Display panel and display apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application are a display panel and a display apparatus. The display panel comprises a substrate, a conductive layer, a spacer layer, a cathode layer and a conductive portion. The conductive layer comprises a signal trace; an undercut opening is provided in the spacer layer, and the undercut opening is located on the side of the signal trace that is away from the substrate; and the conductive portion is at least provided at the undercut opening and is connected between the signal trace and the cathode layer, and the material of the conductive portion comprises a transparent conductive material.

Description

Display panel and display device Technical Field

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

[0002] Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) displays are widely used due to their advantages such as self-luminescence, wide color gamut, low power consumption, and flexible display.

[0003] An OLED display includes multiple light-emitting devices, each including an anode, a cathode, and an organic functional layer located between the anode and the cathode. The anode can input signals through a thin-film transistor located in the display area, while the cathode inputs signals through a cathode power signal line (VSS) arranged in the frame area. The cathode is connected to the cathode power signal line through a contact hole in the frame area. To ensure the connection effect, a larger area is required to set the contact hole, which in turn causes the width of the frame area to increase, which is not conducive to achieving a narrow frame of the display panel. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Embodiments of the present application provide a display panel and a display device, which can reduce the border width of the display panel and realize a narrow-border display panel.

[0005] An embodiment of the present application further provides a display panel, the display panel including a display area, and the display panel further including:

[0006] substrate;

[0007] a conductive layer disposed on the substrate and including signal traces disposed within the display area;

[0008] a spacer layer disposed on a side of the conductive layer away from the substrate, and comprising a first spacer sublayer and a second spacer sublayer stacked together, wherein the first spacer sublayer is provided with a first opening located within the display area, the second spacer sublayer is located on a side of the first spacer sublayer away from the substrate and extends above the first opening, the second spacer sublayer is provided with a second opening located within the display area, and the first opening and the second opening are connected to form an undercut opening, and the undercut opening is located on a side of the signal trace away from the substrate;

[0009] a light-emitting functional layer, disposed on a side of the spacer layer away from the conductive layer, the light-emitting functional layer being separated at the undercut opening;

[0010] a cathode layer, disposed on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the spacer layer;

[0011] The conducting portion is at least arranged at the undercut opening and connected between the signal trace and the cathode layer, and the conducting portion is made of a transparent conductive material.

[0012] In accordance with the above-mentioned purpose of the present application, an embodiment of the present application further provides a display device, the display device including a display panel, the display panel including a display area, and the display panel further including:

[0013] substrate;

[0014] a conductive layer disposed on the substrate and including signal traces disposed within the display area;

[0015] a spacer layer disposed on a side of the conductive layer away from the substrate, and comprising a first spacer sublayer and a second spacer sublayer stacked together, wherein the first spacer sublayer is provided with a first opening located within the display area, the second spacer sublayer is located on a side of the first spacer sublayer away from the substrate and extends above the first opening, the second spacer sublayer is provided with a second opening located within the display area, and the first opening and the second opening are connected to form an undercut opening, and the undercut opening is located on a side of the signal trace away from the substrate;

[0016] a light-emitting functional layer, disposed on a side of the spacer layer away from the conductive layer, the light-emitting functional layer being separated at the undercut opening;

[0017] a cathode layer, disposed on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the spacer layer;

[0018] The conducting portion is at least arranged at the undercut opening and connected between the signal trace and the cathode layer, and the conducting portion is made of a transparent conductive material. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a planar structure of a display panel in the related art;

[0020] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the regional distribution of a display panel in the related art;

[0021] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of a display panel in the related art;

[0022] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0023] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a planar structure of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0024] FIG6 is another schematic structural diagram of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0025] FIG7 is another schematic structural diagram of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0026] FIG8 is another schematic structural diagram of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0027] 9 to 13 are schematic diagrams of the manufacturing process structure of the display panel provided in the embodiments of the present application. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0028] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] The disclosure below provides many different embodiments or examples for realizing different structures of the present application. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present application, the components and settings of specific examples are described below. Of course, they are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present application. In addition, the present application may repeat reference numbers and / or reference letters in different examples, and such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity, and does not itself indicate the relationship between the various embodiments and / or settings discussed. In addition, the present application provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0030] Please refer to Figures 1, 2 and 3. In the relevant technology, the display panel includes a display area AA and a frame area BA adjacent to the display area AA, wherein the frame area BA is arranged in sequence along the direction away from the display area AA with a GOA circuit area CA, a cathode overlap area DA, an effective packaging area EA and a cutting area FA; wherein the display panel also includes a VSS line arranged in the cathode overlap area DA, a GOA circuit 2 arranged in the GOA circuit area CA, a light-emitting device 3 arranged in the display area AA, and a cathode 4 extending to the cathode overlap area DA, and the cathode 4 is connected to the VSS line 1 through a contact hole located in the cathode overlap area DA, for example, to ensure good conductivity and connection effect between the cathode 4 and the VSS line. Therefore, the area of ​​the cathode overlap area DA needs to be large enough, which will undoubtedly increase the width of the frame area BA, which is not conducive to the narrow frame of the display panel.

[0031] 4 and 5 , an embodiment of the present application further provides a display panel, which includes a display area 101 , a substrate 10 , a conductive layer 20 , a spacer layer 30 , a light-emitting functional layer 40 , a cathode layer 50 and a conductive portion 60 .

[0032] The conductive layer 20 is provided on the substrate 10 and includes a signal trace 21 provided in the display area 101; the spacer layer 30 is provided on the side of the conductive layer 20 away from the substrate 10 and includes a first spacer sublayer 31 and a second spacer sublayer 32 stacked together, the first spacer sublayer 31 is provided with a first opening in the display area 101, the second spacer sublayer 32 is located on the side of the first spacer sublayer 31 away from the substrate 10 and extends above the first opening, and the second spacer sublayer 32 is provided with a second opening in the display area 101. The first opening is connected to the second opening to form an undercut opening 301, and the undercut opening 301 is located on the side of the signal line 21 away from the substrate 10; the light-emitting functional layer 40 is arranged on the side of the spacer layer 30 away from the conductive layer 20, and the light-emitting functional layer 40 is separated at the undercut opening 301; the cathode layer 50 is arranged on the side of the light-emitting functional layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30; the conductive portion 60 is at least arranged at the undercut opening 301 and is connected between the signal line 21 and the cathode layer 50, and the material of the conductive portion 60 includes a transparent conductive material.

[0033] During the implementation and application process, the embodiment of the present application sets an undercut opening 301 on the signal line 21 in the display area 101, so that the light-emitting functional layer 40 is separated at the undercut opening 301. At the same time, a conductive portion 60 is set at the undercut opening 301, so that the conductive portion 60 is connected between the signal line 21 and the cathode layer 50 at the undercut opening 301, so as to realize the connection between the cathode layer 50 and the signal line 21 in the display area 101. Therefore, compared with the related art, there is no need to set a cathode overlapping area in the frame area, which can reduce the frame width of the display panel and realize a narrow-frame display panel. In addition, the present application uses a transparent conductive material to prepare the conductive portion 60, which can avoid the conductive portion 60 affecting the light output of the display panel. At the same time, the manufacturing accuracy requirements of the conductive portion 60 can be reduced, and the process difficulty and cost can be reduced.

[0034] In one embodiment of the present application, the conductive portion is filled in the undercut opening, and the cathode layer covers a side of the conductive portion away from the substrate at the undercut opening;

[0035] The side of the conductive portion close to the substrate is in contact with the signal trace, and the side of the conductive portion away from the substrate is in contact with the cathode layer.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present application, the conductive portion covers the side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the spacer layer and fills the undercut opening, and the cathode layer covers the side of the conductive portion away from the light-emitting functional layer.

[0037] In one embodiment of the present application, the cathode layer is separated at the bottom cut opening, and the cathode layer includes a first sub-portion located on the side of the second spacer sub-layer away from the first spacer sub-layer, the conductive portion is filled in the bottom cut opening and covers the side of the signal line away from the substrate, and the side of the conductive portion away from the substrate is in contact with the first sub-portion.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present application, the cathode layer covers the side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the spacer layer, and the conductive portion covers the side of the cathode layer away from the light-emitting functional layer and fills the undercut opening.

[0039] In one embodiment of the present application, the display area includes a plurality of pixel areas, the orthographic projection of the undercut opening on the substrate is located between adjacent pixel areas, and the conductive portion covers the plurality of pixel areas.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present application, the display panel further includes an inorganic encapsulation layer, and the inorganic encapsulation layer is disposed on a side of the conductive portion away from the cathode layer.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present application, the transparent conductive material includes at least one of a mixture of poly[9,9-dioctylfluorene-9,9-bis(N,N-dimethylaminopropyl)fluorene] and a resin, and a mixture of an amine-functionalized conjugated polymer and a resin.

[0042] In one embodiment of the present application, the display panel also includes a non-display area located on at least one side of the display area, and the display panel also includes a power signal line arranged in the non-display area, and the signal line extends from the display area to the non-display area and is connected to the power signal line.

[0043] Specifically, in one embodiment of the present application, please continue to refer to Figures 4 and 5 , the display panel includes a display area 101, a plurality of pixel areas 1011 located in the display area 101, and a non-display area adjacent to the display area 101.

[0044] Furthermore, the display panel also includes a substrate 10, a conductive layer 20 arranged on the substrate 10, a spacer layer 30 arranged on the side of the conductive layer 20 away from the substrate 10, a light-emitting functional layer 40 arranged on the side of the spacer layer 30 away from the conductive layer 20, and a cathode layer 50 arranged on the side of the light-emitting functional layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30.

[0045] The conductive layer 20 includes a signal trace 21. It is understood that the display panel also includes a thin film transistor array layer (not shown in the figure) provided on the substrate 10. The thin film transistor array layer may include thin film transistor devices provided on the substrate 10 and an insulating layer spaced between the thin film transistor devices. The thin film transistor devices may include a gate, an active layer, a source, and a drain. In one embodiment, the conductive layer 20 may be a conductive thin film in the thin film transistor array layer. Specifically, the conductive layer 20 may also include a source and a drain, or the conductive layer 20 may also include a gate, which is not limited here. At least one insulating layer may also be provided between the conductive layer 20 and the substrate 10, such as an insulating layer located between the source, the drain, and the substrate 10, or an insulating layer located between the gate and the substrate 10.

[0046] It should be noted that the display panel also includes a driving component arranged in the non-display area and a power signal line connected to the driving component, and the signal line 21 can extend from the display area 101 to the non-display area and be connected to the power signal line; wherein, the power signal line can be a VSS signal line.

[0047] In one embodiment, the signal line 21 is staggered with the pixel area 1011 in the display area 101 , that is, the signal line 21 can be arranged between adjacent pixel areas 1011 .

[0048] The spacer layer 30 includes a side of the conductive layer 20 away from the substrate 10, and a bottom cut opening 301 is provided in the spacer layer 30, and the bottom cut opening 301 is provided in the display area 101 and is staggered with the pixel area 1011; further, the bottom cut opening 301 is located on the side of the signal line 21 away from the substrate 10 to expose a portion of the upper surface of the signal line 21.

[0049] In one embodiment, the display panel may be an OLED display panel, and the display panel may further include a pixel definition layer, a planarization layer, and an anode; correspondingly, the spacer layer 30 includes a first spacer sublayer 31 arranged on the side of the conductive layer 20 away from the substrate 10 and a second spacer sublayer 32 arranged on the side of the first spacer sublayer 31 away from the conductive layer 20, wherein the first spacer sublayer 31 may be a pixel definition layer and / or a planarization layer, and the second spacer sublayer 32 may be an anode.

[0050] In which, a first opening is provided in the first spacer sublayer 31, and a second opening is provided in the second spacer sublayer 32, but the size of the second opening is smaller than the size of the first opening, that is, the second spacer sublayer 32 extends above the first opening, so that the undercut opening 301 is formed as an undercut opening.

[0051] The light-emitting functional layer 40 is arranged on the side of the spacer layer 30 away from the conductive layer 20, and the light-emitting functional layer 40 is isolated at the bottom cut opening 301, wherein the light-emitting functional layer 40 includes a light-emitting portion 41 located outside the bottom cut opening 301 and a partition portion 42 located inside the bottom cut opening 301, wherein the light-emitting portion 41 is located on the side of the second spacer sublayer 32 away from the first spacer sublayer 31, and the partition portion 42 is located at the bottom of the bottom cut opening 301 and on the signal trace 21, but the partition portion 42 completely covers the signal trace 21 and can expose part of the upper surface of the signal trace 21.

[0052] The cathode layer 50 is disposed on a side of the light emitting functional layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30 . In this embodiment, the display panel further includes a conductive portion 60 , which is disposed at least at the undercut opening 301 and connected between the cathode layer 50 and the signal trace 21 .

[0053] In one embodiment, the conductive portion 60 is filled in the undercut opening 301, and the cathode layer 50 covers the side of the conductive portion 60 away from the substrate 10 at the undercut opening 301. The side of the conductive portion 60 close to the substrate 10 covers the partition portion 42 and a portion of the upper surface of the signal trace 21, so that the conductive portion 60 is in contact with the signal trace 21, and the side of the conductive portion 60 away from the substrate 10 is in contact with the cathode layer 50.

[0054] It should be noted that the embodiment shown in Figure 4 only shows the situation where the conductive portion 60 is filled in the bottom cut opening 301. However, due to process limitations, the conductive portion 60 may overflow, that is, in addition to filling the bottom cut opening 301, the conductive portion 60 will also cover part of the upper surface of the light-emitting functional layer 40.

[0055] In one embodiment, the material of the conductive portion 60 includes a transparent conductive material. Therefore, even if the conductive portion 60 overflows outside the undercut opening 301 during the manufacturing process, it will not affect the light emission of the pixel area 1011. Compared with processes using other conductive materials, such as printing with silver paste, due to process limitations, when the silver paste is formed on the panel, the printed droplets will form a coverage area with a size of up to 100 microns, while the size between adjacent pixel areas in the related art is generally around 50 microns. That is, the silver paste will cover the adjacent pixel areas during the printing process, thereby affecting the luminescence of the adjacent pixel areas. The conductive portion 60 in the embodiment of the present application is transparent, and even if it covers the pixel area 1011, it will not affect the normal light emission of the pixel area 1011.

[0056] In one embodiment, the transparent conductive material includes at least one of a mixture of poly[9,9-dioctylfluorene-9,9-bis(N,N-dimethylaminopropyl)fluorene] and a resin, and a mixture of an amine-functionalized conjugated polymer and a resin, and the resins in both mixtures may include epoxy resin.

[0057] Compared with the process of using other conductive materials in the related art, such as using silver paste for printing, the solvent of the silver paste will penetrate, thereby affecting the performance of the light-emitting functional layer 40, and further affecting the light-emitting effect; secondly, the curing temperature of the silver paste is greater than 130°C, while the light-emitting functional layer 40 is generally above 100°C, and its performance and yield will be affected, resulting in a decrease in the yield of the display panel. However, in the embodiment of the present application, a mixture of poly[9,9-dioctylfluorene-9,9-bis(N,N-dimethylaminopropyl)fluorene] and resin, and / or a mixture of amino-functionalized conjugated polymer and resin is used as the material of the conductive part 60; in the mixture of poly[9,9-dioctylfluorene-9,9-bis(N,N-dimethylaminopropyl)fluorene] and resin, the resin has a stable cross-linked structure, which can prevent the solvent in the mixture from penetrating and invading, thereby preventing the light-emitting functional layer 40 from being damaged during the process. ; In addition, in the mixture of the amino-functionalized conjugated polymer and the resin, the side chain of the amino-functionalized conjugated polymer forms an oxetane functional group, and the oxetane functional group can undergo a cationic ring-opening polymerization reaction under heating conditions, and can form an insoluble and infusible network polymer film in a relatively short time. The network polymer film can also play a role in blocking the invasion of solvents in the mixture, and combined with the cross-linked structure of the resin, it can further avoid damage to the light-emitting functional layer 40 during the manufacturing process, thereby improving the yield rate of the display panel.

[0058] Furthermore, the curing temperature of the mixture of poly[9,9-dioctylfluorene-9,9-bis(N,N-dimethylaminopropyl)fluorene] and resin, and the mixture of amino-functionalized conjugated polymer and resin during the process is within 90°C, which can avoid affecting the performance and yield of the light-emitting functional layer 40 due to excessively high curing temperature.

[0059] When the conductive portion 60 is filled in the undercut opening 301 , the side of the conductive portion 60 away from the substrate 10 may bulge upward, and the cathode layer 50 will conform to the shape of the conductive portion 60 and cover the conductive portion 60 .

[0060] As mentioned above, in the embodiment of the present application, an undercut opening 301 is provided on the signal wiring 21 in the display area 101, so that the light-emitting functional layer 40 is separated at the undercut opening 301. At the same time, a conductive portion 60 is provided at the undercut opening 301, so that the conductive portion 60 is connected between the signal wiring 21 and the cathode layer 50 at the undercut opening 301, so as to realize the connection between the cathode layer 50 and the signal wiring 21 in the display area 101. Therefore, compared with the related art, there is no need to provide a cathode overlap area in the frame area, which can reduce the frame width of the display panel and realize a narrow-frame display panel. In addition, the present application adopts a transparent conductive material to make the conductive portion 60 of the conductive portion 60. A conductive portion 60 is provided, thereby preventing the conductive portion 60 from affecting the light output of the display panel. At the same time, the manufacturing accuracy requirements of the conductive portion 60 can be reduced, and the process difficulty and cost can be reduced. Furthermore, the embodiment of the present application can adopt a mixture of poly[9,9-dioctylfluorene-9,9-bis(N,N-dimethylaminopropyl)fluorene] and resin, and / or a mixture of amino-functionalized conjugated polymer and resin as the material of the conductive portion 60, which can avoid damage to the light-emitting functional layer 40 due to solvent intrusion and excessively high curing temperature during the manufacturing process, thereby improving the performance of the light-emitting functional layer 40 and improving the yield rate of the display panel.

[0061] In another embodiment of the present application, please refer to Figures 5 and 6. The difference between this embodiment and the embodiment shown in Figure 4 is that: the conductive portion 60 covers the side of the light-emitting functional layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30 and is filled in the bottom cut opening 301, and the cathode layer 50 covers the side of the conductive portion 60 away from the light-emitting functional layer 40.

[0062] The conductive portion 60 covers a plurality of pixel regions 1011 , that is, the conductive portion 60 may entirely cover the spacer layer 30 , further reducing the manufacturing accuracy of the conductive portion 60 .

[0063] Continuing from the above, the embodiment of the present application sets an undercut opening 301 on the signal line 21 in the display area 101, so that the light-emitting functional layer 40 is separated at the undercut opening 301. At the same time, a conductive portion 60 is set at the undercut opening 301, so that the conductive portion 60 is connected between the signal line 21 and the cathode layer 50 at the undercut opening 301, so as to realize the connection between the cathode layer 50 and the signal line 21 in the display area 101. Therefore, compared with the related art, there is no need to set a cathode overlapping area in the frame area, which can reduce the frame width of the display panel and realize a narrow-frame display panel. In addition, the present application uses a transparent conductive material to prepare the conductive portion 60, which can avoid the conductive portion 60 affecting the light output of the display panel, and can make the conductive portion 60 cover multiple pixel areas 1011. At the same time, the manufacturing accuracy requirements of the conductive portion 60 can be reduced, and the process difficulty and cost can be reduced.

[0064] In another embodiment of the present application, please refer to Figure 7. The difference between this embodiment and the embodiment shown in Figure 4 is that: the cathode layer 50 is arranged on the side of the light-emitting functional layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30, and the cathode layer 50 is separated at the bottom cut opening 301 and is divided into a first sub-portion 51 located outside the bottom cut opening 301 and a second sub-portion 52 located inside the bottom cut opening 301, wherein the first sub-portion 51 is located on the side of the second spacer sub-layer 32 away from the first spacer sub-layer 31 and covers the light-emitting portion 41, and the second sub-portion 52 is located at the bottom of the bottom cut opening 301 and covers the partition portion 42, and also exposes part of the upper surface of the signal line 21 in the bottom cut opening 301; and the conductive portion 60 is filled in the bottom cut opening 301 and connected between the cathode layer 50 and the signal line 21.

[0065] The side of the conductive portion 60 close to the substrate 10 covers the second sub-portion 52 , the partition portion 42 and a portion of the upper surface of the signal trace 21 , while the side of the conductive portion 60 away from the substrate 10 is raised and contacts the first sub-portion 51 .

[0066] It should be noted that the embodiment shown in Figure 7 only shows the portion of the conductive portion 60 filled in the bottom cut opening 301. Due to process limitations, the conductive portion 60 may also extend outside the bottom cut opening 301 and cover a portion of the surface of the first sub-portion 51 away from the light-emitting functional layer 40.

[0067] Continuing from the above, the embodiment of the present application sets an undercut opening 301 on the signal line 21 in the display area 101, so that the light-emitting functional layer 40 is separated at the undercut opening 301. At the same time, a conductive portion 60 is set at the undercut opening 301, so that the conductive portion 60 is connected between the signal line 21 and the cathode layer 50 at the undercut opening 301, so as to realize the connection between the cathode layer 50 and the signal line 21 in the display area 101. Therefore, compared with the related art, there is no need to set a cathode overlapping area in the frame area, which can reduce the frame width of the display panel and realize a narrow-frame display panel. In addition, the present application uses a transparent conductive material to prepare the conductive portion 60, which can avoid the conductive portion 60 affecting the light output of the display panel, and can make the conductive portion 60 cover multiple pixel areas 1011. At the same time, the manufacturing accuracy requirements of the conductive portion 60 can be reduced, and the process difficulty and cost can be reduced.

[0068] In another embodiment of the present application, please refer to Figures 5 and 8. The difference between this embodiment and the embodiment shown in Figure 7 is that: the conductive portion 60 covers the side of the cathode layer 50 away from the light-emitting functional layer 40, that is, the conductive portion 60 covers the surface of the first sub-portion 51 away from the light-emitting portion 41 outside the bottom cut opening 301, and the conductive portion 60 fills the bottom cut opening 301 at the bottom cut opening 301, and covers the second sub-portion 52, the partition portion 42 and part of the upper surface of the signal line 21.

[0069] The conductive portion 60 covers a plurality of pixel regions 1011 , that is, the conductive portion 60 may entirely cover the cathode layer 50 , further reducing the manufacturing accuracy of the conductive portion 60 .

[0070] Furthermore, relative to the embodiment shown in FIG6 , in this embodiment, the conductive portion 60 is disposed on a side of the cathode layer 50 away from the light-emitting functional layer 40 , thereby not increasing the distance between the cathode layer 50 and the anode in the display panel, and thus not increasing the length of the microcavity, and thus not affecting the light emission of the light-emitting functional layer 40 .

[0071] In addition, the display panel may also include an encapsulation layer (not shown in the figure), the encapsulation layer includes an inorganic encapsulation layer covering the surface of the conductive portion 60 away from the cathode layer 50. Since the inorganic encapsulation layer is often prepared by plasma vapor deposition, it is easy to cause damage to the cathode layer 50 and the light-emitting functional layer 40 during the preparation of the inorganic encapsulation layer. Therefore, in the relevant technology, it is usually necessary to add a thin film such as a lithium fluoride layer on the cathode layer 50 as a protective layer; however, in the embodiment of the present application, since the conductive portion 60 can cover the cathode layer 50, it can serve as a protective layer to prevent the inorganic encapsulation layer from damaging the cathode layer 50 and the light-emitting functional layer 40 during the manufacturing process, thereby improving the yield of the display panel.

[0072] Continuing from the above, the embodiment of the present application sets an undercut opening 301 on the signal line 21 in the display area 101, so that the light-emitting functional layer 40 is separated at the undercut opening 301. At the same time, a conductive portion 60 is set at the undercut opening 301, so that the conductive portion 60 is connected between the signal line 21 and the cathode layer 50 at the undercut opening 301, so as to realize the connection between the cathode layer 50 and the signal line 21 in the display area 101. Therefore, compared with the related art, there is no need to set a cathode overlapping area in the frame area, which can reduce the frame width of the display panel and realize a narrow-frame display panel. In addition, the present application uses a transparent conductive material to prepare the conductive portion 60, which can avoid the conductive portion 60 affecting the light output of the display panel, and can make the conductive portion 60 cover multiple pixel areas 1011. At the same time, the manufacturing accuracy requirements of the conductive portion 60 can be reduced, and the process difficulty and cost can be reduced.

[0073] In addition, an embodiment of the present application further provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, and the display panel is the display panel described in the above embodiment.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 4 , FIG. 5 , FIG. 6 , FIG. 7 , FIG. 8 , and FIG. 9 to FIG. 13 , the method for manufacturing the display panel includes the following steps:

[0075] A conductive layer 20 is formed on the substrate 10 , and a signal line 21 located in the display area 101 is formed in the conductive layer 20 . The conductive layer 20 may further include a source and a drain, or a gate.

[0076] A spacer layer 30 is formed on the side of the conductive layer 20 away from the substrate 10, and the spacer layer 30 includes a first spacer sublayer 31 and a second spacer sublayer 32 formed in sequence on the side of the conductive layer 20 away from the substrate 10, wherein the first spacer sublayer 31 can be a pixel definition layer and / or a planarization layer, and the second spacer sublayer 32 can be an anode.

[0077] Among them, a first opening is formed in the first spacer sublayer 31, and the second spacer sublayer 32 extends above the first opening and is formed with a second opening connected to the first opening. The first opening and the second opening are connected to form a bottom cut opening 301 in the spacer layer 30, as shown in Figure 9.

[0078] A light-emitting functional layer 40 is formed on the side of the spacer layer 30 away from the conductive layer 20. Since the undercut opening 301 is an undercut opening, the light-emitting functional layer 40 will be separated at the undercut opening 301 and divided into a light-emitting portion 41 located outside the undercut opening 301 and a partition portion 42 located inside the undercut opening 301, as shown in Figure 10.

[0079] In one embodiment, a conductive portion 60 can be formed at the bottom cut opening 301, and the conductive portion 60 at least fills the bottom cut opening 301 and protrudes from the bottom cut opening 301, as shown in Figure 11; then a cathode layer 50 is deposited on the side of the light-emitting functional layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30, and the cathode layer 50 covers the side of the conductive portion 60 away from the substrate 10 at the bottom cut opening 301, as shown in Figure 4.

[0080] Among them, the material of the conductive part 60 includes a transparent conductive material, which can prevent the conductive part 60 from affecting the light output of the display panel, and the conductive part 60 can be formed by an inkjet printing process. For example, a mixture of poly[9,9-dioctylfluorene-9,9-bis(N,N-dimethylaminopropyl)fluorene] and resin, and / or a mixture of amino-functionalized conjugated polymer and resin can be used as the material of the conductive part 60, thereby preventing the light-emitting functional layer 40 from being damaged due to solvent intrusion and excessively high curing temperature during the manufacturing process.

[0081] In another embodiment, a conductive portion 60 can be formed on the side of the light-emitting functional layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30, and the conductive portion 60 covers the side of the light-emitting portion 41 away from the spacer layer 30, and is filled in the bottom cut opening 301 to cover the partition portion 42 and the signal trace 21, as shown in Figure 12; then a cathode layer 50 is formed on the side of the conductive portion 60 away from the light-emitting functional layer 40, as shown in Figure 6.

[0082] The conductive portion 60 may cover a plurality of pixel regions 1011 , thereby reducing the manufacturing precision requirement of the conductive portion 60 and lowering the process difficulty.

[0083] In another embodiment, a cathode layer 50 can be formed on the side of the light-emitting functional layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30, and the cathode layer 50 is partitioned at the bottom cut opening 301 and divided into a first sub-portion 51 located outside the bottom cut opening 301 and covering the light-emitting portion 41, and a second sub-portion 52 located at the bottom cut opening 301 and covering the partition portion 42, as shown in Figure 13; then a conductive portion 60 is formed at the bottom cut opening 301, and the conductive portion 60 fills the bottom cut opening 301. The side of the conductive portion 60 close to the substrate 10 covers the second sub-portion 52, the partition portion 42 and part of the upper surface of the signal trace 21, and the side of the conductive portion 60 away from the substrate 10 is in contact with the first sub-portion 51, as shown in Figure 7.

[0084] In another embodiment, a cathode layer 50 can be formed on the side of the light-emitting functional layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30, and the cathode layer 50 is partitioned at the bottom cut opening 301 and divided into a first sub-portion 51 located outside the bottom cut opening 301 and covering the light-emitting portion 41, and a second sub-portion 52 located at the bottom cut opening 301 and covering the partition portion 42, as shown in Figure 13; then a conductive portion 60 is formed on the side of the cathode layer 50 away from the light-emitting functional layer 40, the conductive portion 60 covers the first sub-portion 51, and fills the bottom cut opening 301 to cover the second sub-portion 52, the partition portion 42 and part of the upper surface of the signal trace 21, as shown in Figure 8.

[0085] The conductive portion 60 may cover a plurality of pixel regions 1011 , thereby reducing the manufacturing precision requirement of the conductive portion 60 and lowering the process difficulty.

[0086] In summary, the embodiment of the present application sets an undercut opening 301 on the signal line 21 in the display area 101, so that the light-emitting functional layer 40 is separated at the undercut opening 301. At the same time, a conductive portion 60 is set at the undercut opening 301, so that the conductive portion 60 is connected between the signal line 21 and the cathode layer 50 at the undercut opening 301, so as to realize the connection between the cathode layer 50 and the signal line 21 in the display area 101. Therefore, compared with the related art, there is no need to set a cathode overlap area in the frame area, which can reduce the frame width of the display panel and realize a narrow-frame display panel. In addition, the present application adopts a transparent conductive material. The conductive portion 60 is prepared, thereby preventing the conductive portion 60 from affecting the light output of the display panel. At the same time, the manufacturing accuracy requirements of the conductive portion 60 can be reduced, and the process difficulty and cost can be reduced. Furthermore, the embodiment of the present application can adopt a mixture of poly[9,9-dioctylfluorene-9,9-bis(N,N-dimethylaminopropyl)fluorene] and a resin, and / or a mixture of an amino-functionalized conjugated polymer and a resin as the material of the conductive portion 60, which can avoid damage to the light-emitting functional layer 40 due to solvent intrusion and excessively high curing temperature during the manufacturing process, thereby improving the performance of the light-emitting functional layer 40 and improving the yield rate of the display panel.

[0087] In addition, an embodiment of the present application further provides a display device, which includes the display panel described in the above embodiment.

[0088] The display device may include display devices such as a television, a computer, a mobile phone, a watch, and a tablet.

[0089] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For parts that are not described in detail in a certain embodiment, reference can be made to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0090] The above is a detailed introduction to a display panel and a display device provided in the embodiments of the present application. Specific examples are used herein to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the technical solutions and core ideas of the present application. Ordinary technicians in this field should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the aforementioned embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features therein. These modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A display panel, comprising a display area, and further comprising: substrate; A conductive layer, disposed on the substrate and including a signal trace disposed in the display area; a spacer layer, arranged on a side of the conductive layer away from the substrate, and comprising a first spacer sublayer and a second spacer sublayer stacked, wherein the first spacer sublayer is provided with a first opening located in the display area, the second spacer sublayer is located on a side of the first spacer sublayer away from the substrate and extends above the first opening, the second spacer sublayer is provided with a second opening located in the display area, and the first opening is connected to the second opening to form an undercut opening, and the undercut opening is located on a side of the signal trace away from the substrate; A light-emitting functional layer is disposed on a side of the spacer layer away from the conductive layer, and the light-emitting functional layer is separated at the undercut opening; A cathode layer, arranged on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the spacer layer; The conducting portion is at least arranged at the undercut opening and connected between the signal wiring and the cathode layer, and the material of the conducting portion includes a transparent conductive material.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The conductive portion is filled in the undercut opening, and the cathode layer covers a side of the conductive portion away from the substrate at the undercut opening; Wherein, a side of the conductive portion close to the substrate is in contact with the signal wiring, and a side of the conductive portion away from the substrate is in contact with the cathode layer.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, wherein: The conducting portion covers a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the spacer layer and is filled in the undercut opening, and the cathode layer covers a side of the conducting portion away from the light-emitting functional layer.

4. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The cathode layer is separated at the bottom cut opening, and the cathode layer includes a first sub-portion located on the side of the second spacer sub-layer away from the first spacer sub-layer, the conductive portion is filled in the bottom cut opening and covers the side of the signal line away from the substrate, and the conductive portion is in contact with the first sub-portion on the side away from the substrate.

5. The display panel according to claim 4, wherein: The cathode layer covers the side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the spacer layer, and the conductive portion covers the side of the cathode layer away from the light-emitting functional layer and is filled in the undercut opening.

6. The display panel according to claim 5, wherein: The display panel further includes an inorganic encapsulation layer, and the inorganic encapsulation layer is disposed on a side of the conductive portion away from the cathode layer.

7. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The display area includes a plurality of pixel areas, the orthographic projection of the undercut opening on the substrate is located between adjacent pixel areas, and the conductive portion covers the plurality of pixel areas.

8. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The transparent conductive material includes at least one of a mixture of poly[9,9-dioctylfluorene-9,9-bis(N,N-dimethylaminopropyl)fluorene] and a resin, and a mixture of an amine-functionalized conjugated polymer and a resin.

9. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The display panel also includes a non-display area located on at least one side of the display area. The display panel also includes a power signal line arranged in the non-display area, and the signal line extends from the display area to the non-display area and is connected to the power signal line.

10. A display device, comprising a display panel, the display panel comprising a display area, the display panel further comprising: substrate; A conductive layer, disposed on the substrate and including a signal trace disposed in the display area; a spacer layer, arranged on a side of the conductive layer away from the substrate, and comprising a first spacer sublayer and a second spacer sublayer stacked, wherein the first spacer sublayer is provided with a first opening located in the display area, the second spacer sublayer is located on a side of the first spacer sublayer away from the substrate and extends above the first opening, the second spacer sublayer is provided with a second opening located in the display area, and the first opening is connected to the second opening to form an undercut opening, and the undercut opening is located on a side of the signal trace away from the substrate; A light-emitting functional layer is disposed on a side of the spacer layer away from the conductive layer, and the light-emitting functional layer is separated at the undercut opening; A cathode layer, arranged on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the spacer layer; The conducting portion is at least arranged at the undercut opening and connected between the signal wiring and the cathode layer, and the material of the conducting portion includes a transparent conductive material.

11. The display device according to claim 10, wherein: The conductive portion is filled in the undercut opening, and the cathode layer covers a side of the conductive portion away from the substrate at the undercut opening; Wherein, a side of the conductive portion close to the substrate is in contact with the signal wiring, and a side of the conductive portion away from the substrate is in contact with the cathode layer.

12. The display device according to claim 11, wherein: The conducting portion covers a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the spacer layer and is filled in the undercut opening, and the cathode layer covers a side of the conducting portion away from the light-emitting functional layer.

13. The display device according to claim 10, wherein: The cathode layer is separated at the bottom cut opening, and the cathode layer includes a first sub-portion located on the side of the second spacer sub-layer away from the first spacer sub-layer, the conductive portion is filled in the bottom cut opening and covers the side of the signal line away from the substrate, and the conductive portion is in contact with the first sub-portion on the side away from the substrate.

14. The display device according to claim 13, wherein: The cathode layer covers the side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the spacer layer, and the conductive portion covers the side of the cathode layer away from the light-emitting functional layer and is filled in the undercut opening.

15. The display device according to claim 14, wherein: The display panel further includes an inorganic encapsulation layer, and the inorganic encapsulation layer is disposed on a side of the conductive portion away from the cathode layer.

16. The display device according to claim 10, wherein: The display area includes a plurality of pixel areas, the orthographic projection of the undercut opening on the substrate is located between adjacent pixel areas, and the conductive portion covers the plurality of pixel areas.

17. The display device according to claim 10, wherein: The transparent conductive material includes at least one of a mixture of poly[9,9-dioctylfluorene-9,9-bis(N,N-dimethylaminopropyl)fluorene] and a resin, and a mixture of an amine-functionalized conjugated polymer and a resin.

18. The display device according to claim 10, wherein: The display panel also includes a non-display area located on at least one side of the display area. The display panel also includes a power signal line arranged in the non-display area, and the signal line extends from the display area to the non-display area and is connected to the power signal line.

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