Display panel, manufacturing method for display panel, and display apparatus

Abstract

The present application belongs to the technical field of display. Disclosed are a display panel, a manufacturing method for the display panel, and a display apparatus. The display panel comprises a substrate, a pixel definition layer, an isolation column structure, an organic structure and a plurality of light-emitting units. The substrate comprises a bending area, and the pixel definition layer is located on the substrate. The isolation column structure and the organic structure are located on the substrate provided with the pixel definition layer, and the orthographic projections of the isolation column structure and the organic structure on the substrate overlap the orthographic projection of the pixel definition layer in the bending area on the substrate; the organic structure comprises a plurality of first protruding structures protruding in the direction away from the substrate. The plurality of first protruding structures can disperse the stress of the display panel during folding, and the stress of the display panel during folding can be buffered due to the material of the organic structure, thus achieving the effect of improving the strength of the display panel.

Description

Display panel, manufacturing method of display panel, and display device TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of display, in particular to a display panel, a manufacturing method of the display panel, and a display device. BACKGROUND

[0002] The display panel is a device with display function.

[0003] A display panel includes a substrate, and a plurality of light emitting units, a pixel defining layer, and a separation column on the substrate, the display panel being a foldable display panel. The pixel defining layer is on the substrate, the pixel defining layer includes a plurality of openings, the plurality of light emitting units are respectively in the plurality of openings, and the separation column is on a side of the pixel defining layer away from the substrate, the separation column can be used to separate adjacent light emitting units to avoid color mixing.

[0004] However, the above display panel has poor strength.

[0005] SUMMARY

[0006] The present application provides a display panel, a manufacturing method of the display panel, and a display device. The technical solution is as follows:

[0007] According to an aspect of the present application, a display panel is provided, the display panel comprising:

[0008] a substrate, the substrate including a folding region;

[0009] a pixel defining layer, the pixel defining layer being on the substrate, the pixel defining layer including a plurality of openings;

[0010] a separation column structure and an organic structure, the separation column structure and the organic structure being on the substrate provided with the pixel defining layer, and a normal projection of the separation column structure and the organic structure on the substrate overlapping a normal projection of the pixel defining layer in the folding region on the substrate, the organic structure including a plurality of first protruding structures protruding in a direction away from the substrate;

[0011] a plurality of light emitting units, the plurality of light emitting units being respectively in the plurality of openings.

[0012] Optionally, the plurality of first protruding structures are arranged at intervals on the pixel defining layer.

[0013] Optionally, the folding region is configured to be folded along a folding axis, the folding axis being parallel to a surface of the substrate close to the pixel defining layer.

[0014] The plurality of first protruding structures comprises at least two first protruding structures arranged at intervals along a first direction, the first direction being a direction perpendicular to the bending axis.

[0015] Optionally, the plurality of first protruding structures further comprises at least two first protruding structures arranged along a second direction, the second direction being a direction parallel to the bending axis.

[0016] Optionally, the isolation column structure comprises a plurality of isolation columns, each of the plurality of isolation columns corresponding to a light emitting unit, each of the isolation columns surrounding the corresponding light emitting unit, and the organic structure being located between two isolation columns corresponding to two adjacent light emitting units.

[0017] Optionally, the plurality of light emitting units comprises a first light emitting unit and a second light emitting unit adjacent to each other, and the isolation column structure comprises one isolation column located between the first light emitting unit and the second light emitting unit.

[0018] Optionally, in a direction of a line connecting a center of the first light emitting unit and a center of the second light emitting unit, the organic structure is located on a side of the isolation column close to the first light emitting unit, or the organic structure is located on a side of the isolation column close to the second light emitting unit.

[0019] Optionally, the organic structure between the first light emitting unit and the second light emitting unit comprises a first sub-structure and a second sub-structure, the first sub-structure and the second sub-structure being arranged along the direction of the line and being located on two sides of the isolation column respectively.

[0020] Optionally, the organic structure further comprises a base layer, and the plurality of first protruding structures are located on the base layer.

[0021] Optionally, the light emitting unit has a light emitting direction toward a side away from the substrate.

[0022] The bending region is configured to bend along a bending axis, the bending axis being parallel to a surface of the substrate close to the pixel defining layer, and the display panel is an inner folding display panel.

[0023] The first protruding structure comprises a first end close to the substrate and a second end away from the substrate, and a size of the first end in a first direction is greater than a size of the second end in the first direction.

[0024] Optionally, the light emitting unit has a light emitting direction toward a side away from the substrate.

[0025] The bending region is configured to bend along a bending axis, the bending axis is parallel to a surface of the substrate close to the pixel defining layer, and the display panel is an outer folding display panel.

[0026] The first protruding structure comprises a first end close to the substrate and a second end away from the substrate, and a size of the first end in a first direction is smaller than a size of the second end in the first direction.

[0027] Optionally, an organic structure between two adjacent light emitting units satisfies:

[0028] 0.5*L2 < L1 < L2;

[0029] wherein, in a direction of a line connecting centers of two adjacent light emitting units, L1 is a width of the organic structure between the two adjacent light emitting units, and L2 is a distance between the two adjacent light emitting units.

[0030] In a direction perpendicular to the substrate, a thickness of the organic structure is smaller than a thickness of the isolation column structure.

[0031] Optionally, the first protruding structure satisfies:

[0032] a < 0.5*(L2-w) / n;

[0033] wherein, in a direction of a line connecting centers of two adjacent light emitting units, a is a maximum width of the first protruding structure in the direction of the line connecting the centers of the two adjacent light emitting units, L2 is a distance between the two adjacent light emitting units, w is a sum of widths of isolation column structures between the two adjacent light emitting units, and n is a number of the first protruding structures between the two adjacent light emitting units.

[0034] Optionally, the display panel further comprises a substrate layer between the substrate and the pixel defining layer, one side of the substrate layer away from the substrate has a plurality of first curved surface structures, and a normal projection of the plurality of first curved surface structures on the substrate overlaps a normal projection of the pixel defining layer on the substrate.

[0035] Optionally, a surface of the pixel defining layer away from the substrate is parallel to a surface of the substrate close to the pixel defining layer.

[0036] Alternatively, the surface of the pixel defining layer away from the substrate has a plurality of second curved surface structures corresponding to the plurality of first curved surface structures, and a normal projection of the second curved surface structures on the substrate is located outside a normal projection of the isolation column structure on the substrate.

[0037] Optionally, the light-emitting unit is configured to emit light in a direction away from the substrate.

[0038] The display panel is an inner folding display panel, and the first curved structure is a concave structure that is concave towards the substrate.

[0039] Alternatively, the display panel is an outer folding display panel, and the first curved structure is a second convex structure that is convex away from the substrate.

[0040] Optionally, the first curved structure satisfies:

[0041] 0 < h2-h1 < tanα;

[0042] R < h3+h3*cosα;

[0043] wherein h1 is a minimum thickness of the substrate layer in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, h2 is a maximum thickness of the substrate layer in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, R is a radius of curvature of the first curved structure, h3 is a thickness of the pixel defining layer in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, and α is a minimum included angle between the first curved structure and a plane perpendicular to the substrate.

[0044] In another aspect, a manufacturing method of a display panel is provided, the method comprising:

[0045] obtaining a substrate, the substrate comprising a bending region;

[0046] forming a pixel defining layer, a spacer structure and an organic structure on the substrate, the pixel defining layer being located on the substrate, the pixel defining layer comprising a plurality of openings, the spacer structure and the organic structure being located on the substrate provided with the pixel defining layer, and a normal projection of the spacer structure and the organic structure on the substrate overlapping a normal projection of the pixel defining layer in the bending region on the substrate, the organic structure comprising a plurality of first convex structures that are convex away from the substrate;

[0047] forming a plurality of light-emitting units on the substrate provided with the pixel defining layer, the plurality of light-emitting units being respectively located in the plurality of openings.

[0048] Optionally, the forming of the pixel defining layer, the spacer structure and the organic structure on the substrate comprises:

[0049] forming a pixel defining material layer on the substrate;

[0050] forming an organic material layer on the substrate provided with the pixel defining material layer;

[0051] forming a photoresist layer on a side of the organic material layer away from the substrate;

[0052] exposing and developing the photoresist layer through a half-tone mask to form a photoresist pattern;

[0053] etching the organic material layer and the pixel defining material layer through an etching process to form the pixel defining layer and the organic structure;

[0054] removing the photoresist pattern;

[0055] forming the isolation column structure on the substrate on which the pixel defining layer is formed.

[0056] In another aspect, a display device is provided, which includes a housing and any of the above display panels.

[0057] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application have at least the following beneficial effects:

[0058] A display panel is provided, which includes a substrate, a pixel defining layer, an isolation column structure, an organic structure and a plurality of light emitting units. The substrate includes a bending area, and the pixel defining layer is located on the substrate. The isolation column structure and the organic structure are located on the substrate on which the pixel defining layer is arranged, and the orthogonal projection of the isolation column structure and the organic structure on the substrate overlaps with the orthogonal projection of the pixel defining layer in the bending area on the substrate. The organic structure includes a plurality of first protruding structures protruding in a direction away from the substrate. The plurality of first protruding structures can disperse the stress of the display panel when it is folded, and the organic structure can buffer the stress of the display panel when it is folded due to the material of the organic structure, thereby improving the strength of the display panel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0059] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed in the embodiment description will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0060] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a display panel;

[0061] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0062] FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of part of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0063] FIG. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of part of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0064] FIG. 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a part of structure in another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0065] FIG. 6 is a structural schematic diagram of a part of structure in another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0066] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of the display panel provided by FIG. 6;

[0067] FIG. 8 is another schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of the display panel provided by FIG. 6;

[0068] FIG. 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a part of structure in another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0069] FIG. 10 is a structural schematic diagram of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0070] FIG. 11 is a structural schematic diagram of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0071] FIG. 12 is a structural schematic diagram of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0072] FIG. 13 is a structural schematic diagram of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0073] FIG. 14 is a structural schematic diagram of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0074] FIG. 15 is a structural schematic diagram of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0075] FIG. 16 is a flowchart of a manufacturing method of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0076] FIG. 17 is a flowchart of a manufacturing method of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] FIG. 18 is a flowchart of a manufacturing method of a substrate layer provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0078] FIG. 19 is a manufacturing flowchart of a substrate layer provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] FIG. 20 is a flowchart of a manufacturing method of another substrate layer provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0080] FIG. 21 is a manufacturing flowchart of another substrate layer provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0081] FIG. 22 is a manufacturing flowchart of a part of structure in a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0082] FIG. 23 is a flowchart of a manufacturing method of a partial structure of another display panel according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0083] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process of a partial structure of another display panel according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0084] The specific embodiments of the present application have been shown through the above drawings, and will be described in more detail hereinafter. These drawings and the written description are not intended to restrict the scope of the present application in any way, but to explain the present application to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0085] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the embodiments of the present application will be described in further detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0086] Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a display panel. The display panel 10 includes a substrate 11, a pixel definition layer 12, a spacer 13 and a plurality of light emitting units 14. The pixel definition layer 12 is located on the substrate 11, and the pixel definition layer 12 includes a plurality of openings K. The plurality of light emitting units 14 are respectively located in the plurality of openings K. The spacer 13 is used to isolate adjacent light emitting units 14 to avoid color mixing of adjacent light emitting units 14. The display panel 10 is a foldable display panel. Since the pixel definition layer 12 and the spacer 13 are composed of inorganic materials, the inorganic materials have relatively large brittleness and are easy to be broken when the display panel 10 is bent. In addition, the undercut structure of the spacer 13 is easy to be broken when the display panel 10 is bent. Therefore, the pixel definition layer 12 and the spacer 13 are easy to form bending weak points, thereby resulting in poor strength of the display panel 10. In addition, it also results in poor folding reliability of the display panel 10. The folding reliability includes bending times, impact resistance and extrusion resistance.

[0087] The present application provides a display panel. Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a display panel according to an embodiment of the present application. The display panel 20 includes:

[0088] A substrate 21, the substrate 21 includes a bending area A1.

[0089] A pixel definition layer 22, the pixel definition layer 22 is located on the substrate 21, and the pixel definition layer 22 includes a plurality of openings K.

[0090] The isolation column structure 23 and the organic structure 24 are located on the substrate 21 provided with the pixel definition layer 22, and the orthogonal projection of the isolation column structure 23 and the organic structure 24 on the substrate 21 overlaps the orthogonal projection of the pixel definition layer 22 in the bending area A1 on the substrate 21. The organic structure 24 includes a plurality of first protruding structures 241 protruding in a direction away from the substrate 21.

[0091] The plurality of light emitting units 25 are respectively located in the plurality of openings K.

[0092] It should be noted that the bending area A1 provided by the embodiments of the present application includes various cases. FIG. 2 shows the case that the bending area A1 is a partial area of the substrate 21. However, the bending area A1 can also be the entire area of the substrate 21, which is not limited by the embodiments of the present application. In addition, FIG. 2 shows the case that the organic structure 24 is only located on the pixel definition layer 22 in the bending area A1. However, the organic structure 24 can also be located on the pixel definition layer 22 in the bending area A1 and outside the bending area A1, which is not limited by the embodiments of the present application.

[0093] In summary, the embodiments of the present application provide a display panel including a substrate, a pixel definition layer, an isolation column structure, an organic structure, and a plurality of light emitting units. The substrate includes a bending area, and the pixel definition layer is located on the substrate. The isolation column structure and the organic structure are located on the substrate provided with the pixel definition layer, and the orthogonal projection of the isolation column structure and the organic structure on the substrate overlaps the orthogonal projection of the pixel definition layer in the bending area on the substrate. The organic structure includes a plurality of first protruding structures protruding in a direction away from the substrate. The plurality of first protruding structures can disperse the stress of the display panel when folding, and the organic structure can buffer the stress of the display panel when folding due to the material itself, thereby achieving the effect of improving the strength of the display panel.

[0094] The display panel provided by the embodiments of the present application can be an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel. For example, the OLED display panel provided by the embodiments of the present application is prepared by using a photolithography technology, without using a fine metal mask (FMM). Therefore, when different color light emitting units are manufactured by using the photolithography technology, the isolation column structure is needed to separate adjacent light emitting units to avoid color mixing of adjacent light emitting units.

[0095] In addition, the display panel provided in the embodiments of the present application can be a folding display panel, which can include various types. For example, the folding display panel provided in the embodiments of the present application includes an inner folding display panel, an outer folding display panel, a water drop type display panel, a three-fold type display panel, a G type display panel, and a sliding type display panel, etc. The bending area of the water drop type display panel is in the shape of a water drop. The G type display panel includes two bending areas, and the G type display panel is in the shape of the letter G when folded. For different types of folding display panels, the bending area can include various cases, for example, the position, number, bending shape, and bending shape of the bending area can be different. For example, the display panel provided in the embodiments of the present application can include one bending area. Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a structural schematic diagram of part of the structure of a display panel provided in the embodiments of the present application. The substrate 11 includes a bending area A1, a first non-bending area A21, and a second non-bending area A22. The first non-bending area A21 and the second non-bending area A22 are respectively located on both sides of the bending area A1. The bending area A1 is configured to be bent along the bending axis F, so as to drive the first non-bending area A21 and the second non-bending area A22 to present different folding angles. The bending axis F can be a virtual axis and not an actual structure. The bending axis F is used to illustrate the bending direction and other bending characteristics of the bending area A1.

[0096] Please refer to FIG. 2. The substrate 21 can be used to carry other film layers in the display panel 20, so as to improve the flatness of the other film layers. The substrate 21 can be a flexible substrate, which has the characteristic of being bendable, so as to facilitate the folding of the display panel 20. For example, the material of the substrate 21 can include polyimide (PI) or other flexible materials.

[0097] The pixel definition layer 22 is located on the substrate 21. The pixel definition layer 22 includes a plurality of openings K, and a plurality of light emitting units 25 are respectively located in the plurality of openings K. Therefore, the pixel definition layer 22 can be used to divide a plurality of sub-pixel areas. For example, the display panel provided in the embodiments of the present application can be manufactured by using a photolithography technology without using a high-precision mask. When manufacturing a light emitting unit 25 of one color, a film layer of the light emitting unit 25 of the whole layer can be formed first, and then the film layer of the light emitting unit 25 in the sub-pixel area of other colors except the one color can be removed by using the photolithography technology. Therefore, the pixel definition layer 22 is etched for multiple times. Therefore, the material of the pixel definition layer 22 can include inorganic materials, which have the characteristic of being resistant to etching, so as to improve the reliability of the pixel definition layer 22.

[0098] The isolation column structure 23 is located on the substrate 21 provided with the pixel definition layer 22, and the orthogonal projection of the isolation column structure 23 on the substrate 21 overlaps the orthogonal projection of the pixel definition layer 22 in the bending area A1 on the substrate 21, so that the isolation column structure 23 can be used to separate the light emitting units 25 in the bending area A1. Specifically, the size of the end of the isolation column structure 23 away from the substrate is greater than the size of the end close to the substrate, so that when the light emitting unit 25 is formed, the film layer of the light emitting unit 25 can be disconnected at the edge of the isolation column structure 23, thereby avoiding the problem of color mixing of adjacent light emitting units 25 in the bending area A1. In addition, the orthogonal projection of the isolation column structure 23 on the substrate 21 can also overlap the orthogonal projection of the pixel definition layer 22 on the substrate 21 in the entire display panel 20, so as to separate a plurality of light emitting units 25 in the entire display panel 20.

[0099] The organic structure 24 is located on the substrate 21 provided with the pixel definition layer 22, and the organic structure 24 is composed of an organic material. The organic material has a lower elastic modulus and a higher flexibility. The lower elastic modulus means that the organic material is more likely to deform when subjected to external force, so that more stress can be absorbed by deformation. The higher flexibility means that the organic material can produce moderate deformation under stress without being easily broken or broken. Therefore, the organic structure 24 can buffer the increased stress when the display panel is bent, thereby improving the folding reliability of the display panel. For example, the material of the organic structure 24 can include an amide organic material. In addition, the organic structure 24 can include a plurality of first protruding structures 241 protruding away from the substrate 21. The plurality of first protruding structures 241 can disperse stress and avoid stress concentration, thereby improving the strength of the display panel and further improving the folding reliability of the display panel.

[0100] The plurality of light emitting units 25 can emit light of different colors and brightnesses, thereby being used to realize display functions. The light emitting unit 25 can include a first electrode, a light emitting layer and a second electrode stacked in a direction away from the substrate 21. The first electrode and the second electrode can cooperate to drive the light emitting layer to emit light. The first electrode can be an anode, the second electrode can be a cathode, and the light emitting layer can be an organic light emitting layer.

[0101] In the embodiments of the present application, the plurality of first protruding structures can comprise a plurality of arrangement modes. Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a structural schematic diagram of another display panel provided by the embodiments of the present application. The organic structure 24 comprises a plurality of first protruding structures 241 protruding towards the direction away from the substrate 21, and the plurality of first protruding structures 241 are arranged at intervals on the pixel defining layer 22. The display panel 20 further comprises an encapsulation layer 27 located on the side of the organic structure 24 away from the substrate 21. In this way, the plurality of first protruding structures 241 can not only disperse stress when the display panel is bent, but also the gaps between the plurality of first protruding structures 241 arranged at intervals can increase the contact area between the organic structure 24 and the encapsulation layer 27, so as to improve the adhesion between the organic structure 24 and the encapsulation layer 27, thereby preventing film peeling and improving the reliability of the display panel when it is bent. In addition, the encapsulation layer 27 can be a multi-layer structure, and the encapsulation layer 27 can comprise a first inorganic encapsulation layer 271, an organic encapsulation layer 272 and a second inorganic encapsulation layer 273 stacked in the direction away from the substrate 21. For example, the manufacturing process of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 271 and the second inorganic encapsulation layer 273 can comprise chemical vapor deposition (CVD), the manufacturing process of the organic encapsulation layer 272 can comprise ink jet printing (IJP) process, and the material of the organic encapsulation layer 272 can comprise acrylic materials such as polyacrylic acid, etc.

[0102] Alternatively, another arrangement mode of the first protruding structure will be described with reference to FIG. 5, which is a structural schematic diagram of part of the structure in another display panel provided by the embodiments of the present application. The bending area A1 is configured to be bent along the bending axis F, and the bending axis F is parallel to the surface of the substrate 21 close to the pixel defining layer 22. The plurality of first protruding structures 241 comprises at least two first protruding structures 241 arranged at intervals along a first direction X1, and the first direction X1 is a direction perpendicular to the bending axis F. The gaps between the at least two first protruding structures 241 can facilitate the bending of the bending area A1 along the bending axis F, thereby reducing the deformation amount of the display panel when it is bent and improving the stress buffering effect of the organic structure 24. As shown in FIG. 5, the number of first protruding structures 241 arranged at intervals along the first direction X1 can be two, in addition to which, the number of first protruding structures 241 arranged at intervals along the first direction X1 can also be greater than two, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0103] Optionally, another arrangement of the first protruding structures can refer to FIG. 6, which is a structural schematic diagram of part of structures in another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application. The plurality of first protruding structures 241 further includes at least two first protruding structures 241 arranged along a second direction X2, and the second direction X2 is a direction parallel to the folding axis F. The at least two first protruding structures 241 arranged along the first direction X1 and the at least two first protruding structures 241 arranged along the second direction X2 can be arranged in an array, and then the plurality of first protruding structures 241 can be uniformly distributed on the pixel defining layer 22 in the folding area A1, so as to improve the uniformity of stress distribution, and then the folding reliability of the display panel can be improved. As shown in FIG. 6, the number of the first protruding structures 241 arranged along the second direction X2 can be four, that is, more than two. In addition, the number of the first protruding structures 241 arranged along the second direction X2 can also be two, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0104] In addition, the shape of the light emitting unit 25 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is a rectangle, but the embodiments of the present application do not limit the shape of the light emitting unit 25, and the shape of the light emitting unit 25 can also include a circle or a rhombus, etc. In addition, the display panel provided by the embodiments of the present application can include various pixel arrangement modes. For example, the organic structure 24 provided by the above embodiments can be applied to a display panel in which three colors of sub-pixels are evenly distributed, and the pixel arrangement mode of the display panel is a real RGB pixel arrangement.

[0105] The display panel provided by the embodiments of the present application can include various types of display panels, wherein the shapes of the first protruding structures corresponding to the inner folding display panel and the outer folding display panel can be different to adapt to different folding requirements. Optionally, refer to FIGS. 6 and 7, FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of the display panel provided in FIG. 6 (FIG. 7 can be a schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of the display panel provided in FIG. 6 at C1-C1). The light emitting direction of the light emitting unit 25 is a direction of the light emitting unit 25 toward the side away from the substrate 21. The folding area A1 is configured to be folded along the folding axis F, the folding axis F is parallel to the surface of the substrate close to the pixel defining layer 22, and the display panel 20 is an inner folding display panel. The first protruding structure 241 includes a first end close to the substrate 21 and a second end away from the substrate 21, and the size B1 of the first end in the first direction X1 is greater than the size B2 of the second end in the first direction X1. The direction of the line connecting the centers of the two adjacent light emitting units 25 shown in FIG. 7 is the same as the first direction X1, but the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0106] When the inner folding display panel is bent, the display panel 20 can be bent along the bending axis F towards the light-emitting direction of the light-emitting unit 25. By making the size B1 of the first end greater than the size B2 of the second end, the size B2 of the second end of the first protruding structure 241 can be prevented from being too large to hinder the angle at which the display panel 20 can be bent, so that the folding direction of the inner folding display panel can be adapted, and the bending effect of the inner folding display panel can be improved.

[0107] In addition, for the inner folding display panel, the cross-sectional shape of the first protruding structure 241 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 21 can be a right trapezoid. The first protruding structure 241 further includes a side surface between the first end and the second end, and the included angle between the side surface and the first end can be less than 90 degrees. The cross-sectional shape of the first protruding structure 241 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 21 can also be other shapes, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present application.

[0108] Alternatively, please refer to FIG. 6 and FIG. 8, FIG. 8 is another cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of the display panel provided in FIG. 6 (FIG. 8 can be a cross-sectional structure schematic diagram of the display panel provided in FIG. 6 at C2-C2). The light-emitting direction of the light-emitting unit 25 is the direction of the light-emitting unit 25 towards the side away from the substrate 21. The bending area A1 is configured to bend along the bending axis F, the bending axis F is parallel to the surface of the substrate close to the pixel defining layer 22, and the display panel 20 is an outer folding display panel. The first protruding structure 241 includes a first end close to the substrate 21 and a second end away from the substrate 21, and the size B1 of the first end in the first direction X1 is less than the size B2 of the second end in the first direction X1.

[0109] When the outer folding display panel is bent, the display panel 20 can be bent along the bending axis F towards the direction away from the light-emitting direction of the light-emitting unit 25. By making the size B1 of the first end less than the size B2 of the second end, not only the bending effect of the outer folding display panel can be improved, but also the spacing between the second ends of the adjacent first protruding structures 241 when the display panel is bent can be prevented from being too large, so that the supporting effect can be improved.

[0110] In addition, for the outer folding display panel, the cross-sectional shape of the first protruding structure 241 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 21 can be an inverted trapezoid. The first protruding structure 241 further includes a side surface between the first end and the second end, and the included angle between the side surface and the first end can be greater than 90 degrees.

[0111] The organic structure provided in the above embodiments only includes a plurality of first protruding structures protruding in a direction away from the substrate, and in addition, the structure of the organic structure also includes other cases. Alternatively, refer to FIG. 9, which is a structural schematic diagram of part of the structure of another display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application. The organic structure 24 further includes a base layer 242, and the plurality of first protruding structures 241 are located on the base layer 242. The base layer 242 and the plurality of first protruding structures 241 can be an integrated structure, so as to improve the structural stability of the organic structure 24. The manufacturing process of the organic structure 24 can include a patterning process, and the patterning process involved in the embodiments of the present application can include coating photoresist, exposure, development, etching, and stripping photoresist, etc. For example, the depth of the gap between the first protruding structures 241 can be adjusted by controlling the process parameters of the etching process. When the etching depth is small, the plurality of first protruding structures 241 located on the base layer 242 shown in FIG. 9 can be obtained, and when the etching depth is large, the plurality of first protruding structures 241 arranged at intervals on the pixel definition layer 22 shown in FIG. 4 can be obtained.

[0112] The relative position relationship between the organic structure and the isolation column structure in the display panel provided in the embodiments of the present application can include various cases. Alternatively, one case is described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. The isolation column structure 23 includes a plurality of isolation columns 231, and the plurality of isolation columns 231 correspond to the plurality of light emitting units 25 respectively. Each isolation column 231 surrounds the corresponding light emitting unit 25, and the organic structure 24 is located between two isolation columns 231 corresponding to two adjacent light emitting units 25. By surrounding the corresponding light emitting unit 25 with the isolation column 231, the two isolation columns 231 can both play an isolation role between the two adjacent light emitting units 25. And by locating the organic structure 24 between the two isolation columns 231, the isolation effect of the isolation column structure 23 can be avoided from being affected by the organic structure 24, so as to avoid the problem of color mixing.

[0113] Alternatively, another case is described with reference to FIG. 10, which is a structural schematic diagram of another display panel provided in an embodiment of the present application. The plurality of light emitting units 25 include adjacent first light emitting units 251 and second light emitting units 252, and the isolation column structure 23 includes one isolation column 231 located between the first light emitting unit 251 and the second light emitting unit 252. In the direction X3 of the line connecting the center of the first light emitting unit 251 and the center of the second light emitting unit 252, the organic structure 24 is located on the side of the isolation column 231 close to the first light emitting unit 251. For the case shown in FIG. 10, the isolation column 231 can be located on the edge region of the pixel definition layer 22 close to the second light emitting unit 252, and the organic structure 24 can be located on the region of the pixel definition layer 22 close to the first light emitting unit 251.

[0114] Optionally, referring to FIG. 11, FIG. 11 is a structural schematic diagram of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application. The organic structure 24 can also be located on the side of the isolation column 231 close to the second light emitting unit 252 in the direction X3 of the line connecting the center of the first light emitting unit 251 and the center of the second light emitting unit 252. For the case shown in FIG. 11, the isolation column 231 can be located on the edge region of the pixel definition layer 22 close to the first light emitting unit 251, and the organic structure 24 can be located on the region of the pixel definition layer 22 close to the second light emitting unit 252.

[0115] Optionally, referring to FIG. 12, FIG. 12 is a structural schematic diagram of another display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application. The organic structure 24 between the first light emitting unit 251 and the second light emitting unit 252 includes a first substructure 242 and a second substructure 243, the first substructure 242 and the second substructure 243 are arranged along the direction X3 of the line, and are respectively located on the two sides of the isolation column 231. The first substructure 242 and the second substructure 243 shown in FIG. 12 only include one first protruding structure, but the present application is not limited thereto, that is, the first substructure 242 and the second substructure 243 can also include a plurality of first protruding structures, and the arrangement mode can refer to the above-mentioned embodiments, and thus will not be described in detail.

[0116] Optionally, referring to FIG. 7, the organic structure 24 between the two adjacent light emitting units 25 satisfies:

[0117] 0.5*L2 < L1 < L2.

[0118] Wherein, in the direction X1 of the line connecting the centers of the two adjacent light emitting units 25, L1 is the width of the organic structure 24 between the two adjacent light emitting units 25, the organic structure 24 includes the first protruding structure 241 and the gap between the adjacent first protruding structures 241, and thus the width L1 of the organic structure 24 between the two adjacent light emitting units 25 can be the sum of the width of the first protruding structure 241 and the width of the gap between the adjacent first protruding structures 241. L2 is the distance between the two adjacent light emitting units 25, the distance L2 between the two adjacent light emitting units 25 can be the distance between the adjacent edges of the two adjacent light emitting units 25, and thus the distance L2 can be approximately the width of the pixel definition layer 22 between the two adjacent light emitting units 25. Therefore, by limiting the width L1 within this range, it can be ensured that the area of the organic structure 24 arranged on the pixel definition layer 22 is not too small, so as to ensure that the organic structure 24 can effectively buffer stress, and the area of the organic structure 24 arranged can be avoided to exceed the area of the pixel definition layer 22, so as to avoid affecting the arrangement of the isolation column structure 23 or the arrangement of the light emitting unit 25.

[0119] In addition, the interval L2 between the two adjacent light emitting units 25 can reflect the resolution of the display panel. The smaller the interval L2 between the two adjacent light emitting units 25, the higher the resolution of the display panel. Therefore, the interval L2 required can be determined according to the resolution requirement, and the range of the width L1 of the organic structure 24 between the two adjacent light emitting units 25 can be determined. For example, to obtain a display panel with higher resolution, a smaller interval L2 is required. Based on the mask plate precision (±1.58 microns), the evaporation shadow (1.7 microns), the thickness of the isolation column 231 (1 micron), and the evaporation angle (50 degrees), the minimum value of the interval L2 is 7 microns, and the range of the width L1 of the organic structure 24 between the two adjacent light emitting units 25 can be 3.5 microns to 7 microns.

[0120] In addition, in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 21, the thickness h4 of the organic structure 24 is less than the thickness h5 of the isolation column structure 23. In this way, the thickness h4 of the organic structure 24 can be prevented from being too large to affect the isolation effect of the isolation column structure 23, and the thickness h4 of the organic structure 24 can be prevented from being too large to affect the flow leveling effect of the encapsulation layer.

[0121] Optionally, referring to FIG. 7, the first protruding structure 241 satisfies:

[0122] a < 0.5 * (L2-w) / n.

[0123] Wherein, in the direction X1 of the line connecting the centers of the two adjacent light emitting units 25, a is the maximum width of the first protruding structure 241. For the inner folding display panel shown in FIG. 7, the maximum width a of the first protruding structure 241 can be the size B1 of the first end of the first protruding structure 241. For the outer folding display panel shown in FIG. 8, the maximum width a of the first protruding structure 241 can be the size B2 of the second end of the first protruding structure 241. L2 is the interval between the two adjacent light emitting units 25. W is the sum of the widths of the isolation column structures 23 between the two adjacent light emitting units 25. For the isolation column structure 23 shown in FIG. 7, the sum of the widths w of the isolation column structures 23 between the two adjacent light emitting units 25 can be the sum of the widths (w1+w2) of the two isolation columns 231. N is the number of the first protruding structures 231 between the two adjacent light emitting units 25. For example, the number of the first protruding structures 231 shown in FIG. 7 is two. By limiting the maximum width a of the first protruding structure 241 within this range, it can be ensured that there is a gap between the first protruding structures 241 and a gap between the first protruding structures 241 and the isolation columns 231, thereby facilitating the folding of the display panel.

[0124] In an example embodiment, the display panel further comprises a substrate layer. Please refer to FIG. 13, which is a schematic structural diagram of another display panel provided in the embodiments of the present application. The substrate layer 26 is located between the substrate 21 and the pixel defining layer 22. The surface of the substrate layer 26 away from the substrate 21 has a plurality of first curved structures 261. The orthogonal projection of the plurality of first curved structures 261 on the substrate 21 overlaps with the orthogonal projection of the pixel defining layer 22 on the substrate 21. When the display panel is bent, the plurality of first curved structures 261 can disperse the stress transferred to the surface thereof, thereby improving the strength of the display panel, and further improving the folding reliability of the display panel. In addition, the display panel can further comprise a driving circuit layer 28. The driving circuit layer 28 can comprise a thin film transistor (TFT) array and the like. The driving circuit layer 28 can be used to control the light-emitting unit 25 in the display panel to emit light. The area of the surface of the substrate layer 26 away from the substrate 21, except for the first curved structures 261, can be a flat surface. Thus, the substrate layer 26 can avoid the driving circuit layer 28 affecting the flatness of the light-emitting unit 25.

[0125] Optionally, the surface of the pixel defining layer 22 away from the substrate 21 has a plurality of second curved structures 221 corresponding to the plurality of first curved structures 261. The orthogonal projection of the second curved structures 221 on the substrate 21 is located outside the orthogonal projection of the isolation column structure 23 on the substrate 21. The plurality of second curved structures 221 can also disperse the stress transferred to the surface thereof, thereby improving the strength of the display panel. The embodiments of the present application can employ various methods to make the orthogonal projection of the second curved structures 221 on the substrate 21 located outside the orthogonal projection of the isolation column structure 23 on the substrate 21, so as to avoid the second curved structures 221 affecting the manufacturing of the isolation column structure 23. The embodiments of the present application can realize that the orthogonal projection of the second curved structures 221 on the substrate 21 is located outside the orthogonal projection of the isolation column structure 23 on the substrate 21 in various ways. For example, the orthogonal projection of the first curved structures 261 on the substrate 21 can be located outside the orthogonal projection of the isolation column structure 23 on the substrate 21. Alternatively, the pixel defining layer 22 can be processed to make the area corresponding to the isolation column structure 23 flat.

[0126] Optionally, please refer to FIG. 14, which is a schematic structural diagram of another display panel provided in the embodiments of the present application. The surface of the pixel defining layer 22 away from the substrate 21 can be parallel to the surface of the substrate 21 close to the pixel defining layer 22. In this way, the manufacturing of the isolation column structure 23 and the organic structure 24 can be facilitated. For example, the thickness of the pixel defining layer 22 can be controlled to form the structure of the pixel defining layer 22 shown in FIG. 14.

[0127] The display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application can include various types of display panels, wherein the shapes of the first curved structures corresponding to the inner folding display panel and the outer folding display panel can be different to adapt to different folding requirements. Optionally, referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, the light emitting direction of the light emitting unit 25 is the direction of the light emitting unit 25 towards the side away from the substrate 21. The display panel 20 is an inner folding display panel, and the first curved structure 261 is a recessed structure that is recessed towards the direction close to the substrate 21. When the inner folding display panel is bent, the display panel can be bent along the bending axis towards the light emitting direction of the light emitting unit 25. By making the first curved structure 261 a recessed structure that is recessed towards the direction close to the substrate 21, the first curved structure 261 can be matched with the folding direction of the inner folding display panel, and thus the bending effect of the inner folding display panel can be improved.

[0128] Optionally, referring to FIG. 15, FIG. 15 is a structural schematic diagram of another display panel provided by the embodiment of the present application. The light emitting direction of the light emitting unit 25 is the direction of the light emitting unit 25 towards the side away from the substrate 21. The display panel 20 is an outer folding display panel, and the first curved structure 261 is a second protruding structure that is protruded towards the direction away from the substrate 21. When the outer folding display panel is bent, the display panel 20 can be bent along the bending axis F towards the direction away from the light emitting direction of the light emitting unit 25. By making the first curved structure 261 a second protruding structure that is protruded towards the direction away from the substrate 21, the first curved structure 261 can be matched with the folding direction of the outer folding display panel, and thus the bending effect of the outer folding display panel can be improved.

[0129] Optionally, referring to FIG. 13, the first curved structure 261 satisfies:

[0130] 0 < h2-h1 < tanα.

[0131] R < h3+h3*cosα.

[0132] wherein h1 is the minimum thickness of the substrate layer 26 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 21, h2 is the maximum thickness of the substrate layer 26 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 21, R is the radius of curvature of the first curved structure 261, h3 is the thickness of the pixel definition layer 22 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 21, and α is the smallest included angle between the first curved structure 261 and the plane perpendicular to the substrate 21. For the inner folding display panel shown in FIG. 13, the included angle α is the included angle between the tangent line at the end D1 of the first curved structure 261 away from the substrate 21 and the plane perpendicular to the substrate 21. For the outer folding display panel shown in FIG. 15, the included angle α is the included angle between the tangent line at the end D2 of the first curved structure 261 close to the substrate 21 and the plane perpendicular to the substrate 21.

[0133] The difference between the minimum thickness h1 and the maximum thickness h2 of the substrate layer 26 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 21 is related to the concave or convex degree of the first curved structure 261. By making the minimum thickness h1 and the maximum thickness h2 of the substrate layer 26 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 21 satisfy the above range, it can be ensured that the surface of the substrate layer 26 away from the substrate 21 has a concave or convex structure, and it can also be ensured that the difference between the minimum thickness h1 and the maximum thickness h2 is not too large, so as to improve the adhesion between the substrate layer 26 and the pixel definition layer 22, and avoid film peeling.

[0134] By limiting the curvature radius R to satisfy the above range, the inclination of the first curved structure 261 can be limited to facilitate the manufacture of the first curved structure 261. The minimum angle a between the first curved structure 261 and the plane perpendicular to the substrate 21 is related to the etching process and folding method. The critical angle of the wet etching of the organic material is 45 degrees, and the range of the degree of the minimum angle a between the first curved structure 261 and the plane perpendicular to the substrate 21 is: 0 degrees < a < 45 degrees. For example, the thickness h3 of the pixel definition layer 22 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 21 can be 1 micrometer, and the curvature radius R can be less than or equal to 2 micrometers.

[0135] In addition, in the first direction perpendicular to the folding axis, the width of the area where the organic structure 24 and the first curved structure 261 are arranged can range from 30 micrometers to 100 micrometers. The total thickness of the film layers such as the substrate 21, the substrate layer 26, the pixel definition layer 22, and the encapsulation layer in the display panel ranges from 30 micrometers to 50 micrometers, and the thickness of the display panel when folded is twice the total thickness of the above film layers. By making the width of the area where the organic structure 24 and the first curved structure 261 are arranged within this range, it can be ensured that the bendable angle of the display panel is large enough, so as to improve the folding effect of the display panel.

[0136] In summary, the embodiment of the present application provides a display panel including a substrate, a pixel definition layer, a columnar structure, an organic structure, and a plurality of light emitting units. The substrate includes a folding area, and the pixel definition layer is located on the substrate. The columnar structure and the organic structure are located on the substrate provided with the pixel definition layer, and the orthogonal projection of the columnar structure and the organic structure on the substrate overlaps with the orthogonal projection of the pixel definition layer in the folding area on the substrate. The organic structure includes a plurality of first convex structures protruding in a direction away from the substrate. The plurality of first convex structures can disperse the stress of the display panel when folded, and the organic structure can buffer the stress of the display panel when folded due to the material of the organic structure, so as to improve the strength of the display panel.

[0137] On the other hand, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for manufacturing a display panel. Please refer to FIG16 , which is a flow chart of a method for manufacturing a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method includes:

[0138] Step 1601: Obtain a substrate.

[0139] The substrate includes a bending region.

[0140] Step 1602: forming a pixel definition layer, an isolation column structure, and an organic structure on a substrate.

[0141] The pixel defining layer is located on the substrate, and the pixel defining layer includes multiple openings. The isolation column structure and the organic structure are located on the substrate provided with the pixel defining layer, and the orthographic projections of the isolation column structure and the organic structure on the substrate overlap with the orthographic projection of the pixel defining layer in the bending area on the substrate. The organic structure includes multiple first protrusion structures that protrude in a direction away from the substrate.

[0142] Step 1603 : forming a plurality of light-emitting units on the substrate having the pixel defining layer formed thereon.

[0143] The plurality of light emitting units are respectively located in the plurality of openings.

[0144] In summary, an embodiment of the present application provides a method for manufacturing a display panel including a substrate, a pixel defining layer, an isolation column structure, an organic structure, and a plurality of light-emitting units. The substrate includes a bending region, and the pixel defining layer is located on the substrate. The isolation column structure and the organic structure are located on a substrate provided with a pixel defining layer, and the orthographic projections of the isolation column structure and the organic structure on the substrate overlap with the orthographic projection of the pixel defining layer in the bending region on the substrate, and the organic structure includes a plurality of first protruding structures protruding in a direction away from the substrate. The plurality of first protruding structures can disperse the stress of the display panel when it is folded, and the organic structure can buffer the stress of the display panel when it is folded due to its own material, thereby achieving the effect of improving the strength of the display panel.

[0145] An embodiment of the present application provides another method for manufacturing a display panel. Please refer to FIG17 , which is a flow chart of another method for manufacturing a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method includes:

[0146] Step 1701: Obtain a substrate.

[0147] The substrate can be used to support other film layers in the display panel to improve their flatness. The substrate can be a flexible substrate, which has bendable properties, thereby facilitating the folding of the display panel. Exemplary materials for the substrate include polyimide or other flexible materials.

[0148] Step 1702, forming a substrate layer on the substrate.

[0149] The substrate layer can be formed on the substrate, and the substrate layer has a plurality of first curved surface structures on the side away from the substrate. The manufacturing process of the substrate layer includes a patterning process, and different types of photoresists can be used in the embodiments of the present application to form the recessed structure of the inner folding display panel and the second protruding structure of the outer folding display panel.

[0150] The embodiments of the present application provide a manufacturing method of a substrate layer in an inner folding display panel. Referring to FIG. 18, FIG. 18 is a flowchart of a manufacturing method of a substrate layer according to an embodiment of the present application. The method includes the following steps:

[0151] Sub-step 1801, forming a substrate material layer on the substrate.

[0152] Sub-step 1802, forming a first photoresist pattern on the substrate material layer by using a mask plate.

[0153] Referring to FIG. 19, FIG. 19 is a manufacturing flowchart of a substrate layer according to an embodiment of the present application. S1902 is a manufacturing flowchart corresponding to sub-step 1802. Photoresist can be coated on the substrate material layer 361, and the mask plate M has an opening. The photoresist in the opening can be exposed. The material of the first photoresist pattern P1 can include positive photoresist. The exposed part of the positive photoresist can be removed by development, and thus the first photoresist pattern P1 with a recessed structure can be formed.

[0154] Sub-step 1803, transferring the first photoresist pattern to the substrate material layer by using an etching process to form a substrate layer.

[0155] Referring to FIG. 19, S1903 is a manufacturing flowchart corresponding to sub-step 1803. The recessed structure of the first photoresist pattern P1 can be transferred to the substrate material layer 361 by using the etching process, and thus the substrate layer 36 with a plurality of first curved surface structures 362 can be formed. The first curved surface structure 362 is a recessed structure that is recessed towards the direction close to the substrate 31.

[0156] The embodiments of the present application provide a manufacturing method of a substrate layer in an outer folding display panel. Referring to FIG. 20, FIG. 20 is a flowchart of another manufacturing method of a substrate layer according to an embodiment of the present application. The method includes the following steps:

[0157] Sub-step 2001, forming a substrate material layer on the substrate.

[0158] Sub-step 2002, forming a second photoresist pattern on the substrate material layer by using a mask plate.

[0159] Referring to FIG. 21, FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of another manufacturing process of a substrate layer, S2102 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process corresponding to substep 2002, photoresist can be coated on the substrate material layer 361, the mask plate M has an opening, and the photoresist in the opening can be exposed. The material of the second photoresist pattern P2 includes a negative photoresist, and the unexposed part of the negative photoresist can be removed by development, so that the second photoresist pattern P2 with a convex structure can be formed.

[0160] Substep 2003, the second photoresist pattern is transferred to the substrate material layer by an etching process to form a substrate layer.

[0161] Referring to FIG. 21, S2103 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process corresponding to substep 2003, the convex structure of the second photoresist pattern P2 is transferred to the substrate material layer 361 by an etching process, so that the substrate layer 36 with a plurality of first curved structures 362 can be formed, and the first curved structure 362 is a second convex structure protruding in a direction away from the substrate 31.

[0162] Step 1703, forming a first electrode on the substrate with the substrate layer.

[0163] The first electrode can be formed on the substrate with the substrate layer, the first electrode can be an anode, and the first electrode can be used to drive the light-emitting layer to emit light in cooperation with the second electrode. Referring to FIG. 22, FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process of part of a structure in a display panel, wherein S2201 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process corresponding to step 1703, the first electrode 351 is located on a side of the substrate layer 36 away from the substrate 31, and the orthographic projection of the first electrode 351 on the substrate 31 can be located outside the orthographic projection of the first curved structure 362 of the substrate layer 36 on the substrate 31, so that the flatness of the first electrode 351 can be improved, and the light-emitting angle can be avoided.

[0164] Step 1704, forming a pixel definition material layer on the substrate with the first electrode.

[0165] The pixel definition material layer can be formed on the substrate with the first electrode, and referring to FIG. 22, S2202 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process corresponding to step 1704, the pixel definition material layer 321 is an integral layer structure, the pixel definition material layer 321 is located on a side of the first electrode 351 away from the substrate 31, and the material of the pixel definition material layer 321 can include an inorganic material, which has the characteristic of etching resistance, so that the reliability of the pixel definition layer can be improved.

[0166] Step 1705, forming an organic material layer on the substrate with the pixel definition material layer.

[0167] The organic material layer can be formed on the substrate with the pixel defining material layer. Please refer to FIG. 22, wherein S2203 is a manufacturing process schematic diagram corresponding to step 1705, the organic material layer 341 is an integral layer structure, the organic material layer 341 is located on the side of the pixel defining material layer 321 away from the substrate 31, and the material of the organic material layer 341 can include an amide organic material. The organic material can buffer stress, thereby improving the folding reliability of the display panel.

[0168] Step 1706, forming a photoresist layer on the side of the organic material layer away from the substrate.

[0169] Step 1707, exposing and developing the photoresist layer by a half-tone mask to form a photoresist pattern.

[0170] Step 1708, etching the pixel defining material layer and the organic material layer by an etching process to form a pixel defining layer and an organic structure.

[0171] Step 1709, removing the photoresist pattern.

[0172] As steps 1706 to 1709, the pixel defining layer and the organic structure can be formed by one patterning process on the pixel defining material layer and the organic material layer, so that the process can be simplified. Please refer to FIG. 22, wherein S2204 and S2205 are manufacturing process schematic diagrams of forming the pixel defining layer and the organic structure by one patterning process. The photoresist layer can be formed on the side of the organic material layer 341 away from the substrate 31. The photoresist pattern can be formed by exposing and developing the photoresist layer by a mask M, and the pixel defining material layer 321 and the organic material layer 341 can be etched by an etching process. The mask M can be a half-tone mask. Since the half-tone mask is a mask with partial light transmission function, different positions can achieve different etching effects. The pixel defining material layer 321 and the organic material layer 341 corresponding to the region of the first electrode 351 are etched and removed, the pixel defining material layer 321 in the region other than the first electrode 351 is retained, and the organic material layer 341 is etched to form a plurality of first protruding structures 342, thereby forming the pixel defining layer 32 and the organic structure 34.

[0173] Embodiments of the present application provide another method for manufacturing a pixel defining layer and an organic structure. The method can perform two patterning processes on a pixel defining material layer and an organic material layer to form a pixel defining layer and an organic structure. Please refer to FIG. 23, which is a flowchart of another method for manufacturing part of the structure of a display panel provided by an embodiment of the present application. The method includes the following steps:

[0174] Sub-step 2301, forming a pixel defining layer on a substrate with a first electrode by a patterning process.

[0175] Referring to FIG. 24, FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process of a partial structure in another display panel provided by the present application, S2401 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process corresponding to substep 2301, the pixel definition layer 32 is located on the side of the substrate layer 36 away from the substrate, and the pixel definition layer 32 includes a plurality of openings K, and the orthographic projection of the opening K on the substrate 31 overlaps the orthographic projection of the first electrode 351 on the substrate 31.

[0176] Substep 2302, forming an organic material layer on the substrate on which the pixel definition layer is formed.

[0177] Referring to FIG. 24, S2402 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process corresponding to substep 2302, the organic material layer 341 is located on the side of the pixel definition layer 32 in the bending area A1 away from the substrate 31, and the first electrode 351 in the bending area A1 is located on the side away from the substrate 31.

[0178] Substep 2303, forming an organic structure on the substrate on which the pixel definition layer is formed by a patterning process.

[0179] Referring to FIG. 24, S2403 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process corresponding to substep 2303, a photoresist layer can be formed on the side of the organic material layer 341 away from the substrate 31, and a photoresist pattern can be formed after the photoresist layer is exposed and developed by a mask M, and the organic material layer 341 on the side of the pixel definition layer 32 in the bending area A1 away from the substrate 31 can be etched to form a plurality of first protruding structures 342 by an etching process, and the organic material layer 341 on the side of the first electrode 351 in the bending area A1 away from the substrate 31 is etched and removed at the same time, so that the organic structure 34 can be obtained.

[0180] Step 1710, forming an isolation column structure on the substrate on which the pixel definition layer is formed.

[0181] The isolation column structure can be formed on the substrate on which the pixel definition layer is formed. Referring to FIG. 22, S2206 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing process corresponding to step 1710, the isolation column structure 33 includes a plurality of isolation columns 331, and the organic structure 34 is located between two isolation columns 331, and the two isolation columns 331 can play a role of isolation, so that the problem of color mixing can be avoided.

[0182] Step 1711, forming a plurality of light emitting units on the substrate on which the pixel definition layer is formed.

[0183] The light emitting layer and the second electrode can be formed on the side of the first electrode away from the substrate, so that a plurality of light emitting units can be formed. The second electrode can be a cathode, the light emitting layer can be an organic light emitting layer, and the first electrode and the second electrode can cooperate to drive the light emitting layer to emit light.

[0184] In summary, the embodiment of the present application provides a manufacturing method of a display panel including a substrate, a pixel definition layer, a separation column structure, an organic structure, and a plurality of light emitting units. The substrate includes a folding area, and the pixel definition layer is located on the substrate. The separation column structure and the organic structure are located on the substrate provided with the pixel definition layer, and the orthogonal projection of the separation column structure and the organic structure on the substrate overlaps with the orthogonal projection of the pixel definition layer in the folding area on the substrate. The organic structure includes a plurality of first protruding structures protruding in a direction away from the substrate. The plurality of first protruding structures can disperse the stress of the display panel when folding, and the organic structure can buffer the stress of the display panel when folding due to the material itself, thereby achieving the effect of improving the strength of the display panel.

[0185] On the other hand, the embodiment of the present application also provides a display device, which includes a housing and any one of the display panels provided by the above embodiments. The display panel can be located in the housing. The display device can be various devices including display functions, such as a display, a television, a vertical advertising machine, a picture screen device, a mobile phone, various smart wearable devices, etc.

[0186] Since the display device includes the display panel provided by the above embodiments, the display device can also have similar effects, i.e., the strength and folding reliability of the display device can be improved.

[0187] It should be noted that in the drawings, the sizes of the layers and regions can be exaggerated for clarity. Also, it can be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "on" another element or layer, it can be directly on the other element or layer, or intervening layers can also be present. Further, it can be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as being "under" another element or layer, it can be directly under the other element or layer, or one or more intervening layers or elements can also be present. In addition, it can be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being "between" two layers or elements, it can be the only layer or element between the two layers or elements, or one or more intervening layers or elements can also be present. Similar reference numerals can be used throughout the specification for like elements.

[0188] In the present application, the terms "first" and "second" are used only for descriptive purposes, and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. The term "plurality" refers to two or more, unless otherwise explicitly limited.

[0189] The above description is only optional embodiments of the present application, and is not used to limit the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A display panel, characterized in that: The display panel includes: a substrate, the substrate comprising a bending region; a pixel defining layer, the pixel defining layer being located on the substrate and comprising a plurality of openings; an isolation column structure and an organic structure, the isolation column structure and the organic structure being located on a substrate provided with the pixel defining layer, and the orthographic projections of the isolation column structure and the organic structure on the substrate overlap with the orthographic projection of the pixel defining layer in the bending region on the substrate, the organic structure comprising a plurality of first protrusion structures protruding in a direction away from the substrate; A plurality of light emitting units are respectively located in the plurality of openings.

2. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of first protrusion structures are arranged at intervals on the pixel defining layer.

3. The display panel according to claim 2, wherein: The bending region is configured to bend along a bending axis, and the bending axis is parallel to a surface of the substrate close to the pixel defining layer; The plurality of first protruding structures include at least two first protruding structures spaced apart along a first direction, where the first direction is a direction perpendicular to the bending axis.

4. The display panel according to claim 3, wherein: The plurality of first protruding structures further include at least two first protruding structures arranged along a second direction, where the second direction is a direction parallel to the bending axis.

5. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The isolation column structure includes a plurality of isolation columns, each of which corresponds to the plurality of light-emitting units. Each isolation column surrounds a corresponding light-emitting unit, and the organic structure is located between two isolation columns corresponding to two adjacent light-emitting units.

6. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of light emitting units include a first light emitting unit and a second light emitting unit that are adjacent to each other, and the isolation column structure includes an isolation column located between the first light emitting unit and the second light emitting unit.

7. The display panel according to claim 6, wherein: In the direction of a line connecting the center of the first light-emitting unit and the center of the second light-emitting unit, the organic structure is located on a side of the isolation column close to the first light-emitting unit, or the organic structure is located on a side of the isolation column close to the second light-emitting unit.

8. The display panel according to claim 6, wherein: The organic structure between the first light-emitting unit and the second light-emitting unit includes a first substructure and a second substructure. The first substructure and the second substructure are arranged along the direction of the connecting line and are respectively located on both sides of the isolation column.

9. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The organic structure further includes a base layer, and the plurality of first protrusion structures are located on the base layer.

10. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein The light emitting direction of the light emitting unit is the direction of the light emitting unit facing away from the substrate; The bending region is configured to bend along a bending axis, the bending axis is parallel to a surface of the substrate close to the pixel defining layer, and the display panel is an inward folding display panel; The first protruding structure includes a first end close to the substrate and a second end away from the substrate. A dimension of the first end in a first direction is greater than a dimension of the second end in the first direction.

11. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein The light emitting direction of the light emitting unit is the direction of the light emitting unit facing away from the substrate; The bending region is configured to bend along a bending axis, the bending axis is parallel to a surface of the substrate close to the pixel defining layer, and the display panel is an outward folding display panel; The first protruding structure includes a first end close to the substrate and a second end away from the substrate. A dimension of the first end in a first direction is smaller than a dimension of the second end in the first direction.

12. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein The organic structure between two adjacent light-emitting units satisfies: 0.5*L2<L1<L2; Wherein, in the direction of the line connecting the centers of two adjacent light-emitting units, L1 is the width of the organic structure between the two adjacent light-emitting units, and L2 is the distance between the two adjacent light-emitting units; In a direction perpendicular to the substrate, the thickness of the organic structure is smaller than the thickness of the isolation column structure.

13. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein: The first protrusion structure satisfies: a<0.5*(L2-w) / n; In which, in the direction of the line connecting the centers of two adjacent light-emitting units, a is the maximum width of the first protrusion structure, L2 is the spacing between two adjacent light-emitting units, w is the sum of the widths of the isolation column structures between two adjacent light-emitting units, and n is the number of first protrusion structures between two adjacent light-emitting units.

14. The display panel according to claim 1, wherein The display panel also includes a substrate layer, which is located between the substrate and the pixel defining layer. The substrate layer has a plurality of first curved surface structures on a surface away from the substrate, and the orthographic projections of the plurality of first curved surface structures on the substrate overlap with the orthographic projections of the pixel defining layer on the substrate.

15. The display panel according to claim 14, wherein: A surface of the pixel defining layer away from the substrate is parallel to a surface of the substrate close to the pixel defining layer; Alternatively, a surface of the pixel defining layer away from the substrate has a plurality of second curved surface structures corresponding to the plurality of first curved surface structures, and orthographic projections of the second curved surface structures on the substrate are outside the orthographic projections of the isolation column structures on the substrate.

16. The display panel according to claim 14, wherein: The light emitting direction of the light emitting unit is the direction of the light emitting unit facing away from the substrate; The display panel is an inward folding display panel, and the first curved surface structure is a concave structure that is concave toward a direction close to the substrate; Alternatively, the display panel is an outward folding display panel, and the first curved surface structure is a second convex structure convex in a direction away from the substrate.

17. The display panel according to claim 14, wherein: The first curved surface structure satisfies: <h2-h1<tanα; R<h3+h3*cosα; Among them, h1 is the minimum thickness of the substrate layer in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, h2 is the maximum thickness of the substrate layer in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, R is the curvature radius of the first curved surface structure, h3 is the thickness of the pixel defining layer in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, and α is the minimum angle between the first curved surface structure and the plane perpendicular to the substrate.

18. A method for manufacturing a display panel, characterized in that: The method comprises: obtaining a substrate, wherein the substrate includes a bending region; A pixel defining layer, an isolation column structure, and an organic structure are formed on the substrate, wherein the pixel defining layer is located on the substrate and includes a plurality of openings. The isolation column structure and the organic structure are located on the substrate provided with the pixel defining layer, and the orthographic projections of the isolation column structure and the organic structure on the substrate overlap with the orthographic projections of the pixel defining layer in the bending region on the substrate. The organic structure includes a plurality of first protrusion structures protruding in a direction away from the substrate. A plurality of light-emitting units are formed on the substrate having the pixel defining layer formed thereon, and the plurality of light-emitting units are respectively located in the plurality of openings.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The step of forming a pixel defining layer, an isolation column structure, and an organic structure on the substrate includes: forming a pixel defining material layer on the substrate; forming an organic material layer on the substrate having the pixel defining material layer formed thereon; forming a photoresist layer on a side of the organic material layer away from the substrate; exposing and developing the photoresist layer through a half-tone mask to form a photoresist pattern; Etching the organic material layer and the pixel definition material layer through an etching process to form the pixel definition layer and the organic structure; removing the photoresist pattern; The isolation column structure is formed on the substrate having the pixel defining layer formed thereon.

20. A display device, characterized in that: The display device includes a housing and the display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

Images