Display panel, preparation method of display panel and display device

Abstract

The invention discloses a display panel, a preparation method of the display panel and a display device, and relates to the technical field of display. The display panel comprises a substrate, a pixel definition layer, a plurality of light emitting units, a first inorganic packaging layer, an organic packaging layer and a hydrogel layer, and the pixel definition layer is arranged on the substrate and matched with the substrate to form a plurality of pixel openings; the plurality of light-emitting units and the plurality of pixel openings are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence manner; the first inorganic packaging layer is arranged on one side, far away from the substrate, of the light-emitting unit and covers the light-emitting unit; the organic packaging layer is arranged on one side, far away from the light-emitting unit, of the first inorganic packaging layer; the hydrogel layer is arranged between the first inorganic packaging layer and the organic packaging layer, and after packaging fails, the hydrogel layer absorbs water vapor and air to expand and deform so as to fill the defect position of the first inorganic packaging layer; through the above design, packaging failure is prevented.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are organic semiconductor devices that emit light through carrier injection and recombination under the influence of an electric field, utilizing organic semiconductor materials and light-emitting materials. OLEDs possess self-emissive properties. Due to their advantages such as surface light source, cold light, energy efficiency, fast response, flexibility, ultra-thinness, and low cost, OLED mass production technology is becoming increasingly mature. Encapsulation is an essential process in display panel production. The purpose of encapsulation is to prevent moisture and oxygen from entering the internal components, thereby accelerating device aging and failure.

[0003] The widely used structure is the "sandwich" structure, where the light-emitting layer is sandwiched between the cathode and anode like a sandwich (with a transparent electrode on one side to achieve surface light emission). This structure is collectively referred to as an organic light-emitting layer. Because the solvents of organic materials may contain moisture, which could damage the organic materials, direct contact between organic materials and the light-emitting layer is generally avoided. Therefore, inorganic materials are usually used as the first encapsulation layer, with SiNO being a common choice.

[0004] like Figure 1 As shown, during the fabrication of flexible OLED devices, some unavoidable small protrusions (particles) appear on the surface of the top cathode layer of the organic light-emitting layer in the sandwich structure before deposition. Because the cathode metal layer is very thin, these small protrusions are enough to pierce the cathode and cause pinholes in the cathode metal layer. Since SiNO-type inorganic film layers cannot be made thick, and these particles are of uneven size, some particles may not be completely covered after SiNO layer encapsulation and will be partially exposed. Some small particles will form pinholes after being covered, and there will be fine cracks in the film layer around the small particles, thus forming encapsulation defect positions on the SiNO layer. The presence of these encapsulation defect positions reduces the strength and sealing performance of the encapsulation film layer. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a display panel that prevents encapsulation failure, a method for manufacturing the display panel, and a display device.

[0006] The application discloses a display panel, comprising: a substrate, a pixel definition layer, a plurality of light emitting units, a first inorganic encapsulation layer and an organic encapsulation layer, the pixel definition layer is arranged on the substrate and cooperates with the substrate to form a plurality of pixel openings; the plurality of light emitting units are arranged one by one corresponding to the plurality of pixel openings; the first inorganic encapsulation layer is arranged on a side of the light emitting unit away from the substrate and covers the light emitting unit; the organic encapsulation layer is arranged on a side of the first inorganic encapsulation layer away from the light emitting unit and covers the first inorganic encapsulation layer; the display panel further comprises a hydrogel layer, the hydrogel layer is arranged between the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the organic encapsulation layer, and after encapsulation failure, the hydrogel layer absorbs water vapor and air to swell and deform to fill a defect position existing in the first inorganic encapsulation layer.

[0007] Optionally, the material of the hydrogel layer is a pH-responsive hydrogel.

[0008] Optionally, the light emitting unit comprises an anode, a light emitting layer and a cathode stacked in sequence, the first inorganic encapsulation layer is arranged on a side of the cathode away from the light emitting layer, and first and second ramping areas are formed on two sides of the first inorganic encapsulation layer respectively, the hydrogel layer comprises a first hydrogel layer and a second hydrogel layer, the first hydrogel layer is arranged corresponding to the first ramping area, and the second hydrogel layer is arranged corresponding to the second ramping area.

[0009] Optionally, a non-display area is formed between two adjacent light emitting units, and the orthographic projections of the first hydrogel layer and the second hydrogel layer on the substrate are located in the orthographic projections of the corresponding non-display areas on the substrate.

[0010] Optionally, the first hydrogel layer comprises a first hydrogel part and a second hydrogel part connected to each other, the second hydrogel layer comprises a third hydrogel part and a fourth hydrogel part connected to each other, the first hydrogel part and the third hydrogel part are arranged on the upper surface of the first inorganic encapsulation layer, the second hydrogel part and the fourth hydrogel part are arranged on the inclined surface of the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and the widths of the first hydrogel part and the third hydrogel part are 1 um to 2 um.

[0011] Optionally, the first hydrogel part cooperates with the first inorganic encapsulation layer to form a first inclined surface part, the third hydrogel part cooperates with the first inorganic encapsulation layer to form a second inclined surface part, and the first inclined surface part and the second inclined surface part are arranged oppositely.

[0012] Optionally, the thicknesses of the first hydrogel part and the third hydrogel part are equal, the thickness of the first hydrogel part is greater than that of the second hydrogel part, and the thickness of the third hydrogel part is greater than that of the fourth hydrogel part.

[0013] Optionally, the display panel further comprises a second inorganic encapsulation layer, a third hydrogel layer and a fourth hydrogel layer, the second inorganic encapsulation layer is arranged on the side of the organic encapsulation layer away from the first inorganic encapsulation layer, the third hydrogel layer and the fourth hydrogel layer are both arranged between the organic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer, and correspond to the non-display area respectively.

[0014] The application further discloses a preparation method of the display panel, for preparing the display panel as described above, comprising the following steps: providing a substrate; forming a pixel definition layer on the substrate; forming a plurality of pixel openings on the pixel definition layer; forming a light emitting unit corresponding to the pixel opening; forming a first inorganic encapsulation layer on the light emitting unit; forming a hydrogel layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer; forming an organic encapsulation layer on the hydrogel layer; wherein, when water vapor and air enter the hydrogel layer, the hydrogel layer begins to gelate and deforms by swelling, and the deformed hydrogel layer fills the defect position existing in the first inorganic encapsulation layer.

[0015] The application further discloses a display device comprising the display panel as described above.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, some convex small particles inevitably appear on the surface of the film layer before plating the uppermost cathode of the sandwich structure of the organic light emitting layer in the process of preparing the flexible OLED device, and the small particles cannot be completely covered and are partially exposed after the first inorganic encapsulation layer is encapsulated, thereby causing pinholes and small cracks on the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and affecting the strength and sealing property of the encapsulation film layer. The display panel of the application comprises a substrate, a pixel definition layer, a plurality of light emitting units, a first inorganic encapsulation layer and an organic encapsulation layer, the pixel definition layer is arranged on the substrate and cooperates with the substrate to form a plurality of pixel openings; the plurality of light emitting units are arranged one by one corresponding to the plurality of pixel openings; the first inorganic encapsulation layer is arranged on the side of the light emitting unit away from the substrate and covers the light emitting unit; the organic encapsulation layer is arranged on the side of the first inorganic encapsulation layer away from the light emitting unit and covers the first inorganic encapsulation layer; the display panel further comprises a hydrogel layer, the hydrogel layer is arranged between the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the organic encapsulation layer, so that after encapsulation failure, the hydrogel layer absorbs water vapor and air and then deforms by swelling, the deformed hydrogel layer can fill the defect position existing in the first inorganic encapsulation layer, thereby playing a sealing role and preventing encapsulation failure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments of the application and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the application. It is to be understood that the drawings are solely for purposes of illustration and that they are not limiting of the application. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of a display panel provided by the prior art; Figure 2 is a partial cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 is a structure change schematic diagram of a hydrogel after pH change provided by an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 is a hydrogel deformation filling crack schematic diagram provided by an embodiment of the present application when the encapsulation layer fails; Figure 5 is a partial enlarged structure schematic diagram of area A in Figure 2 Figure 6 is a partial enlarged structure schematic diagram of area B in Figure 2 Figure 7 is a preparation process step schematic diagram of a display panel provided by the present application; Figure 8 is a further step schematic diagram of step S6 in Figure 7 Figure 9 is a block diagram structure schematic diagram of a display device provided by the present application.

[0018] wherein, 10, display device; 100, display panel; 110, substrate; 120, pixel definition layer; 130, pixel opening; 140, light emitting unit; 141, anode; 142, light emitting layer; 143, cathode; 150, first inorganic encapsulation layer; 151, first slope; 152, upper surface; 153, second slope; 154, first ramp-up area; 155, second ramp-up area; 160, organic encapsulation layer; 170, hydrogel layer; 171, first hydrogel layer; 172, second hydrogel layer; 173, first hydrogel part; 174, second hydrogel part; 175, third hydrogel part; 176, fourth hydrogel part; 177, first slope part; 178, second slope part; 180, non-display area; 190, second inorganic encapsulation layer; 200, third hydrogel layer; 210, fourth hydrogel layer; 300, pinhole or / and crack. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] ​​​It should be understood that the terminology, specific structural and functional details used herein are merely for describing particular embodiments and are representative. However, this application may be implemented in many alternative forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0020] The present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and optional embodiments.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a partial cross-sectional structural diagram of the display panel 100 provided in the embodiments of this application, as shown below. Figure 2 As shown, this application discloses a display panel 100, including: a substrate 110, a pixel definition layer 120, a plurality of light-emitting units 140, a first inorganic encapsulation layer 150, and an organic encapsulation layer 160. The pixel definition layer 120 is disposed on the substrate 110 and cooperates with the substrate 110 to form a plurality of pixel openings 130. The plurality of light-emitting units 140 are disposed one-to-one with the plurality of pixel openings 130. The first inorganic encapsulation layer 150 is disposed on the side of the light-emitting units 140 away from the substrate 110 and covers the light-emitting units 140. The organic encapsulation layer 160 is disposed on the side of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150 away from the light-emitting units 140 and covers the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150. The display panel 100 also includes a hydrogel layer 170, which is disposed between the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150 and the organic encapsulation layer 160. After encapsulation failure, the hydrogel layer 170 absorbs moisture and air and expands and deforms to fill the defect positions of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, some unavoidable protruding small particles appear on the surface of the film layer before plating the uppermost cathode 143 of the sandwich structure of the organic light-emitting layer 142 in the process of preparing the flexible OLED device, and cannot be completely covered and partially exposed after the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150 is encapsulated, thereby causing pinholes and small cracks on the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150, and affecting the strength and sealing property of the encapsulation film layer. The display panel 100 of the present application comprises a substrate 110, a pixel definition layer 120, a plurality of light-emitting units 140, a first inorganic encapsulation layer 150 and an organic encapsulation layer 160. The pixel definition layer 120 is arranged on the substrate 110 and cooperates with the substrate 110 to form a plurality of pixel openings 130. The plurality of light-emitting units 140 are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of pixel openings 130. The first inorganic encapsulation layer 150 is arranged on the side of the light-emitting unit 140 away from the substrate 110 and covers the light-emitting unit 140. The organic encapsulation layer 160 is arranged on the side of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150 away from the light-emitting unit 140 and covers the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150. The display panel 100 further comprises a hydrogel layer 170 arranged between the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150 and the organic encapsulation layer 160. On the one hand, even if there are pinholes or / and cracks 300 on the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150, the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150 is encapsulated and reinforced by the hydrogel layer 170, thereby improving the strength and sealing property of the encapsulation film layer. On the other hand, after the encapsulation of the organic encapsulation layer 160 fails, the hydrogel layer 170 absorbs the invading water vapor and air and then swells and deforms. The deformed hydrogel layer 170 can fill the defect positions existing on the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150, further plays a sealing role and prevents encapsulation failure.

[0023] The material of the hydrogel layer 170 is a pH-responsive hydrogel. As a kind of high polymer, the interaction between the macromolecules of the hydrogel includes four kinds: ionic bond, hydrophobic bond, van der Waals force and hydrogen bond. Although the pH response of the hydrogel is triggered by the four forces together, the ionic bond plays a major role. From the molecular structure, the pH-responsive hydrogel is a three-dimensional network hydrophilic polymer containing a large number of weak acid (alkali) groups in the molecule. The main chain polymer is a macromolecular network structure formed by cross-linking or interpenetration between linear polymers, which is used to support the mechanical stability of the hydrogel, and the weak acid (alkali) groups in the network are used to respond to the change of pH value.

[0024] When the polymer chain contains basic groups that can be protonated, such as the common amino group (-NH2). Its working principle is as follows: In a neutral environment (pH > pKa): the amino group (-NH2) is electrically neutral and does not carry a charge; the polymer chain mainly relies on hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions, and the chain segments are relatively curled, at this time the pH-responsive hydrogel is in a relatively contracted and dehydrated state; In an acidic environment (pH < pKa): the amino group (-NH2) captures a proton (H+) from the environment, and is converted into a positively charged ammonium salt ion (-NH3+), and the polymer chain thus carries a large positive charge, and a huge electrostatic repulsion force is generated between the positive charges on adjacent segments, which forces the molecular chain to change from a curled state to an extended state. At the same time, in order to maintain electrical neutrality, anions (such as Cl-) in the environment will enter the gel network, further bringing about osmotic pressure, and causing a large number of water molecules to rush in, at this time, the gel network will undergo volume expansion, and the volume can increase by several times or even tens of times.

[0025] Therefore, the pH-responsive hydrogel can be any one of the following: chitosan, polyallylamine, polyethyleneimine, poly(2-vinylpyridine), or poly(4-vinylpyridine).

[0026] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structural change of the hydrogel after the pH change provided by the embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figure 3 , the pH-responsive hydrogel structure is initially in a neutral or weakly basic (pH ≤ 7.2) solution environment, and the outside contains a liquid one-way membrane, which allows liquid to enter from the outside to the inside, and also allows gas to enter. After the outside water and air enter, due to the high content of carbon dioxide in the air and its easy solubility in water, a chemical reaction occurs at this time, the solution begins to have generated, and is easily slowly in a weakly acidic solution environment, and the hydrogel begins to slowly form and undergo volume expansion deformation; and the pH-responsive hydrogel after deformation has a certain persistence, wherein the thickness of the hydrogel layer 170 is 0.5 um to 1 um, and on the basis of this thickness, the various membrane layers cooperate to play a packaging role while avoiding damage to the structural stability.

[0027] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the deformation and filling of cracks of the failed hydrogel of the packaging layer, as shown in Figure 4 , in combination with Figure 3 Therefore, after the first inorganic packaging layer 150 fails, water vapor and air will enter the packaging structure of each layer through the defect position, at this time, after the water vapor and air enter the hydrogel structure, the solution changes from neutral or weakly basic to acidic, at this time, the solution slowly begins to gel and undergoes swelling deformation, and the deformed gel solution can fill the adjacent defect position, filling and blocking the failure path at the defect position, can absorb water vapor and entering gas, prevent water vapor from further entering the light-emitting layer 142 along the defect to cause the failure to intensify, thereby improving the stability of the packaging membrane layer and prolonging the service life of the display panel 100.

[0028] as shown in Figure 2As shown, the light emitting unit 140 includes an anode 141, a light emitting layer 142 and a cathode 143 stacked in sequence, and the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150 is arranged on the side of the cathode 143 away from the light emitting layer 142. In actual production, due to the different light emitting materials used by the organic light emitting layer 142, the different film layers at the light emitting area and the gap, and the process capacity and other problems, the organic light emitting layer 142 in the entire display area is uneven in actual situation, there are many trenches and protrusions, the difference value distribution is wide, especially at the film layer edge position, the maximum difference value can reach microns, so the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150 above will present ups and downs, so after covering the cathode 143, the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150 forms a first inclined surface 151, an upper surface 152 and a second inclined surface 153 above the cathode 143, the first inclined surface 151 and the second inclined surface 153 are respectively located on both sides of the upper surface 152, the first inclined surface 151 and the upper surface 152 are partially connected to form a first ramping area 154, and the second inclined surface 153 and the upper surface 152 are partially connected to form a second ramping area 155.

[0029] On the one hand, since the first ramping area 154 and the second ramping area 155 are both in the connecting edge forming a large ramping difference, when the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150 is formed, there will be a problem of uneven film quality at the trench position of the first ramping area 154 and the second ramping area 155, and the film layer is prone to cracking, which will greatly damage the passivation encapsulation effect of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150. On the other hand, due to the existence of the ramping difference at the two side positions, when the organic encapsulation layer 160 is encapsulated above the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150, the acrylic material used by the organic encapsulation layer 160 for encapsulation will fill the pinholes and cracks existing on the upper surface 152 of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150, but the flowability of the acrylic organic encapsulation material at the first ramping area 154 and the second ramping area 155 is larger, and will flow away from the first inclined surface 151 and the second inclined surface 153 at this position, and cannot fill and encapsulate the pinholes and cracks existing in the first ramping area 154 and the second ramping area 155, Therefore, the hydrogel layer 170 corresponding to the first and second ramp-up regions 154 and 155 is arranged, the hydrogel layer 170 includes a first hydrogel layer 171 arranged corresponding to the first ramp-up region 154 and a second hydrogel layer 172 arranged corresponding to the second ramp-up region 155, so that the position with large step difference on both sides of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150 is encapsulated and reinforced by the hydrogel layer 170 when not deformed; and after the invasion of external water and air, the first and second hydrogel layers 171 and 172 are deformed and expanded, and under the pressure of the organic encapsulation layer 160, the first hydrogel layer 171 in the expanded state is extruded and filled into the first ramp-up region 154, and the second hydrogel layer 172 in the expanded state is extruded and filled into the second ramp-up region 155, to form a filling and blocking of the failure path of the first and second ramp-up regions 154 and 155, and ensure the encapsulation effect.

[0030] Figure 5 is Figure 2 is a partial enlarged structural schematic view of the A region in FIG. 8, Figure 6 is Figure 2 is a partial enlarged structural schematic view of the B region in FIG. 8, as Figures 5-6 shown, a non-display region 180 is formed between two adjacent light emitting units 140, the orthographic projection of the first and second hydrogel layers 171 and 172 on the substrate 110 is located in the orthographic projection of the corresponding non-display region 180 on the substrate 110, to ensure that the hydrogel layer 170 on both sides of the edge does not affect the light transmittance and ensure the display brightness; specifically, the first hydrogel layer 171 includes a first and second hydrogel part 173 and 174 connected to each other, the second hydrogel layer 172 includes a third and fourth hydrogel part 175 and 176 connected to each other, the first and third hydrogel parts 173 and 175 are arranged on the upper surface 152 of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150, the second and fourth hydrogel parts 174 and 176 are arranged on the inclined surface of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150, and the width of the first and third hydrogel parts 173 and 175 is 1-2 um.

[0031] That is, the first hydrogel part 173 and the third hydrogel part 175 are fixed with the upper surface 152 of the first inorganic packaging layer 150, and are pressed on the upper surface 152 of the first inorganic packaging layer 150 under the pressure of the upper organic packaging layer 160, so that the first hydrogel part 173 forms a stable pulling force on the second hydrogel part 174 on the first inclined surface 151, and the third hydrogel part 175 forms a stable pulling force on the fourth hydrogel part 176 on the second inclined surface 153, thereby ensuring the stability of the second hydrogel part 174 and the fourth hydrogel part 176.

[0032] In addition, in combination with Figures 5-6 , the first hydrogel part 173 cooperates with the first inorganic packaging layer 150 to form a first inclined surface part 177, and the third hydrogel part 175 cooperates with the first inorganic packaging layer 150 to form a second inclined surface part 178, the first inclined surface part 177 and the second inclined surface part 178 are oppositely arranged and inclined towards the direction away from the upper surface 152 of the first inorganic packaging layer 150, the included angle between the first inclined surface part 177 and the upper surface 152 of the first packaging layer is greater than 90°, and the included angle between the second inclined surface part 178 and the upper surface 152 of the first packaging layer is also greater than 90°, that is, an outward opening is formed at the first inorganic packaging layer 150 by the cooperation of the first hydrogel part 173 and the third hydrogel part 175, so that the area corresponding to the opening through which the light emitted by the light emitting unit 140 penetrates is relatively large, so that even if the hydrogel layer 170 is arranged on both sides, the light emitting area is as large as possible without being blocked, and the overall display brightness is ensured.

[0033] The thickness of the first hydrogel part 173 and the third hydrogel part 175 is equal, the thickness of the first hydrogel part 173 is greater than the thickness of the second hydrogel part 174, and the thickness of the third hydrogel part 175 is greater than the thickness of the fourth hydrogel part 176, that is, the volume of the first hydrogel part 173 or the third hydrogel part 175 after swelling is greater than the volume of the second hydrogel part 174 or the third hydrogel part 175; when water and oxygen invade, the four hydrogel parts can all swell and deform after absorbing water and oxygen, the second hydrogel part 174 and the fourth hydrogel part 176 located on the inclined surface position swell and fill the pinholes or / and cracks 300 located on the inclined surface position, and the first hydrogel part 173 above can be pressed by the organic packaging layer 160 and then supplemented to the second hydrogel part 174, so that the pinholes or / and cracks 300 at the first inclined surface 151 are filled more tightly, and the third hydrogel layer 200 also makes the pinholes or / and cracks 300 at the second inclined surface 153 be filled more tightly after swelling.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2 , the display panel 100 further comprises a second inorganic encapsulation layer 190, a third hydrogel layer 200 and a fourth hydrogel layer 210, the second inorganic encapsulation layer 190 is arranged on the side of the organic encapsulation layer 160 away from the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150, the third hydrogel layer 200 and the fourth hydrogel layer 210 are both arranged between the organic encapsulation layer 160 and the second inorganic encapsulation layer 190, and correspond to the non-display area 180 respectively, which plays a role of the first prevention of water vapor invasion at the corresponding second inorganic encapsulation layer 190 close to the outside world, reduces the path of water vapor invasion, and cooperates with the first hydrogel layer 171 and the second hydrogel layer 172 inside to have a stronger encapsulation effect.

[0035] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the preparation process steps of the display panel provided by the present application, as shown in Figure 7 , the present application further discloses a preparation method of a display panel, which is used for preparing the display panel as described above, and comprises the following steps: S1: providing a substrate; S2: forming a pixel definition layer on the substrate; S3: forming a plurality of pixel openings on the pixel definition layer; S4: forming a light-emitting unit corresponding to the pixel openings; S5: forming a first inorganic encapsulation layer on the light-emitting unit; S6: forming a hydrogel layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer; S7: forming an organic encapsulation layer on the hydrogel layer; S8: forming a second inorganic encapsulation layer on the organic encapsulation layer to form a complete display panel; When water vapor and air enter the hydrogel layer, the hydrogel layer begins to gelate and deforms, and the deformed hydrogel layer fills the defect positions existing in the first inorganic encapsulation layer.

[0036] The hydrogel layer is prepared in a positive pressure and vacuum plating environment, so that the hydrogel layer is vacuum attached to the upper and lower film layers, and the air under the film layer can be excluded under the positive pressure, the tightness is improved, and the initial damage of the hydrogel film layer caused by the water vapor in the environment is avoided in the vacuum environment, so as to ensure that the hydrogel layer is in the initial state after preparation, Figure 8 is Figure 7 a further step schematic diagram of step S6 in Figure 8 , the step of forming a hydrogel layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer comprises: S61: forming a first hydrogel layer corresponding to the first ramp region of the first inorganic encapsulation layer; S62: forming a second hydrogel layer corresponding to the second ramp region of the first inorganic encapsulation layer.

[0037] Wherein, the formation of other film layers can adopt the exposure and development process, and correspondingly, a photoresist layer is deposited after the formation of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 150, the corresponding first ramp region 154 and second ramp region 155 are etched by exposure and development, then the first hydrogel layer 171 is prepared in the first ramp region 154, and then the second hydrogel layer 172 is prepared in the second ramp region 155.

[0038] In addition, before the second inorganic encapsulation layer 190, a third hydrogel layer 200 and a fourth hydrogel layer 210 can also be formed on the organic encapsulation layer 160, so as to cooperate with the first hydrogel layer 171 and the second hydrogel layer 172 to enhance the strength of the overall encapsulation. The preparation of the third hydrogel layer 200 and the fourth hydrogel layer 210 is referred to the first hydrogel layer 171 and the second hydrogel layer 172, and will not be repeated here.

[0039] Figure 9 is a block structure schematic diagram of the display device provided by the present application, as shown in Figure 9 The present application also discloses a display device 10, which comprises the display panel 100 as above, so as to make the overall service life of the display device 10 long.

[0040] It should be noted that the limitations of the steps involved in the present application do not affect the implementation of the specific scheme, and are not considered to limit the order of the steps. The steps written in the front can be executed first, or can be executed later, or even can be executed simultaneously, as long as the present application can be implemented, and should be considered to belong to the protection scope of the present application.

[0041] It should be noted that the inventive concept of the present application can form a very large number of embodiments, but the length of the application file is limited and cannot be listed one by one, therefore, under the premise of not conflicting, the above described embodiments or technical features can be combined to form new embodiments, and the combination of the embodiments or technical features will enhance the original technical effect.

[0042] The above is a further detailed description of the present application in combination with specific optional embodiments, and the specific implementation of the present application cannot be limited to these descriptions. For ordinary skilled persons in the technical field to which the present application belongs, under the premise of not departing from the concept of the present application, a number of simple deductions or substitutions can be made, which should be considered to belong to the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A display panel, comprising: a substrate; a pixel definition layer disposed on the substrate and cooperating with the substrate to form a plurality of pixel openings; a plurality of light emitting units disposed one-to-one corresponding to the plurality of pixel openings; a first inorganic encapsulation layer disposed on a side of the light emitting units away from the substrate and covering the light emitting units; and an organic encapsulation layer disposed on a side of the first inorganic encapsulation layer away from the light emitting units and covering the first inorganic encapsulation layer; characterized in that: the display panel further comprises a hydrogel layer disposed between the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the organic encapsulation layer, the hydrogel layer absorbing water vapor and air to swell and deform to fill a defect position existing in the first inorganic encapsulation layer after encapsulation failure. The material of the hydrogel layer is a pH-responsive hydrogel. The light emitting unit comprises an anode, a light emitting layer and a cathode stacked in sequence, the first inorganic encapsulation layer is disposed on a side of the cathode away from the light emitting layer, and first and second ramp regions are formed on two sides of the first inorganic encapsulation layer respectively, the hydrogel layer comprises a first hydrogel layer and a second hydrogel layer, the first hydrogel layer is disposed corresponding to the first ramp region, and the second hydrogel layer is disposed corresponding to the second ramp region. A non-display region is formed between two adjacent light emitting units, and the orthographic projections of the first and second hydrogel layers on the substrate are both located in the orthographic projection of the corresponding non-display region on the substrate. The first hydrogel layer comprises a first hydrogel part and a second hydrogel part connected to each other, the second hydrogel layer comprises a third hydrogel part and a fourth hydrogel part connected to each other, the first and third hydrogel parts are both disposed on an upper surface of the first inorganic encapsulation layer, the second and fourth hydrogel parts are both disposed on a slope of the first inorganic encapsulation layer, and the widths of the first and third hydrogel parts are both 1-2 um. The first hydrogel part and the first inorganic encapsulation layer cooperate to form a first slope part, the third hydrogel part and the first inorganic encapsulation layer cooperate to form a second slope part, and the first slope part is disposed opposite to the second slope part. The thicknesses of the first and third hydrogel parts are equal, the thickness of the first hydrogel part is greater than that of the second hydrogel part, and the thickness of the third hydrogel part is greater than that of the fourth hydrogel part.

2. The display panel of claim 1, wherein, The display panel further comprises a second inorganic encapsulation layer, a third hydrogel layer and a fourth hydrogel layer, the second inorganic encapsulation layer is disposed on a side of the organic encapsulation layer away from the first inorganic encapsulation layer, the third and fourth hydrogel layers are both disposed between the organic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer and are disposed corresponding to the non-display region respectively.

3. The display panel of claim 2, wherein, The method comprises the steps of: providing a substrate; forming a pixel definition layer on the substrate; forming a plurality of pixel openings on the pixel definition layer; forming a light emitting unit corresponding to the pixel opening; forming a first inorganic encapsulation layer on the light emitting unit; and forming a hydrogel layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer.

4. The display panel of claim 3, wherein, ​ 5. The display panel of claim 4, wherein, ​ 6. The display panel of claim 5, wherein, ​ 7. The display panel of claim 6, wherein, ​ 8. The display panel of claim 5, wherein, ​ 9. A method for manufacturing a display panel as claimed in any one of the claims 1-8, characterized in that ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ An organic encapsulation layer is formed on the hydrogel layer; When water vapor and air enter the hydrogel layer, the hydrogel layer begins to gelate and expand, and the deformed hydrogel layer fills the defect positions in the first inorganic encapsulation layer.

10. A display device, characterized by comprising: A display panel comprising the display panel according to any one of claims 1-8.

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