Display panel, preparation method thereof and display device

Abstract

The invention discloses a display panel, a preparation method thereof and a display device, the display panel comprises a substrate, a light-emitting layer and a light regulation and control layer, the light-emitting layer is located on one side of the substrate and comprises a plurality of light-emitting units; the light regulation and control layer is located on the side, away from the substrate, of the light emitting layer and comprises a shading area and a light transmitting area, the shading area comprises multiple film layers, the multiple film layers comprise multiple shading layers and multiple flat layers which are sequentially and alternately stacked, and the orthographic projection of the light transmitting area on the substrate and the orthographic projection of the light emitting unit on the substrate are at least partially overlapped; wherein the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the plurality of shading layers on the substrate are sequentially nested from inside to outside in the direction far away from the substrate. The display effect of the display panel provided by the invention is remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] AMOLED display light-emitting devices have attracted much attention due to their bright colors, good viewing angles, high contrast, fast response speed, and low power consumption. AMOLED display devices have broad application prospects in the future display field, and have broad application space in multiple display fields such as mobile display, vehicle display, and medical display.

[0003] In a vehicle, the display screen at the co-pilot position can use an anti-peeping display screen to avoid interfering with the main driver's line of sight, thereby improving the safety performance of vehicle driving. However, the display panel in the existing display screen is prone to not displaying when anti-peeping display is on, which seriously affects the user experience. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to at least solve the problem that the display panel is prone to poor display during anti-peep display. This purpose is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0005] A first aspect of the present application provides a display panel, comprising:

[0006] substrate;

[0007] A light-emitting layer, located on one side of the substrate, comprising a plurality of light-emitting units;

[0008] a light regulating layer, located on a side of the light-emitting layer away from the substrate, comprising a light-shielding area and a light-transmitting area, wherein the light-shielding area comprises a plurality of film layers, wherein the plurality of film layers comprises a plurality of light-shielding layers and a plurality of flat layers alternately stacked in sequence, and an orthographic projection of the light-transmitting area on the substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the light-emitting unit on the substrate;

[0009] Wherein, along the direction away from the substrate, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the plurality of light shielding layers on the substrate are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside.

[0010] The display panel provided in the present application includes a substrate, a light-emitting layer and a light regulation layer. The light-emitting layer is located on one side of the substrate and includes a plurality of light-emitting units. The light-emitting units are used to emit light for display. The light regulation layer is located on the side of the light-emitting layer away from the substrate, and is used to regulate the light emitted by the light-emitting unit. The light regulation layer includes a shading area and a light-transmitting area. The shading area is located between at least part of adjacent light-emitting units, and is used to block part of the large-angle light emitted by the light-emitting unit, thereby achieving anti-peeping effect for a preset viewing angle. The orthographic projection of the light-transmitting area on the substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the light-emitting unit on the substrate, thereby achieving the emission of light emitted by the light-emitting unit for display. The shading area includes a plurality of shading layers and a plurality of flat layers that are alternately stacked in sequence to ensure the thickness of the shading layer, thereby achieving an anti-peeping effect. Along the direction away from the substrate, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the multiple light-shielding layers on the substrate are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside, that is, along the direction away from the substrate, the edges of the multiple light-shielding layers close to the light-transmitting area expand outward in sequence and regularly, so that the width of the light-transmitting cross-section of the light-transmitting area gradually increases along the direction away from the substrate, thereby improving the angular uniformity of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit, improving the problem of poor uniformity at a large viewing angle caused by the uneven edges of the multiple light-shielding layers close to the light-transmitting area, and improving the display effect of the display panel.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present application, along the direction away from the substrate, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the plurality of film layers in the light regulating layer on the substrate are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside; or,

[0012] Along the direction away from the substrate, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the plurality of flat layers on the substrate are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside, and in the orthographic projections of the adjacent flat layers and the light-shielding layer on the substrate, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the flat layers on the substrate are located within the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the light-shielding layer on the substrate.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, it also includes:

[0014] The mask layer is located on the side of the light regulating layer away from the light emitting layer, and includes a mask portion and an opening portion, wherein the opening portion corresponds to the light-transmitting area one by one, and the orthographic projection of the opening portion on the substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the light-transmitting area on the substrate.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present application, the surface of the mask portion facing the opening portion and the surface of the shading area facing the light-transmitting area smoothly transition, or the surface of the mask portion facing the opening portion is close to the center of the light-transmitting area relative to the surface of the shading area facing the light-transmitting area.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present application, a protective layer is further included, and the protective layer is located on a side of the mask layer facing away from the substrate, and the orthographic projection of the light regulating layer on the substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the protective layer on the substrate.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present application, the light regulating layer includes a through hole located in the light-transmitting area, or the light regulating layer includes a through hole located in the light-transmitting area and a transparent filling portion located in the through hole.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present application, a plurality of the light-emitting units are arranged in rows and columns, the display panel includes a plurality of light-emitting unit groups, each of the light-emitting unit groups includes a plurality of the light-emitting units arranged along a row direction, the orthographic projection of the light-shielding area on the substrate is a strip structure, the strip structure extends along the row direction, and the light-emitting unit groups and the strip structures are alternately arranged along a column direction; or;

[0019] The orthographic projection of the shading area on the substrate is arranged around the circumference of the orthographic projection of the light-emitting unit on the substrate, and the orthographic projection of the shading area on the substrate is a mesh structure.

[0020] In some embodiments of the present application, the light shielding layer and the planarizing layer both include organic materials.

[0021] A second aspect of the present application also provides a method for preparing a display panel, comprising:

[0022] providing a substrate;

[0023] forming a light-emitting layer on one side of the substrate, wherein the light-emitting layer includes a plurality of light-emitting units;

[0024] A light regulating layer is formed on the side of the light-emitting layer away from the substrate, comprising: forming alternating shading material layers and flattening material layers on the side of the light-emitting layer away from the substrate, and synchronously patterning the alternating shading material layers and flattening material layers to form shading areas and light-transmitting areas, the shading areas comprising multiple shading layers and multiple flattening layers alternately stacked in sequence, the orthographic projection of the light-transmitting area on the substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the light-emitting unit on the substrate, wherein along the direction away from the substrate, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the multiple shading layers on the substrate are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside.

[0025] In some embodiments of the present application, the step of synchronously patterning the alternately arranged light shielding material layers and planarization material layers includes:

[0026] A mask layer is formed on a side of the light regulating layer away from the light emitting layer, wherein the mask layer comprises a mask portion and an opening portion, and an orthographic projection of the opening portion on the substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the light emitting unit on the substrate;

[0027] A dry etching process is adopted to remove the light shielding material layer and the portion of the planarization material layer opposite to the opening to form a light-transmitting area.

[0028] In some embodiments of the present application, the thickness of the mask layer ranges from 2500 angstroms to 4000 angstroms; and / or, the material of the mask layer includes a transparent inorganic material.

[0029] In some embodiments of the present application, it also includes:

[0030] A protection layer is formed on a side of the mask layer facing away from the substrate, and the protection layer covers the substrate.

[0031] The third aspect of the present application also provides a display device, comprising any one of the display panels provided in the first aspect of the present application, or comprising a display panel prepared by any one of the display panel preparation methods provided in the second aspect of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the detailed description of the preferred embodiments below. The accompanying drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not to be considered as limiting the present application. Moreover, the same reference numerals are used throughout the accompanying drawings to represent the same components. In the accompanying drawings:

[0033] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of a display panel provided by the prior art;

[0034] Figure 2 is a top view of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 The first cross-sectional view along the M-M' line;

[0036] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 The second cross-sectional view along the middle line M-M';

[0037] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A third cross-sectional view along the middle line M-M';

[0038] Figure 6 yes Figure 2 A fourth cross-sectional view along the middle line M-M';

[0039] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of the N region along the middle;

[0040] Figure 8 yes Figure 1 Another enlarged view of the N region along the middle;

[0041] Fig. 9 is a flow chart of a method for preparing a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0042] Figures 10 to 13 is a diagram showing a change in the film structure of a display panel during the preparation process provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Fig.14 It is a structural schematic diagram of a display device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0044] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0045] 01. Packaging functional layer; 02. Shading functional layer; 1. Display panel; 11. Substrate; 12. Light-emitting layer; 120. Light-emitting unit; 121. Red light-emitting unit; 122. Green light-emitting unit; 123. Blue light-emitting unit; 13. Light regulation layer; 131. Shading area; 132. Transparent area; 130. Film layer; 133. Shading layer; 134. Flat layer; 135. Through hole; 136. Transparent filling part; 14. Mask layer; 141. Mask part; 1410. Protruding part; 142. Opening part; 15. Pixel defining layer; 151. Pixel opening; 16. Packaging layer; 161. First packaging layer; 162. Second packaging layer; 163. Third packaging layer; 17. Protective layer; 18. Shading material layer; 19. Flattening material layer; 20. Buffer layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited by the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, these embodiments are provided in order to enable a more thorough understanding of the present disclosure and to fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0047] It should be understood that the terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one", "an" and "said" as used herein may also be meant to include plural forms. The terms "include", "comprise", "contain", and "have" are inclusive, and therefore specify the existence of stated features, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the existence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or combinations thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not interpreted as necessarily requiring them to be performed in the specific order described or illustrated, unless the execution order is clearly indicated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0048] Although the terms first, second, third, etc. can be used in the text to describe multiple elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Unless the context clearly indicates, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order or sequence when used in the text. Therefore, the first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teaching of the example embodiments.

[0049] For ease of description, spatial relative terms may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature relative to another element or feature as shown in the figure, such as "inside", "outside", "inner side", "outer side", "below", "below", "above", "above", etc. Such spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure is turned over, then the elements described as "below other elements or features" or "below other elements or features" will subsequently be oriented as "above other elements or features" or "above other elements or features". Therefore, the example term "below..." can include both upper and lower orientations. The device can be oriented otherwise (rotated 90 degrees or in other directions) and the spatial relative descriptors used in the text are interpreted accordingly.

[0050] According to research, among the in-vehicle displays, the display screen at the co-driver position (Co-Driver Display, CDD) needs to ensure that the main driver is not disturbed by light, while meeting the entertainment needs of the co-driver and improving driving safety. This requires the display screen at the co-driver position to have an anti-peep mode, so that the main driver cannot see the display content clearly, and only the co-driver can view the display content, thereby ensuring driving safety. In related technologies, such as Figure 1 As shown, a light shielding function layer 02 is added above the encapsulation function layer 01 to perform side light shielding to achieve an anti-peeping function. However, after the multi-layer light shielding function layer 02 is stacked, the uniformity of the multi-layer light shielding function layer 02 in the opening area is poor, and the edge of the multi-layer light shielding function layer 02 in the opening area is irregularly arranged, which can easily lead to poor display, such as the problem of pits on the display surface. Therefore, the present application provides a display panel 1 and a preparation method thereof, and a display device to improve the anti-peeping display effect.

[0051] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present application, a display panel 1 is proposed, which includes a substrate 11, a light-emitting layer 12 and a light-regulating layer 13. The light-emitting layer 12 is located on one side of the substrate 11, and includes a plurality of light-emitting units 120. The light-regulating layer 13 is located on the side of the light-emitting layer 12 away from the substrate 11, and includes a light-shielding area 131 and a light-transmitting area 132. The light-shielding area 131 includes a plurality of film layers 130. The plurality of film layers 130 include a plurality of light-shielding layers 133 and a plurality of flat layers 134 that are alternately stacked in sequence. The orthographic projection of the light-transmitting area 132 on the substrate 11 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the light-emitting unit 120 on the substrate 11. In which, along the direction x away from the substrate 11, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the plurality of light-shielding layers 133 on the substrate 11 are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside. It should be noted that the phrase “the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the plurality of light shielding layers 133 on the substrate 11 are nested from the inside out” should be understood as the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the plurality of light shielding layers 133 on the substrate 11 are nested from the inside out relative to the center of the light-transmitting area 132. For example, Figure 3 In the embodiment, a first light-shielding layer 133, a second light-shielding layer 133 and a third light-shielding layer 133 are stacked in a direction away from the substrate 11. The orthographic projection boundary of the first light-shielding layer 133 on the substrate 11 is close to the center of the light-transmitting area 132 relative to the orthographic projection boundary of the second light-shielding layer 133 on the substrate 11, and the orthographic projection boundary of the second light-shielding layer 133 on the substrate 11 is close to the center of the light-transmitting area 132 relative to the orthographic projection boundary of the third light-shielding layer 133 on the substrate 11.

[0052] The display panel 1 provided in the present application includes a substrate 11, a light-emitting layer 12 and a light-regulating layer 13. The light-emitting layer 12 is located on one side of the substrate 11 and includes a plurality of light-emitting units 120. The light-emitting unit 120 is used to emit light for display. The light-regulating layer 13 is located on the side of the light-emitting layer 12 away from the substrate 11, and is used to regulate the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 120. The light-regulating layer 13 includes a shading area 131 and a light-transmitting area 132. The shading area 131 is located between at least part of the adjacent light-emitting units 120, and is used to block part of the large-angle light emitted by the light-emitting unit 120, thereby achieving anti-peeping effect for a preset viewing angle. The orthographic projection of the light-transmitting area 132 on the substrate 11 overlaps at least partially with the orthographic projection of the light-emitting unit 120 on the substrate 11, thereby achieving the emission of light emitted by the light-emitting unit 120 for display. The shading area 131 includes a plurality of shading layers 133 and a plurality of flat layers 134 that are alternately stacked in sequence to ensure the thickness of the shading layer 133, thereby achieving an anti-peeping effect. Along the direction x away from the substrate 11, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the multiple light-shielding layers 133 on the substrate 11 are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside, so that along the direction x away from the substrate 11, the edges of the multiple light-shielding layers 133 close to the light-transmitting area 132 expand outward in sequence and regularly, so that the width of the light-transmitting cross-section of the light-transmitting area 132 gradually increases along the direction x away from the substrate 11, thereby improving the angular uniformity of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 120, improving the problem of poor uniformity at a large viewing angle caused by the uneven edges of the multiple light-shielding layers 133 close to the light-transmitting area 132, and improving the display effect of the display panel 1.

[0053] In a feasible implementation manner, the light shielding layer 133 and the planarization layer 134 both include organic materials.

[0054] In the above embodiment, both the light shielding layer 133 and the planar layer 134 are made of organic materials to facilitate synchronous patterning. In addition, the organic materials have strong fluidity, so as to facilitate the planarization function of the planar layer 134.

[0055] Specifically, the planar layer 134 is made of transparent organic material, which is easy to prepare. The use of transparent material can reduce the adverse effect of the difference between the material of the light shielding layer 133 and the angular uniformity of the light emitted by the light emitting unit 120 .

[0056] In a possible implementation, Figure 3 As shown, along the direction x away from the substrate 11, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the plurality of film layers 130 in the light regulation layer 13 on the substrate 11 are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside; or, as shown in FIG. Figure 4As shown, along the direction x away from the substrate 11, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of multiple flat layers 134 on the substrate 11 are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside, and in the orthographic projections of adjacent flat layers 134 and shading layers 133 on the substrate 11, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the flat layers 134 on the substrate 11 are located within the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the shading layers 133 on the substrate 11.

[0057] In the above-mentioned embodiment, due to the different etching processes, the flat layer 134 and the light shielding layer 133 can be smoothly transitioned or form a step portion toward the surface of the light-transmitting area 132. Specifically, when the etching gas has the same or similar etching rates on the flat layer 134 and the light shielding layer 133, the light-transmitting area 132 can be located: along the direction x away from the substrate 11, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the multiple film layers 130 in the light regulation layer 13 on the substrate 11 are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside, that is, the adjacent flat layer 134 and the light shielding layer 133 smoothly transition toward the surface of the light-transmitting area 132. At this time, along the direction x away from the substrate 11, the edges of the multiple film layers 130 close to the light-transmitting area 132 expand outward in sequence and regularly, thereby improving the angular uniformity of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 120, improving the problem of poor uniformity at a large viewing angle caused by the uneven edges of the multiple light shielding layers 133 close to the light-transmitting area 132, and improving the display effect of the display panel 1.

[0058] When the etching rate of the etching gas on the flat layer 134 is lower than the etching rate on the light shielding layer 133, the light-transmitting region 132 can be positioned such that: along the direction x away from the substrate 11, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the plurality of flat layers 134 on the substrate 11 are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside. And the light-transmitting region 132 can be positioned such that: along the direction x away from the substrate 11, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the plurality of light shielding layers 133 on the substrate 11 are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside, and in the orthographic projections of the adjacent flat layers 134 and light shielding layers 133 on the substrate 11, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the flat layers 134 on the substrate 11 are located within the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the light shielding layers 133 on the substrate 11. In this embodiment, since the flat layer 134 is made of a translucent material, the impact on the shading effect is relatively small. The edges of the multiple shading layers 133 close to the translucent area 132 are expanded outward in sequence and regularly, thereby improving the angular uniformity of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 120, improving the problem of poor uniformity at a large viewing angle caused by the uneven edges of the multiple shading layers 133 close to the translucent area 132, and improving the display effect of the display panel 1.

[0059] In a possible implementation, Figure 5 As shown, it also includes: a mask layer 14, which is located on the side of the light regulating layer 13 away from the light-emitting layer 12, including a mask portion 141 and an opening portion 142, the opening portion 142 corresponds to the light-transmitting area 132 one by one, and the orthographic projection of the opening portion 142 on the substrate 11 is located within the orthographic projection of the light-transmitting area 132 on the substrate 11.

[0060] In the above embodiment, in order to realize synchronous patterning of the multi-layer film layer 130 in the light regulating layer 13, after the multi-layer film layers 130 are stacked and arranged in sequence and arranged in a whole layer, a mask layer 14 is formed on the side of the multi-layer film layer 130 away from the substrate 11, and synchronous patterning of the multi-layer film layer 130 is realized through the mask layer 14. The mask layer 14 includes a mask portion 141 and an opening portion 142, and the opening portion 142 corresponds to the light-transmitting area 132 one by one. The etching area in the light regulating layer 13 that needs to be etched is exposed through the opening portion 142 so that the light regulating layer 13 can be patterned by the etching process later.

[0061] In a possible implementation, Figure 5 As shown, the surface of the mask portion 141 facing the opening portion 142 is closer to the center of the light-transmitting region 132 than the surface of the light-shielding region 131 facing the light-transmitting region 132 .

[0062] Specifically, the mask layer 14 is located on the side of the light regulating layer 13 away from the light emitting layer 12, and includes a mask portion 141 and an opening portion 142, and the opening portion 142 corresponds to the light-transmitting area 132 one by one. During the etching process, the mask layer 14 is passive to the etching gas. During the etching process of removing the multilayer film layer 130 exposed by the opening portion 142, the light-shielding area 131 can be side-etched due to process limitations, so that the orthographic projection of the opening portion 142 on the substrate 11 is located within the orthographic projection of the light-transmitting area 132 on the substrate 11, that is, the edge of the mask portion 141 close to the light-transmitting area 132 protrudes out of the light-shielding area 131 to form a protruding portion 1410. The mask layer 14 is made of a transparent material, and the mask layer 14 is retained after the alternating light-shielding material layer and the planarization material layer are synchronously patterned.

[0063] In another feasible implementation manner, the surface of the mask portion 141 facing the opening portion 142 and the surface of the light shielding region 131 facing the light transmitting region 132 are smoothly transitioned.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the mask layer 14 is made of transparent material. After the above dry etching process is completed, the edge of the mask portion 141 close to the light-transmitting area 132 protrudes from the shading area 131 to form a protruding portion 1410. The protruding portion 1410 of the mask layer 14 can be removed to achieve a smooth transition between the edge of the mask layer 14 close to the light-transmitting area 132 and the edge of the shading area 131 close to the light-transmitting area 132. Although the mask layer 14 has a higher transmittance, it is inevitable that it still has a certain shading rate due to its material limitations. Removing the protruding portion 1410 can reduce the adverse effects on the angular uniformity of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 120 due to the material limitations of the mask layer 14 itself.

[0065] In a possible implementation, Figure 5As shown, a protective layer 17 is further included. The protective layer 17 is located on the side of the mask layer 14 away from the substrate 11 , and the orthographic projection of the light regulating layer 13 on the substrate 11 is located within the orthographic projection of the protective layer 17 on the substrate 11 .

[0066] In the above embodiment, a protective layer 17 is formed on the side of the mask layer 14 away from the light regulating layer 13. The protective layer 17 can be made of transparent organic material. The protective layer 17 is used to protect the underlying film layer 130 and can play a flattening role. When the mask layer 14 is retained, the mask layer 14 includes an opening portion 142, and the opening portion 142 can be filled by the protective layer 17.

[0067] In a possible implementation, Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the display panel 1 does not include the mask layer 14, and the protective layer 17 is located on the side of the light regulating layer 13 away from the substrate 11 and in contact with the light regulating layer 13. The protective layer 17 is partially filled in the light-transmitting area 132 to reduce the step difference between the light-transmitting area 132 and the light-shielding area 131, thereby improving the flatness of the subsequent film layer 130 and improving the preparation yield of the subsequent film layer 130.

[0068] In a possible implementation, Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the light regulation layer 13 includes a through hole 135 located in the light transmission area 132, or, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the light regulating layer 13 includes a through hole 135 located in the light-transmitting area 132 and a transparent filling portion 136 located in the through hole 135 .

[0069] In the above embodiment, the light regulating layer 13 includes a through hole 135 located in the light-transmitting area 132. The through hole 135 is formed by a one-time etching process, which can save the preparation process and allow the edges of multiple light-shielding layers 133 close to the light-transmitting area 132 to expand outward in sequence and regularly, thereby improving the angular uniformity of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 120, improving the problem of poor uniformity at a large viewing angle caused by the uneven edges of the multiple light-shielding layers 133 close to the light-transmitting area 132, and improving the display effect of the display panel 1.

[0070] In order to reduce the step difference between the light-transmitting area 132 and the light-shielding area 131 , a transparent filling portion 136 may be used to fill the through hole 135 . The transparent filling portion 136 needs to be made of a material with a high light transmittance to ensure the brightness of the display panel 1 .

[0071] Specifically, the material of the transparent filling portion 136 may be the same as or different from the material of the protection layer 17 .

[0072] Or, if Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the through hole 135 can be filled synchronously with the protective layer 17 during the process of forming the protective layer 17, thereby simplifying the preparation process and saving the preparation cost. When the mask layer 14 is included, the opening 142 of the mask layer 14 and the through hole 135 of the light regulating layer 13 can be filled synchronously when the protective layer 17 is formed. In a feasible embodiment, as Figure 7 As shown, a plurality of light-emitting units 120 are arranged in rows and columns, the display panel 1 includes a plurality of light-emitting unit groups, each light-emitting unit group includes a plurality of light-emitting units 120 arranged along a row direction y, the orthographic projection of the shading area 131 on the substrate 11 is a strip structure, the strip structure extends along the row direction y, and the light-emitting unit groups and the strip structures are alternately arranged along a column direction z.

[0073] By setting a shading area 131, part of the wide-angle light in a preset direction can be blocked, thereby achieving an anti-peeping effect in the preset direction. In the above embodiment, by forming a shading area 131 between the light-emitting units 120 adjacent along the column direction z, an anti-peeping display in the column direction z is achieved. That is, the shading area 131 is used to block part of the wide-angle light emitted along the column direction z, and the user cannot see the display content clearly when observing the display panel 1 along the column direction z. This embodiment can be applied to the vehicle-mounted display screen of the co-pilot of the vehicle, and can achieve an anti-peeping effect for the main driver, thereby avoiding the display content of the vehicle-mounted display screen at the co-pilot position interfering with the main driver's realization and affecting driving safety.

[0074] In the above embodiment, by setting the orthographic projection of the shading area 131 on the substrate 11 as a strip structure extending along the row direction y, on the one hand, it can be easily prepared, and on the other hand, the shading area 131 can achieve large-area shielding of light emitted along the column direction z, not only shielding the area corresponding to the light-emitting unit 120, but also shielding the lateral light leakage between two adjacent light-emitting units 120 along the row direction y, thereby enhancing the anti-peeping effect and improving the light leakage problem.

[0075] In another possible implementation, if Figure 8 As shown, the orthographic projection of the shading area 131 on the substrate 11 is arranged circumferentially around the orthographic projection of the light-emitting unit 120 on the substrate 11 , and the orthographic projection of the shading area 131 on the substrate 11 is a mesh structure.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the shading area 131 is provided to block part of the wide-angle light in all directions within the circumferential range of the light-emitting unit 120, thereby achieving an all-round anti-peeping effect.

[0077] In the above implementation, if Figures 3 to 6As shown, the display panel further includes a pixel defining layer 15 located on a side of the first electrode facing away from the substrate 11 . The pixel defining layer 15 includes a plurality of openings 142 . The openings 142 are used to define the light emitting units 120 .

[0078] In the above implementation, if Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the display panel further includes an encapsulation layer 16 located on the side of the light-emitting layer 12 away from the substrate 11, and the encapsulation layer 16 includes a first encapsulation layer 161, a second encapsulation layer 162, and a third encapsulation layer 163 stacked in a direction away from the substrate 11. The first encapsulation layer 161 and the third encapsulation layer 163 are made of inorganic materials, and the second encapsulation layer 162 is made of organic materials.

[0079] In the above implementation, if Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the display panel further includes a buffer layer 20 located on the side of the encapsulation layer 16 away from the substrate 11, and the material of the buffer layer 20 includes an organic material. The buffer layer 20 can reduce the adverse effects of the preparation process of the subsequent film layer 130 on the encapsulation layer 16, thereby reducing the risk of encapsulation failure.

[0080] The present application provides a method for preparing a display panel 1, such as Fig. 9 As shown, including:

[0081] S200 , providing a substrate 11 .

[0082] Specifically, the substrate 11 may be an array substrate 11 , including a substrate and a driving circuit layer formed on the substrate.

[0083] S400 , forming a light-emitting layer 12 on one side of the substrate 11 , wherein the light-emitting layer 12 includes a plurality of light-emitting units 120 .

[0084] Specifically, the light-emitting layer 12 includes a first electrode, a light-emitting functional layer, and a second electrode formed sequentially on the side of the driving circuit layer away from the substrate. The light-emitting unit 120 may include a red light-emitting unit 120, a green light-emitting unit 120, and a blue light-emitting unit 120, and may also include a white light-emitting unit 120, which is not particularly limited in this application.

[0085] The light-emitting functional layer includes light-emitting functional parts of multiple colors, specifically, a red light-emitting functional part, a green light-emitting functional part, and a blue light-emitting functional part. Each color of the light-emitting unit 120 includes a light-emitting functional part of the corresponding color.

[0086] S600, forming a light regulating layer 13 on the side of the light emitting layer 12 away from the substrate 11, including: Fig.10 As shown, a light shielding material layer 18 and a planarization material layer 19 are alternately formed on the side of the light emitting layer 12 away from the substrate 11, as shown in FIG. Fig.11 and Fig.12As shown, the alternating shading material layers 18 and the planarizing material layers 19 are synchronously patterned to form a shading area 131 and a light-transmitting area 132, wherein the shading area 131 includes a plurality of shading layers 133 and a plurality of planarizing layers 134 that are alternately stacked in sequence, and the orthographic projection of the light-transmitting area 132 on the substrate 11 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the light-emitting unit 120 on the substrate 11, wherein along the direction x away from the substrate 11, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the plurality of shading layers 133 on the substrate 11 are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside.

[0087] In the above preparation method, anti-peeping display is achieved by forming a light regulating layer 13 on the side of the light-emitting layer 12 away from the substrate 11, specifically including: forming alternating shading material layers 18 and flattening material layers 19 on the side of the light-emitting layer 12 away from the substrate 11, wherein the shading material layer 18 is used to block part of the wide-angle light emitted by the light-emitting layer 12, and the flattening material layer 19 is used to achieve flattening, thereby improving the flatness and preparation yield of the film layer 130 located on the side of the flattening material layer 19 away from the substrate 11. Then, the alternately arranged shading material layers 18 and the planarization material layers 19 are synchronously patterned to form a shading area 131 and a light-transmitting area 132. The shading area 131 includes a plurality of shading layers 133 and a plurality of planarization layers 134 that are alternately stacked in sequence. The shading area 131 is used to block the large-angle light emitted by the light-emitting layer 12, thereby achieving an anti-peeping display effect. The orthographic projection of the light-transmitting area 132 on the substrate 11 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the light-emitting unit 120 on the substrate 11, so that the orthographic viewing angle light emitted by the light-emitting unit 120 can be emitted, thereby performing display.

[0088] In the above-mentioned preparation method, a single etching process is used to achieve synchronous patterning of the stacked multi-layer shading material layer 18 and the multi-layer flattening material layer 19, thereby avoiding the cumulative error of the patterning of the multi-layer shading material layer 18, thereby improving the preparation accuracy and preparation yield. In the light regulation layer 13 formed after patterning, along the direction x away from the substrate 11, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the multiple shading layers 133 on the substrate 11 are nested from the inside to the outside, that is, along the direction x away from the substrate 11, the edges of the multiple shading layers 133 close to the light-transmitting area 132 are expanded outward in a regular manner, thereby improving the angular uniformity of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 120, improving the problem of poor uniformity at a large viewing angle caused by the uneven edges of the multiple shading layers 133 close to the light-transmitting area 132, and improving the display effect of the display panel 1.

[0089] In the above implementation mode, if Figures 10 to 13 As shown, a pixel defining layer 15 is formed on a side of the first electrode facing away from the substrate 11 , and the pixel defining layer 15 includes a plurality of pixel openings 151 , and the pixel openings 151 are used to define the light emitting unit 120 .

[0090] In the above implementation, if Figures 10 to 13 As shown, an encapsulation layer 16 is formed on the side of the light-emitting layer 12 away from the substrate 11, and the encapsulation layer 16 includes a first encapsulation layer 161, a second encapsulation layer 162, and a third encapsulation layer 163 stacked in a direction away from the substrate 11. The first encapsulation layer 161 and the third encapsulation layer 163 are made of inorganic materials, and the second encapsulation layer 162 is made of organic materials.

[0091] In the above implementation, if Figures 10 to 13 As shown, a buffer layer 20 is formed on the side of the encapsulation layer 16 away from the substrate 11. The material of the buffer layer 20 includes an organic material. The buffer layer 20 can reduce the adverse effects of the subsequent preparation process of the film layer 130 on the encapsulation layer 16, thereby reducing the risk of encapsulation failure.

[0092] In a feasible implementation manner, the step of synchronously patterning the alternately arranged light shielding material layer 18 and the planarization material layer 19 includes:

[0093] S610, such as Fig.11 As shown, a mask layer 14 is formed on the side of the light regulating layer 13 away from the light emitting layer 12 , and the mask layer 14 includes a mask portion 141 and an opening portion 142 , and the orthographic projection of the opening portion 142 on the substrate 11 is at least partially overlapped with the orthographic projection of the light emitting unit 120 on the substrate 11 .

[0094] S620, such as Fig.12 As shown, a dry etching process is used to remove the portions of the light shielding material layer 18 and the planarization material layer 19 that are opposite to the opening 142 to form a light-transmitting area 132 .

[0095] In the above embodiment, the process of synchronously patterning the alternately arranged shading material layer 18 and the planarization material layer 19 includes: forming a mask layer 14 on the surface of one of the alternately arranged shading material layer 18 and the planarization material layer 19 that is away from the substrate 11 and faces away from the substrate 11, and the mask layer 14 includes a mask portion 141 and an opening portion 142, and the mask portion 141 blocks the alternately arranged shading material layer 18 and the planarization material layer 19, thereby forming a non-etched area. The opening portion 142 corresponds to the light-emitting unit 120, and the orthographic projection of the opening portion 142 on the substrate 11 is at least partially overlapped with the orthographic projection of the light-emitting unit 120 on the substrate 11, thereby forming an etching area. The etching area is etched to form a through hole 135, and the area where the through hole 135 is located is the light-transmitting area 132, and the other area is the shading area 131.

[0096] In the above embodiment, a single dry etching process is used to synchronously etch the areas exposed by the openings 142 in the alternately arranged light shielding material layers 18 and planarization material layers 19, which can reduce the cumulative error of multiple alignments caused by etching each light shielding material layer 18 and / or each planarization material layer 19 separately, thereby improving the process accuracy of the light regulation layer 13. In addition, the process of setting a mask layer 14 once and using a single dry etching process can simplify the preparation process and save preparation costs.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the mask layer 14 can be removed after the alternately arranged shading material layer 18 and the planarization material layer 19 are synchronously patterned. Alternatively, the mask layer 14 is made of a transparent material, and the mask layer 14 is retained after the alternately arranged shading material layer 18 and the planarization material layer 19 are synchronously patterned. Alternatively, the mask layer 14 is made of a transparent material, and after the above dry etching process is completed, the edge of the mask layer 14 near the light-transmitting area 132 protrudes from the light regulating layer 13 to form a protruding portion 1410, and only the protruding portion 1410 of the mask layer 14 can be removed to achieve a smooth transition between the edge of the mask layer 14 near the light-transmitting area 132 and the edge of the light regulating layer 13 near the light-transmitting area 132. Although the mask layer 14 has a high light transmittance, it is inevitable that it still has a certain light shielding rate due to its material limitations, so as to avoid affecting the angular uniformity of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 120 due to the material limitations of the mask layer 14 itself.

[0098] In a feasible embodiment, both the shading material layer 18 and the planarizing material layer 19 can be prepared by a coating (painting) process. Due to the limitation of the preparation process, the thickness range of the shading material layer 18 can be 1μm-3μm, and the thickness range of the planarizing material layer 19 can be 1μm-3μm. The thickness of the shading portion in the light regulating layer 13 needs to meet certain requirements to achieve the function of adjusting the angle of the light emitted by the light-emitting unit 120. Since the single-layer preparation thickness of the shading material layer 18 is relatively thin, a multi-layer shading material layer 18 is stacked to meet the thickness requirements. The planarizing material layer 19 is arranged between adjacent shading material layers 18 to improve the flatness of the shading material layer 18 and the fixing strength between adjacent shading material layers 18.

[0099] The planarization material layer 19 and the light shielding material layer 18 are both made of organic materials, so that synchronous patterning can be facilitated. Specifically, the planarization material layer 19 is made of transparent organic materials.

[0100] In one possible implementation, the thickness of the mask layer 14 ranges from 2500 angstroms to 4000 angstroms.

[0101] In the above embodiment, when the mask layer 14 is too thin, it is easy to cause the problem of mask failure. When the mask layer 14 is too thick, the preparation time of the mask layer 14 and the material cost of the mask layer 14 will be increased. Therefore, setting the thickness range of the mask layer 14 to 2500 angstroms to 4000 angstroms can achieve a balance between mask yield and preparation cost.

[0102] Specifically, the thickness of the mask layer 14 may be 2500 angstroms, 2600 angstroms, 2750 angstroms, 2830 angstroms, 2967 angstroms, 3000 angstroms, 3100 angstroms, 3300 angstroms, 3500 angstroms, 3780 angstroms, 3999 angstroms, 4000 angstroms, and so on.

[0103] In a feasible implementation manner, the material of the mask layer 14 includes a transparent inorganic material.

[0104] In the above embodiment, the material of the mask layer 14 includes a transparent inorganic material. The inorganic material can block the influence of the etching process, and the transparent material is used to facilitate alignment.

[0105] Specifically, the material of the mask layer 14 includes silicon nitride or silicon oxide. The above materials are readily available and compatible with the conventional preparation process of the display panel 1, thereby reducing the preparation cost.

[0106] In a possible implementation, Fig.13 As shown, it also includes:

[0107] A protection layer 17 is formed on a side of the mask layer 14 facing away from the substrate 11 , and the protection layer 17 covers the substrate 11 .

[0108] In the above embodiment, the protective layer 17 is made of an organic material and a transparent material. The use of an organic material can achieve a planarization effect, so as to facilitate filling the through hole 135 of the light-transmitting area 132 and facilitate the preparation of the subsequent film layer 130. The use of a transparent material can ensure high light transmittance, thereby reducing the adverse effect of the protective layer 17 on the brightness of the light-emitting unit 120, which helps to ensure the brightness of the display panel 1 and reduce the power consumption of the display panel 1.

[0109] The present application also provides a display device 2, such as Fig.14 As shown, it includes any one of the display panels 1 provided in the above embodiments of the present application, or includes a display panel 1 prepared by any one of the display panel 1 preparation methods provided in the above embodiments.

[0110] Since the display device 2 provided in the present application includes any one of the display panels 1 provided in the above-mentioned embodiments, or includes a display panel 1 prepared by the preparation method of any one of the display panels 1 provided in the above-mentioned embodiments, the display device 2 provided in the present application has the beneficial effects of any one of the display panels 1 provided in the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0111] The display device 2 in the embodiment of the present application includes but is not limited to mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), tablet computers, e-books, televisions, access control systems, smart landline phones, consoles and other devices with display functions.

[0112] The above are only preferred specific implementations of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily thought of by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that: include: substrate; A light-emitting layer, located on one side of the substrate, comprising a plurality of light-emitting units; a light regulating layer, located on a side of the light-emitting layer away from the substrate, comprising a light-shielding area and a light-transmitting area, wherein the light-shielding area comprises a plurality of film layers, wherein the plurality of film layers comprises a plurality of light-shielding layers and a plurality of flat layers alternately stacked in sequence, and an orthographic projection of the light-transmitting area on the substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the light-emitting unit on the substrate; Wherein, along the direction away from the substrate, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the plurality of light shielding layers on the substrate are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: Along the direction away from the substrate, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the plurality of film layers in the light regulation layer on the substrate are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside; or, Along the direction away from the substrate, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the plurality of flat layers on the substrate are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside, and in the orthographic projections of the adjacent flat layers and the light-shielding layer on the substrate, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the flat layers on the substrate are located within the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the light-shielding layer on the substrate.

3. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The mask layer is located on the side of the light regulating layer away from the light emitting layer, and includes a mask portion and an opening portion, wherein the opening portion corresponds to the light-transmitting area one by one, and the orthographic projection of the opening portion on the substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the light-transmitting area on the substrate.

4. The display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: The surface of the mask portion facing the opening portion and the surface of the shading area facing the light-transmitting area smoothly transition, or the surface of the mask portion facing the opening portion is closer to the center of the light-transmitting area than the surface of the shading area facing the light-transmitting area.

5. The display panel according to claim 3, characterized in that: It also includes a protective layer, which is located on the side of the mask layer away from the substrate, and the orthographic projection of the light regulating layer on the substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the protective layer on the substrate.

6. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light regulating layer includes a through hole located in the light-transmitting area, or the light regulating layer includes a through hole located in the light-transmitting area and a transparent filling portion located in the through hole.

7. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of light-emitting units are arranged in rows and columns, the display panel includes a plurality of light-emitting unit groups, each of the light-emitting unit groups includes a plurality of light-emitting units arranged along a row direction, the orthographic projection of the light-shielding area on the substrate is a strip structure, the strip structure extends along the row direction, and the light-emitting unit groups and the strip structures are alternately arranged along a column direction; or; The orthographic projection of the shading area on the substrate is arranged around the circumference of the orthographic projection of the light-emitting unit on the substrate, and the orthographic projection of the shading area on the substrate is a mesh structure.

8. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light shielding layer and the planarizing layer both include organic materials.

9. A method for preparing a display panel, characterized in that: include: providing a substrate; forming a light-emitting layer on one side of the substrate, wherein the light-emitting layer includes a plurality of light-emitting units; A light regulating layer is formed on the side of the light-emitting layer away from the substrate, comprising: forming alternating shading material layers and flattening material layers on the side of the light-emitting layer away from the substrate, and synchronously patterning the alternating shading material layers and flattening material layers to form shading areas and light-transmitting areas, the shading areas comprising multiple shading layers and multiple flattening layers alternately stacked in sequence, the orthographic projection of the light-transmitting area on the substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the light-emitting unit on the substrate, wherein along the direction away from the substrate, the boundaries of the orthographic projections of the multiple shading layers on the substrate are nested in sequence from the inside to the outside.

10. The method for preparing a display panel according to claim 9, characterized in that: The synchronously patterning the alternately arranged light shielding material layers and planarization material layers comprises: A mask layer is formed on a side of the light regulating layer away from the light emitting layer, wherein the mask layer comprises a mask portion and an opening portion, and an orthographic projection of the opening portion on the substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the light emitting unit on the substrate; A dry etching process is adopted to remove the light shielding material layer and the portion of the planarization material layer opposite to the opening to form a light-transmitting area.

11. The method for preparing a display panel according to claim 10, characterized in that: The thickness of the mask layer ranges from 2500 angstroms to 4000 angstroms; and / or, the material of the mask layer includes a transparent inorganic material.

12. The method for preparing a display panel according to claim 10, characterized in that: Also includes: A protection layer is formed on a side of the mask layer facing away from the substrate, and the protection layer covers the substrate.

13. A display device, characterized in that: A display panel comprising the display panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, or a display panel prepared by the method for preparing a display panel as described in any one of claims 9 to 12.

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