Display panel and display device

Abstract

The present application discloses a display panel and a display device, the display panel including a substrate, a pixel definition layer, a light emitting device layer, and a package layer, the pixel definition layer including a first groove and a second groove, the light emitting device layer including a common functional layer, the package layer including a first subpackage layer, a protrusion portion is provided at an opening of the second groove, the common functional layer is cut at the second groove, the first subpackage layer is continuous at the second groove, and the protruding distance of the protrusion portion is one-tenth or less of a thickness of the first subpackage layer.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to display panels and display devices. [Background technology]

[0002] With the development of display technology, organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) have become the mainstream in the display field due to their excellent performance such as self-emission, high contrast, wide viewing angle, low power consumption, and foldability. The OLED device in an OLED display panel is composed of an anode, a light emitting device layer, and a cathode. Among them, some film layers in the light emitting device layer are common functional layers formed by open mask deposition, which can reduce the use of fine metal masks (FMMs) and save manufacturing costs. However, such common functional layers inevitably cause lateral leakage between adjacent pixels, which causes pixel mixing and affects the screen display effect. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] At present, the industry has provided a means to solve the pixel color mixing problem, such as providing a certain number of protruding spacers between pixels to locally block the common functional layer between pixels, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing lateral leakage and improving pixel color mixing. However, such protruding spacers increase the risk of scratching, generate foreign particles, and cause the package to fail. The protruding spacers also deteriorate the leveling property of the organic film layer in the package layer, affecting the package effect. In addition, the pixel definition layer between pixels can be provided with some grooves to partially block the common functional layer between pixels. However, the manufacture of such grooves has high process requirements, and the common functional layer cannot be effectively blocked unless the groove walls are steep enough. Therefore, in order to further improve the blocking effect in the design of such grooves, some current improvements are made to make such grooves into an undercut structure, but the upper encapsulation layer has a very low step coverage rate in such an undercut structure. Specifically, referring to the circled area in FIG. 1, it can be seen that the encapsulation layer has a very thin film thickness in such an undercut structure area, which causes a large package failure risk.

[0004] Based on the above problems, it is necessary to develop a solution that can achieve good packaging effect while improving the pixel color mixing problem. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention provides a display panel and a display device, which effectively improves the pixel color mixing problem and ensures excellent packaging performance.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a display panel, the display panel including a plurality of light emitting areas spaced apart from each other, and non-light emitting areas located between each of the light emitting areas, the display panel comprising: A substrate; a pixel definition layer disposed on the substrate, the pixel definition layer including a first groove corresponding to the light-emitting area and a second groove corresponding to the non-light-emitting area; a light-emitting device layer disposed on the pixel definition layer and the substrate, the light-emitting device layer including a light-emitting functional layer and a common functional layer, the light-emitting functional layer being located in the light-emitting area, and the common functional layer being located in the light-emitting area and the non-light-emitting area; A first subpackage layer is disposed on the light emitting device layer, the first subpackage layer includes a package layer located in the light emitting area and the non-light emitting area; Here, a protrusion is provided at the opening of the second groove, the common functional layer is arranged so as to be cut in the second groove, the first subpackage layer is arranged continuously in the second groove, and the protruding distance of the protrusion is less than one-tenth of the thickness of the first subpackage layer.

[0007] In a second aspect, the present invention further provides a display device, the display device comprising the display panel described above, the display panel comprising: A substrate; a pixel definition layer disposed on the substrate, the pixel definition layer including a first groove corresponding to the light-emitting area and a second groove corresponding to the non-light-emitting area; a light-emitting device layer disposed on the pixel definition layer and the substrate, the light-emitting device layer including a light-emitting functional layer and a common functional layer, the light-emitting functional layer being located in the light-emitting area, and the common functional layer being located in the light-emitting area and the non-light-emitting area; A first subpackage layer is disposed on the light emitting device layer, the first subpackage layer includes a package layer located in the light emitting area and the non-light emitting area; Here, a protrusion is provided at the opening of the second groove, the common functional layer is arranged so as to be cut in the second groove, the first subpackage layer is arranged continuously in the second groove, and the protruding distance of the protrusion is less than one-tenth of the thickness of the first subpackage layer. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1]FIG. 2 is a scanning electron microscope image of a cross-sectional structure of a display panel provided by the prior art of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic planar structure diagram of a first display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line BB' in FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of a film layer in the cross-sectional structure provided by FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the structure of the S1 area in FIG. [Figure 6] 3 is a scanning electron microscope image of a cross-sectional structure of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a common functional layer in a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 9] 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a common functional layer in another display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 5 is another enlarged schematic diagram of the structure of the S1 area in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the planar structure of a second display panel in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the planar structure of a third display panel in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the planar structure of a fourth display panel in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the planar structure of a fifth display panel in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the planar structure of a sixth display panel in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] 4 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17a] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of the manufacturing method for a display panel according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17b]5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of the manufacturing method for a display panel according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17c] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of the manufacturing method for a display panel according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17d] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of the manufacturing method for a display panel according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17e] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of the manufacturing method for a display panel according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Fig. 17f] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of the manufacturing method for a display panel according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17g] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating a manufacturing process of the manufacturing method for a display panel according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] In the description of the present invention, it is to be noted that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is for the purpose of explaining the present invention and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the devices or elements shown must have a particular orientation or be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation of the present invention. It is also to be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood to indicate or imply a relative importance or to imply a number of technical features shown. Thus, features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the said features. It is to be noted that in the description of the present invention, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specified.

[0010] In this application, the term "exemplary" is used to indicate "serving as an example, illustration, or description." Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" should not necessarily be construed as preferred or superior over other embodiments. The following description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the present invention. In the following description, details are set forth for purposes of explanation. It should be understood that one skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention can be practiced without the use of these specific details. In other embodiments, well-known structures and processes are not detailed to avoid obscuring the description of the present invention with unnecessary details. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.

[0011] The embodiments of the present invention provide a display panel, which will be described in detail below.

[0012] Referring to FIG. 2, the display panel includes a display area, the display area including a plurality of light-emitting areas A1 spaced apart from each other, and a non-light-emitting area A2 located between the plurality of light-emitting areas, where the light-emitting area A1 is an area that actually emits light when the display panel displays and is used to provide light-emitting units, and the non-light-emitting area A2 is an area that maintains a dark state when the display panel displays and is used to provide necessary structures such as circuits and wiring for driving the emission of the light-emitting units, the light-emitting area A1 usually includes a first color light-emitting area A11 used to provide a first color light-emitting unit, a second color light-emitting area A12 used to provide a second color light-emitting unit, and a third color light-emitting area A13 used to provide a third color light-emitting unit, where the first color is usually blue, the second color is green, and the third color is red.

[0013] Referring to Figure 3, which is a schematic cross-sectional structure diagram of the position BB' in Figure 2, the display panel includes a substrate 100, a first electrode layer 200, a pixel definition layer 300, a light-emitting device layer 400, a second electrode layer 500, and a package layer 600, which are sequentially arranged on the substrate 100.

[0014] Specifically, the first electrode layer 200 includes a plurality of first electrodes corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting areas A1, the pixel definition layer 300 is disposed on the substrate 100, and includes a plurality of first grooves G1 corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting areas and a second groove G2 disposed in the non-light-emitting area, as shown in FIG. 4, and each of the first grooves G1 exposes a corresponding one of the first electrodes, and the light-emitting device layer 400 is disposed on the pixel definition layer 300 and the first electrode layer 200. the light-emitting functional layer is disposed in the light-emitting area A1, and the common functional layer 410 is disposed in the light-emitting area A1 and the non-light-emitting area A2; the second electrode layer 500 is disposed on the light-emitting device layer 400; the package layer 600 is disposed on the second electrode layer 500; and the light-emitting device layer 400 includes a first sub-package layer 610 disposed on the light-emitting device layer 400, and the first sub-package layer 610 is disposed in the light-emitting area A1 and the non-light-emitting area A2.

[0015] Here, the specific structure of the second groove G2 is shown in FIG. 5, which is a partially enlarged view of the S1 area in FIG. 4. A protrusion 310 is provided at the opening of the second groove G2, and the protrusion distance of the protrusion 310 is less than one-tenth of the thickness of the first subpackage layer.

[0016] In the display panel according to the embodiment of the present invention, the protrusion 310 is provided at the opening of the second groove G2 corresponding to the non-light-emitting area A2 in the pixel definition layer 300. When a part of the common functional layer located in the non-light-emitting area A2 covers the second groove G2, a break occurs in the side wall of the second groove G2, thereby reducing the lateral leakage between adjacent light-emitting areas and effectively avoiding the display defect caused by color mixing of pixels. In addition, the protrusion distance of the protrusion 310 is less than one-tenth of the thickness of the first sub-package layer, so that the protrusion 310 can be easily formed on the second groove G2. Since the effect of the groove G2 on the deposition of the first subpackage layer 610 is minimal, a portion of the first subpackage layer 610 located in the non-light-emitting area A2 can be continuously provided in the area corresponding to the second groove G2, and a relatively thick film thickness can be ensured, thereby ensuring that the package layer 600 has good package reliability; that is, by providing the protrusion 310 at the opening of the second groove G2, display defects caused by pixel color mixing can be effectively improved and good package reliability can be ensured.

[0017] FIG. 6 shows an actual structural diagram of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. The circled area is a protrusion protruding into the second groove. As can be seen from the figure, the protrusion distance is much smaller than the thickness of the upper first subpackage layer. The thickness of the first subpackage layer in the second groove area is somewhat smaller than the thickness of the non-groove area. However, compared with the structure in FIG. 1, the thickness of the film layer in the second groove area of ​​the first subpackage layer in the embodiment of the present invention is significantly larger, and the thickness of the film layer in the second groove area is more uniform. There is no inflection point where the thickness of the film becomes suddenly thinner, so that good package reliability can be ensured.

[0018] In addition, the above-mentioned limited protruding distance of the protrusion 310 may be understood as the maximum distance along the protruding direction of the protrusion, and the protruding direction of the protrusion 310 may be arbitrary, for example, a horizontal direction parallel to the substrate 100, a vertical direction perpendicular to the substrate 100, or a direction inclined relative to another substrate 100.

[0019] The above-mentioned limited thickness of the first sub-package layer 610 may be understood as the thickness of the first sub-package layer 610 located in the non-recessed area of ​​the pixel definition layer 300 .

[0020] In addition to the first subpackage layer 610, the package layer 600 further includes a second subpackage layer and a third subpackage layer disposed on the side of the first subpackage layer 610 away from the substrate 100, where the first subpackage layer and the third subpackage layer are inorganic package layers, specifically, may be a silicon oxide film or a silicon nitride film, and the second subpackage layer is an organic package layer, and such an inorganic film layer / organic film layer / inorganic film layer stacking installation manner achieves a relatively good sealing effect.

[0021] The substrate 100 is typically an array substrate. Referring to FIG. 7 , the substrate 100 includes a base 110, an active layer 120, a first insulating layer 130, a first metal layer 140, a second insulating layer 150, a second metal layer 160, a third insulating layer 170, a third metal layer 180 and a planarization layer 190, which are sequentially disposed on the base 110.

[0022] In some embodiments, the protrusion distance of the protrusion 310 is set to be equal to or less than one-tenth of the thickness of the first subpackage layer to ensure the reliability of the package, and from the viewpoint of the blocking effect on the common functional layer 410, it is not preferable to set the protrusion distance of the protrusion 310 to be too narrow. Therefore, when the common functional layer 410 covers the second groove G2, in order to ensure that it is effectively blocked by the side wall of the second groove G2, the protrusion distance of the protrusion 310 is set to be equal to or more than one-tenth of the thickness of the common functional layer, thereby avoiding the occurrence of color mixing defects in pixels.

[0023] In some embodiments, the specific protrusion distance of the protrusion 310 is in the range of 10 nm to 100 nm, and the specific protrusion distance is determined according to actual process needs.

[0024] In some embodiments, the specific structure of the light-emitting device layer in the display panel refers to FIG. 8, in which a first hole transport layer 411, a first light-emitting sub-layer 421 and a first electron transport layer 412 are provided in order from the first electrode layer side to the second electrode layer side, wherein the first light-emitting sub-layer 421 is provided in the first groove G1 and includes a first color light-emitting functional unit, a second color light-emitting functional unit and a first color light-emitting functional unit, which are provided corresponding to the first color light-emitting area A11, the second color light-emitting area A12 and the third color light-emitting area A13, respectively, and the first hole transport layer 411 and the first electron transport layer 412 are provided in the light-emitting area A1 and the non-light-emitting area A2, that is, the common functional layer 410 includes the first hole transport layer 411 and the first electron transport layer 412.

[0025] In some embodiments, the specific structure of the light emitting device layer in the display panel is shown in FIG. 9 , and a first hole transport layer 411, a first light emitting sublayer 421, a first electron transport layer 412, a charge generation layer 413, a second hole transport layer 414, a second light emitting sublayer 422, and a second electron transport layer 415 are provided in this order from the first electrode layer side to the second electrode layer side. The differences from the above embodiments are as follows: in the light emitting device layer in the present embodiments, two light emitting devices are connected in series between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer for any of the light emitting areas, the charge generation layer 413 is provided between the two light emitting devices, and the charge generation layer 413 is provided between the two light emitting devices. The charge generating layer 413 is similarly provided in the light-emitting area A1 and the non-light-emitting area A2, i.e., the common functional layer 410 includes a first hole transport layer 411, the first electron transport layer 412, a second hole transport layer 414 and a second electron transport layer 415. Note that, in such a series-type light-emitting device, there is a higher risk of pixel color mixing defects. By providing the protrusion, the common functional layer 410 including the charge generating layer 413 is provided so as to be cut at the second groove G2, i.e., the display defects caused by pixel color mixing of the series-type light-emitting device can be effectively improved, and better package reliability can be ensured.

[0026] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 5 , the angle α between the sidewall of the second groove G2 and the bottom surface of the second groove is greater than 90 degrees, which is more advantageous for the first subpackage layer to be deposited on the sidewall of the second groove G2 than a groove structure in which the angle between the sidewall and the bottom surface of the groove is an acute angle, so that the first subpackage layer has a thicker film thickness on the sidewall of the second groove G2, and further improves the package reliability of the package layer.

[0027] Furthermore, the angle α between the sidewall of the second groove and the bottom surface of the second groove is greater than 90 degrees and less than 100 degrees, i.e., the second sidewall G22 is approximately perpendicular to the substrate 100, so that the second sidewall G22 is steeper, which further improves the blocking ability of the second groove G2 to the common functional layer 410.

[0028] In some embodiments, one end of the protrusion 310 contacts the side wall of the opening of the second groove G2, and the other end extends into the second groove G2, i.e., the protrusion 310 protrudes into the second groove G2, and the protrusion 310 makes the opening of the second groove G2 an undercut opening, which has good blocking ability for the common functional layer 410, so that the common functional layer 410 is blocked by the second groove G2.

[0029] 2 and 5 together, the protrusion 310 may be understood as an annular structure surrounding the opening of the second groove G2 and extending from the side wall of the second groove G2 into the side wall of the second groove G2.

[0030] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 5 , the protrusion 310 has a first side 310a facing away from the substrate 100, and the first side 310a is flush with a side of the pixel defining layer 300 facing away from the substrate. In this structure, the protrusion 310 and the pixel defining layer 300 are formed collectively in the same process. Specifically, when the second groove G2 is formed by etching, a blocking layer made of metal or metal oxide is provided to form a blocking layer against plasma in the opening area of ​​the second groove G2 to obtain the protrusion 310 and the pixel defining layer 300. For more detailed steps and process principles, please refer to the description of the embodiments of the method for manufacturing the display panel.

[0031] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 5 , the protrusion 310 has a second side 310b connected to one end of the first side 310a close to the second groove, and there is an angle β between the second side 310b and the first side 310a, the angle β being an acute angle. Compared with an installation manner in which the angle between the second side 310b and the first side 310a is an obtuse angle, the protrusion 310 of this structure has a constant protruding distance, and therefore the effect of the protrusion 310 on the deposition of the first subpackage layer 610 in the second groove G2 is smaller. Therefore, the first subpackage layer 610 has a thicker film thickness at a position corresponding to the second groove G2, which is more advantageous to ensuring the package reliability of the package layer 600.

[0032] Furthermore, the angle β may be specifically set to 20 degrees to 70 degrees. If the angle β is too large, the blocking ability of the second groove G2 with respect to the common functional layer 410 will be insufficient, and if the angle β is too small, there is a risk that the protrusion portion 310 will collapse. Therefore, the angle β is set to 20 degrees to 70 degrees to avoid the above problems.

[0033] In some embodiments, one end of the second side surface 310b is connected to the first side surface 310a, and the other end is directly connected to the side wall of the second groove G2, so that a step structure is formed at the connection point between the second side surface 310b and the side wall of the second groove G2, which is advantageous in avoiding the influence on the deposition of the first subpackage layer 610 in the second groove G2 and in making the film thickness thicker in the area corresponding to the second groove G2 of the first subpackage layer 610, and ensuring the packaging reliability of the package layer 600.

[0034] In some embodiments, the connection angle between the second side surface 310b and the sidewall of the second groove G2 is an obtuse angle, i.e., the angle at the connection point between the second side surface 310b and the sidewall of the second groove G2 is relatively gentle, which is favorable for the deposition of the first subpackage layer on the sidewall of the second groove G2, and further ensures the thickness of the film layer of the first subpackage layer in the second groove G2 area to improve package reliability.

[0035] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 10 , the second side 310b of the protrusion 310 and the sidewall of the second groove G2 both have a curved surface curving toward the inside of the second groove G2, so that the connection angle between the second side 310b of the protrusion 310 and the sidewall of the second groove G2 is an arc angle, which is favorable for the deposition of the first subpackage layer on the sidewall of the second groove G2, and further ensures the thickness of the film layer in the second groove area of ​​the first subpackage layer, thereby improving the package reliability.

[0036] In some embodiments, the depth of the second groove G2 is equal to or less than the maximum thickness of the pixel defining layer 300. If the depth of the second groove G2 is less than the maximum thickness of the pixel defining layer 300, the second groove G2 will only partially penetrate the pixel defining layer 300, thereby avoiding a problem that the underlying first electrode layer 200 is damaged when the second groove G2 is etched and formed, causing display defects.

[0037] In some embodiments, the second groove G2 has a depth of 1.3 μm to 4 μm.

[0038] In some embodiments, the second groove G2 blocks the common functional layer 410, and the second electrode layer 500 located above the common functional layer 410 may also be blocked by the second groove G2. By adjusting the manufacturing process parameters of the second electrode layer 500, such as the deposition angle, the risk of display defects caused by the second electrode layer 500 being blocked by the second groove G2 can be reduced. However, this problem is also difficult to completely avoid by adjusting the manufacturing process parameters. Based on this, the second groove G2 is spaced apart in the non-light-emitting area A2. Specifically, referring to FIG. 2, the pixel definition layer includes a plurality of the second grooves G2, and the plurality of the second grooves G2 are spaced apart in the non-light-emitting area A2, and the space between two adjacent second grooves G2 is an area that ensures communication between the second electrode layer 500, thereby completely avoiding the display defects caused by the portions of the second electrode layer 500 located in the adjacent light-emitting areas A1 being blocked.

[0039] In addition, in this method, the common functional layer 410 is connected to the spaced area between the adjacent second grooves G2, but compared to a structure in which the second groove G2 is not provided, the communication passage between the parts of the common functional layer 410 corresponding to the two adjacent light-emitting areas A1 is narrower and the communication passage is extended, thereby significantly reducing the magnitude of lateral leakage in the common functional layer 410 between the two adjacent light-emitting areas A1, and by setting the shape of the second groove G2, the magnitude of lateral leakage can be kept below a target value, thereby avoiding display defects due to pixel mixing.

[0040] In some embodiments, the method of setting the shape of the second groove G2 to keep the magnitude of lateral leakage below the target value is specifically to make at least a part of the second grooves extend along the edges of the adjacent light-emitting areas, which is illustrated in FIG. 11 as an example. For example, when the second color light-emitting area A12 is elliptical, the second groove G2 between the second color light-emitting area A12 and the first color light-emitting area A11 is set as a curved groove along the edge of the adjacent second color light-emitting area A12. In this way, the second groove G2 located between the second color light-emitting area A12 and the first color light-emitting area A11 further extends in a direction approaching the second groove G2 located between the second color light-emitting area A12 and the third color light-emitting area A13, thereby reducing the pitch between the two second grooves G2 and further narrowing the communication path here of the common functional layer 410, thereby keeping the magnitude of lateral leakage here below the target value.

[0041] Here, only an illustrative description is provided based on the specific pixel array. In actual applications, based on the specific pixel array structure, the second groove G2 may be a wavy groove, a broken line groove, etc. in addition to the above-mentioned curved groove.

[0042] In some embodiments, the blocking ability of the common functional layer 410 can be further improved by further providing a plurality of the second grooves G2 between two adjacent light-emitting areas A1. Specifically, see FIG. 12, a plurality of the second grooves G2 are provided between two adjacent light-emitting areas A1, and the plurality of second grooves G2 are arranged at intervals along a direction from the center of one light-emitting area to the center of the other light-emitting area. For example, two second grooves G2 are provided between two adjacent light-emitting areas A1 as illustrated in the figure. When provided in this manner, if the second grooves G2 cannot completely block the common functional layer 410, the number of the second grooves G2 between the two adjacent light-emitting areas A1 can be increased to ensure that the area of ​​the common functional layer 410 where the second grooves G2 are provided between the two adjacent light-emitting areas A1 is completely blocked, thereby avoiding poor display of pixel color mixture.

[0043] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 2 , the display panel typically further includes a support pillar 800, which is used to support a mask blank during a deposition process, and the second groove G2 is arranged to avoid the support pillar 800 in order to avoid the collapse of the support pillar 800 due to the installation of the second groove G2.

[0044] As can be understood, the arrangement manner of the second groove G2 is set based on the actual pixel arrangement, and the above embodiment is illustratively described with reference to a specific pixel arrangement. In order to more clearly show the installation manner of the second groove G2, the following description will be based on other pixel arrangements.

[0045] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 13, the display area includes a plurality of equally spaced light-emitting areas A1 and a non-light-emitting area A2 located between the plurality of light-emitting areas, and the light-emitting area A1 includes a first color light-emitting area A11, a second color light-emitting area A12 and a third color light-emitting area A13, and the differences from the above embodiments are as follows: the first color light-emitting area A11, the second color light-emitting area A12 and the third color light-emitting area A13 have different shapes and arrangements, and each of the light-emitting areas A1 is rectangular and spaced apart along a first direction X or a second direction Y. Based on this, the non-light-emitting area A2 is correspondingly provided with the second groove G2 having a long rectangular shape extending in the first direction X or the second direction Y. Specifically, the second groove G2 having a long rectangular shape extending in the second direction Y is provided between the adjacent second color light-emitting area A12 and the adjacent third color light-emitting area A13, the second groove G2 having a long rectangular shape extending in the first direction X is provided between the first color light-emitting area A11 and the adjacent second color light-emitting area A12 and the adjacent third color light-emitting area A13, and the second groove G2 is provided to avoid the support pillar 800 area.

[0046] In some embodiments, refer to FIG. 14, which is similar to the display panel of the previous embodiment, the differences are as follows: the arrangement manner of each of the second grooves G2 is fine-tuned, and block-shaped second grooves G2 are added in the empty area, so that four second grooves G2 are provided corresponding to the four sides of each of the second color light-emitting areas A12 or each of the third color light-emitting areas A13, thereby further reducing the pitch between two adjacent second grooves G2 and narrowing the communicating passage here of the common functional layer, thereby further reducing the magnitude of lateral leakage here.

[0047] In some embodiments, see FIG. 15 , which is similar to the display panel provided in the previous embodiment, the differences are as follows: each of the second grooves in the previous embodiment is adjusted to two second grooves G2 spaced apart from each other, thereby further improving the blocking ability of the common functional layer.

[0048] In some embodiments, the installation range of the second groove G2 is located within a flat area of ​​the pixel definition layer 300, thereby avoiding destroying the existing shape of the pixel definition layer 300, i.e., there is a certain pitch between the adjacent first groove G1 and the adjacent second groove G2, and the installation of the second groove G2 can avoid the problem of affecting the existing shape of the first groove G1 and causing other display defects.

[0049] In some embodiments, the second groove G2 is only provided between two adjacent light emitting areas A1, and there is no need to provide the second groove G2 in areas other than the light emitting areas A1 located at the edges.

[0050] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own emphasis, and for the parts of an embodiment that are not explained in detail, you may refer to the detailed explanations of the other embodiments, and the explanations will be omitted here.

[0051] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a specific manufacturing method for the display panel in the above embodiment, see FIG. 16, the manufacturing method specifically includes steps S10 to S30.

[0052] In S10, a substrate is provided, and a pixel definition layer is formed on the substrate, the pixel definition layer including a first groove formed corresponding to the light-emitting area and a second groove formed in the non-light-emitting area, and a protrusion is provided at an opening of the second groove.

[0053] In S20, a light-emitting device layer is formed on the substrate and the pixel definition layer, the light-emitting device layer includes a light-emitting functional layer and a common functional layer, the light-emitting functional layer is located in the light-emitting area, the common functional layer is located in the light-emitting area and the non-light-emitting area, and the common functional layer is cut at the second groove.

[0054] In S30, a package layer is formed on the light emitting device layer, the package layer including a first subpackage layer formed on the light emitting device layer, the first subpackage layer being located in the light emitting area and the non-light emitting area, the first subpackage layer being continuous with the second groove, and a protruding distance of the protrusion is not more than one-tenth of a thickness of the first subpackage layer.

[0055] A method for manufacturing the display panel will be described in detail below with reference to Figs. 17a to 17g.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 17a, a substrate 100 is provided, and a first electrode layer 200 is formed on the substrate, the first electrode layer 200 including a plurality of first electrodes corresponding to the plurality of light emitting areas.

[0057] A first organic film layer 300a is formed on the first electrode layer 200 and the substrate 100, and the first organic film layer 300a includes a plurality of first grooves G1 formed corresponding to a plurality of the light-emitting areas, and each of the first grooves G1 exposes a corresponding one of the first electrodes, where the material of the first organic film layer 300a is an organic resist, and the first grooves G1 are formed by an exposure and development process under the shielding of a corresponding photomask.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 17b, a barrier film 700 is formed on the first organic film layer 300a and the first electrode layer 200, and the material of the barrier film 700 is a metal or metal oxide, such as indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, copper, etc., and the thickness of the barrier film is determined according to design, for example, the thickness of the barrier film layer is 5 nm, 10 nm, 15 nm or 20 nm, etc.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 17c, a patterning process is performed on the barrier film 700 to form a barrier layer 710, the barrier layer 710 including openings 711 formed in predetermined areas of the non-light-emitting area.

[0060] Referring to Figure 17d, after blocking the blocking layer 710, the first organic film layer 300a is dry-etched to form the pixel defining layer 300. In the dry-etching process, the area of ​​the first organic film layer 300a exposed to the opening 711 is etched by the collision of a plasma body to form a second groove G2. The shape of the second groove G2 is shown in Figure 17e, which is an enlarged structural schematic diagram of area S2 in Figure 17d. A protrusion 310 is formed at the opening of the second groove G2, protruding into the inside of the second groove G2.

[0061] Referring to FIG. 17f, the blocking layer 710 is removed, specifically, the blocking layer can be removed by dissolving it using a corresponding etching acid through a wet etching process, where the first electrode layer 200 located under the blocking layer 710 is usually a stacked structure of an indium tin oxide layer / a silver layer / an indium tin oxide layer, and the indium tin oxide layer in the first electrode layer 200 is a crystallized indium tin oxide after thermal annealing, and when the material of the blocking layer 710 is indium tin oxide, it is specifically an amorphous indium tin oxide, so that the etching acid used in removing the blocking layer 710 will not damage the surface indium tin oxide layer in the first electrode layer 200.

[0062] 17g , a light emitting device layer 400, a second electrode layer 500 and a package layer 600 are sequentially formed on the first electrode layer 200 and the pixel definition layer 300, the light emitting device layer includes a light emitting functional layer and a common functional layer 410, the light emitting functional layer is located in the light emitting area A1, the common functional layer 410 is located in the light emitting area A1 and the non-light emitting area A2, the package layer 600 includes a first sub-package layer 610 formed on the light emitting device layer 400, the first sub-package layer 610 is located in the light emitting area A1 and the non-light emitting area A2, the common functional layer 410 is cut at the second groove G2, the first sub-package layer 610 is continuous at the second groove G2, and the protruding portion 310 has a protruding distance of not more than one-tenth of a thickness of the first sub-package layer 610, thereby completing the manufacture of the display panel.

[0063] Specifically, in the process of forming the second groove G2, the plasma performs vertical etching to cut the groove, and also performs a certain amount of lateral etching. Since the blocking layer 710 is provided around the opening 711, the blocking layer 710 acts as a shield against the plasma in the etching process, and the lateral etching at the near end close to the blocking layer 710 along the direction perpendicular to the substrate 100 is weaker than the lateral etching at the far end far from the blocking layer 710, thus forming the protrusion 310 at the opening of the second groove G2, and the protrusion 310 has a first side 310a that is flush with the side of the pixel definition layer 300 away from the substrate 100, and a second side 310b connected to the first side 310a, and the angle between the second side 310b and the first side 310a is an acute angle.

[0064] As the distance from the blocking layer 710 increases, its blocking effect against lateral etching weakens until it disappears, and the second side 310b is connected to one end of the first side 310a close to the inside of the second groove G2, and the other end extends toward the sidewall of the second groove G2 and is directly connected to the sidewall of the second groove G2.

[0065] In addition, the reason why the angle between the sidewall of the second groove G2 and the bottom surface of the second groove G2 is greater than 90 degrees is because the time required for lateral etching is longer closer to the upper area. However, in order to enhance the blocking ability of the second groove G2 against the common functional layer 410, the etching parameters are adjusted so that the inclination of the sidewall of the second groove G2 is as small as possible or is approximately perpendicular to the substrate 100.

[0066] Furthermore, since the blocking ability of the blocking layer 710 against plasma is limited, the protrusion distance of the formed protrusion 310 is made sufficiently small, and by further adjusting the etching parameters, the final protrusion distance of the protrusion 310 becomes less than one-tenth of the thickness of the first subpackage layer.

[0067] In the manufacturing method of the display panel according to the embodiment of the present invention, the protrusion 310 is formed at the opening of the second groove G2 by the above-mentioned specific process, and when the part of the common functional layer located in the non-light-emitting area A2 covers the second groove G2, the side wall of the second groove G2 is broken, thereby reducing the lateral leakage between adjacent light-emitting areas, and effectively avoiding the problem of display defects caused by pixel color mixing. In addition, since the protrusion distance of the protrusion 310 is less than one-tenth of the thickness of the first subpackage layer, the protrusion 310 has a small effect on the deposition of the first subpackage layer 610 in the second groove G2, so that the part of the first subpackage layer 610 located in the non-light-emitting area A2 can ensure a relatively thick film thickness even in the area corresponding to the second groove G2, thereby ensuring that the package layer 600 has good package reliability. That is, by forming the second groove G2, it is possible to effectively improve the display defects caused by pixel color mixing and ensure good package reliability.

[0068] In addition, the groove structure in the conventional display panel is usually formed by blocking and etching with a patterned photoresist layer, but the photoresist layer is inevitably partially etched during the etching process, so that it cannot achieve a good lateral etching blocking effect. This embodiment adopts a blocking layer made of metal or metal oxide, which is not sensitive to the plasma that etches the pixel definition layer made of photoresist material, and is removed without reacting with the plasma during the etching process, so that it can achieve a good lateral etching blocking effect, and a protrusion of a special size is formed at the opening of the second groove.

[0069] Another embodiment of the present invention further provides a display device, the display device including a display panel according to the above embodiment, the display device including, but not limited to, a mobile phone, a smart watch, a tablet computer, a laptop, a television, etc.

[0070] The above provides a detailed description of the display panel and display device according to the embodiments of the present invention, and the present specification uses specific examples to explain the principles and embodiments of the present invention. The above description of the examples is for understanding the method of the present invention and its core ideas. Furthermore, those skilled in the art may make changes to the specific embodiments and application scope based on the ideas of the present invention. As described above, the contents of this specification should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. A display panel including a plurality of spaced apart light emitting areas and non-light emitting areas located between the light emitting areas, the display panel comprising: A substrate; a pixel definition layer provided on the substrate, the pixel definition layer including a first groove provided corresponding to the light emitting area and a second groove provided corresponding to the non-light emitting area; a light-emitting device layer disposed on the pixel definition layer and the substrate, the light-emitting device layer including a light-emitting functional layer and a common functional layer, the light-emitting functional layer being located in the light-emitting area, and the common functional layer being located in the light-emitting area and the non-light-emitting area; a package layer provided on the light emitting device layer, the package layer including a first subpackage layer provided on the light emitting device layer, the first subpackage layer being located in the light emitting area and the non-light emitting area; A protrusion is provided at an opening of the second groove, the common functional layer is provided so as to be cut at the second groove, the first subpackage layer is provided continuously in the second groove; A display panel, wherein a protruding distance of the protrusion is equal to or less than one tenth of a thickness of the first subpackage layer.

2. The display panel of claim 1 , wherein an angle between a side wall of the second groove and a bottom surface of the second groove is equal to or greater than 90 degrees.

3. 3. The display panel according to claim 2, wherein one end of the protrusion is in contact with a side wall of the opening of the second groove, and the other end is provided extending into the second groove.

4. The display panel of claim 3 , wherein the protrusion has a first side surface facing away from the substrate, the first side surface being flush with a side surface of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate.

5. 5. The display panel of claim 4, wherein the protrusion has a second side connected to one end of the first side close to the second groove, and an acute angle is formed between the second side and the first side.

6. 3. The display panel of claim 2, wherein an angle between a sidewall of the second groove and a bottom surface of the second groove is greater than 90 degrees and less than 100 degrees, and a depth of the second groove is equal to or less than a maximum thickness of the pixel definition layer.

7. The display panel according to claim 1 , wherein a protruding distance of the protrusion is at least one-tenth of a thickness of the common functional layer.

8. the light-emitting functional layer includes a first light-emitting sublayer and a second light-emitting sublayer, and the common functional layer includes a charge generating layer provided between the first light-emitting sublayer and the second light-emitting sublayer; The display panel according to claim 1 , wherein the charge generating layer is provided so as to be cut at the second groove.

9. 2. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the second grooves are provided between two adjacent light-emitting areas, and at least a portion of the second grooves are provided extending along edges of the adjacent light-emitting areas.

10. The display panel according to claim 9 , wherein the second groove is a curved groove, a wave groove, or a broken line groove.

11. The display panel of claim 9 , wherein the second grooves are arranged at intervals along a direction from a center of one of the light-emitting areas to a center of another of the light-emitting areas.

12. 10. The display panel of claim 9, wherein the light-emitting areas are all rectangular and spaced apart along a first direction or a second direction, and the second grooves are elongated rectangular shapes correspondingly extending along the first direction or the second direction.

13. 13. The display panel of claim 12, wherein two of the second grooves are provided between two adjacent light-emitting areas and spaced apart from each other, and each of the two second grooves has an elongated rectangular shape extending along the first direction.

14. A display device comprising a display panel, the display panel comprising: A substrate; a pixel definition layer provided on the substrate, the pixel definition layer including a first groove provided in correspondence with a light-emitting area and a second groove provided in correspondence with a non-light-emitting area; a light-emitting device layer disposed on the pixel definition layer and the substrate, the light-emitting device layer including a light-emitting functional layer and a common functional layer, the light-emitting functional layer being located in the light-emitting area, and the common functional layer being located in the light-emitting area and the non-light-emitting area; A first subpackage layer is provided on the light emitting device layer, the first subpackage layer includes a package layer located in the light emitting area and the non-light emitting area; A protrusion is provided at an opening of the second groove, the common functional layer is provided so as to be cut at the second groove, the first subpackage layer is provided continuously in the second groove; A display device, wherein a protruding distance of the protrusion is equal to or less than one tenth of a thickness of the first subpackage layer.

15. The display device according to claim 14 , wherein an angle between a sidewall of the second groove and a bottom surface of the second groove is equal to or greater than 90 degrees.

16. The display device according to claim 15 , wherein one end of the protrusion is in contact with a side wall of the opening of the second groove, and the other end is provided extending into the second groove.

17. 17. The display device of claim 16, wherein the protrusion has a first side facing away from the substrate, the first side being flush with a side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the substrate.

18. 18. The display device of claim 17, wherein the protrusion has a second side connected to one end of the first side close to the second groove, and an acute angle is formed between the second side and the first side.

19. 16. The display device of claim 15, wherein an angle between a sidewall of the second groove and a bottom surface of the second groove is greater than 90 degrees and less than 100 degrees, and a depth of the second groove is less than or equal to a maximum thickness of the pixel definition layer.

20. The display device according to claim 14 , wherein a protruding distance of the protrusion is equal to or greater than one-tenth of a thickness of the common functional layer.

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