Display panel and display device

Abstract

The invention provides a display panel and a display device.The display panel comprises a display area and a non-display area located on at least one side of the display area, the display area is provided with a plurality of light-emitting pixel units, and the non-display area is provided with at least one virtual pixel unit. The area of the virtual pixel units is larger than that of the light-emitting pixel units of the display area, and the maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel units is larger than that of the light-emitting pixel units, so that when the film-forming light-emitting material layer is formed through ink-jet printing, the film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel units is larger than that of the light-emitting pixel units. The area where the large-area virtual pixel units are formed can contain more printing ink, so that a large amount of solvent atmosphere is created in the area to eliminate the influence of non-uniform vacuum drying, and the film forming uniformity of the light-emitting pixel units in the display area is further improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) displays have become a research hotspot in the field of optoelectronic display technology due to their advantages such as self-luminescence, wide viewing angle, high contrast, low power consumption, extremely high response speed, ultra-light weight, flexible display, rollable screen, strong temperature adaptability, and simple manufacturing process. There are two main film-forming methods for luminous pixels in OLED displays: evaporation process and solution process. Among them, the evaporation process has been applied to mass production. However, due to the high material cost and low material utilization rate of the evaporation process, the production cost of OLED displays is relatively high. The solution process includes spin coating, inkjet printing, nozzle coating, etc., which are suitable for polymer materials and soluble small molecule materials. The equipment cost of the solution process is low, which can reduce the production cost of OLED displays.

[0003] However, when the inkjet printing process is used to form the light-emitting pixels, the film formation uniformity is poor due to the characteristics of the printing ink and the drying uniformity of the vacuum drying equipment, which affects the lifespan and light-emitting quality of the light-emitting pixels. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a display panel and a display device to alleviate the technical problem of poor film formation uniformity when forming light-emitting pixels using an inkjet printing process.

[0005] To solve the above problems, the technical solutions provided by this application are as follows:

[0006] An embodiment of the present application provides a display panel, which includes a display area and a non-display area located on at least one side of the display area. The display panel also includes:

[0007] substrate;

[0008] A light-emitting material layer, disposed on the substrate, the light-emitting material layer comprising a plurality of light-emitting pixel units formed in the display area and at least one dummy pixel unit formed in the non-display area;

[0009] The area of ​​the virtual pixel unit is greater than the area of ​​the luminescent pixel unit, and the maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit.

[0010] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, the maximum film-forming height difference of a single virtual pixel unit is twice or more the maximum film-forming height difference of a single luminous pixel unit.

[0011] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, the area of ​​the virtual pixel unit is 3 times or more of the area of ​​the light-emitting pixel unit.

[0012] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, the maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit is greater than 400 nanometers, and the maximum film-forming height difference of the light-emitting pixel unit is less than 80 nanometers.

[0013] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, the plurality of light-emitting pixel units include a first color light-emitting pixel unit, a second color light-emitting pixel unit, and a third color light-emitting pixel unit, the maximum film-forming height difference of the first color light-emitting pixel unit is smaller than the maximum film-forming height difference of the second color light-emitting pixel unit, and the maximum film-forming height difference of the second color light-emitting pixel unit is smaller than the maximum film-forming height difference of the third color light-emitting pixel unit;

[0014] Among them, the first color light-emitting pixel unit is a red light-emitting pixel unit, the second color light-emitting pixel unit is a green light-emitting pixel unit, and the third color light-emitting pixel unit is a blue light-emitting pixel unit.

[0015] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, the maximum film-forming height difference of the first color light-emitting pixel unit is less than 50 nanometers, the maximum film-forming height difference of the second color light-emitting pixel unit is less than 60 nanometers, and the maximum film-forming height difference of the third color light-emitting pixel unit is less than 80 nanometers.

[0016] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, the non-display area includes a first sub-area and a second sub-area that are relatively arranged, the display area is adjacent to the first sub-area and the second sub-area, the virtual pixel unit is arranged in both the first sub-area and the second sub-area, and the virtual pixel unit in the first sub-area is centrally symmetrical with the virtual pixel unit in the second sub-area.

[0017] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, a plurality of the luminous pixel units are arranged in a first direction to form luminous pixel rows, and a plurality of the luminous pixel units are arranged in a second direction to form luminous pixel columns, the first direction and the second direction are arranged to intersect, the length of the luminous pixel unit in the first direction is greater than the length in the second direction, and in the second direction, the luminous pixel row is located between the first sub-area and the second sub-area.

[0018] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, the non-display area also includes a third sub-area and a fourth sub-area that are relatively arranged, and the third sub-area and the fourth sub-area are both located between the first sub-area and the second sub-area, and the virtual pixel units are arranged in the third sub-area and the fourth sub-area, and the virtual pixel units in the third sub-area are centrally symmetrical with the virtual pixel units in the fourth sub-area, and the virtual pixel units in the first sub-area, the third sub-area, the second sub-area and the fourth sub-area surround the display area.

[0019] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, the virtual pixel units in the first sub-region, the third sub-region, the second sub-region and the fourth sub-region are connected end to end in sequence.

[0020] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, the length of the virtual pixel unit in the first sub-area in the first direction is greater than the length in the second direction, and the length of the virtual pixel unit in the third sub-area in the first direction is less than the length in the second direction;

[0021] The maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit in the first sub-area in the second direction is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the light-emitting pixel unit in the second direction;

[0022] The maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit in the third sub-area in the first direction is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the light-emitting pixel unit in the second direction.

[0023] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, a plurality of the virtual pixel units are arranged in the first sub-area and the third sub-area, the plurality of the virtual pixel units are arranged in virtual pixel rows in the first direction, and the plurality of the virtual pixel units are arranged in virtual pixel columns in the second direction.

[0024] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, a plurality of the virtual pixel units are arranged in both the first sub-area and the third sub-area. In the first sub-area, the plurality of the virtual pixel units include first-type virtual pixel units and second-type virtual pixel units arranged in the first direction, and the second-type virtual pixel units are located at the connection between the first sub-area and the third sub-area; in the third sub-area, the plurality of the virtual pixel units include a plurality of third-type virtual pixel units arranged in the second direction;

[0025] In the second direction, the width of the third type of virtual pixel unit is smaller than the width of the first type of virtual pixel unit and smaller than the width of the second type of virtual pixel unit, and the width of the second type of virtual pixel unit is larger than the width of the first type of virtual pixel unit;

[0026] The maximum film-forming height difference of the third type of virtual pixel unit is smaller than the maximum film-forming height difference of the first type of virtual pixel unit, and the maximum film-forming height difference of the third type of virtual pixel unit is smaller than the maximum film-forming height difference of the second type of virtual pixel unit.

[0027] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, the display panel further includes:

[0028] A first dam is provided on the substrate and is located in the display area;

[0029] a second dam, disposed on the substrate and crossing the first dam, and forming a first opening with the first dam, wherein the light-emitting pixel unit is located in the first opening and is disposed one-to-one with the first opening;

[0030] The second dam extends from the display area to the non-display area and forms a second opening in the non-display area. The virtual pixel unit is located in the second opening and is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the second opening.

[0031] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, in the thickness direction of the display panel, the thickness of the second dam is greater than the thickness of the first dam, and the thickness of the second dam located in the non-display area is greater than the thickness of the second dam located in the display area.

[0032] In the display panel provided in the embodiment of the present application, the display panel further includes:

[0033] A first electrode layer is arranged between the substrate and the light-emitting material layer, the first electrode layer includes a plurality of first electrodes formed in the display area and a virtual electrode formed in the non-display area, the light-emitting pixel units are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the first electrodes, and the virtual pixel units are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the virtual electrodes;

[0034] A second electrode layer is arranged on a side of the light emitting material layer away from the substrate;

[0035] In which, the substrate includes a first transistor formed in the display area and a second transistor formed in the non-display area, the first transistor is arranged corresponding to the first electrode, and the first electrode is electrically connected to the first transistor, the second transistor is arranged corresponding to the virtual electrode, and the virtual electrode is electrically isolated from the second transistor.

[0036] An embodiment of the present application further provides a display device, which includes the display panel described in one of the aforementioned embodiments.

[0037] The beneficial effects of the present application are as follows: in the display panel and display device provided by the present application, the display panel includes a display area and a non-display area located on at least one side of the display area, the display area is provided with a plurality of luminous pixel units, and the non-display area is provided with at least one virtual pixel unit, the area of ​​the virtual pixel unit is larger than the area of ​​the luminous pixel unit of the display area, and the maximum film forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit is larger than the maximum film forming height difference of the luminous pixel unit. In this way, when inkjet printing is used to form the luminescent material layer, the area where the large-area virtual pixel unit is formed can accommodate more printing ink, so as to create a large amount of solvent atmosphere in the area to eliminate the influence of uneven vacuum drying, thereby improving the uniformity of film formation of the luminous pixel units in the display area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments or the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0039] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a planar structure of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0040] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the M-M' direction.

[0041] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Detailed structural diagram of the middle substrate.

[0042] Figure 4 Another schematic diagram of the planar structure of the display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0043] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of another planar structure of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0044] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of another planar structure of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0045] Figure 7 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a curve showing the change in film thickness of two first color light-emitting pixel units in the second direction.

[0046] Figure 8 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a curve showing the change in film thickness of two second color light-emitting pixel units in the second direction.

[0047] Fig. 9 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a curve showing the change in film thickness of two third color light-emitting pixel units in the second direction.

[0048] Fig.10 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a curve showing the change in film thickness of two virtual pixel units in the first sub-area in the second direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The following descriptions of the embodiments are with reference to the attached diagrams to illustrate specific embodiments that the present application can be implemented in. The directional terms mentioned in the present application, such as [up], [down], [front], [back], [left], [right], [inside], [outside], [side], etc., are only with reference to the directions of the attached drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are used to illustrate and understand the present application, rather than to limit the present application. In the figures, units with similar structures are represented by the same reference numerals. In the accompanying drawings, the thickness of some layers and regions is exaggerated for clear understanding and ease of description. That is, the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily shown, but the present application is not limited to this.

[0050] In view of the problem of poor film uniformity when using inkjet printing process to form luminous pixels, the inventors of this application found in the study that due to the influence of printing ink characteristics and vacuum drying equipment drying uniformity, the four corners and edges of the display panel have poor film uniformity, and the four corners are more serious than the edges. To this end, virtual (Dummy) pixels can be set in the non-display area outside the display area, and the virtual pixels in the non-display area and the luminous pixels in the display area are both formed by printing the same printing ink on the substrate by inkjet printing process. The size and shape of the virtual pixels match the luminous pixels. The area where the virtual pixels are located can be used as the edge part of the luminous pixels in the display area, and then the edge with uneven film thickness after drying is located in the area where the virtual pixels are located, so as to ensure the uniformity of the luminous pixel film formation in the display area and the uniformity of the luminous pixel brightness. Among them, the virtual pixels and the luminous pixels are structures that actually exist on the display panel. The difference between the two is that the luminous pixels will emit light for the display panel to display the picture, while the virtual pixels will not emit light, which is mainly used to improve the uniformity of the luminous pixel film formation in the display area.

[0051] In order to ensure that the four corners and edges with uneven film thickness are all located in the area where the virtual pixels are located, more virtual pixels need to be set in the non-display area as a buffer. More virtual pixels need to occupy a larger space, and the virtual pixels are not used for luminescence. The area where the virtual pixels are located is an invalid luminescence area, which leads to a larger non-display area, making it difficult for the display panel to achieve a narrow frame.

[0052] To this end, the inventor of the present application proposes a display panel and a display device.

[0053] Please refer to Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a planar structure of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application, Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure along the M-M' direction, Figure 3 for Figure 2 Detailed structural diagram of the base plate. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The display panel 100 includes a display area AA and a non-display area NA located at least on one side of the display area AA, wherein the display area AA is used to display an image, and the non-display area NA does not display an image. The display panel 100 also includes a substrate 10 and a light-emitting material layer 20 disposed on the substrate 10. The light-emitting material layer 20 includes a plurality of light-emitting pixel units 21 formed in the display area AA, and at least one virtual pixel unit 22 formed in the non-display area NA.

[0054] The area of ​​the virtual pixel unit 22 is larger than the area of ​​the luminescent pixel unit 21, and the maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit 22 is larger than the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit 21. In this way, when the luminescent material layer 20 is formed by inkjet printing, the area where the large-area virtual pixel unit 22 is formed can accommodate more printing ink, so as to create a large amount of solvent atmosphere in the area to eliminate the influence of uneven vacuum drying, thereby improving the uniformity of film formation of the luminescent pixel unit 21 in the display area AA. Moreover, the large-area virtual pixel unit 22 larger than the area of ​​the luminescent pixel unit 21 in the display area AA can achieve the same film-forming uniformity while reducing the area of ​​the non-display area NA occupied by the dam for enclosing the virtual pixel, so as to facilitate the realization of a narrow frame. Among them, the virtual pixel unit 22 and the luminescent pixel unit 21 are structures that actually exist on the display panel 100, and the difference between the two is that the luminescent pixel unit 21 will emit light for the display panel 100 to display the picture, while the virtual pixel unit 22 will not emit light.

[0055] Among them, the large-area virtual pixel unit 22 means that the area of ​​each of the virtual pixel units 22 is much larger than the area of ​​each of the luminous pixel units 21. For example, the area of ​​a single virtual pixel unit 22 is 3 times or more than the area of ​​a single luminous pixel unit 21, that is, the area of ​​each virtual pixel unit 22 is 3 times or more than the area of ​​each of the luminous pixel units 21, such as 3 times, 4 times, 5 times, 6 times, 10 times, 20 times, 30 times, etc. The upper limit of the area of ​​the virtual pixel unit 22 may depend on the required size of the actual narrow border of the display panel 100.

[0056] The maximum film height difference of the virtual pixel unit 22 is 2 times or more of the maximum film height difference of the light-emitting pixel unit 21, such as 2 times, 2.1 times, 2.5 times, 3 times, 4 times, 5 times, 6 times, 7 times, etc. In one embodiment, the maximum film height difference of the virtual pixel unit 22 is greater than 400 nanometers, such as 401 nanometers, 410 nanometers, 420 nanometers, 450 nanometers, 480 nanometers, 500 nanometers, 600 nanometers, etc.; the maximum film height difference of the light-emitting pixel unit 21 is less than 80 nanometers, such as 79 nanometers, 75 nanometers, 70 nanometers, 65 nanometers, 60 nanometers, 55 nanometers, 50 nanometers, 40 nanometers, 30 nanometers, 20 nanometers, 10 nanometers, etc.

[0057] Among them, the maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit 22 refers to the difference between the maximum film layer thickness and the minimum film layer thickness of the virtual pixel unit 22 after the light-emitting material layer 20 forms the virtual pixel unit 22. Correspondingly, the maximum film-forming height difference of the light-emitting pixel unit 21 refers to the difference between the maximum film layer thickness and the minimum film layer thickness of the light-emitting pixel unit 21.

[0058] Optionally, a plurality of the luminescent pixel units 21 are arranged in a luminescent pixel row in a first direction X, and a plurality of the luminescent pixel units 21 are arranged in a luminescent pixel column in a second direction Y, and the first direction X and the second direction Y are arranged to intersect, for example, the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular, the first direction X is a horizontal direction, and the second direction Y is a vertical direction. The length of the luminescent pixel unit 21 in the first direction X is greater than the length in the second direction Y.

[0059] The multiple luminous pixel units 21 include a first color luminous pixel unit 21-R, a second color luminous pixel unit 21-G and a third color luminous pixel unit 21-B. Optionally, the first color luminous pixel unit 21-R is a red luminous pixel unit 21, the second color luminous pixel unit 21-G is a green luminous pixel unit 21, and the third color luminous pixel unit 21-B is a blue luminous pixel unit 21.

[0060] The areas of the first color light-emitting pixel unit 21-R, the second color light-emitting pixel unit 21-G and the third color light-emitting pixel unit 21-B are the same, the maximum film-forming height difference of the first color light-emitting pixel unit 21-R is smaller than the maximum film-forming height difference of the second color light-emitting pixel unit 21-G, and the maximum film-forming height difference of the second color light-emitting pixel unit 21-G is smaller than the maximum film-forming height difference of the third color light-emitting pixel unit 21-B. Among them, the maximum film-forming height difference of the first color light-emitting pixel unit 21-R is less than 50 nanometers, such as 49 nanometers, 40 nanometers, 30 nanometers, 20 nanometers, 10 nanometers, etc.; the maximum film-forming height difference of the second color light-emitting pixel unit 21-G is less than 60 nanometers, such as 59 nanometers, 55 nanometers, 50 nanometers, 40 nanometers, 30 nanometers, 20 nanometers, 10 nanometers, etc.; the maximum film-forming height difference of the third color light-emitting pixel unit 21-B is less than 80 nanometers, such as 79 nanometers, 75 nanometers, 70 nanometers, 65 nanometers, 60 nanometers, 55 nanometers, 50 nanometers, 40 nanometers, 30 nanometers, 20 nanometers, etc.

[0061] The first color luminous pixel unit 21-R, the second color luminous pixel unit 21-G and the third color luminous pixel unit 21-B are arranged in sequence in the second direction Y, and multiple first color luminous pixel units 21-R are arranged in luminous pixel rows in the first direction X, multiple second color luminous pixel units 21-G are arranged in luminous pixel rows in the first direction X, and multiple third color luminous pixel units 21-B are arranged in luminous pixel rows in the first direction X, that is, the luminous pixel units 21 of the same color are arranged in luminous pixel rows in the first direction X. In this way, the same color of printing ink can be printed on the luminous pixel rows by using an inkjet printing process to realize linear inkjet printing, improve the efficiency of inkjet printing, and reduce the risk of color crosstalk between adjacent luminous pixel units 21 during inkjet printing.

[0062] Among them, in the present application, the printing ink is formed by mixing organic light-emitting materials of corresponding colors into a low-boiling point solvent to form printing ink of corresponding colors. For example, in the present application, the printing ink forming the red light-emitting pixel unit 21 is formed by mixing red organic light-emitting materials into a low-boiling point solvent, the printing ink forming the green light-emitting pixel unit 21 is formed by mixing green organic light-emitting materials into a low-boiling point solvent, and the printing ink forming the blue light-emitting pixel unit 21 is formed by mixing blue organic light-emitting materials into a low-boiling point solvent. The low-boiling point solvent refers to a solvent having a boiling point below 100°C, such as one of dipropylene glycol, cyclohexylbenzene, dimethyl diacetone formate, etc.

[0063] It should be noted that Figure 1Only part of the first color light-emitting pixel unit 21-R, the second color light-emitting pixel unit 21-G and the third color light-emitting pixel unit 21-B are illustrated, but the present application is not limited to this. Moreover, the arrangement of the light-emitting pixel units 21 in this embodiment is only an example, and the present application is also not limited to this. For example, the light-emitting pixel units 21 of the same color in the present application can also be arranged in pixel columns in the second direction Y, and the light-emitting pixel units 21 of different colors are arranged in pixel rows in the first direction X.

[0064] Continue to refer to Figure 1 The non-display area NA includes a first sub-area NA1 and a second sub-area NA2 that are arranged opposite to each other, the display area AA is adjacent to the first sub-area NA1 and the second sub-area NA2, the first sub-area NA1 and the second sub-area NA2 are both provided with the virtual pixel unit 22, and the virtual pixel unit 22 in the first sub-area NA1 is centrally symmetric with the virtual pixel unit 22 in the second sub-area NA2. In the second direction Y, the light-emitting pixel row is located between the first sub-area NA1 and the second sub-area NA2, that is, the first sub-area NA1 and the second sub-area NA2 are arranged at intervals in the second direction Y.

[0065] The non-display area NA also includes a third sub-area NA3 and a fourth sub-area NA4 that are relatively arranged, and the third sub-area NA3 and the fourth sub-area NA4 are both located between the first sub-area NA1 and the second sub-area NA2, and the third sub-area NA3 and the fourth sub-area NA4 are both provided with the virtual pixel unit 22, and the virtual pixel unit 22 in the third sub-area NA3 is centrally symmetrical with the virtual pixel unit 22 in the fourth sub-area NA4, and the virtual pixel units 22 in the first sub-area NA1, the third sub-area, the second sub-area NA2, and the fourth sub-area NA4 surround the display area AA. For example, the virtual pixel units 22 in the first sub-area NA1, the third sub-area, the second sub-area NA2, and the fourth sub-area NA4 are connected end to end in sequence to form a ring-shaped virtual pixel unit 22 to achieve a narrow frame to the greatest extent.

[0066] The length of the virtual pixel unit 22 in the first sub-area NA1 and the second sub-area NA2 in the first direction X is greater than the length in the second direction Y, and the length of the virtual pixel unit 22 in the third sub-area NA3 and the fourth sub-area NA4 in the first direction X is less than the length in the second direction Y. The length of the luminous pixel unit 21 in the first direction X is greater than its length in the second direction Y. Optionally, the length of the virtual pixel unit 22 in the first sub-area NA1 and the second sub-area NA2 in the second direction Y is greater than or equal to the length of the luminous pixel unit 21 in the second direction Y; the length of the virtual pixel unit 22 in the third sub-area NA3 and the fourth sub-area NA4 in the first direction X is greater than or equal to the length of the luminous pixel unit 21 in the second direction Y.

[0067] The maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit 22 in the first sub-area NA1 in the second direction Y is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit 21 in the second direction Y, the maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit 22 in the second sub-area NA2 in the second direction Y is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit 21 in the second direction Y, the maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit 22 in the third sub-area NA3 in the first direction X is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit 21 in the second direction Y, and the maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit 22 in the fourth sub-area NA4 in the first direction X is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit 21 in the second direction Y. The maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit 21 in the second direction Y is greater than its maximum film-forming height difference in the first direction X.

[0068] Reference Figure 2 The display panel 100 further includes a first dam 30 and a second dam 40 disposed on the substrate 10. The first dam 30 is located in the display area AA, and the second dam 40 is located in the display area AA and extends from the display area AA to the non-display area NA. In the display area AA, the second dam 40 crosses the first dam 30 and forms a first opening 401 with the first dam 30. The luminescent pixel units 21 are located in the first opening 401 and are arranged one-to-one with the first openings 401, that is, one luminescent pixel unit 21 is arranged in each of the first openings 401, and one luminescent pixel unit 21 is located in one of the first openings 401.

[0069] In the non-display area NA, the second dam 40 forms a second opening 402, and the virtual pixel units 22 are located in the second openings 402 and are arranged one-to-one with the second openings 402, that is, one virtual pixel unit 22 is arranged in each second opening 402, and one virtual pixel unit 22 is located in one second opening 402. The opening area of ​​the second opening 402 is much larger than the opening area of ​​the first opening 401, for example, the opening area of ​​the second opening 402 is 3 times or more of the opening area of ​​the first opening 401, for example, 3 times, 4 times, 5 times, 6 times, 10 times, 20 times, 30 times, etc.

[0070] In the thickness direction of the display panel 100, the thickness of the second dam 40 is greater than the thickness of the first dam 30, and the thickness of the second dam 40 located in the non-display area NA is greater than the thickness of the second dam 40 located in the display area AA, so as to increase the accommodation space of the second opening 402, so that the second opening 402 can accommodate more printing ink, and under the premise of ensuring the same film formation uniformity effect, the opening area of ​​the second opening 402 can be appropriately reduced, thereby further reducing the frame width of the display panel 100, which is more conducive to achieving a narrow frame. Both the first dam 30 and the second dam 40 can be formed of organic materials.

[0071] Continue to refer to Figure 2 The display panel 100 further includes a first electrode layer 50 and a second electrode layer 60 opposite to each other. The first electrode layer 50 is disposed between the substrate 10 and the light-emitting material layer 20. The first electrode layer 50 includes a plurality of first electrodes 51 formed in the display area AA and a virtual electrode 52 formed in the non-display area NA. The light-emitting pixel units 21 are disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the first electrodes 51, and the virtual pixel units 22 are disposed in one-to-one correspondence with the virtual electrodes 52. That is, one first electrode 51 corresponds to one light-emitting pixel unit 21, one first electrode 51 corresponds to one first opening 401, and the first opening 401 exposes at least part of the first electrode 51; one virtual electrode 52 corresponds to one virtual pixel unit 22, one second electrode corresponds to one second opening 402, and the second opening 402 exposes at least part of the virtual electrode 52.

[0072] The second electrode layer 60 is disposed on a side of the light-emitting material layer 20 away from the substrate 10, and the second electrode layer 60 is disposed as a whole layer. Optionally, the first electrode 51 is an anode, the second electrode layer 60 is a cathode, the light-emitting pixel unit 21 emits light under the combined action of the first electrode 51 and the second electrode layer 60, and the virtual pixel unit 22 does not emit light.

[0073] Reference Figure 3 The substrate 10 includes a substrate 11 and a first transistor 12 and a second transistor 13 arranged on the substrate 11, the first transistor 12 is formed in the display area AA, the second transistor 13 is formed in the non-display area NA, the first transistor 12 is arranged corresponding to the first electrode 51, and the first electrode 51 is electrically connected to the first transistor 12, the second transistor 13 is arranged corresponding to the virtual electrode 52, and the virtual electrode 52 is electrically isolated from the second transistor 13.

[0074] Optionally, the substrate 10 further includes a bridging electrode disposed between the first transistor 12 and the first electrode 51 , and the first electrode 51 is connected to the corresponding first transistor 12 via the bridging electrode.

[0075] The substrate 11 includes a first sub-substrate 111, a barrier layer 112, a second sub-substrate 113 and a buffer layer 114 which are stacked, wherein the materials of the first sub-substrate 111 and the second sub-substrate 113 include polyimide and the like, and the materials of the barrier layer 112 and the buffer layer 114 include inorganic materials such as silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

[0076] The first transistor 12 includes an active layer 121, a first gate 122, a third electrode 123, a source 124, and a drain 125. Of course, the substrate 10 also includes a plurality of insulating layers, such as a first gate insulating layer 141 between the active layer 121 and the first gate 122, a second gate insulating layer 142 between the first gate 122 and the third electrode 123, an interlayer insulating layer 143 between the third electrode 123 and the source 124, the drain 125, a first flat layer 144 between the source 124, the drain 125 and the bridge electrode, a second flat layer 145 between the bridge electrode and the first electrode 51, and the first dam 30 and the second dam 40 are located on a portion of the first electrode 51 and the second flat layer 145. The structure of the second transistor 13 is the same as that of the first transistor 12, and will not be described in detail herein.

[0077] Among them, the difference between the substrate 10 in the non-display area NA and the display area AA is that the second flat layer 145 is formed with a first via hole in the display area AA, but no corresponding via hole is formed in the non-display area NA, and the first electrode 51 is connected to the bridging electrode through the first via hole; the first flat layer 144 is formed with a second via hole in the display area AA, but no corresponding via hole is formed in the non-display area NA, and the bridging electrode is connected to the first transistor 12 through the second via hole, and the first flat layer 144 and the second flat layer 145 are located between the virtual electrode 52 and the second transistor 13, so that the virtual electrode 52 is electrically isolated from the second transistor 13.

[0078] In one embodiment, referring to Figures 1 to 4 , Figure 4 Another schematic diagram of the planar structure of the display panel 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application is shown in FIG. Figure 4 ,and Figure 1 The difference of the exemplary display panel 100 is that the non-display area NA of the display panel 100 includes a first sub-area NA1 and a second sub-area NA2, but a third sub-area NA3 and a fourth sub-area NA4 are not provided, so as to further reduce the frame of the display panel 100. The virtual pixel unit 22 is located in the first sub-area NA1 and the second sub-area NA2, and the first sub-area NA1, the display area AA, and the second sub-area NA2 are arranged in sequence in the second direction Y. For other descriptions, please refer to the above embodiment, which will not be repeated here.

[0079] In one embodiment, referring to Figures 1 to 5 , Figure 5 This is another schematic diagram of a planar structure of the display panel 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application, referring to Figure 5 ,and Figure 1 The difference of the exemplary display panel 100 is that the first sub-area NA1 and the third sub-area NA3 are both provided with a plurality of the virtual pixel units 22, and correspondingly, the second sub-area NA2 and the fourth sub-area NA4 are also both provided with a plurality of the virtual pixel units 22. The plurality of the virtual pixel units 22 are arranged in virtual pixel rows in the first direction X, and the plurality of the virtual pixel units 22 are arranged in virtual pixel columns in the second direction Y.

[0080] It should be noted that Figure 5It is schematically shown that two virtual pixel rows and two virtual pixel columns are set in the first sub-area NA1 and the second sub-area NA2, and three virtual pixel rows and two virtual pixel columns are set in the third sub-area NA3 and the fourth sub-area NA4, but the present application is not limited to this. In the present application, more or fewer virtual pixel units 22 can be set in the first sub-area NA1, the second sub-area NA2, the third sub-area NA3 and the fourth sub-area NA4, thereby forming fewer or more virtual pixel rows and / or virtual pixel columns. Moreover, the surface shapes of the multiple virtual pixel units in each sub-area (including the first sub-area NA1, the second sub-area NA2, the third sub-area NA3 and the fourth sub-area NA4) are the same, for example, they are all rectangular. Of course, the shape of the virtual pixel unit 22 is not limited to Figure 5 The virtual pixel unit 22 may also be other regular or irregular shapes; the arrangement rules of the multiple virtual pixel units in each sub-area (including the first sub-area NA1, the second sub-area NA2, the third sub-area NA3 and the fourth sub-area NA4) are the same, for example, the multiple virtual pixel units in each sub-area are arranged in an array. Of course, the arrangement of the virtual pixel unit 22 is not limited to Figure 5 The schematic array arrangement is shown, and the virtual pixel units 22 may also be arranged in other ordered or disordered arrangements.

[0081] The length of each of the virtual pixel units 22 in the first sub-area NA1 and the second sub-area NA2 in the first direction X is greater than the length in the second direction Y, and the length of each of the virtual pixel units 22 in the third sub-area NA3 and the fourth sub-area NA4 in the first direction X is less than the length in the second direction Y.

[0082] The maximum film-forming height difference of each virtual pixel unit 22 in the first sub-area NA1 in the second direction Y is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit 21 in the second direction Y, the maximum film-forming height difference of each virtual pixel unit 22 in the second sub-area NA2 in the second direction Y is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit 21 in the second direction Y, the maximum film-forming height difference of each virtual pixel unit 22 in the third sub-area NA3 in the first direction X is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit 21 in the second direction Y, and the maximum film-forming height difference of each virtual pixel unit 22 in the fourth sub-area NA4 in the first direction X is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit 21 in the second direction Y. The maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit 21 in the second direction Y is greater than its maximum film-forming height difference in the first direction X.

[0083] In one embodiment, referring to Figures 1 to 6 , Figure 6 This is another schematic diagram of a planar structure of the display panel 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application, referring to Figure 6 ,and Figure 5 The difference of the example display panel 100 is that a plurality of the virtual pixel units 22 are arranged in both the first sub-area NA1 and the third sub-area NA3; in the first sub-area NA1, the plurality of the virtual pixel units 22 include a first type of virtual pixel unit 22-1 and a second type of virtual pixel unit 22-2 arranged in the first direction X, and the second type of virtual pixel unit 22-2 is located at the connection between the first sub-area NA1 and the third sub-area NA3; in the third sub-area NA3, the plurality of the virtual pixel units 22 include a plurality of third type virtual pixel units 22-3 arranged in the second direction Y.

[0084] In the second direction Y, the width of the third type virtual pixel unit 22-3 is smaller than the width of the first type virtual pixel unit 22-1, and smaller than the width of the second type virtual pixel unit 22-2, and the width of the second type virtual pixel unit 22-2 is larger than the width of the first type virtual pixel unit 22-1.

[0085] The maximum film height difference of the third type virtual pixel unit 22-3 is smaller than the maximum film height difference of the first type virtual pixel unit 22-1, and the maximum film height difference of the third type virtual pixel unit 22-3 is smaller than the maximum film height difference of the second type virtual pixel unit 22-2.

[0086] Below Figure 5 The difference between the maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit 22 and the light-emitting pixel unit 21 is specifically described by taking the display panel 100 as an example. Figures 1 to 10 , Figure 7 for Figure 5 A curve diagram of the thickness variation of the film layer of two first color light emitting pixel units 21-R in the second direction Y, Figure 8 for Figure 5 A curve diagram of the thickness variation of the film layer of two second color light emitting pixel units 21-G in the second direction Y, Fig. 9 for Figure 5 A curve diagram of the thickness variation of the film layer of two third color light-emitting pixel units 21-B in the second direction Y, Fig.10 for Figure 5 A curve diagram showing the thickness variation of the two virtual pixel units 22 in the first sub-area NA1 in the second direction Y. Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Fig. 9 as well as Fig.10In the figure, the horizontal axis refers to the length value of the corresponding light-emitting pixel unit and the virtual pixel unit in a certain direction, and the vertical axis refers to the film thickness at the corresponding length value position.

[0087] according to Figure 5 and Figure 7 It can be seen that the maximum film height difference of the first color light-emitting pixel unit 21-R in the second direction Y is less than 50 nanometers, that is, the maximum film height difference of the first color light-emitting pixel unit 21-R on the section line E is less than 50 nanometers; wherein, Figure 7 (a) is a curve diagram showing the thickness variation of the film layer of the first color light-emitting pixel unit 21-R in the second direction Y. Figure 7 (b) is another curve diagram showing the change in film thickness of the first color light-emitting pixel unit 21-R in the second direction Y.

[0088] according to Figure 5 and Figure 8 It can be seen that the maximum film height difference of the second color light-emitting pixel unit 21-G in the second direction Y is less than 60 nanometers, that is, the maximum film height difference of the second color light-emitting pixel unit 21-G on the section line E is less than 60 nanometers; wherein, Figure 8 (a) is a curve diagram showing the thickness variation of the film layer of the second color light-emitting pixel unit 21-G in the second direction Y. Figure 8 (b) is another curve diagram showing the thickness variation of the film layer of the second color light-emitting pixel unit 21-G in the second direction Y.

[0089] according to Figure 5 and Fig. 9 It can be seen that the maximum film height difference of the third color light-emitting pixel unit 21-B in the second direction Y is less than 80 nanometers, that is, the maximum film height difference of the third color light-emitting pixel unit 21-B on the section line E is less than 80 nanometers. Fig. 9 (a) is a curve diagram showing the thickness variation of the film layer of the third color light emitting pixel unit 21-B in the second direction Y. Figure 7 (b) is another curve diagram showing the change in film thickness of the third color light-emitting pixel unit 21-B in the second direction Y.

[0090] according to Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Fig. 9 It can be seen that the maximum film forming height difference of the first color light-emitting pixel unit 21-R is smaller than the maximum film forming height difference of the second color light-emitting pixel unit 21-G, and the maximum film forming height difference of the second color light-emitting pixel unit 21-G is smaller than the maximum film forming height difference of the third color light-emitting pixel unit 21-B.

[0091] according to Figure 5 and Fig.10 It can be seen that the maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit 22 in the second direction Y is greater than 400 nanometers, that is, the maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit 22 on the section line F is greater than 400 nanometers; wherein, Fig.10 (a) is Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a curve showing a change in film thickness in the second direction Y of the dummy pixel unit 22 close to the display area AA among the two dummy pixel units 22 at the location of the middle section line E; Fig.10 (b) is Figure 5 A curve diagram of the thickness variation of the film layer of the dummy pixel unit 22 away from the display area AA in the second direction Y is shown in FIG.

[0092] according to Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Fig. 9 , Fig.10 It can be seen that the maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit 22 is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit 21. Specifically, the maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit 22 is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the first color luminescent pixel unit 21-R, greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the second color luminescent pixel unit 21-G, and greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the third color luminescent pixel unit 21-B. The maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit 22 is twice or more of the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit 21.

[0093] Based on the same inventive concept, the embodiment of the present application further provides a display device, which includes the display panel 100 described in one of the above embodiments. The display device can be a display device such as an organic light emitting diode display device, and any large-size product or component with a display function such as a TV, mobile phone, tablet computer, notebook computer, etc. including the display device, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

[0094] According to the above embodiments, it can be seen that:

[0095] In a display panel and a display device provided in the present application, the display panel includes a display area and a non-display area located on at least one side of the display area, the display area is provided with a plurality of luminous pixel units, and the non-display area is provided with at least one virtual pixel unit, the area of ​​the virtual pixel unit is larger than the area of ​​the luminous pixel unit of the display area, and the maximum film forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit is larger than the maximum film forming height difference of the luminous pixel unit. In this way, when the luminous material layer is formed by inkjet printing, the area where the large-area virtual pixel unit is formed can accommodate more printing ink, so as to create a large amount of solvent atmosphere in the area to eliminate the influence of uneven vacuum drying, thereby improving the uniformity of film formation of the luminous pixel unit in the display area.

[0096] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0097] The embodiments of the present application are introduced in detail above. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the technical solution and core idea of ​​the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the aforementioned embodiments, or replace some of the technical features therein with equivalents; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that: The display panel includes a display area and a non-display area located at least on one side of the display area, and the display panel further includes: substrate; A light-emitting material layer, disposed on the substrate, the light-emitting material layer comprising a plurality of light-emitting pixel units formed in the display area and at least one dummy pixel unit formed in the non-display area; The area of ​​the virtual pixel unit is greater than the area of ​​the luminescent pixel unit, and the maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminescent pixel unit.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit is twice or more than the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminous pixel unit.

3. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The area of ​​a single virtual pixel unit is 3 times or more of the area of ​​a single luminous pixel unit.

4. The display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that: The maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit is greater than 400 nanometers, and the maximum film-forming height difference of the luminous pixel unit is less than 80 nanometers.

5. The display panel according to claim 4, characterized in that: The plurality of light-emitting pixel units include a first color light-emitting pixel unit, a second color light-emitting pixel unit, and a third color light-emitting pixel unit, the maximum film-forming height difference of the first color light-emitting pixel unit is smaller than the maximum film-forming height difference of the second color light-emitting pixel unit, and the maximum film-forming height difference of the second color light-emitting pixel unit is smaller than the maximum film-forming height difference of the third color light-emitting pixel unit; Among them, the first color light-emitting pixel unit is a red light-emitting pixel unit, the second color light-emitting pixel unit is a green light-emitting pixel unit, and the third color light-emitting pixel unit is a blue light-emitting pixel unit.

6. The display panel according to claim 5, characterized in that: The maximum film-forming height difference of the first color light-emitting pixel unit is less than 50 nanometers, the maximum film-forming height difference of the second color light-emitting pixel unit is less than 60 nanometers, and the maximum film-forming height difference of the third color light-emitting pixel unit is less than 80 nanometers.

7. The display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: The non-display area includes a first sub-area and a second sub-area that are relatively arranged, the display area is adjacent to the first sub-area and the second sub-area, the virtual pixel unit is arranged in both the first sub-area and the second sub-area, and the virtual pixel unit in the first sub-area is centrally symmetrical with the virtual pixel unit in the second sub-area.

8. The display panel according to claim 7, characterized in that: A plurality of the luminous pixel units are arranged in a first direction to form luminous pixel rows, and a plurality of the luminous pixel units are arranged in a second direction to form luminous pixel columns, the first direction and the second direction are arranged to intersect, the length of the luminous pixel unit in the first direction is greater than the length in the second direction, and in the second direction, the luminous pixel row is located between the first sub-area and the second sub-area.

9. The display panel according to claim 8, characterized in that: The non-display area also includes a third sub-area and a fourth sub-area that are relatively arranged, and the third sub-area and the fourth sub-area are both located between the first sub-area and the second sub-area. The third sub-area and the fourth sub-area are both provided with the virtual pixel units, and the virtual pixel units in the third sub-area are centrally symmetrical with the virtual pixel units in the fourth sub-area. The first sub-area, the third sub-area, the second sub-area and the fourth sub-area surround the display area.

10. The display panel according to claim 9, characterized in that: The virtual pixel units in the first sub-area, the third sub-area, the second sub-area and the fourth sub-area are connected end to end in sequence.

11. The display panel according to claim 9, characterized in that: The length of the virtual pixel unit in the first sub-area in the first direction is greater than the length in the second direction, and the length of the virtual pixel unit in the third sub-area in the first direction is less than the length in the second direction; The maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit in the first sub-area in the second direction is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the light-emitting pixel unit in the second direction; The maximum film-forming height difference of the virtual pixel unit in the third sub-area in the first direction is greater than the maximum film-forming height difference of the light-emitting pixel unit in the second direction.

12. The display panel according to claim 11, characterized in that: A plurality of the virtual pixel units are disposed in both the first sub-area and the third sub-area. The plurality of the virtual pixel units are arranged in virtual pixel rows in the first direction, and the plurality of the virtual pixel units are arranged in virtual pixel columns in the second direction.

13. The display panel according to claim 11, characterized in that: A plurality of the virtual pixel units are disposed in both the first sub-area and the third sub-area. In the first sub-area, the plurality of the virtual pixel units include a first type of virtual pixel units and a second type of virtual pixel units arranged in the first direction, and the second type of virtual pixel units are located at the connection between the first sub-area and the third sub-area; in the third sub-area, the plurality of the virtual pixel units include a plurality of third type of virtual pixel units arranged in the second direction; In the second direction, the width of the third type of virtual pixel unit is smaller than the width of the first type of virtual pixel unit and smaller than the width of the second type of virtual pixel unit, and the width of the second type of virtual pixel unit is larger than the width of the first type of virtual pixel unit; The maximum film-forming height difference of the third type of virtual pixel unit is smaller than the maximum film-forming height difference of the first type of virtual pixel unit, and the maximum film-forming height difference of the third type of virtual pixel unit is smaller than the maximum film-forming height difference of the second type of virtual pixel unit.

14. The display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that: The display panel further includes: A first dam is provided on the substrate and is located in the display area; a second dam, disposed on the substrate and crossing the first dam, and forming a first opening with the first dam, wherein the light-emitting pixel unit is located in the first opening and is disposed one-to-one with the first opening; The second dam extends from the display area to the non-display area and forms a second opening in the non-display area. The virtual pixel unit is located in the second opening and is arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the second opening.

15. The display panel according to claim 14, characterized in that: In the thickness direction of the display panel, the thickness of the second dam is greater than the thickness of the first dam, and the thickness of the second dam located in the non-display area is greater than the thickness of the second dam located in the display area.

16. The display panel according to claim 14, characterized in that: The display panel further includes: A first electrode layer is arranged between the substrate and the light-emitting material layer, the first electrode layer includes a plurality of first electrodes formed in the display area and a virtual electrode formed in the non-display area, the light-emitting pixel units are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the first electrodes, and the virtual pixel units are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the virtual electrodes; A second electrode layer is arranged on a side of the light emitting material layer away from the substrate; In which, the substrate includes a first transistor formed in the display area and a second transistor formed in the non-display area, the first transistor is arranged corresponding to the first electrode, and the first electrode is electrically connected to the first transistor, the second transistor is arranged corresponding to the virtual electrode, and the virtual electrode is electrically isolated from the second transistor.

17. A display device, characterized in that: Comprising the display panel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16.

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