 1326 is equal to the radial width of the cathode 131; the light-emitting layer 1324 and the hole transport layer 1322 cover the first partition structure 140 and are separated by the second partition structure 150, and the radial widths of the light-emitting layer 1324 and the hole transport layer 1322 are respectively greater than the radial width of the electron transport layer 1326; the electron transport layer 1326, the light-emitting layer 1324, and the hole transport layer 1322 are also used to separate the cathode 131 from the conductive part 151.

[0066] In this embodiment, the electron transport layer 1326 located near the cathode 131 can be isolated by the first partition structure 140. In order to completely isolate the cathode 131 by the first partition structure 140, the isolation ability of the first partition structure 140 needs to be directly isolated to the light-emitting functional layer 132, so as to ensure that the first partition structure 140 can completely isolate the cathode 131. Therefore, for the light-emitting functional layer 132, it is necessary to insulate and separate the cathode 131 from the redundant electrode of the first cathode 131 isolated by the first partition structure 140. Thereby further avoiding the short circuit problem between the cathode 131 and the redundant electrode of the first cathode 131 and the anode 133. It is worth mentioning that even if the radial width of the cathode 131 and the electron transport layer 1326 is reduced, it does not actually affect the effective light-emitting area of ​​the light-emitting unit 130.

[0067] Of course, in a specific embodiment, the electron transport layer 1326 is further provided with an electron injection layer 1327 on the side close to the cathode 131, and a hole blocking layer 1325 on the side close to the light emitting layer 1324; the hole transport layer 1322 is provided with a hole injection layer 1321 on the side close to the anode, and an electron blocking layer 1323 on the side close to the light emitting layer 1324. The film layer of the electron transport layer 1326 on the side close to the cathode 131 will also be isolated by the first isolation structure 140, thereby forming electron injection layers that are not connected to each other in the opening area 101.

[0068] The thickness of the cathode 131 is greater than or equal to 100 angstroms and less than or equal to 300 angstroms; in the first partition structure 140, the preset distance is greater than or equal to 5000 angstroms and less than or equal to 50000 angstroms, preferably 10000 angstroms to 30000 angstroms; when the first partition structure 140 only partitions the cathode 131, the thickness of the partition layer 141 is greater than or equal to 100 angstroms and less than or equal to 600 angstroms, preferably 200 angstroms to 500 angstroms. When the first partition structure 140 continues to partition to the electron transport layer 1326, the thickness of the partition layer 141 is greater than or equal to 200 angstroms and less than or equal to 1500 angstroms, preferably 400 angstroms to 1000 angstroms.

[0069] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the steps of the method for manufacturing the display panel of the present application, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing process of the display panel of this application, see Figure 5 to Figure 6 As shown, the present application also discloses a method for manufacturing a display panel corresponding to any one of the above embodiments, comprising the steps of:

[0070] S10: providing a substrate;

[0071] S20: forming a pixel definition layer and a first partition structure in a non-opening area on the base substrate;

[0072] S30: forming a second partition structure on the first partition structure;

[0073] S40: forming a cathode in the opening area using the first partition structure;

[0074] S50: forming a light-emitting functional layer in the opening area using the second partition structure;

[0075] S60: forming an anode to form a light-emitting unit;

[0076] S70: forming a display panel.

[0077] Wherein, on the orthographic projection of the base substrate, the radial width of the cathode is smaller than the width of the light-emitting functional layer; and the first partition structure is also used to partition the cathode from the second partition structure.

[0078] The present application uses the first partition structure and the second partition structure to form a cathode by maskless evaporation, and uses the second partition structure to form a light-emitting functional layer by maskless evaporation. The first partition structure and the second partition structure are arranged at different positions, so that the radial width of the cathode is smaller than the radial width of the light-emitting functional layer, so that the light-emitting functional layer is used to form an insulation separation between the cathode and the anode to avoid short circuit between the anode and the cathode. On the other hand, the present application uses the first partition structure and the second partition structure to enable the cathode, the light-emitting functional layer and the anode of the light-emitting unit to be subjected to maskless evaporation. The advantage is that in the process of forming the cathode and the light-emitting functional layer, the cathode and the light-emitting functional layer can be formed in the same environment, avoiding the problem of cathode oxidation caused by etching the cathode in the exemplary process. At the same time, the film interface between the cathode and the light-emitting functional layer is improved, and the luminous efficiency of the light-emitting unit is improved.

[0079] The steps of S20 include:

[0080] S201: forming a whole-surface isolation layer material layer in the non-opening area on the base substrate;

[0081] S202: depositing a whole surface of a pixel definition layer material layer on the whole surface of the partition layer material layer, removing the pixel definition layer material in the opening area, and retaining the pixel definition layer in the non-opening area;

[0082] S203: etching the partition layer using the pixel definition layer as a protective layer, so that the pixel definition layer and the partition layer form a first partition structure;

[0083] 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. For the isolation layer material layer and other film layer material layers, the general material layer is designated as an isolation layer material layer that is laid on the entire surface of the base substrate, and the corresponding isolation layer is formed after removing part of the area, i.e. patterning, and the isolation layer is distinguished from the isolation layer material layer by adding a material layer. Here, there is no other difference between the isolation layer material layer and the isolation layer. The first isolation structure of this embodiment mainly adopts the method of adding an isolation layer between the pixel definition layer and the base substrate, and using the isolation layer and the pixel definition layer to form the first isolation structure. The etching of the isolation layer does not require the addition of an additional mask, and will not increase the process cost.

[0084] The steps of S30 include:

[0085] S301: forming a conductive part material layer and a partition part material layer in sequence on the pixel definition layer;

[0086] S302: patterning a partition portion, and etching the conductive portion material layer using the partition portion as a protective layer to form a second partition structure; wherein the radial width of the partition portion is greater than the radial width of the conductive portion.

[0087] The steps of S60 include:

[0088] S601: forming a light-emitting functional layer in the opening area by using the second partition structure, and connecting the anodes of two adjacent light-emitting units through the conductive part.

[0089] In this embodiment, a second partition structure is formed on the pixel definition layer, and the light-emitting functional layer and the anode are isolated by the second partition structure. It can be understood that the second partition structure also plays a role in isolating the cathode during the whole-surface evaporation of the cathode. Therefore, in the process of whole-surface evaporation of the cathode, in addition to forming the cathode in the opening area, a first cathode redundant electrode is formed between the first partition structure and the second partition structure, and a second cathode redundant electrode is formed on the second partition structure, and the above three sections of electrodes are not connected to each other, and the second cathode redundant electrode on the second partition structure can be removed in subsequent processes.

[0090] Of course, for the display panel in which the cathode auxiliary electrode is arranged on the partition layer, the step S20 includes:

[0091] S211: depositing a cathode auxiliary electrode material layer and a barrier layer material layer on the substrate in sequence;

[0092] S212: etching the partition layer material layer and the cathode auxiliary electrode in sequence at the non-opening area to form a partition hole;

[0093] S213: Depositing a pixel definition layer material layer on the entire surface; at the location of the partition hole, the pixel definition layer fills the partition hole;

[0094] S214: after removing the pixel definition layer material in the opening area, retaining the pixel definition layer in 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;

[0095] S215: etching the partition layer using the pixel definition layer as a protective layer, so that the pixel definition layer and the partition layer form a first partition structure

[0096] In this embodiment, the partition layer is used to protect the cathode auxiliary electrode. After the process of forming the first partition structure is completed, the cathode auxiliary electrode is exposed from the opening area. When the cathode is formed, the cathode is in direct contact with the cathode auxiliary electrode.

[0097] The first partition structure and the second partition structure of this embodiment can be respectively arranged around each opening area, so that in the process of forming the cathode, the light-emitting functional layer and the anode, they can be formed by maskless evaporation technology. And the arrangement of the cathode, cathode auxiliary electrode and anode of the present application makes the inverted bottom-emitting display panel have high luminous efficiency. And because the anode does not need to be light-transmitting, the anode can be made thick and formed on the whole surface, so that the resistance drop of the anode formed on the whole surface at different positions is smaller than that of the whole cathode formed by indium tin oxide in the upright top-emitting display panel, 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 is that after the light-emitting unit completes the process, the emitted light does not emit from the encapsulation layer above the light-emitting unit. Therefore, the selectivity of the material and process of the encapsulation layer is greater, and better encapsulation of the light-emitting unit can be achieved.

[0098] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the display device of the present application, see Figure 7 As shown, the present application further discloses a display device, wherein the display device 200 includes a driving circuit 210 and the display panel 100 in any of the above embodiments, wherein the driving circuit 210 is used to drive the display panel 100 to display.

[0099] 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.

[0100] 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 light-emitting unit comprises an anode, a light-emitting functional layer and a cathode, 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 display panel further includes a first partition structure and a second partition structure, wherein the second partition structure is disposed on the first partition structure, the first partition structure is used to partition cathodes of two adjacent light-emitting units, and the second partition structure is used to partition light-emitting functional layers of two adjacent light-emitting units; Wherein, on the orthographic projection of the substrate, the radial width of the cathode is smaller than the width of the light-emitting functional layer; The first partition structure is also used to separate the cathode from the second partition structure.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first partition structure includes a partition layer, wherein the partition layer is disposed below the pixel definition layer and directly contacts 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, and the pixel definition layer and the partition layer form a first partition structure.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second partition structure comprises a conductive portion and a partition portion, wherein the conductive portion is disposed on the pixel definition layer, and the partition portion is disposed on the conductive portion, and the radial width of the partition portion is greater than the radial width of the conductive portion; the conductive portion is used to connect the anodes of two adjacent light-emitting units; On the projection of the base substrate, a boundary of the partition portion of the second partition structure is arranged on a side of the first partition structure away from the light emitting unit; The light-emitting functional layer covers the first partition structure and extends onto the pixel definition layer, and has a gap between the light-emitting functional layer and the conductive part.

4. The display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: The light-emitting functional layer includes an electron transport layer, a light-emitting layer and a hole transport layer, wherein the electron transport layer is arranged on a side of the light-emitting layer close to the cathode, and the hole transport layer is arranged on a side of the light-emitting layer close to the anode; The electron transport layer is partitioned by the first partition structure, and the radial width of the electron transport layer is equal to the radial width of the cathode; The light-emitting layer and the hole transport layer cover the first partition structure and are partitioned by the second partition structure, and the radial widths of the light-emitting layer and the hole transport layer are respectively greater than the radial width of the electron transport layer; The electron transport layer, the light emitting layer and the hole transport layer are also used to separate the cathode from the conductive part.

5. The display panel according to claim 4, characterized in that: The light-emitting unit further comprises a cathode auxiliary electrode, the cathode auxiliary electrodes in two adjacent light-emitting units are separated and insulated by the pixel definition layer, and the cathode auxiliary electrode is arranged under the cathode and directly contacts the cathode; The partition layer is arranged between the cathode auxiliary electrode and the pixel definition layer. The partition layer is formed of a conductive material. The partition layer is in direct contact with the cathode auxiliary electrode. In two adjacent light-emitting units, the two adjacent partition layers are separated by the pixel definition layer.

6. The display panel according to claim 4, characterized in that: The cathode is formed by one or both of magnesium material and silver material; the anode is formed by depositing a reflective metal material on the entire surface, and the anode is shared by a plurality of the light-emitting units; the light emitted by the light-emitting unit is emitted from one side of the substrate; 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 1000 angstroms.

7. A method for manufacturing a display panel, characterized in that: Includes steps: Providing a substrate; Forming a pixel definition layer and a first partition structure in a non-opening area on the base substrate; forming a second partition structure on the first partition structure; forming a cathode in the opening area using the first partition structure; forming a light-emitting functional layer in the opening area by using the second partition structure; forming an anode to form a light emitting unit; Wherein, on the orthographic projection of the base substrate, the radial width of the cathode is smaller than the width of the light-emitting functional layer; and the first partition structure is also used to partition the cathode from the second partition structure.

8. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 7, characterized in that: The step of forming a pixel definition layer and a first partition structure in a non-opening area on the substrate includes: Forming a whole-surface barrier material layer in the non-opening area on the substrate; Depositing a whole surface of a pixel definition layer material layer on the whole surface of the partition layer material layer, removing the pixel definition layer material in the opening area, and retaining the pixel definition layer in the non-opening area; Using the pixel definition layer as a protective layer, the partition layer is etched so that the pixel definition layer and the partition layer form a first partition structure; 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; The step of forming the second partition structure on the first partition structure includes: forming a conductive material layer and a partition material layer on the pixel definition layer in sequence; Patterning a partition portion, and etching the conductive portion material layer using the partition portion as a protective layer to form a second partition structure; wherein the radial width of the partition portion is greater than the radial width of the conductive portion; The step of forming an anode to form a light-emitting unit includes: The second partition structure is used to form a light-emitting functional layer in the opening area, and the anodes of two adjacent light-emitting units are connected via the conductive portion.

9. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 8, characterized in that: The step of forming a substrate isolation layer material layer on the substrate substrate comprises: Depositing a cathode auxiliary electrode material layer and a barrier layer material layer in sequence on the substrate; Sequentially etching the partition layer material layer and the cathode auxiliary electrode at the non-opening area to form a partition hole; The step of depositing a whole surface of the pixel definition layer material layer on the whole surface of the isolation layer material layer, removing the pixel definition layer material in the opening area, and retaining the pixel definition layer in the non-opening area comprises: Depositing a pixel definition layer material layer on the entire surface; at the location of the partition hole, the pixel definition layer fills the partition hole; After removing the pixel definition layer material in the opening area, the pixel definition layer in the non-opening area is retained; 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.

10. A display device, characterized in that: It comprises a driving circuit and the display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the driving circuit is used to drive the display panel to display.

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