Display panel and manufacturing method therefor, and display device

Abstract

The present application discloses a display panel and a manufacturing method therefor, and a display device. A plurality of openings are formed in a first refractive index layer; a second refractive index layer is provided on the side of the first refractive index layer away from a spacer layer; refraction compensation parts are provided in the openings and located between the second refractive index layer and the spacer layer; and the refractive index of the refraction compensation parts is smaller than that of the second refractive index layer, and is smaller than that of the spacer layer.

Description

Display panel and manufacturing method thereof, 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 manufacturing method thereof, and a display device. Background Art

[0002] In order to improve the luminous efficiency of the display panel, an organic layer with openings is often formed in the display panel, and then a high-refractive-index material is filled in the opening of the organic layer to change the light propagation path, converging the light originally diverging at a wide viewing angle to the normal viewing angle, thereby improving the brightness at the normal viewing angle.

[0003] Currently, a high-refractive index film layer can be formed on the organic layer by lamination to fill the opening. Furthermore, during the manufacturing process, the display panel may undergo multiple processes, such as handling, flipping, cutting, and cracking, between forming the opening in the organic layer and laminating the high-refractive index film layer. Therefore, a protective film is often attached to the organic layer to facilitate removal when laminating the high-refractive index film layer.

[0004] However, during the process of removing the protective film, the adhesive layer on the protective film is likely to remain in some openings of the organic layer. Since the refractive index of the adhesive layer is relatively low, this may cause optical anomalies such as uneven display on the display panel. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide a display panel, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device, which can improve optical anomalies caused by residual bonding adhesive layer.

[0006] An embodiment of the present application provides a display panel, comprising:

[0007] substrate;

[0008] a light-emitting functional layer, disposed on one side of the substrate, the light-emitting functional layer comprising a plurality of light-emitting portions;

[0009] a spacer layer, disposed on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the substrate;

[0010] a first refractive index layer, disposed on a side of the spacer layer away from the light-emitting functional layer, wherein the first refractive index layer is provided with a plurality of openings corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting portions;

[0011] a second refractive index layer, disposed on a side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer, the second refractive index layer at least filling a plurality of the openings, the refractive index of the first refractive index layer being smaller than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer;

[0012] The display panel further includes a refractive compensation portion disposed in the opening, the refractive compensation portion being located between the second refractive index layer and the spacer layer, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is smaller than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is smaller than the refractive index of the spacer layer.

[0013] In accordance with the above-mentioned purpose of the present application, an embodiment of the present application further provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, which includes:

[0014] forming a light-emitting functional layer on a substrate, wherein a plurality of light-emitting portions are formed in the light-emitting functional layer;

[0015] forming a spacer layer on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the substrate;

[0016] A first refractive index layer and a refractive compensation portion are formed on a side of the spacer layer away from the light-emitting functional layer, wherein a plurality of openings corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting portions are formed in the first refractive index layer, and the refractive compensation portion is formed in the openings, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is less than the refractive index of the spacer layer;

[0017] A second refractive index layer is formed on a side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer, the second refractive index layer fills the plurality of openings, the refractive index of the first refractive index layer is smaller than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer, the refractive compensation portion is located between the spacer layer and the second refractive index layer, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is smaller than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer.

[0018] In accordance with the above-mentioned purpose of the present application, an embodiment of the present application further provides a display device, wherein the display device includes a display panel, and the display panel includes:

[0019] substrate;

[0020] a light-emitting functional layer, disposed on one side of the substrate, the light-emitting functional layer comprising a plurality of light-emitting portions;

[0021] a spacer layer, disposed on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the substrate;

[0022] a first refractive index layer, disposed on a side of the spacer layer away from the light-emitting functional layer, wherein the first refractive index layer is provided with a plurality of openings corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting portions;

[0023] a second refractive index layer, disposed on a side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer, the second refractive index layer at least filling a plurality of the openings, the refractive index of the first refractive index layer being smaller than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer;

[0024] The display panel further includes a refractive compensation portion disposed in the opening, the refractive compensation portion being located between the second refractive index layer and the spacer layer, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is smaller than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is smaller than the refractive index of the spacer layer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel provided in the related art;

[0026] 2 to 4 are schematic structural diagrams of a display panel manufacturing process provided in the related art;

[0027] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG6 is another schematic structural diagram of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0029] FIG7 is another schematic structural diagram of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0030] FIG8 is another schematic structural diagram of a display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0031] FIG9 is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0032] 10 and 11 are schematic structural diagrams of the manufacturing process of the display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0033] 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.

[0034] 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.

[0035] Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the display panel in the related art includes a light-emitting layer 1, a touch layer 2 disposed above the light-emitting layer 1, an insulating layer 3 disposed on the touch layer 2, an organic layer 4 disposed on the insulating layer 3, and a high-fold layer 5 disposed on the organic layer 4. An opening corresponding to the light-emitting layer 1 is provided in the organic layer 4, and the high-fold layer 5 is filled in the opening. Then, the principle of total reflection can be used at the inner wall of the opening to change the light path of the display panel to improve the light extraction efficiency. However, in the manufacturing process, an opening is first formed in the organic layer 4, and then multiple processes such as transporting, flipping, cutting, and splitting may be required. Therefore, a protective layer 7 with an adhesive layer 8 is required to cover the organic layer 4, and the adhesive layer 8 is located between the protective layer 7 and the organic layer 4 to protect the display panel. , and in the subsequent process, the protective layer 7 and the adhesive layer 8 are torn off to bond the high-fold layer 5 to the organic layer 4; when the protective layer 7 and the adhesive layer 8 are torn off, due to the viscosity of the adhesive layer 8, some of the adhesive layer 8 may remain, so as to form an adhesive layer 6 in the opening of the organic layer 4. Moreover, since the adhesive layer 6 is not formed in every opening, that is, some areas have the adhesive layer 6 formed, while some areas do not, and the refractive index of the adhesive layer 6 is low, the refractive index change experienced by light when passing through the area with the adhesive layer 6 and the area without the adhesive layer 6 is different, resulting in different light paths in the area with the adhesive layer 6 and the area without the adhesive layer 6, resulting in optical differences between different areas, causing the display panel to have uneven display.

[0036] 5 , an embodiment of the present application provides a display panel, which includes a substrate 10 , a light-emitting functional layer 20 , a spacer layer 30 , a first refractive index layer 40 , a second refractive index layer 50 , and a refraction compensation portion 411 .

[0037] Among them, the light-emitting functional layer 20 is arranged on one side of the substrate 10, and the light-emitting functional layer 20 includes a plurality of light-emitting portions 21; the spacer layer 30 is arranged on the side of the light-emitting functional layer 20 away from the substrate 10; the first refractive index layer 40 is arranged on the side of the spacer layer 30 away from the light-emitting functional layer 20, and the first refractive index layer 40 is provided with a plurality of openings 401 corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting portions 21; the second refractive index layer 50 is arranged on the side of the first refractive index layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30, and the second refractive index layer 50 at least fills the plurality of openings 401, and the refractive index of the first refractive index layer 40 is less than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50.

[0038] Furthermore, the display panel also includes a refractive compensation portion 411 arranged in the opening 401, the refractive compensation portion 411 is located between the second refractive index layer 50 and the spacer layer 30, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is less than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is less than the refractive index of the spacer layer 30.

[0039] During the implementation and application process, the embodiment of the present application sets a refractive compensation portion 411 in the opening 401 of the first refractive index layer 40, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is less than the refractive index of the spacer layer 30 and less than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50, so that a refractive index change process similar to that in the opening 401 with the adhesive layer is formed in each opening 401, so that the refractive index change process formed in each opening 401 tends to be consistent, thereby reducing the optical difference between the area with the adhesive layer and the area without the adhesive layer, thereby effectively improving the display unevenness of the display panel and improving the optical abnormality of the display panel.

[0040] In one embodiment of the present application, the first refractive index layer and the refraction compensation portion are both located on a surface of the spacer layer away from the substrate.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present application, the refractive index of the refraction compensation portion is greater than or equal to the refractive index of the first refractive index layer.

[0042] In one embodiment of the present application, the opening passes through the first refractive index layer, the refractive compensation portion is connected to the side wall of the opening, the opening passes through the first refractive index layer, the refractive compensation portion is connected to the side wall of the opening, the surface of the refractive compensation portion away from the spacer layer is connected to the side wall of the opening to form a groove, and the cross-sectional shape of the groove along the direction perpendicular to the substrate includes an inverted trapezoid.

[0043] In one embodiment of the present application, the material of the first refractive index layer is the same as the material of the refraction compensation part.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present application, the first refractive index layer includes a first sublayer and a second sublayer that are stacked, and the first sublayer is located between the spacer layer and the second sublayer, the opening includes a first sub-opening passing through the first sublayer and a second sub-opening passing through the second sublayer, and the refractive compensation portion is arranged in the first sub-opening.

[0045] In one embodiment of the present application, the refractive index of the refraction compensation portion is greater than or equal to the refractive index of the first sub-layer.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present application, the refractive compensation portion is connected to the side wall of the first sub-opening, the material of the refractive compensation portion is the same as the material of the first sub-layer, and the material of the first sub-layer is the same as or different from the material of the second sub-layer.

[0047] In one embodiment of the present application, the cross-sectional shape of the opening along a direction perpendicular to the substrate includes an inverted trapezoid, and the angle between the inner wall of the opening and the refractive compensation portion is greater than 90° and less than or equal to 135°.

[0048] In one embodiment of the present application, the thickness of the refraction compensation portion is less than or equal to half of the thickness of the first refractive index layer.

[0049] In one embodiment of the present application, the second refractive index layer includes an adhesive layer, which covers a side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer and fills the opening.

[0050] In one embodiment of the present application, the plurality of openings include a first opening, and the display panel further includes an adhesive layer disposed in the first opening, and the adhesive layer is disposed between at least a portion of the refraction compensation portion and the second refractive index layer.

[0051] In one embodiment of the present application, the refractive index of the adhesive layer is smaller than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer, and smaller than the refractive index of the spacer layer.

[0052] In one embodiment of the present application, an absolute value of a difference between a refractive index of the adhesive layer and a refractive index of the refraction compensation portion is less than or equal to 0.1.

[0053] In one embodiment of the present application, an absolute value of a difference between a refractive index of the adhesive layer and a refractive index of the refraction compensation portion is less than or equal to 0.05.

[0054] In one embodiment of the present application, the display panel further includes a touch electrode layer disposed between the light-emitting functional layer and the spacer layer, and the spacer layer covers the touch electrode layer.

[0055] In one embodiment of the present application, forming the second refractive index layer on a side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer includes:

[0056] forming a protective film on a side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer, wherein the protective film comprises a protective layer and a bonding adhesive layer stacked together, and the protective layer is bonded to the side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer via the bonding adhesive layer;

[0057] The protective film is removed, and the laminating adhesive layer remaining in at least a portion of the opening forms an adhesive layer, wherein the refractive index of the adhesive layer is smaller than the refractive index of the spacer layer;

[0058] A second refractive index layer is formed on a side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer, and the second refractive index layer fills the plurality of openings. The adhesive layer is located between the refractive compensation portion and the second refractive index layer, and the refractive index of the adhesive layer is smaller than that of the second refractive index layer.

[0059] 5 , in one embodiment, the display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application includes a substrate 10, a thin film transistor layer 61 arranged on the substrate 10, a light-emitting functional layer 20 and a pixel definition layer 62 arranged on the side of the thin film transistor layer 61 away from the substrate 10, an encapsulation layer 63 arranged on the side of the light-emitting functional layer 20 away from the thin film transistor layer 61, a touch electrode layer 64 arranged on the side of the encapsulation layer 63 away from the light-emitting functional layer 20, a spacer layer 30 arranged on the side of the touch electrode layer 64 away from the encapsulation layer 63, a first refractive index layer 40 arranged on the side of the spacer layer 30 away from the touch electrode layer 64, and a second refractive index layer 50 arranged on the side of the first refractive index layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30.

[0060] Among them, the thin film transistor layer 61 includes a plurality of thin film transistors arranged on the substrate 10, a plurality of pixel openings are provided in the pixel definition layer 62, and the light-emitting function layer 20 includes a plurality of light-emitting portions 21 arranged in the plurality of pixel openings, wherein the thin film transistor can be used as a switch to control the on and off of the signal input into the light-emitting portion 21.

[0061] The encapsulation layer 63 covers the plurality of light-emitting portions 21 to protect the light-emitting functional layer 20 and block water and oxygen. The encapsulation layer 63 may include a stacked structure of an inorganic layer and an organic layer.

[0062] The touch electrode layer 64 may include a plurality of touch electrodes and touch traces, and the touch electrode layer 64 may be arranged according to a mutual capacitance touch structure or a self capacitance touch structure, which is not limited here.

[0063] The first refractive index layer 40 is disposed on the surface of the spacer layer 30 away from the substrate 10 . A plurality of openings 401 are disposed in the first refractive index layer 40 . The plurality of openings 401 are disposed corresponding to the plurality of light emitting portions 21 , and the openings 401 are disposed through the first refractive index layer 40 .

[0064] In one embodiment, the plurality of openings 401 and the plurality of light emitting portions 21 may be arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, and the orthographic projections of the light emitting portions 21 on the substrate 10 are located within the orthographic projections of the corresponding openings 401 on the substrate 10 .

[0065] The second refractive index layer 50 fills at least a plurality of openings 401, and the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50 is greater than that of the first refractive index layer 40, so as to utilize the principle of total reflection at the interface between the first refractive index layer 40 and the second refractive index layer 50 to change the light path of the display panel, and converge the light originally diverging toward a wide viewing angle to a normal viewing angle, thereby improving the brightness at the normal viewing angle.

[0066] In one embodiment, when the display panel is not a polarizer-less (POL-less, PLP) display panel, the spacer layer 30 covers the touch electrode layer 64. Optionally, the material of the spacer layer 30 may include a silicon nitride material. In addition, the display panel further includes a polarizer arranged on the side of the second refractive index layer 50 away from the first refractive index layer 40.

[0067] Among them, the second refractive index layer 50 may include a glue layer with a high refractive index, and the glue layer covers the side of the first refractive index layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30 and fills the opening 401, so that the polarizer can be attached to the side of the first refractive index layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30 through the second refractive index layer 50.

[0068] In another embodiment, when the display panel is a depolarizer display panel, the spacer layer 30 is a color filter layer, and an insulating layer can be provided between the spacer layer 30 and the touch electrode layer 64 as a spacer, wherein the spacer layer 30 may include a plurality of color resist blocks and a shading structure provided between adjacent color resist blocks, and the plurality of color resist blocks may be provided in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of light-emitting portions 21, and the color of each color resist block is the same as the light-emitting color of the corresponding light-emitting portion 21; and the shading structure may include a black matrix, or stacked color resist blocks of different colors, or other materials for shading; in addition, the display panel further includes a cover plate provided on the side of the second refractive index layer 50 away from the first refractive index layer 40.

[0069] Similarly, when the second refractive index layer 50 is an adhesive layer with a high refractive index, the cover plate can be attached to the side of the first refractive index layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30 through the second refractive index layer 50 .

[0070] It can be understood that in the embodiment of the present application, the second refractive index layer 50 is prepared by using a glue layer with a high refractive index, and then the second refractive index layer 50 can be bonded to the polarizer or cover plate to reduce the number of glue layers in the display panel, thereby reducing the thickness of the display panel and improving the lightness and thinness of the display panel.

[0071] Furthermore, in one embodiment, please refer to Figures 5 and 6, the multiple openings 401 include a first opening 4011 and a second opening 4012, wherein the display panel also includes an adhesive layer 65 arranged in the first opening 4011. It can be understood that the adhesive layer 65 is the bonding layer material remaining after the protective film is torn off during the manufacturing process, and the opening 401 formed with the adhesive layer 65 is the first opening 4011, and the opening 401 without the adhesive layer 65 is the second opening 4012.

[0072] It should be noted that the shape and position of the adhesive layer 65 in the first opening 4011 are not limited. For example, it can be located on the side wall and / or bottom of the first opening 4011, and can cover part or all of the side wall, or part or all of the bottom. The illustrations provided in the embodiments of the present application take the adhesive layer 65 covering the bottom of the first opening 4011 as an example for illustration.

[0073] Among them, the refractive index of the adhesive layer 65 is relatively small, and the refractive index of the adhesive layer 65 is relatively small, usually less than 1.5, for example, it can be 1.45, thereby changing the refractive index change process of the film layer structure at the first opening 4011, so that the refractive index change process of the film layer structure at the first opening 4011 is different from the refractive index change process of the film layer structure at the second opening 4012, resulting in the display panel showing uneven display and other optical abnormalities.

[0074] In response to the problem of optical anomalies caused by the adhesive layer 65 in the related art, in an embodiment of the present application, the display panel also includes a refraction compensation portion 411 arranged at the bottom of the opening 401, and the refraction compensation portion 411 is located between the spacer layer 30 and the second refractive index layer 50; wherein, the refraction compensation portion 411 is located on the surface of the spacer layer 30 away from the substrate 10, in the first opening 4011, the adhesive layer 65 covers the surface of the refraction compensation portion 411 away from the spacer layer 30, and the second refractive index layer 50 covers the surface of the adhesive layer 65 away from the refraction compensation portion 411; in the second opening 4012, the second refractive index layer 50 covers the surface of the refraction compensation portion 411 away from the spacer layer 30.

[0075] It is understandable that in the embodiment of the present application, a refraction compensation portion 411 may be formed at the bottom of each opening 401 of the display panel, that is, the bottom of the first opening 4011 and the bottom of the second opening 4012 both have a refraction compensation portion 411 .

[0076] Among them, the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is smaller than the refractive index of the spacer layer 30, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is also smaller than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50, thereby making the refractive index change process of the film layer structure at the first opening 4011 close to the refractive index change process of the film layer structure at the second opening 4012, thereby reducing the optical difference between the area corresponding to the first opening 4011 and the area corresponding to the second opening 4012, thereby improving the display uniformity of the display panel.

[0077] It should be noted that the refractive compensation portion 411 may cover a portion of the bottom area of ​​the opening 401 or the entire bottom area of ​​the opening 401 , and the illustrations provided in this application all take the refractive compensation portion 411 covering the entire bottom area of ​​the opening 401 as an example.

[0078] 5 , the opening 401 penetrates the first refractive index layer 40, and the refractive compensation portion 411 is connected to the sidewall of the opening 401. The surface of the refractive compensation portion 411 away from the spacer layer 30 is connected to the sidewall of the opening 401 to form a groove 402. In one embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the groove 402 along the direction perpendicular to the substrate 10 includes an inverted trapezoid.

[0079] In one embodiment, the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is similar to the refractive index of the adhesive layer 65, and the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 and the refractive index of the adhesive layer 65 is less than or equal to 0.1. Further preferably, the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 and the refractive index of the adhesive layer 65 is less than or equal to 0.05, so as to further reduce the optical difference between the area corresponding to the first opening 4011 and the area corresponding to the second opening 4012.

[0080] In one embodiment, the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 may be less than or equal to 1.5, and the refractive index of the spacer layer 30 and the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50 may both be greater than 1.5. For example, the refractive index of the spacer layer 30 and the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50 may be independently 1.55, 1.6, 1.65, 1.7, 1.75, 1.8, 1.85, 1.9, 1.95, etc.

[0081] In one embodiment, the material of the refraction compensation part 411 may include acrylic or silicone compound, the material of the adhesive layer 65 may include acrylic or silicone, and the material of the refraction compensation part 411 may be the same as that of the adhesive layer 65 .

[0082] In one embodiment of the present application, referring to FIG. 5 , the refractive compensation portion 411 is located at the bottom of the opening 401 and is connected to the first refractive index layer 40 , that is, the refractive compensation portion 411 is connected to the sidewall of the opening 401 of the first refractive index layer 40 , and the material of the refractive compensation portion 411 can be the same as that of the first refractive index layer 40 , that is, the refractive compensation portion 411 can be integrally formed with the first refractive index layer 40 .

[0083] It should be noted that the refraction compensation portion 411 and the first refractive index layer 40 can be formed in the same photomask process to save steps. In other embodiments, the refraction compensation portion 411 and the first refractive index layer 40 can also be formed using two photomask processes respectively.

[0084] In a variation corresponding to FIG. 5 , referring to FIG. 7 , the refractive compensation portion 411 is disposed at the bottom of the opening 401 and connected to the first refractive index layer 40 , and the material of the refractive compensation portion 411 is different from that of the first refractive index layer 40 .

[0085] In one embodiment, the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is greater than or equal to the refractive index of the first refractive index layer 40. When the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is equal to the refractive index of the first refractive index layer 40, the refractive compensation portion 411 and the first refractive index layer 40 can be manufactured in the same process to save masks and reduce costs. When the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is greater than the refractive index of the first refractive index layer 40, a refractive index difference interface between the first refractive index layer 40 and the second refractive index layer 50 can be formed at the side wall connecting the refractive compensation portion 411 in the opening 401 to improve the focusing effect and further improve the light extraction efficiency.

[0086] In another embodiment of the present application, referring to FIG. 8 , the first refractive index layer 40 includes a first sublayer 41 and a second sublayer 42 that are stacked, wherein the first sublayer 41 is located between the spacer layer 30 and the second sublayer 42, and the refractive compensation portion 411 is disposed at the bottom of the opening 401 and connected to the first sublayer 41.

[0087] Specifically, the opening 401 passes through the first sub-layer 41 and the second sub-layer 42, and the opening 401 includes a first sub-opening passing through the first sub-layer 41 and a second sub-opening passing through the second sub-layer 42, and the refractive compensation portion 411 is arranged in the first sub-opening and connected to the side wall of the first sub-opening, that is, connected to the first sub-layer 41.

[0088] In this embodiment, the refractive compensation portion 411 is made of the same material as the first sub-layer 41, that is, the refractive compensation portion 411 and the first sub-layer 41 are integrally formed. In addition, the material of the first sub-layer 41 and the second sub-layer 42 can be the same or different, and the refractive index of the first sub-layer 41 and the refractive index of the second sub-layer 42 are both less than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50, which is not limited here.

[0089] It should be noted that the refraction compensation portion 411 and the first sub-layer 41 can be formed in the same photomask process to save steps. In other embodiments, the refraction compensation portion 411 and the first sub-layer 41 can also be formed using two photomask processes respectively.

[0090] In a modified example corresponding to FIG. 8 , the material of the refraction compensation portion 411 may also be different from the material of the first sub-layer 41 .

[0091] In one embodiment, the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is greater than or equal to the refractive index of the first sub-layer 41. When the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is equal to the refractive index of the first sub-layer 41, the refractive compensation portion 411 and the first sub-layer 41 can be prepared in the same process to save masks and reduce costs. When the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is greater than the refractive index of the first sub-layer 41, a refractive index difference interface between the first refractive index layer 40 and the second refractive index layer 50 can be formed at the side wall connecting the refractive compensation portion 411 in the opening 401 to improve the focusing effect and further improve the light extraction efficiency.

[0092] Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the opening 401 in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 10 includes an inverted trapezoid, and the angle between the refraction compensation portion 411 and the side wall of the opening 401 is greater than 90° and less than or equal to 135°, so that the light path is adjusted to the required light output angle.

[0093] In one embodiment, in order to prevent the depth of the opening 401 from being too small due to the thickness of the refractive compensation portion 411 being too large, thereby significantly affecting the optical path adjustment effect between the first refractive index layer 40 and the second refractive index layer 50, the thickness of the refractive compensation portion 411 is less than or equal to half the thickness of the first refractive index layer 40.

[0094] Continuing from the above, the embodiment of the present application sets a refractive compensation portion 411 at the bottom of the opening 401 of the first refractive index layer 40, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is less than the refractive index of the spacer layer 30 and less than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50, so that a refractive index change process similar to that in the opening 401 with the adhesive layer 65 is formed in each opening 401, thereby reducing the optical difference between the area with the adhesive layer 65 and the area without the adhesive layer 65, thereby effectively improving the display unevenness of the display panel and improving the optical abnormality of the display panel.

[0095] In addition, referring to FIG. 5 to FIG. 11 , an embodiment of the present application further provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, the method comprising the following steps:

[0096] S10 , forming a light-emitting functional layer 20 on the substrate 10 , wherein a plurality of light-emitting portions 21 are formed in the light-emitting functional layer 20 .

[0097] S20 , forming a spacer layer 30 on a side of the light-emitting functional layer 20 away from the substrate 10 .

[0098] S30. A first refractive index layer 40 and a refractive compensation portion 411 are formed on a side of the spacer layer 30 away from the light-emitting functional layer 20. A plurality of openings 401 corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting portions 21 are formed in the first refractive index layer 40. The refractive compensation portion 411 is formed at the bottom of the opening 401, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is less than the refractive index of the spacer layer 30.

[0099] S40. A second refractive index layer 50 is formed on a side of the first refractive index layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30. The second refractive index layer 50 is filled in a plurality of openings 401. The refractive index of the first refractive index layer 40 is smaller than that of the second refractive index layer 50. The refractive compensation portion 411 is located between the spacer layer 30 and the second refractive index layer 50. The refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is smaller than that of the second refractive index layer 50.

[0100] In step S10 , a substrate 10 is first provided, and then a thin film transistor layer 61 , a pixel definition layer 62 and a light emitting function layer 20 located on a side of the thin film transistor layer 61 away from the substrate 10 are sequentially formed on the substrate 10 .

[0101] Among them, the thin film transistor layer 61 includes multiple thin film transistors formed on the substrate 10, multiple pixel openings are formed in the pixel definition layer 62, and the light-emitting function layer 20 includes multiple light-emitting parts 21 formed in the multiple pixel openings, wherein the thin film transistor can be used as a switch to control the on and off of the signal input into the light-emitting part 21.

[0102] Next, an encapsulation layer 63 is formed on the side of the light-emitting functional layer 20 and the pixel definition layer 62 away from the substrate 10, and the encapsulation layer 63 covers the light-emitting functional layer 20 and the pixel definition layer 62, and the encapsulation layer 63 may include stacked inorganic layers and organic layers, wherein the inorganic layer may be silicon nitride or silicon oxide material to block water and oxygen, and the organic layer may be an organic resin material to buffer stress.

[0103] In step S20, a touch electrode layer 64 is formed on the side of the packaging layer 63 away from the light-emitting functional layer 20, and the touch electrode layer 64 may include multiple touch electrodes and touch traces, and the touch electrode layer 64 may be arranged according to a mutual capacitance touch structure or a self-capacitive touch structure, which is not limited here.

[0104] Then, a spacer layer 30 is formed on the side of the touch electrode layer 64 away from the light-emitting functional layer 20 . The spacer layer 30 is an insulating film layer covering the touch electrode layer 64 . For example, the spacer layer 30 may be made of silicon nitride.

[0105] In step S30, a first refractive index layer 40 and a refractive compensation portion 411 are formed on a side of the spacer layer 30 away from the light-emitting functional layer 20, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is less than the refractive index of the spacer layer 30, for example, the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is less than or equal to 1.5.

[0106] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG10 , a first material layer may be first prepared using a material having a refractive index that meets the requirements, and the first material layer may be patterned using a semi-transparent mask plate to form an integrally formed first refractive index layer 40 and a refractive compensation portion 411 , wherein the refractive compensation portion 411 is formed by removing an area having a larger thickness, and the first refractive index layer 40 is formed by removing an area having a smaller thickness.

[0107] In a variation corresponding to Figure 10, as shown in Figure 7, a second material layer is formed on the side of the spacer layer 30 away from the light-emitting functional layer 20, and the second material layer is patterned to form an opening 401 corresponding to the light-emitting portion 21, thereby obtaining a first refractive index layer 40, and then a third material layer is formed on the first refractive index layer 40, and then the third material layer is patterned to form a refraction compensation portion 411 at the bottom of the opening 401.

[0108] It should be noted that, in the display panel shown in FIG. 7 , a third material layer may be formed first and patterned to obtain a refraction compensation portion 411 corresponding to the light-emitting portion 21 , and then a second material layer may be formed to cover the refraction compensation portion 411 , and the second material layer may be patterned to form an opening 401 exposing the upper surface of the refraction compensation portion 411 .

[0109] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, a fourth material layer can be first prepared using a material whose refractive index meets the requirements, and then a fifth material layer is prepared on the fourth material layer, and the fifth material layer is patterned, that is, a second sub-opening is formed at a position of the fifth material layer corresponding to the light-emitting portion 21, and the fourth material layer forms an integrally formed first sub-layer 41 and a refractive compensation portion 411, the fifth material layer forms a second sub-layer 42, and the first sub-layer 41 and the second sub-layer 42 are stacked to form a first refractive index layer 40.

[0110] In a variation corresponding to Figure 8, the materials of the refractive compensation portion 411 and the first sub-layer 41 are different, that is, a fourth material layer can be prepared first, and the fourth material layer can be patterned to form a first sub-opening at a position corresponding to the light-emitting portion 21 to obtain the first sub-layer 41; then, the refractive compensation portion 411 is formed in the first sub-opening; then, a fifth material layer is formed on the first sub-layer 41 and the refractive compensation portion 411, and the fifth material layer is patterned to form a second sub-opening corresponding to the first sub-opening, and the second sub-opening exposes the refractive compensation portion 411.

[0111] In the embodiments of the present application, the structures shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 10 are taken as examples to illustrate the subsequent processes.

[0112] In step S40, after the opening 401 is opened on the first refractive index layer 40, the display panel may still undergo multiple processes such as transportation, flipping, cutting, and splitting. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present application, a protective film 70 is formed on the side of the first refractive index layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30, and the structure of the protective film 70 is shown in Figure 11.

[0113] The protective film 70 includes a protective layer 71 and a bonding adhesive layer 72 . The side of the protective film 70 provided with the bonding adhesive layer 72 is bonded to the side of the first refractive index layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30 , so that the protective film 70 is attached to the first refractive index layer 40 .

[0114] Next, the protective film 70 is removed. Since the bonding adhesive layer 72 in the protective film 70 is sticky, it is easy to remain in the opening 401 of the first refractive index layer 40. That is, after removing the protective film 70, the bonding adhesive layer 72 may remain in at least part of the opening 401, and the remaining bonding adhesive layer 72 forms an adhesive layer 65, and the refractive index of the adhesive layer 65 is less than the refractive index of the spacer layer 30.

[0115] In one embodiment, please refer to Figures 5 and 6, the multiple openings 401 include a first opening 4011 and a second opening 4012, wherein the display panel also includes an adhesive layer 65 arranged in the first opening 4011. It can be understood that the adhesive layer 65 is the glue layer material remaining after the protective film 70 is torn off during the manufacturing process, and the opening 401 formed with the adhesive layer 65 is the first opening 4011, and the opening 401 without the adhesive layer 65 is the second opening 4012.

[0116] It should be noted that the shape and position of the adhesive layer 65 in the first opening 4011 are not limited. For example, it can be located on the side wall and / or bottom of the first opening 4011, and can cover part or all of the side wall, or part or all of the bottom. The illustrations provided in the embodiments of the present application take the adhesive layer 65 covering the bottom of the first opening 4011 as an example for illustration.

[0117] Next, a second refractive index layer 50 is formed on a side of the first refractive index layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30, and the second refractive index layer 50 fills the plurality of openings 401 and covers the surface of the first refractive index layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30, wherein the refractive index of the first refractive index layer 40 is smaller than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is smaller than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50.

[0118] In one embodiment, the second refractive index layer 50 may be a layer of adhesive with a high refractive index. The adhesive layer is attached to the side of the first refractive index layer 40 away from the spacer layer 30 , and the adhesive layer is also filled in the opening 401 to form the second refractive index layer 50 .

[0119] In the first opening 4011, the adhesive layer 65 covers the surface of the refractive compensation portion 411 away from the spacer layer 30, and the second refractive index layer 50 covers the surface of the adhesive layer 65 away from the refractive compensation portion 411; in the second opening 4012, the second refractive index layer 50 covers the surface of the refractive compensation portion 411 away from the spacer layer 30.

[0120] In response to the problem of optical anomalies caused by the adhesive layer 65 in the related art, in an embodiment of the present application, the display panel also includes a refractive compensation portion 411 arranged at the bottom of the opening 401, and the refractive compensation portion 411 is located between the spacer layer 30 and the second refractive index layer 50, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 and the adhesive layer 65 is both lower than the refractive index of the spacer layer 30, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 and the adhesive layer 65 is also lower than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50, thereby making the refractive index change process of the film layer structure at the first opening 4011 close to the refractive index change process of the film layer structure at the second opening 4012, so as to reduce the optical difference between the area corresponding to the first opening 4011 and the area corresponding to the second opening 4012, thereby improving the display uniformity of the display panel.

[0121] In one embodiment, the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is similar to the refractive index of the adhesive layer 65, and the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 and the refractive index of the adhesive layer 65 is less than or equal to 0.1. Further preferably, the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 and the refractive index of the adhesive layer 65 is less than or equal to 0.05, so as to further reduce the optical difference between the area corresponding to the first opening 4011 and the area corresponding to the second opening 4012.

[0122] In one embodiment, the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 may be less than or equal to 1.5, and the refractive index of the spacer layer 30 and the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50 may both be greater than 1.5. For example, the refractive index of the spacer layer 30 and the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50 may be independently 1.55, 1.6, 1.65, 1.7, 1.75, 1.8, 1.85, 1.9, 1.95, etc.

[0123] In one embodiment, the material of the refraction compensation part 411 may include acrylic or silicone compound, the material of the adhesive layer 65 may include acrylic or silicone, and the material of the refraction compensation part 411 may be the same as that of the adhesive layer 65 .

[0124] In summary, the embodiment of the present application sets a refractive compensation portion 411 at the bottom of the opening 401 of the first refractive index layer 40, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion 411 is less than the refractive index of the spacer layer 30 and less than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer 50, so that a refractive index change process similar to that in the opening 401 with the adhesive layer 65 is formed in each opening 401, thereby reducing the optical difference between the area with the adhesive layer 65 and the area without the adhesive layer 65, thereby effectively improving the display unevenness of the display panel and improving the optical abnormality of the display panel.

[0125] In addition, an embodiment of the present application further provides a display device, which includes the display panel described in the above embodiment.

[0126] In one embodiment, the display device may include a mobile phone, a television, a computer, a tablet, or other display device.

[0127] It can be understood that, since the display device includes the display panel described in the above embodiment, the display device has the same beneficial effects as the display panel in the above embodiment.

[0128] 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.

[0129] The above is a detailed introduction to a display panel, a manufacturing method thereof, 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, which comprises: a substrate; a light-emitting functional layer disposed on one side of the substrate, the light-emitting functional layer including a plurality of light-emitting portions; a spacer layer disposed on the side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the substrate; a first refractive index layer disposed on the side of the spacer layer away from the light-emitting functional layer, and a plurality of openings corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting portions are provided in the first refractive index layer; a second refractive index layer disposed on the side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer, and the second refractive index layer at least fills the plurality of openings, and the refractive index of the first refractive index layer is less than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer; wherein, the display panel further includes a refractive compensation portion disposed in the opening, the refractive compensation portion is located between the second refractive index layer and the spacer layer, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is less than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is less than the refractive index of the spacer layer.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein, both the first refractive index layer and the refractive compensation portion are located on the surface of the spacer layer on the side away from the substrate.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, wherein, the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is greater than or equal to the refractive index of the first refractive index layer.

4. The display panel according to claim 2, wherein, the opening penetrates the first refractive index layer, the refractive compensation portion is connected to the side wall of the opening, and the surface of the refractive compensation portion away from the spacer layer is connected to the side wall of the opening to form a groove, and the cross-sectional shape of the groove in the direction perpendicular to the substrate includes an inverted trapezoid.

5. The display panel according to claim 4, wherein, the material of the first refractive index layer is the same as the material of the refractive compensation portion.

6. The display panel according to claim 2, wherein, the first refractive index layer includes a first sub-layer and a second sub-layer stacked, and the first sub-layer is located between the spacer layer and the second sub-layer, the opening includes a first sub-opening penetrating the first sub-layer and a second sub-opening penetrating the second sub-layer, and the refractive compensation portion is disposed in the first sub-opening.

7. The display panel according to claim 6, wherein, the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is greater than or equal to the refractive index of the first sub-layer.

8. The display panel according to claim 6, wherein, the refractive compensation portion is connected to the side wall of the first sub-opening, the material of the refractive compensation portion is the same as the material of the first sub-layer, and the material of the first sub-layer is the same as or different from the material of the second sub-layer.

9. The display panel according to claim 2, wherein, the cross-sectional shape of the opening in the direction perpendicular to the substrate includes an inverted trapezoid, and the angle between the inner wall of the opening and the refractive compensation portion is greater than 90° and less than or equal to 135°.

10. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein, the thickness of the refractive compensation portion is less than or equal to one half of the thickness of the first refractive index layer.

11. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein, The second refractive index layer includes an adhesive layer, and the adhesive layer covers a side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer and fills the opening.

12. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein, the plurality of openings include a first opening, and the display panel further includes an adhesive layer disposed in the first opening, and the adhesive layer is disposed between at least a part of the refractive compensation portion and the second refractive index layer.

13. The display panel according to claim 12, wherein, the refractive index of the adhesive layer is less than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer and less than the refractive index of the spacer layer.

14. The display panel according to claim 12, wherein, the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the adhesive layer and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is less than or equal to 0.

1.

15. The display panel according to claim 12, wherein, the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the adhesive layer and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is less than or equal to 0.

05.

16. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein, the display panel further includes a touch electrode layer disposed between the light-emitting functional layer and the spacer layer, and the spacer layer covers the touch electrode layer.

17. A method for manufacturing a display panel, which comprises: forming a light-emitting functional layer on a substrate, and a plurality of light-emitting portions are formed in the light-emitting functional layer; forming a spacer layer on a side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the substrate; forming a first refractive index layer and a refractive compensation portion on a side of the spacer layer away from the light-emitting functional layer, a plurality of openings corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting portions are formed in the first refractive index layer, the refractive compensation portion is formed in the opening, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is less than the refractive index of the spacer layer; forming a second refractive index layer on a side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer, the second refractive index layer fills the plurality of openings, the refractive index of the first refractive index layer is less than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer, the refractive compensation portion is located between the spacer layer and the second refractive index layer, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is less than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer.

18. The method for manufacturing a display panel according to claim 17, wherein, the forming a second refractive index layer on a side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer includes: forming a protective film on a side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer, the protective film is formed with a protective layer and an adhesive layer stacked, and the protective layer is adhered to a side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer through the adhesive layer; removing the protective film, and the adhesive layer remaining in at least a part of the opening forms an adhesive layer, and the refractive index of the adhesive layer is less than the refractive index of the spacer layer; forming a second refractive index layer on a side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer, and the second refractive index layer fills the plurality of openings, the adhesive layer is located between the refractive compensation portion and the second refractive index layer, and the refractive index of the adhesive layer is less than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer.

19. A display device, the display device includes a display panel, the display panel comprises: a substrate; a light-emitting functional layer disposed on one side of the substrate, the light-emitting functional layer includes a plurality of light-emitting portions; a spacer layer disposed on the side of the light-emitting functional layer away from the substrate; a first refractive index layer disposed on the side of the spacer layer away from the light-emitting functional layer, and a plurality of openings corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting portions are provided in the first refractive index layer; a second refractive index layer disposed on the side of the first refractive index layer away from the spacer layer, and the second refractive index layer at least fills the plurality of openings, and the refractive index of the first refractive index layer is less than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer; wherein, the display panel further includes a refractive compensation portion disposed in the opening, the refractive compensation portion is located between the second refractive index layer and the spacer layer, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is less than the refractive index of the second refractive index layer, and the refractive index of the refractive compensation portion is less than the refractive index of the spacer layer.

20. The display device according to claim 19, wherein, both the first refractive index layer and the refractive compensation portion are located on the surface of the spacer layer on the side away from the substrate.

Images