Display panel and manufacturing method therefor, and display device

Abstract

Provided in the present application are a display panel and a manufacturing method therefor, and a display device. The display panel comprises a pixel definition layer, a light-emitting device layer and a light adjusting structure layer, wherein the pixel definition layer is provided with a first opening for accommodating a light-emitting device; and the light adjusting structure layer comprises a first light adjusting layer having a second opening corresponding to the first opening, a second light adjusting layer at least covering a side wall of the second opening, and a third light adjusting layer at least filling the second opening, the refractive index of the first light adjusting layer being greater than the refractive index of the second light adjusting layer and smaller than the refractive index of the third light adjusting 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] Compared to liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panels offer the advantages of self-luminescence, thinness, high contrast, wide viewing angles, and vibrant colors. Furthermore, OLED display panels are typically much thinner than LCD panels and can be manufactured in a variety of display configurations, including bendable, curved, and curled displays. Therefore, they are widely used in wearable devices.

[0003] OLED display panels generally include light-emitting devices for luminous display. However, current OLED display panels often have problems such as a large light emission angle of the light-emitting devices, resulting in low brightness of the OLED display panel at a straight viewing angle. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present application provide a display panel, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device, to improve the problem of low brightness of the display panel at a normal viewing angle in the related art.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a display panel, comprising: a driving substrate, a pixel definition layer, a light-emitting device layer, an encapsulation layer, and a dimming structure layer. The pixel definition layer and the light-emitting device layer are arranged on the driving substrate, the pixel definition layer has a plurality of first openings, the light-emitting device layer includes a plurality of light-emitting devices, and each light-emitting device is located in a first opening; the encapsulation layer is located on the side of the light-emitting device layer away from the driving substrate; the dimming structure layer is located on the side of the encapsulation layer away from the driving substrate, and the dimming structure layer includes a first dimming layer, a second dimming layer, and a third dimming layer arranged in sequence along a direction away from the driving substrate; the first dimming layer has a second opening corresponding to the first opening, the second dimming layer at least covers the sidewalls of the second opening, and the third dimming layer at least fills the second opening; the refractive index of the first dimming layer is greater than the refractive index of the second dimming layer, and the refractive index of the first dimming layer is less than the refractive index of the third dimming layer.

[0006] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application further provides a display device, which includes the above-mentioned display panel.

[0007] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present application also provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, the method comprising: providing a driving substrate; manufacturing a pixel definition layer and a light-emitting device layer on the driving substrate, the pixel definition layer having a plurality of first openings, the light-emitting device layer comprising a plurality of light-emitting devices, each light-emitting device being located in a first opening; manufacturing an encapsulation layer on a side of the light-emitting device layer away from the driving substrate; and manufacturing a dimming structure layer on a side of the encapsulation layer away from the driving substrate, the dimming structure layer comprising a first dimming layer, a second dimming layer and a third dimming layer arranged in sequence in a direction away from the driving substrate; the first dimming layer having a second opening corresponding to the first opening, the second dimming layer at least covering the side wall of the second opening, and the third dimming layer at least filling the opening; wherein the refractive index of the first dimming layer is greater than the refractive index of the second dimming layer, and the refractive index of the first dimming layer is less than the refractive index of the third dimming layer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0009] FIG1 is a cross-sectional view of a display panel provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0010] FIG2 is a cross-sectional view of a display panel provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0011] FIG3 is a cross-sectional view of a display panel provided in some other embodiments of the present application;

[0012] FIG4 is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a display panel provided in some embodiments of the present application;

[0013] FIG5 is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a display panel provided in some other embodiments of the present application. Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application. In addition, it should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to illustrate and explain the present application and are not intended to limit the present application.

[0015] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application.

[0016] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, "plurality" means two or more, and "at least one" means one, two, or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0017] In the related art, OLED display panels often have problems such as a large light emission angle of the light-emitting device, resulting in low brightness of the OLED display panel at a straight viewing angle.

[0018] Based on this, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a display panel, as shown in Figures 1-3, the display panel 100 includes a driving substrate 11, a pixel definition layer 12, a light-emitting device layer 13, an encapsulation layer 14 and a dimming structure layer 15.

[0019] The pixel definition layer 12 has a plurality of first openings K1. The light-emitting device layer 13 includes a plurality of light-emitting devices 130 located on the drive substrate 11, with each light-emitting device 130 located within a first opening K1. In other words, the number of first openings K1 is the same as the number of light-emitting devices 130, and they correspond one-to-one. The encapsulation layer 14 is located on the side of the light-emitting device layer 13 away from the drive substrate 11 and covers the light-emitting devices 130.

[0020] The dimming structure layer 15 is located on the side of the encapsulation layer 14 away from the driving substrate 11. The dimming structure layer 15 includes a first dimming layer 151, a second dimming layer 152, and a third dimming layer 153, which are arranged in sequence along a direction away from the driving substrate 11. The first dimming layer 151 has a second opening K2 corresponding to the first opening K1. The second dimming layer 152 at least covers the sidewall 1501 of the second opening K2. The third dimming layer 153 at least fills the second opening K2.

[0021] The refractive index of the first dimming layer 151 is greater than that of the second dimming layer 152, and the refractive index of the first dimming layer 151 is less than that of the third dimming layer 153. As a result, there is a relatively large difference between the refractive indices of the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153. This allows the interface between the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153 to form a good transition interface, which is arranged at least on the sidewall of the second opening K2.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, when light is emitted from the light-emitting device 130, then enters the third dimming layer 153 from the bottom of the second opening K2 and is emitted toward the transition interface, since the light is emitted from the material with a high refractive index to the material with a low refractive index, total reflection is easily generated, so that the light originally refracted from the third dimming layer 153 is reflected into the positive viewing angle, thereby increasing the brightness at the positive viewing angle and achieving an improvement in light extraction efficiency.

[0023] Therefore, the display panel 100 provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can effectively modulate light, and converge light originally diverging at a wide viewing angle into a normal viewing angle, thereby improving the brightness at the normal viewing angle and achieving the purpose of improving light extraction efficiency.

[0024] In some embodiments, the driving substrate 11 may include a substrate 111 and a driving circuit layer 112 located on the substrate 111 . The driving circuit layer 112 may drive the light emitting devices 130 in the light emitting device layer 13 , thereby enabling the light emitting devices 130 to emit light.

[0025] In some embodiments, the substrate 111 may be a rigid substrate, the material of which may include glass, quartz, or plastic.

[0026] In some embodiments, the substrate 111 may be a flexible substrate. The material of the flexible substrate may include, for example, PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), PEN (Polyethylenenaphthalate two formic acid glycol ester), or PI (Polyimide).

[0027] In some embodiments, the driving circuit layer 112 may include multiple pixel driving circuits, and the pixel driving circuits are electrically connected to the light-emitting devices. There are various electrical connections between the two, which can be selected and set according to actual needs, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0028] For example, the pixel driving circuits and the light emitting devices 130 may be electrically connected in a one-to-one correspondence. For another example, one pixel driving circuit may be electrically connected to multiple light emitting devices 130. For another example, multiple pixel driving circuits may be electrically connected to one light emitting device 130.

[0029] In some embodiments, a plurality of light emitting devices 130 may be arranged in an array, and a plurality of pixel driving circuits may also be arranged in an array, thereby facilitating corresponding connection between the two.

[0030] The embodiment of the present disclosure takes the corresponding electrical connection between one pixel driving circuit and one light-emitting device 130 as an example to schematically illustrate the structure of the display panel 100 .

[0031] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1-3 , the light emitting device 130 includes an anode 131 located on a driving substrate 11 , and a light emitting functional layer 132 and a cathode 133 located on the anode 131 and stacked in sequence.

[0032] The anodes 131 of the plurality of light emitting devices 130 are independently arranged, and there is a gap between any two adjacent anodes 131. For example, the plurality of anodes 131 may be arranged in an array.

[0033] The cathodes 133 of the plurality of light emitting devices 130 are connected to each other to form a cathode layer. For example, the cathode layer can be manufactured by a full-surface evaporation process. Thus, the encapsulation layer 14 is disposed on the side of the cathode layer away from the drive substrate 11.

[0034] The light-emitting functional layer 132 includes an emission layer (EML), which is used to emit light. The emission layers of the multiple light-emitting devices 130 can be independently arranged, and there is a gap between any two adjacent emission layers. For example, the emission layer can be arranged in a one-to-one correspondence with the anode.

[0035] In some embodiments, the light-emitting functional layer 132 may further include a first common layer located between the anode and the light-emitting layer, and a second common layer located between the light-emitting layer and the cathode. The first common layer includes, but is not limited to, a hole injection layer (HIL) and / or a hole transportation layer (HTL), and the second common layer includes, but is not limited to, an electron injection layer and / or an electron transportation layer (ETL). The first common layer and the second common layer may be provided as an integral layer, for example.

[0036] In some embodiments, the anode 131 is electrically connected to the pixel driving circuit in a one-to-one correspondence to receive a drive signal from the pixel driving circuit, while the cathode 133 receives a reference voltage signal. The light-emitting layer in the light-emitting functional layer 132 emits light in response to the combined action of the drive signal and the reference voltage signal. The multiple light-emitting devices 130 cooperate with each other to realize the image display of the display panel 100.

[0037] In some embodiments, the light-emitting device 130 may be a top-emitting light-emitting device. Therefore, the anode 131 is a substantially opaque electrode with a high reflectivity, and the cathode 133 is a translucent or semi-translucent electrode. For example, the material of the cathode 133 includes, but is not limited to, magnesium (Mg), silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), magnesium-silver alloy, indium tin oxide (ITO), and the like.

[0038] The encapsulation layer 14 located on the light emitting device 130 may be used to prevent the light emitting device 130 from being oxidized or damaged due to moisture, oxygen or impurities introduced from the outside.

[0039] The encapsulation layer 14 may include a first encapsulation layer 141 , a second encapsulation layer 142 , and a third encapsulation layer 143 , which are sequentially stacked on the light emitting device layer 13 .

[0040] The first encapsulation layer 141 and the third encapsulation layer 143 may be made of an inorganic material, such as silicon nitride, silicon oxide, or silicon oxynitride. Inorganic materials have high density and can prevent the intrusion of water, oxygen, etc. For example, the first encapsulation layer 141 and the third encapsulation layer 143 may be formed by a process such as chemical vapor deposition.

[0041] The second encapsulation layer 142 may be made of an organic material, such as a polymer material containing a desiccant or a polymer material capable of blocking moisture, such as a polymer resin, etc. For example, the second encapsulation layer 142 may be formed by a process such as inkjet printing.

[0042] In some embodiments, a touch-sensitive structure is further provided on the side of the encapsulation layer 14 facing away from the light-emitting device layer 13. The touch-sensitive structure may include a first touch-sensitive metal layer, an inorganic insulating layer, and a second touch-sensitive metal layer stacked in sequence. The inorganic insulating layer may include silicon nitride, for example. Specifically, the first dimming layer 151 is an organic layer disposed on the side of the second touch-sensitive metal layer facing away from the encapsulation layer 14. This organic layer can protect and flatten the touch-sensitive structure to a certain extent. Furthermore, a second opening K2 corresponding to the first opening K1 is provided on the first dimming layer 151. A film layer with a higher refractive index is then filled into the second opening K2, thereby utilizing the principle of total internal reflection to improve the light extraction efficiency of the display panel at normal viewing angles.

[0043] In some embodiments, the display panel does not include a film layer with a refractive index that meets the requirements and can be used to fill the second opening K2. If an additional film layer with a refractive index that meets the requirements is added, such as by printing high-refractive-index ink, it will undoubtedly add a process and will not be conducive to reducing the thickness of the display panel. At the same time, it is difficult to avoid ink overflow during the printing process of high-refractive-index ink, and the overflowing ink will occupy a certain border, which is not conducive to the narrow border of the display panel.

[0044] To address the above issues, in some embodiments, the third dimming layer 153 is configured as an adhesive layer. Specifically, the adhesive layer is filled into the second opening K2 of the first dimming layer 151. This allows the side of the first dimming layer 151 facing away from the encapsulation layer 14 to be bonded to the functional layers of the display panel 100 via the adhesive layer. In other words, configuring the third dimming layer 153 as an adhesive layer does not increase the thickness of the display panel 100. Furthermore, because the adhesive layer is a solid sheet, it does not overflow and occupy the frame, thereby facilitating a thinner and narrower frame design for the display panel 100.

[0045] In some embodiments, the display panel 100 further includes a polarizing layer, which is located on the side of the dimming structure layer 15 away from the encapsulation layer 14. The third dimming layer 153 is an adhesive layer adhered to the surface of the polarizing layer on the side closest to the dimming layer 15. Specifically, the third dimming layer 153 is used to directly adhere to the polarizing layer. In actual manufacturing processes, the third dimming layer 153 is a built-in adhesive layer of the polarizing layer. This means that the third dimming layer 153 does not add to the thickness of the display panel 100, facilitating a reduction in the thickness of the display panel 100.

[0046] In some embodiments, the third dimming layer 153 is an adhesive layer, and the adhesive layer contains acrylic double bonds and benzene rings, wherein the acrylic double bonds can ensure the viscosity of the third dimming layer 153, and the addition of benzene rings can increase the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153, so that the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153 is greater than the refractive index of the first dimming layer 151. However, the addition of benzene rings will also increase the rigidity of the third dimming layer 153 and its insufficient deformation ability, thereby affecting its viscosity. Therefore, in order to take into account the viscosity and refractive index of the third dimming layer 153, it is difficult to achieve a large difference in the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153 on the basis of the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153 being greater than that of the first dimming layer 151. According to the principle of total reflection, the greater the difference in the refractive index between the third dimming layer 153 and the first dimming layer 151, the more conducive to improving the light output efficiency at the normal viewing angle. Therefore, if total reflection is achieved only through the cooperation of the first dimming layer 151 and the third dimming layer 153, then the improvement in the light output efficiency of the display panel at the normal viewing angle is limited.

[0047] It should be noted that in the actual process, since the first dimming layer 151 is an organic layer located above the touch structure, the organic layer is completed using the front-end manufacturing process of the display panel; and since the third dimming layer 153 is an adhesive layer directly bonded to the functional layer of the display panel, the adhesive layer is completed in the back-end process of the display panel; and after the front-end process of the display panel is completed, a protective film needs to be attached to the surface of the display panel to protect the display panel and avoid damage to the display panel during the transfer from the front-end process to the back-end process. After the display panel is transferred and switched to the back-end process, it is first necessary to tear off the protective film attached in the front-end process. The protective film includes a protective film body and a release agent layer located on one side of the protective film body. The release agent layer is located on the side of the protective film body close to the first dimming layer 151; therefore, during the tearing off process of the protective film, it is difficult to avoid the presence of a portion of the release agent layer remaining.

[0048] On the basis of the above embodiment, the residual release agent layer is used as the second dimming layer 152, and the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 is set to be lower than the refractive index of the first dimming layer 151. At the same time, through process adjustment, it is ensured that the second dimming layer 152 at least remains uniformly on the side wall of the second opening K2 of the first dimming layer 151. Then, the total reflection interface will occur at the interface between the third dimming layer 153 and the second dimming layer 152. Since the difference between the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153 and the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 is greater than the difference between the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153 and the refractive index of the first dimming layer 151, the setting of the second dimming layer 152 can further improve the light extraction efficiency of the display panel at the normal viewing angle.

[0049] In some embodiments, the second dimming layer 152 includes at least organic matter, and the organic matter in the second dimming layer 152 is made of a different material from the organic layer corresponding to the first dimming layer 151 , so that the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 is different from that of the first dimming layer 151 .

[0050] Furthermore, the organic material in the second dimming layer 152 is configured to include an -NH-COO- chain structure. This not only satisfies the second dimming layer 152's function as a release agent layer, but also ensures that its refractive index is lower than that of the first dimming layer 151. In practical applications, the material of the second dimming layer 152 includes polyurethane. In other embodiments, the second dimming layer 152 can also be made of other materials, as long as they meet both the requirements for the second dimming layer 152 as a release agent layer and the refractive index requirements. These materials are within the scope of this application and are not specifically limited herein.

[0051] In the embodiment of the present application, the refractive index of the first dimming layer 151 is set to be greater than the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 and less than the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153. In this way, there is a relatively larger difference between the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 and the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153. In this way, the contact surface of the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153 can form a good transition interface. When light is emitted from the light-emitting device, then enters the third dimming layer 153 from the bottom of the second opening K2 and is emitted toward the transition interface, since the light is emitted from the material with a high refractive index to the material with a low refractive index, total reflection is easily generated, so that the light originally refracted from the third dimming layer 153 is reflected into the positive viewing angle, thereby improving the brightness at the positive viewing angle and achieving an improvement in light extraction efficiency. At the same time, since the second dimming layer 152 also serves as the release agent layer remaining in the display panel manufacturing process, and the third dimming layer 153 also serves as the adhesive layer of the display panel bonding functional layer, the setting of the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153 will not increase the manufacturing process of the display panel on the basis of improving the light output efficiency of the display panel at the front viewing angle, which is conducive to simplifying the manufacturing process of the display panel.

[0052] In some embodiments, the third dimming layer 153 contains small molecule polar functional groups that are attracted to polyurethane, thereby improving the degree of bonding at the interface between the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153, thereby preventing the degree of bonding at the interface between the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153 from decreasing after being placed for a period of time.

[0053] In some embodiments, the third dimming layer 153 is susceptible to the effects of ionic wind during the manufacturing process, which can reduce its viscosity to a certain extent. To address this issue, small polar functional groups in the third dimming layer 153 that are attractive to polyurethane are embedded within the double bond chains of the acrylic acid to reduce the functional group's blocking effect and improve the viscosity of the third dimming layer 153 during the manufacturing process.

[0054] Unlike the above-mentioned embodiment in which the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153 is increased by adding benzene rings to the structure of the third dimming layer 153, in some embodiments, the third dimming layer 153 is doped with high-refractive particles. The refractive index of the third dimming layer 153 is increased by doping the third dimming layer 153 with high-refractive particles. However, the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153 must be greater than that of the first dimming layer 151, and the viscosity of the third dimming layer 153 as an adhesive layer must be ensured.

[0055] In some embodiments, the second opening K2 extends through the first dimming layer 151, and the area of ​​the second opening K2 on the side away from the driver substrate 11 is larger than the area of ​​the second opening K2 on the side closer to the driver substrate 11. That is, the second opening K2 has a structure with one end larger and the other smaller. For example, the second opening K2 can be in the shape of an inverted frustum, which effectively expands the light output area of ​​the corresponding light-emitting device 130. In this case, in the direction from the driver substrate 11 toward the dimming structure layer 15, the sidewall 1501 is an outwardly inclined sidewall.

[0056] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3 , the second dimming layer 152 may only cover the sidewall 1501 of the second opening K2 .

[0057] With this arrangement, a transition interface is formed between the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153 at the side wall 1501 of the second opening K2, which can effectively modulate the light directed toward the side wall 1501 of the second opening K2, so that more of the light is reflected into the normal viewing angle, thereby improving the brightness at the normal viewing angle.

[0058] In some embodiments, the sidewall 1501 may be curved, as shown in FIG3 ; and illustratively, the sidewall 1501 may be flat, as shown in FIG1 and FIG2 . Of course, the sidewall 1501 may also be a combination of curved and flat surfaces or other forms, which are not limited in this disclosure.

[0059] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1 , in addition to covering the sidewall 1501 of the second opening K2 , the second dimming layer 152 also covers the surface of the first dimming layer 151 away from the driving substrate 11 .

[0060] With this arrangement, when the light emitted by the light-emitting device 130 enters the first dimming layer 151 through the bottom surface of the first dimming layer 151 (i.e., the side surface of the first dimming layer 151 close to the driving substrate 11) and is emitted from the top surface of the first dimming layer 151 (i.e., the side surface of the first dimming layer 151 away from the driving substrate 11), and then passes through the second dimming layer 152 and reaches the interface between the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153, the light is emitted from the material with a low refractive index to the material with a high refractive index, and can be refracted more, which is beneficial to improving the light extraction rate of the light-emitting device 130.

[0061] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2 , in addition to covering the sidewalls 1501 of the second opening K2, the second dimming layer 152 also covers the surface of the encapsulation layer 14 (e.g., the third encapsulation layer 143) at the second opening K2. In practical applications, a touch structure is also provided on the side of the encapsulation layer 14 away from the light-emitting device layer 13. The touch metal layer in the touch structure is arranged away from the first opening K1. The film layer corresponding to the first opening K1 in the touch structure is an inorganic insulating layer. Therefore, when the second opening K2 passes through the first dimming layer 151, the bottom wall of the second opening K2 is the inorganic insulating layer in the touch structure. Therefore, the second dimming layer 152 covers the bottom wall of the second opening K2, that is, the second dimming layer 152 covers the surface of the inorganic insulating layer at the second opening K2.

[0062] With this arrangement, the light emitted by the light-emitting device 130 passes through the bottom of the second opening K2 and enters the second dimming layer 152. Then, when passing through the interface between the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153, it is emitted from the material with a low refractive index to the material with a high refractive index, which can cause more refraction, thereby facilitating the improvement of the light extraction efficiency of the light-emitting device 130.

[0063] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG2 , the second dimming layer 152 is provided as a whole layer, and the second dimming layer 152 covers both the first dimming layer 151 and the second opening K2. In this way, the second dimming layer 152 can form a continuous layer, which not only ensures good light extraction efficiency and brightness at normal viewing angles for the light-emitting device 130, but also facilitates the fabrication of the second dimming layer 152.

[0064] In some embodiments, the first dimming layer 151 may have a plurality of second openings K2 , and the plurality of second openings K2 correspond one-to-one to the plurality of light emitting devices 130 in the light emitting device layer 13 .

[0065] In this case, the second dimming layer 152 can completely cover the first dimming layer 151, corresponding to the position of the second opening in the first dimming layer 151, and the second dimming layer 152 covers the corresponding position of the encapsulation layer 14. In other words, the first dimming layer 151 and the encapsulation layer 14 can be formed as a whole, and then a whole second dimming layer 152 is formed on top of the whole.

[0066] In some embodiments, the thickness of the second dimming layer 152 is greater than or equal to 10 nm and less than or equal to 100 nm. This configuration helps reduce the overall thickness of the dimming structure layer 15, thereby helping to reduce the thickness of the display panel 100. Furthermore, setting the thickness of the dimming structure layer 15 within the aforementioned range also helps ensure that the display panel 100 has good brightness at normal viewing angles.

[0067] Comparative experiments were conducted for the second dimming layer 152 with different thicknesses. Taking the thickness of the second dimming layer 152 as 0 (i.e., no second dimming layer 152 is provided) as the comparison basis, when the thickness of the second dimming layer 152 is set to 30nm, 50nm, and 100nm, the current efficiency is significantly improved. When the thickness of the second dimming layer 152 is greater than 100nm or less than 10nm, the current efficiency is significantly reduced compared to when the thickness of the second dimming layer 152 is set in the range of 10nm to 100nm. Therefore, setting the thickness of the dimming structure layer 15 within the range of 10nm to 100nm can improve the brightness of the display panel 100 at a normal viewing angle.

[0068] In some embodiments, the thickness of the second dimming layer 152 is greater than or equal to 30 nm and less than or equal to 60 nm. Within this range, on the one hand, the thickness of the second dimming layer 152 can be prevented from being too thin to ensure a stable transition interface between it and the third dimming layer 153, which would result in reduced brightness at normal viewing angles. On the other hand, it can also ensure that the overall dimming structure layer 15 has a reasonable and relatively small thickness.

[0069] During the experiment, it was also found that when the thickness of the second dimming layer 152 is set in the range of 30nm to 60nm, its current efficiency is relatively better than other ranges between 10nm and 100nm (for example, the range of 10nm to 20nm, the range of 70nm to 80nm, and the range of 80nm to 90nm). Therefore, setting the thickness of the dimming structure layer 15 in the range of 30nm to 60nm can more significantly and effectively improve the brightness of the display panel 100 at a normal viewing angle.

[0070] In some embodiments, on the basis of forming a stable transition interface between the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153 , setting the thickness of the second dimming layer 152 to be close to 100 nm is more conducive to application in actual process technology.

[0071] In some embodiments, the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the first dimming layer 151 and the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 is smaller than the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the first dimming layer 151 and the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153 . It should be noted that the first dimming layer 151 is the organic layer on the side of the touch structure of the display panel 100 away from the encapsulation layer 14, the second dimming layer 152 is the release agent layer remaining after the protective film is torn off during the display panel 100 manufacturing process, and the third dimming layer 153 is the adhesive layer for bonding the functional layer of the display panel 100. In view of the functional limitations of the first dimming layer 151, the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153 in the display panel 100, the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the first dimming layer 151 and the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 will also be limited. Under the above limitations, the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the first dimming layer 151 and the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 is smaller than the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the first dimming layer 151 and the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153. Therefore, while realizing the functions of the first dimming layer 151, the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153 in the display panel 100, the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 and the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153 can have a relatively larger difference, so as to further improve the light output efficiency of the display panel 100 at the normal viewing angle.

[0072] In some embodiments, the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 is greater than or equal to 1.4 and less than 1.5, and the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153 is greater than or equal to 1.55 and less than or equal to 1.6.

[0073] In some embodiments, the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 may be 1.4, 1.45, 1.5, etc.; the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153 may be 1.55, 1.56, 1.57, 1.58, 1.59, 1.6, etc.

[0074] Such a configuration can result in a larger refractive index difference between the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153 , thereby meeting the requirement for improving the brightness at a normal viewing angle on the one hand, and facilitating the production of the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153 on the other hand.

[0075] In addition, when the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153 is in the range of 1.55 to 1.6, the third dimming layer 153 can maintain good viscosity, thereby maintaining the overall good stability of the display panel 100, and at the same time has strong deformation ability, which is conducive to achieving the bending of the display panel 100.

[0076] In some embodiments, the third dimming layer 153 is an adhesive layer that can be used to bond components located on the side of the second dimming layer 152 away from the drive substrate 11, such as polarizers. This helps reduce film layers, simplifies the manufacturing process of the display panel 100, and facilitates achieving a narrow frame and bendability of the display panel 100.

[0077] In some embodiments, the third dimming layer 153 may be made of an organic adhesive, such as acrylate or polymethyl methacrylate.

[0078] In some embodiments, the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 is greater than or equal to 1.45 and less than or equal to 1.48. For example, the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 can be 1.45, 1.46, 1.47, 1.48, etc.

[0079] Limiting the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 within this range can, on the one hand, ensure that the transition interface between the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153 can effectively improve the brightness of the display panel 100 at a normal viewing angle, and on the other hand, it also facilitates the production of the second dimming layer 152.

[0080] In some embodiments, the second dimming layer 152 includes at least one of a fluorine-containing organic compound and an organosilicon. Fluorine-containing organic compounds and organosilicon have relatively low refractive indices, which can make the overall refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 lower than that of the third dimming layer 153. This effectively reflects light emitted from the third dimming layer 153 toward the sidewalls, thereby improving light energy utilization and increasing brightness at normal viewing angles.

[0081] In some embodiments, the fluorine-containing organic compound may be a fluorine release agent.

[0082] In some embodiments, the second dimming layer 152 may further include resin, and fluorine-containing organic matter or organic silicon may be distributed on the surface of the resin as a release agent. For example, the fluorine-containing organic matter or organic silicon may be evenly distributed on the surface of the resin.

[0083] After the encapsulation layer 14 in the display panel 100 is formed on the light-emitting device layer 13, the first dimming layer 151 is formed on the encapsulation layer 14. A protective film is then attached to the first dimming layer 151. The protective film includes a protective film body and a release agent layer located on one side of the protective film body. The release agent layer is located on the side of the protective film body close to the first dimming layer 151. The protective film is then squeezed toward the first dimming layer 151 through a process such as degassing, and the protective film body is then removed. The remaining release agent layer serves as the second dimming layer 152.

[0084] In this way, the manufacturing process of the second dimming layer 152 is very simple, avoiding the need for vapor deposition or sputtering processes when preparing nano- or submicron-level film layers in the display panel, thereby reducing the above-mentioned process steps and improving the production efficiency of the display panel 100.

[0085] In some embodiments, when the second dimming layer 152 includes a fluorine-containing organic compound, the atomic ratio of fluorine atoms in the second dimming layer 152 is greater than 0 and less than 10%. In other words, the atomic ratio of fluorine atoms relative to all other elements in the second dimming layer 152 is less than 10%.

[0086] Within this atomic ratio range, the content of the fluorine-containing organic compound is relatively reasonable. On the one hand, it can ensure that the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 is within the above range, and on the other hand, it is also conducive to ensuring the smooth removal of the release film.

[0087] In some embodiments, the atomic ratio of fluorine atoms in the second light-adjusting layer 152 is greater than 0 and less than 5%.

[0088] Through experimental tests, it was found that when the atomic ratio is within this range, the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 can be guaranteed to be in the numerical range of 1.45-1.48, while the display panel has better light energy utilization and brightness at normal viewing angles.

[0089] In some embodiments, when the second dimming layer 152 includes organic silicon, the atomic ratio of silicon atoms in the second dimming layer 152 is greater than 0 and less than 10%.

[0090] Within this atomic ratio range, the content of organic silicon is relatively reasonable. On the one hand, it can ensure that the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 is within the above range, and on the other hand, it is also conducive to ensuring the smooth removal of the release film.

[0091] In some embodiments, the atomic ratio of silicon atoms in the second dimming layer 152 is greater than 0 and less than 5%.

[0092] Through experimental tests, it was found that when the atomic ratio is within this range, the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 can be guaranteed to be in the numerical range of 1.45-1.48, while the display panel has better light energy utilization and brightness at normal viewing angles.

[0093] In some embodiments, the refractive index of the first dimming layer 151 is greater than or equal to 1.5 and less than or equal to 1.53. The first dimming layer 151 is mainly used to define the second opening K2 and provide a sidewall 1501 so that the second dimming layer 152 can be well and stably attached to the sidewall 1501.

[0094] In some embodiments, the first dimming layer 151 may be made of transparent optical adhesive.

[0095] In actual applications, due to deviations between the actual manufacturing process and the designed values, the refractive index of the first dimming layer 151 is close to 1.52, the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 is close to 1.5, and the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153 is close to 1.6. Thus, the refractive index of the first dimming layer 151 is greater than that of the second dimming layer 152 and less than that of the third dimming layer 153. Furthermore, the absolute value of the difference between the refractive indices of the first dimming layer 151 and the third dimming layer 153 is less than the absolute value of the difference between the refractive indices of the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153. In other words, the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152 is relatively different from that of the third dimming layer 153, thereby maximizing the light extraction efficiency of the display panel 100 at normal viewing angles.

[0096] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the bottom of the second opening K2 on the driving substrate 11 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the light-emitting device 130 corresponding to the second opening K2 on the driving substrate 11, so that at least a portion of the light emitted by the light-emitting device 130 can reach the side wall of the second opening K2, so as to form total reflection at the interface between the third dimming layer 153 and the second dimming layer 152 at the side wall of the second opening K2, so as to improve the light output efficiency of the display panel at the positive viewing angle.

[0097] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the bottom of the second opening K2 on the driving substrate 11 completely overlaps with the orthographic projection of the light emitting device 130 corresponding to the second opening K2 on the driving substrate 11 .

[0098] This arrangement ensures that more light emitted from the light emitting device 130 can enter the second opening K2 and exit through the second opening K2. By adjusting the transition interface on the inner sidewall of the second opening K2, the brightness at a normal viewing angle can be effectively improved, thereby improving the light extraction efficiency of the light emitting device 130.

[0099] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the bottom of the second opening K2 on the driving substrate 11 covers the orthographic projection of the light emitting device 130 corresponding to the second opening K2 on the driving substrate 11 .

[0100] This configuration can increase the proportion of light emitted by the light emitting device 130 entering the second opening K2 , thereby greatly improving the brightness at a normal viewing angle, thereby improving the light extraction efficiency of the light emitting device 130 .

[0101] For the display panel 100 provided in the above embodiment, the following experimental tests were conducted. The display panel 100 that does not include the second dimming layer 152 was used as experimental sample 1, and the display panel 100 with the second dimming layer 152 was used as experimental sample 2. Under the same experimental conditions, the following three sets of data were measured. The brightness of the experimental sample 2 at the normal viewing angle increased by 5.08%, 6.36% and 6.69% compared with the brightness of the experimental sample 1 at the normal viewing angle. Therefore, the brightness of the experimental sample 2 at the normal viewing angle increased by an average of 6.04% compared with the brightness of the experimental sample 1 at the normal viewing angle. Therefore, the display panel 100 provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure has a brightness improvement of at least 5% at the normal viewing angle, which has a huge benefit for the use of the display panel 100.

[0102] Some embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a display device, which includes the display panel 100 of any of the above embodiments.

[0103] Since the display device includes a display panel, it has all the technical effects of the display panel 100 described above, which will not be described in detail here.

[0104] Some embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a method for manufacturing a display panel 100 , as shown in FIG4 , the method includes the following steps.

[0105] S10 , providing a driving substrate 11 .

[0106] S20 , manufacturing a pixel definition layer 12 and a light emitting device layer 13 on the driving substrate 11 , wherein the pixel definition layer 12 has a plurality of first openings K1 , and the light emitting device layer 13 includes a plurality of light emitting devices 130 , each light emitting device 130 being located in one first opening K1 .

[0107] S30 , forming an encapsulation layer 14 on a side of the light emitting device layer 13 away from the driving substrate 11 .

[0108] S40. A dimming structure layer 15 is produced on the side of the encapsulation layer 14 away from the driving substrate 11. The dimming structure layer 15 includes a first dimming layer 151, a second dimming layer 152, and a third dimming layer 153 which are sequentially arranged in a direction away from the driving substrate 11. The first dimming layer 151 has a second opening K2 corresponding to the first opening K1, the second dimming layer 152 at least covers the side wall 1501 of the second opening K2, and the third dimming layer 153 at least fills the second opening K2. The refractive index of the first dimming layer 151 is greater than the refractive index of the second dimming layer 152, and the refractive index of the first dimming layer 151 is less than the refractive index of the third dimming layer 153.

[0109] Through the above-mentioned arrangement, when light is emitted from the light-emitting device 130, then enters the third dimming layer 153 from the bottom of the second opening K2 and is emitted toward the transition interface between the second dimming layer 152 and the third dimming layer 153, since the light is emitted from the material with a high refractive index to the material with a low refractive index, total reflection is easily generated, so that the light originally refracted from the third dimming layer 153 is reflected into the positive viewing angle, thereby increasing the brightness at the positive viewing angle and achieving an improvement in light extraction efficiency.

[0110] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 5 , in step S40 , a dimming structure layer 15 is formed on a side of the encapsulation layer 14 away from the driving substrate 11 , which includes the following steps.

[0111] S401 , forming a first dimming layer 151 on a side of the encapsulation layer 14 away from the driving substrate 11 .

[0112] S402 , pasting a protective film on the first dimming layer 151 and performing a degassing treatment; wherein the protective film includes a protective film body and a release agent layer located on a side of the protective film body close to the first dimming layer 151 .

[0113] S403 , tearing off the protective film body, and forming the second dimming layer 152 on the release agent layer.

[0114] S404 , forming a third dimming layer 153 on a side of the second dimming layer 152 away from the first dimming layer 151 .

[0115] By using the above method, the manufacturing process of the second dimming layer 152 is very simple, which avoids the need for vapor deposition or sputtering processes when preparing nano- or submicron-level film layers in the display panel 100, thereby reducing the above process steps and improving the production efficiency of the display panel 100.

[0116] It should be noted that in order to achieve uniform residue of the second dimming layer 152 on the surface of the first dimming layer 151 away from the driving substrate 11 and / or the surface of the second opening K2, it must undergo degassing treatment in the above-mentioned process. If the degassing treatment of the above-mentioned protective film is omitted in the process, it will be difficult to ensure the uniformity of the second dimming layer 152, which may easily result in no residue of the second dimming layer 152 on the side wall of the second opening K2, resulting in the inability to improve the light output efficiency of the display panel at the front viewing angle through total reflection.

[0117] 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.

[0118] The above is a detailed introduction to the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present application. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the technical 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 replace some of the technical features therein with equivalents. However, 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 driving substrate; A pixel definition layer and a light-emitting device layer disposed on the driving substrate, the pixel definition layer having a plurality of first openings, and the light-emitting device layer including a plurality of light-emitting devices, each light-emitting device being located in one of the first openings; A packaging layer located on a side of the light-emitting device layer away from the driving substrate; And A dimming structure layer located on a side of the packaging layer away from the driving substrate, the dimming structure layer including a first dimming layer, a second dimming layer, and a third dimming layer sequentially disposed in a direction away from the driving substrate; the first dimming layer having second openings corresponding to the first openings, the second dimming layer at least covering sidewalls of the second openings, and the third dimming layer at least filling the second openings; Wherein, the refractive index of the first dimming layer is greater than the refractive index of the second dimming layer, and the refractive index of the first dimming layer is less than the refractive index of the third dimming layer.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein, The first dimming layer is an organic layer, at least part of the second dimming layer contains organic substances, and the materials of the organic substances and the organic layer are different.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, wherein The organic substance contains an -NH-COO- chain structure.

4. The display panel according to claim 3, wherein, The material of the second dimming layer includes polyurethane.

5. The display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The third dimming layer is an adhesive layer.

6. The display panel according to claim 5, wherein, The display panel further includes a polarization function layer, the polarization function layer being located on a side of the dimming structure layer away from the packaging layer, and the adhesive layer being bonded to a surface of the polarization function layer close to the dimming function layer.

7. The display panel according to claim 5, wherein, The third dimming layer contains acrylic double bonds and benzene rings.

8. The display panel according to claim 5, wherein: The third dimming layer is doped with high refractive index particles.

9. The display panel according to claim 5, wherein: The third dimming layer contains small molecule polar functional groups that are attractive to polyurethane.

10. The display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the first dimming layer and the refractive index of the second dimming layer is less than the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the first dimming layer and the refractive index of the third dimming layer.

11. The display panel according to claim 10, wherein: The refractive index of the first dimming layer is greater than or equal to 1.5 and less than or equal to 1.53, the refractive index of the second dimming layer is greater than or equal to 1.4 and less than or equal to 1.5, and the refractive index of the third dimming layer is greater than or equal to 1.55 and less than or equal to 1.

6.

12. The display panel according to claim 11, wherein, The refractive index of the first dimming layer is 1.52, the refractive index of the second dimming layer is 1.5, and the refractive index of the third dimming layer is 1.

6.

13. The display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The thickness of the second dimming layer is greater than or equal to 10 nm and less than or equal to 100 nm.

14. The display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The second dimming layer is provided as a whole layer, and the second dimming layer covers the first dimming layer and the second openings.

15. The display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, The orthographic projection of the bottom of the second opening on the driving substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the light-emitting device on the driving substrate.

16. The display panel according to claim 15, wherein, The orthographic projection of the bottom of the second opening on the driving substrate covers the orthographic projection of the light-emitting device on the driving substrate, or the orthographic projection of the bottom of the second opening on the driving substrate completely overlaps with the orthographic projection of the light-emitting device on the driving substrate.

17. The display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The second opening penetrates through the first dimming layer, and the area of the second opening on a side away from the driving substrate is larger than the area of the second opening on a side close to the driving substrate.

18. A display device, comprising a display panel as described in any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. A method for manufacturing a display panel, comprising: Providing a driving substrate; Fabricating a pixel definition layer and a light-emitting device layer on the driving substrate, the pixel definition layer having a plurality of first openings, and the light-emitting device layer including a plurality of light-emitting devices, each light-emitting device being located in one of the first openings; Fabricating a packaging layer on a side of the light-emitting device layer away from the driving substrate; And Fabricating a light modulation structure layer on a side of the packaging layer away from the driving substrate, the light modulation structure layer including a first light modulation layer, a second light modulation layer, and a third light modulation layer sequentially arranged in a direction away from the driving substrate; the first light modulation layer having second openings corresponding to the first openings, the second light modulation layer covering at least sidewalls of the second openings, and the third light modulation layer at least filling the openings; wherein, the refractive index of the first light modulation layer is greater than the refractive index of the second light modulation layer, and the refractive index of the first light modulation layer is less than the refractive index of the third light modulation layer.

20. The manufacturing method of the display panel according to claim 19, wherein, Fabricating the light modulation structure layer on a side of the packaging layer away from the driving substrate includes: Fabricating the first light modulation layer on a side of the packaging layer away from the driving substrate, and forming the second openings in the first light modulation layer; Pasting a protective film on the first light modulation layer and performing a defoaming treatment; wherein, the protective film includes a protective film body and a release agent layer located on a side of the protective film body close to the first light modulation layer; Tearing off the protective film body, and the release agent layer forms the second light modulation layer, such that the second light modulation layer covers at least sidewalls of the second openings; and Fabricating the third light modulation layer on a side of the second light modulation layer away from the first light modulation layer.

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