Display panel and display device

Abstract

Provided in the present disclosure are a display panel and a display device. The display panel comprises a base substrate (100), and a plurality of pixel units (P), a pixel definition layer (120), isolation pillars (130), a first light-regulating function layer (140) and a second light-regulating function layer (150) arranged on one side of the base substrate (100). The side of the first light-regulating function layer (140) away from the base substrate (100) is provided with a plurality of grooves arranged at intervals. The refractive index of the second light-regulating function layer (150) is greater than the refractive index of the material of the first light-regulating function layer (140) that is in contact with the second light-regulating function layer (150) at the side surfaces of the grooves.

Description

Display panel and display device Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and more particularly to a display panel and a display device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of display technology, the requirements for display product resolution are becoming increasingly stringent. To achieve high resolution, high-precision mask designs, such as fine metal masks (FMMs), are typically used. However, this presents technical challenges in manufacturing and results in high mask material costs. Therefore, photolithography has emerged as a process for patterning subpixels. Compared to FMM technology, this approach offers higher precision and a higher pixel aperture ratio. Color mixing and crosstalk issues are also resolved by replacing FMM, leading to improved display clarity, color accuracy, and uniformity. This facilitates the further expansion of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) in display products of various sizes. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure provides a display panel and a display device through some embodiments, which are beneficial to improving the light emission efficiency of the display panel and thereby reducing the power consumption of the display panel.

[0004] In a first aspect, some embodiments of this disclosure provide a display panel, comprising: a substrate; a plurality of pixel units disposed on one side of the substrate, each pixel unit including a plurality of sub-pixels, each sub-pixel including a first electrode, a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode stacked thereon; a pixel defining layer disposed on one side of the substrate, including a plurality of pixel openings configured to define the light-emitting area of ​​the sub-pixel; an isolation pillar disposed on the side of the pixel defining layer away from the substrate, the isolation pillar being located between two adjacent sub-pixels and surrounding the sub-pixels, the isolation pillar being configured to separate the light-emitting layers of the two adjacent sub-pixels; a first dimming functional layer covering the light-emitting areas of the plurality of sub-pixels and the isolation pillars, the side of the first dimming functional layer away from the substrate having a plurality of grooves spaced apart, the grooves being disposed opposite to the light-emitting areas of the sub-pixels; and a second dimming functional layer at least partially located within the grooves and in contact with at least a portion of the side surface of the grooves, the refractive index of the second dimming functional layer being greater than the refractive index of the first dimming functional layer material in contact with the side surface of the groove.

[0005] In some embodiments, the second dimming functional layer includes a plurality of dimming structures spaced apart, each dimming structure being at least partially located within one of the grooves and in contact with at least a portion of the side surface of the groove.

[0006] In some embodiments, the plurality of sub-pixels includes a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel, and the plurality of grooves includes a first groove, a second groove, and a third groove. The first groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the first sub-pixel, the second groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the second sub-pixel, and the third groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the third sub-pixel. The plurality of dimming structures includes a first dimming structure, a second dimming structure, and a third dimming structure. The first dimming structure, the second dimming structure, and the third dimming structure have different refractive indices. The first dimming structure is at least partially located within the first groove, the second dimming structure is at least partially located within the second groove, and the third dimming structure is at least partially located within the third groove.

[0007] In some embodiments, the first dimming structure is a first color filter unit, the second dimming structure is a second color filter unit, and the third dimming structure is a third color filter unit. The color of the first color filter unit is the same as the emission color of the first sub-pixel, the color of the second color filter unit is the same as the emission color of the second sub-pixel, and the color of the third color filter unit is the same as the emission color of the third sub-pixel.

[0008] In some embodiments, the first dimming structure, the second dimming structure, and the third dimming structure have the same thickness in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, or at least two of the first dimming structure, the second dimming structure, and the third dimming structure have different thicknesses in the direction perpendicular to the substrate.

[0009] In some embodiments, the display panel further includes an organic encapsulation layer disposed on the side of the second dimming functional layer away from the substrate and in contact with the surface of the plurality of dimming structures on the side away from the substrate, wherein the refractive index of the organic encapsulation layer is less than the refractive index of the plurality of dimming structures.

[0010] In some embodiments, the surface of the dimming structure away from the substrate is concave; and / or, the surface of the dimming structure away from the substrate is provided with at least one dimming groove, the organic encapsulation layer fills the dimming groove and contacts the bottom and side surfaces of the dimming groove, at least a portion of the side surfaces of the dimming groove are inclined relative to the direction perpendicular to the substrate, and the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the dimming groove on the substrate is located within the orthographic projection range of the opening of the dimming groove on the substrate.

[0011] In some embodiments, at least one of the dimming structures has a thickness greater than the depth of the groove in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, and has a protrusion extending beyond the edge of the groove opening in the direction toward an adjacent dimming structure. In some embodiments, the side of the protrusion toward the adjacent dimming structure is a first ramp surface, the organic encapsulation layer is in contact with the first ramp surface, the distance between the bottom end of the first ramp surface and a first central axis is greater than the distance between the top end of the first ramp surface and the first central axis, the first central axis being the central axis of the dimming structure having the protrusion, the bottom end of the first ramp surface being the end closer to the substrate, and the top end being the end farther away from the substrate.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first dimming functional layer includes a first inorganic encapsulation layer configured to encapsulate the plurality of sub-pixels, wherein the refractive index of the first inorganic encapsulation layer is less than the refractive index of the second dimming functional layer. The second dimming functional layer contacts the first inorganic encapsulation layer at least at a portion of the side surface of the recess.

[0013] In some embodiments, the plurality of sub-pixels includes a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel. The first inorganic encapsulation layer includes a first sub-encapsulation layer, a second sub-encapsulation layer, and a third sub-encapsulation layer. The first sub-encapsulation layer is configured to encapsulate the first sub-pixel, the second sub-encapsulation layer is configured to encapsulate the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-encapsulation layer is configured to encapsulate the third sub-pixel. The plurality of grooves includes a first groove, a second groove, and a third groove. The first groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the first sub-pixel, the second groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the second sub-pixel, and the third groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the third sub-pixel.

[0014] In some embodiments, in the first sub-encapsulation layer, the second sub-encapsulation layer, and the third sub-encapsulation layer, different sub-encapsulation layers encapsulating two adjacent sub-pixels are connected at the top of the isolation pillars between the two adjacent sub-pixels; the orthographic projections of the first sub-encapsulation layer, the second sub-encapsulation layer, and the third sub-encapsulation layer on the substrate do not overlap.

[0015] In some embodiments, at least two of the first sub-encapsulation layer, the second sub-encapsulation layer, and the third sub-encapsulation layer are stacked on top of the isolation pillars between at least two adjacent sub-pixels.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first sub-encapsulation layer includes a first encapsulation portion and a first support portion, the first encapsulation portion covering the top of the first sub-pixel and the isolation pillars surrounding the first sub-pixel, and the first support portion covering the top of the isolation pillars between adjacent second and third sub-pixels.

[0017] In some embodiments, the second sub-encapsulation layer covers the second sub-pixel and also covers the first encapsulation portion located on top of the isolation pillar between adjacent first and second sub-pixels; the third sub-encapsulation layer covers the third sub-pixel and also covers the first encapsulation portion located on top of the isolation pillar between adjacent third and first sub-pixels; and the second and third sub-encapsulation layers are connected at the top of the isolation pillar between adjacent second and third sub-pixels, and each covers a portion of the first support portion, wherein the orthographic projections of the second and third sub-encapsulation layers on the substrate do not overlap.

[0018] In some embodiments, the second sub-encapsulation layer includes a second encapsulation portion and a second support portion; the second encapsulation portion covers the second sub-pixel, covers the first encapsulation portion located on top of the isolation pillar between adjacent first sub-pixels and the second sub-pixel, and covers the first support portion located on top of the isolation pillar between adjacent second sub-pixels and the third sub-pixel; the second support portion covers the first encapsulation portion on top of the isolation pillar between adjacent first sub-pixels and the third sub-pixel; and the third sub-encapsulation layer at least covers the third sub-pixel and a portion of the second sub-encapsulation layer covering the top of the isolation pillar surrounding the third sub-pixel.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first dimming functional layer includes: a first inorganic encapsulation layer configured to encapsulate the plurality of sub-pixels; and a refractive index matching layer disposed on the side of the first inorganic encapsulation layer away from the substrate, wherein the refractive index of the refractive index matching layer is less than the refractive index of the second dimming functional layer, and the second dimming functional layer contacts the refractive index matching layer at least at a portion of the side surface of the groove.

[0020] In some embodiments, the first inorganic encapsulation layer includes a flat portion and a protrusion disposed around the flat portion, the protrusion protruding away from the substrate relative to the flat portion, the protrusion surrounding and connected to the flat portion, and the flat portion covering the sub-pixel. The protrusion covers the isolation pillars located between adjacent sub-pixels; the second dimming functional layer contacts the refractive index matching layer at a side position of each of the recesses, the refractive index matching layer being stacked on the flat portion and the protrusion, or, the refractive index matching layer being stacked on the protrusion, the orthographic projection of the refractive index matching layer on the substrate being located outside the orthographic projection range of the plurality of pixel openings on the substrate; or, the refractive index matching layer being stacked on the protrusion around a portion of the sub-pixels, the second dimming functional layer contacting the refractive index matching layer at a side position of a portion of the recesses, and contacting the first inorganic encapsulation layer at a side position of a portion of the recesses.

[0021] In some embodiments, the side of the groove is a second slope surface, the distance between the top end of the second slope surface and the second central axis is greater than the distance between the bottom end of the second slope surface and the second central axis, the second central axis is the central axis of the bottom surface of the groove, the top end of the second slope surface is the end away from the substrate, and the bottom end is the end close to the substrate.

[0022] In some embodiments, the plurality of sub-pixels includes a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel, and the plurality of grooves includes a first groove, a second groove, and a third groove. The first groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the first sub-pixel, the second groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the second sub-pixel, and the third groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the third sub-pixel. Along a direction perpendicular to the substrate, the depths of the first groove, the second groove, and the third groove are approximately the same, or at least two of the first groove, the second groove, and the third groove have different depths.

[0023] In some embodiments, the display panel further includes: a second inorganic encapsulation layer disposed on the side of the second dimming functional layer away from the substrate; a touch structure layer disposed on the side of the second inorganic encapsulation layer away from the substrate, the touch structure layer including a first touch metal layer and a second touch metal layer stacked together; a light-shielding layer disposed on the side of the touch structure layer away from the substrate, wherein the orthographic projections of the first touch metal layer and the second touch metal layer on the substrate are located within the orthographic projection range of the light-shielding layer on the substrate, and the orthographic projections of the plurality of pixel openings on the substrate and the orthographic projections of the light-shielding layer on the substrate do not overlap; and a protective layer disposed on the side of the light-shielding layer away from the substrate.

[0024] Secondly, some embodiments of this disclosure provide a display device, including the display panel provided in the first aspect of this disclosure.

[0025] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. In order to better understand the technical means of the embodiments of this disclosure and to implement them in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and effects of the embodiments of this disclosure more obvious and understandable, specific implementation methods of the embodiments of this disclosure are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort.

[0027] Figure 1 shows a plan view of a display panel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of pixel arrangement according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of pixel arrangement in some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0032] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0033] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0034] Figures 8 to 13 respectively show schematic diagrams of the structure of a display panel according to other embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0035] Figure 14 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a display device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0037] It should be noted that the use of "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. The term "at least one" includes one or more cases, and "multiple" includes two or more cases. Words such as "including" or "contains" mean that the element or object preceding the word covers the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "up," "down," "left," and "right" are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0038] As used herein, “approximately” includes the stated value and the average value within an acceptable range of deviation from that value, said acceptable range of deviation being determined by one of ordinary skill in the art taking into account the measurement under discussion and the error associated with the measurement of the particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). “Largely the same” includes exactly the same as and the same within the allowable range of process tolerances; “largely flush” includes completely flush as and flush within the allowable range of process tolerances.

[0039] As used herein, “parallel,” “perpendicular,” “equal,” and “identical” include the described situation and situations that are similar to the described situation, within an acceptable range of deviation, which is determined by those skilled in the art taking into account the measurement under discussion and the error associated with the measurement of a particular quantity (i.e., the limitations of the measurement system). For example, “parallel” includes absolute parallelism and approximate parallelism, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate parallelism may be, for example, within 5°; “perpendicular” includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate perpendicularity may also be, for example, within 5°. “Equal” and “identical” include absolute equality and approximate equality, where an acceptable range of deviation for approximate equality may be, for example, a difference between the two equals being less than or equal to 5% of either one.

[0040] It should be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being on another layer or substrate, it can mean that the layer or element is directly on the other layer or substrate, or that there is an intermediate layer between the layer or element and the other layer or substrate. "The orthographic projection of B lies within the orthographic projection range of A" means that the boundary of the orthographic projection of B falls within the boundary range of the orthographic projection of A, or that the boundary of the orthographic projection of A overlaps with the boundary of the orthographic projection of B.

[0041] The display panel provided in the embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] This disclosure provides a display panel comprising a substrate and a plurality of pixel units, a pixel defining layer, isolation pillars, a first dimming functional layer, and a second dimming functional layer disposed on one side of the substrate. Each pixel unit includes a plurality of sub-pixels, each sub-pixel including a first electrode, a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode stacked thereon. The pixel defining layer includes a plurality of pixel openings configured to define the light-emitting area of ​​a sub-pixel. Isolation pillars are disposed on the side of the pixel defining layer away from the substrate and configured to separate the light-emitting layers of two adjacent sub-pixels. The isolation pillars are located between and around two adjacent sub-pixels. The first dimming functional layer covers the light-emitting areas of the plurality of sub-pixels and the isolation pillars. The side of the first dimming functional layer away from the substrate has a plurality of spaced-apart grooves, which are opposite to the light-emitting areas of the sub-pixels. The second dimming functional layer is at least partially located within the grooves and contacts at least a portion of the side surface of the grooves. The refractive index of the second dimming functional layer is greater than the refractive index of the first dimming functional layer material in contact with the side surface of the groove. It should be noted that the bottom surface of the groove refers to the surface opposite to the opening of the groove, and the side surface of the groove refers to the surface that connects to the bottom surface of the groove and extends from the bottom surface of the groove to the opening.

[0043] Since the second dimming functional layer is in contact with at least a portion of the side surface of the groove, and the refractive index of the second dimming functional layer is greater than the refractive index of the material of the first dimming functional layer that is in contact with the second dimming functional layer at the side surface of the groove, a dimming interface can be formed in the area where the second dimming functional layer is in contact with the side surface of the groove. For ease of distinction, the side of the dimming interface facing the second dimming functional layer is referred to as the first side of the dimming interface, and the side of the dimming interface facing the first dimming functional layer is referred to as the second side of the dimming interface. Thus, light incident from the first side to the second side of the dimming interface is incident from a high-refractive-index medium to a low-refractive-index medium. When the angle of incidence is greater than the critical angle for total internal reflection, total internal reflection will occur at the dimming interface. Therefore, at least a portion of the light emitted by the sub-pixel below the groove that would otherwise not be able to exit forward can be emitted forward through total internal reflection at the dimming interface, effectively improving the forward light emission efficiency of the sub-pixel, thereby improving the light emission efficiency of the display panel and reducing the power consumption of the display panel. It should be noted that "forward emission" here refers to emission from the light-emitting area directly opposite the sub-pixel.

[0044] Figure 1 shows a plan view of a display panel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be noted that the display panel shown in Figure 1 is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the shape and size of the display panel. The shape and size of the display panel are determined according to the needs of the actual display product. For example, the display panel provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied to small-sized products, such as mobile phones, as well as medium- and large-sized products such as tablet computers, laptops, displays, and televisions. The present disclosure does not impose any limitations in this regard.

[0045] As shown in Figure 1, the display panel 10 may include a display area AA and a non-display area SA. The non-display area SA is located on at least one side of the display area AA. For example, the non-display area SA may be located on one side of the display area AA, or it may be located on multiple sides of the display area AA, such as the non-display area SA surrounding the outside of the display area AA.

[0046] In some embodiments, the display area AA may include a plurality of pixel units P arranged in an array. As shown in FIG1, the display area AA is provided with a plurality of pixel units P arranged in an array in a first direction and a second direction. For example, the first direction can be represented by the X-axis in FIG1, and the second direction can be represented by the Y-axis in FIG1. ​​For example, the plurality of pixels P can be arranged in M ​​rows and N columns, where M and N are integers greater than or equal to 2. FIG1 only shows a few pixel units P as an example of arrangement, and the ellipsis indicates the remaining pixel units not shown. The first direction is the pixel row direction, and the second direction is the pixel column direction. The first direction and the second direction intersect, or they can be perpendicular to each other. It should be noted that the arrangement of pixel units shown in FIG1 is only schematic and is not intended to be limiting. The actual arrangement is determined according to the needs of the product.

[0047] In some embodiments, each pixel unit P may include multiple sub-pixels, each of which can display a single color. For example, the multiple sub-pixels may include a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel, each a sub-pixel of a different color, such as displaying one of the three primary colors: red, green, and blue. The brightness (grayscale) of the different colored sub-pixels in each pixel unit can be adjusted, and multiple colors can be displayed through color combination and superposition, thereby achieving full-color display.

[0048] Figure 2 illustrates a pixel arrangement diagram of some embodiments of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 2, each pixel unit P may include: a first sub-pixel p1, two second sub-pixels p2, and a third sub-pixel p3. The first sub-pixel p1 and the third sub-pixel p3 may be arranged along the X-axis, and the two second sub-pixels p2 may be arranged along the Y-axis. The two second sub-pixels p2 are located on one side of the third sub-pixel p3, and the first sub-pixel p1 is located on the other side of the third sub-pixel p3. For example, the first sub-pixel p1 may be a red sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel p2 may be a green sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel p3 may be a blue sub-pixel, i.e., a GGRB pixel arrangement is adopted.

[0049] Figure 3 illustrates a pixel arrangement diagram of some other embodiments of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, each pixel unit P may include: a first sub-pixel p1, a second sub-pixel p2, and a third sub-pixel p3. The first sub-pixel p1, the second sub-pixel p2, and the third sub-pixel p3 are all elongated and arranged sequentially along the X-axis. For example, the first sub-pixel p1 can be a red sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel p2 can be a green sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel p3 can be a blue sub-pixel, i.e., an RGB pixel arrangement is adopted.

[0050] It should be noted that the pixel arrangement and the shape of each sub-pixel shown in Figures 2 and 3 are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended as limitations. The specific arrangement can be determined according to actual needs. For example, the shape of a sub-pixel can be a single shape or a combination of multiple shapes such as a rectangle, square, rhombus, pentagon, hexagon, circle, or ellipse.

[0051] Each sub-pixel may include a light-emitting device and a pixel driving circuit for driving that light-emitting device. For example, the light-emitting device may be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) or a quantum dot organic light-emitting diode (QLED). For example, a red sub-pixel may include a light-emitting device for emitting red light, a green sub-pixel may include a light-emitting device for emitting green light, and a blue sub-pixel may include a light-emitting device for emitting blue light.

[0052] Pixel driving circuits can include multiple electronic components such as transistors and capacitors. For example, a pixel driving circuit can typically include three transistors and one capacitor, forming a 3T1C (i.e., one driving transistor, two switching transistors, and one capacitor). It can also include more than three transistors and at least one capacitor, such as a 4T1C (i.e., one driving transistor, three switching transistors, and one capacitor), a 5T1C (i.e., one driving transistor, four switching transistors, and one capacitor), or a 7T1C (i.e., one driving transistor, six switching transistors, and one capacitor). The transistors can be thin-film transistors (TFTs), metal oxide semiconductors (MOS), or other switching devices with similar characteristics.

[0053] It is understandable that a transistor can include a control electrode, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The control electrode is the gate of the transistor, the first electrode is one of the source and drain electrodes, and the second electrode is the other of the source and drain electrodes. Since the source and drain of a transistor can be structurally symmetrical, they can be structurally indistinguishable. Therefore, the source of a transistor is called either the first electrode or the second electrode.

[0054] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, Figure 4 can be a cross-sectional view AA of Figure 3. As shown in Figure 4, the display panel 10 may include a substrate 100 and a first electrode layer, a pixel define layer 120 (PDL), a light-emitting layer 112, a second electrode layer, an isolation pillar 130, a first dimming functional layer 140, and a second dimming functional layer 150 stacked on one side of the substrate 100.

[0055] In some embodiments, the substrate 100 may be a rigid substrate. This rigid substrate may, for example, include a glass substrate, a PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate) substrate, a silicon substrate, etc. In this case, the display panel 10 may be a rigid display panel.

[0056] In other embodiments, the substrate 100 may be a flexible substrate. This flexible substrate may, for example, include a PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) substrate, a PEN (Polyethylene naphthalate dimethyl methacrylate) substrate, or a PI (Polyimide) substrate. In this case, the display panel 10 may be a flexible display panel.

[0057] The display panel 10 also includes a driving circuit layer (not shown) stacked between the first electrode layer and the substrate 100. The driving circuit layer is configured to form the aforementioned pixel driving circuit for each sub-pixel. For example, the driving circuit layer may include a plurality of pixel driving circuits arrayed in a first direction and a second direction. For example, in addition to pixel driving circuits, the driving circuit layer may also be used to form sensing elements integrated under the screen, such as an ambient light sensor and its driving element, depending on actual needs; this embodiment does not limit this. For example, for a display panel 10 with fingerprint recognition functionality, the driving circuit layer may also be used to form a photosensitive element and a driving transistor for driving the photosensitive element to operate, thereby realizing fingerprint recognition.

[0058] The first electrode layer includes a plurality of first electrodes 111 spaced apart, and each sub-pixel's light-emitting device 110 includes a first electrode 111.

[0059] The pixel defining layer 120 includes a plurality of pixel openings 121, each pixel opening 121 corresponding to a sub-pixel and configured to define the light-emitting area of ​​the sub-pixel. As shown in FIG4, the pixel opening 121 exposes at least a portion of the first electrode 111. For example, the orthographic projection of the pixel opening 121 on the substrate 100 is located within the orthographic projection range of the first electrode 111 on the substrate 100.

[0060] Isolation pillars 130 are disposed on the side of the pixel defining layer 120 away from the substrate 100. Isolation pillars 130 are located between and around adjacent sub-pixels, specifically between and around the light-emitting areas of adjacent sub-pixels. For example, the orthographic projection of isolation pillars 130 onto the substrate 100 is a mesh region, and the orthographic projection of the light-emitting area of ​​each sub-pixel onto the substrate lies within the opening of the mesh region. Isolation pillars 130 have an undercut structure resembling an inverted trapezoid or an I-beam. Isolation pillars 130 can be used to separate the material of the light-emitting layer 112 in subsequent processes, thereby enabling individual vapor deposition and encapsulation of each sub-pixel. In some embodiments, isolation pillars 130 can be formed from multiple stacked metal layers, such as a Ti-Al-Ti stacked structure. In other embodiments, isolation pillars 130 can also be formed from inorganic insulating layers and / or organic layers, which is not limited herein.

[0061] The light-emitting layer 112 is disposed on the side of the first electrode layer away from the substrate 100. For example, a portion of the light-emitting layer 112 is located within the corresponding pixel opening 121, forms an electrical connection with the corresponding first electrode 111, and can extend from the sidewall of the pixel defining layer 120 toward the pixel opening 121 to the isolation pillar 130 located on top of the pixel defining layer 120, and is separated by the undercut structure of the isolation pillar 130.

[0062] In some embodiments, the light-emitting layer 112 may include a light-emitting material layer (EML) and a functional material layer stacked on top of the light-emitting material layer. For example, the functional material layer may include one or more of a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transport layer (HTL), an electron transport layer (ETL), and an electron injection layer (EIL), depending on actual needs, and this disclosure does not limit it.

[0063] The second electrode layer is stacked and disposed on the side of the light-emitting layer 112 away from the substrate 100. The second electrode layer may include a plurality of second electrodes 113, and the light-emitting device 110 of each sub-pixel includes one second electrode 113, which is stacked on the light-emitting layer 112 of that sub-pixel. In some embodiments, the isolation pillars 130 described above have conductive properties, and the isolation pillars 130 surrounding each sub-pixel are interconnected. As shown in FIG4, the second electrode 113 of each sub-pixel overlaps with the isolation pillar 130 and is interconnected with the isolation pillar 130, thereby enabling the second electrodes 113 of each sub-pixel to be connected through the isolation pillar 130, so as to input electrical signals to the second electrode layer. In other embodiments, the second electrodes 113 of each sub-pixel can also be connected in other ways, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0064] One of the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 113 serves as the anode of the light-emitting device 110, and the other serves as the cathode. Taking the first electrode 111 as the anode and the second electrode 113 as the cathode as an example, the first electrode 111 can be, for example, a composite structure formed by sequentially stacking transparent conductive oxide films / metal films / transparent conductive oxide films. The material of the aforementioned transparent conductive oxide films can be, for example, any one of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) and IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide), and the material of the aforementioned metal films can be, for example, any one of gold (Au), silver (Ag), nickel (Ni), and platinum (Pt). Alternatively, the first electrode 111 can also be a single-layer structure, and the material of the single-layer structure can be any one of ITO, IZO, Au, Ag, Ni, and Pt. The second electrode 113 can, for example, be a metal film with a certain transmittance, such as any one of aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), and magnesium (Mg), or any one of magnesium-silver alloys and aluminum-lithium alloys.

[0065] A first dimming functional layer 140 is disposed on the side of the second electrode layer away from the substrate 100, covering the light-emitting area of ​​each sub-pixel and the isolation pillars 130 between adjacent sub-pixels, thereby forming a plurality of spaced grooves on the side of the first dimming functional layer 140 away from the substrate 100. A second dimming functional layer 150 is disposed on the side of the first dimming functional layer 140 away from the substrate 100, covering the grooves on the first dimming functional layer 140. The second dimming functional layer 150 is at least partially located within the grooves and is in contact with at least a portion of the side surface of the grooves. For example, the second dimming functional layer 150 may fill or partially fill the grooves. By matching the refractive index between the first dimming functional layer 140 and the second dimming functional layer 150, a dimming interface is formed on the side of the groove. The transmission path of at least part of the light rays (with an incident angle greater than the critical angle for total internal reflection at the interface) incident from the sub-pixel directly below the groove to the dimming interface is adjusted, so that at least part of the light that could not originally be emitted in the forward direction is emitted in the forward direction after total internal reflection at the dimming interface, thereby effectively improving the light emission efficiency of the display panel 10 and reducing the power consumption of the display panel 10.

[0066] In some embodiments, each groove may be disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​a sub-pixel. For example, the orthographic projection of the pixel opening 121 of the sub-pixel on the substrate 100 and the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the corresponding groove on the substrate 100 may at least partially overlap.

[0067] In some embodiments, the side surface of the groove can be a ramp, and the distance between the top of the ramp and the central axis of the bottom surface of the groove is greater than the distance between the bottom of the ramp and the central axis. The top of the ramp is the end away from the substrate 100, and the bottom is the end close to the substrate 100. The central axis of the bottom surface of the groove is a straight line passing through the geometric center point of the bottom surface and perpendicular to the substrate 100. For example, the slope angle α of the ramp can be 45° to 85°, such as 45°, 60°, or 85°. Of course, in other embodiments, the side surface of the groove can also be a vertical surface perpendicular to the substrate 100.

[0068] In the case where each pixel unit P of the display panel 10 includes a first sub-pixel p1, a second sub-pixel p2, and a third sub-pixel p3, the aforementioned plurality of recesses may include a first recess 141, a second recess 142, and a third recess 143. The first recess 141 is disposed opposite to the first sub-pixel p1, the second recess 142 is disposed opposite to the second sub-pixel p2, and the third recess 143 is disposed opposite to the third sub-pixel p3. For example, in FIG4, the first sub-pixel p1 can be a red sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel p2 can be a green sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel p3 can be a blue sub-pixel.

[0069] In some embodiments, the slope angles of the sides of the first groove 141, the second groove 142, and the third groove 143 may be approximately the same. In other embodiments, the slope angles of the sides of at least two of the first groove 141, the second groove 142, and the third groove 143 may be different to match the light extraction efficiency requirements of sub-pixels of different colors.

[0070] In some embodiments, the depths of the first groove 141, the second groove 142, and the third groove 143 can be approximately the same along a direction perpendicular to the substrate 100. Thus, when the second dimming functional layer 150 fills the first groove 141, the second groove 142, and the third groove 143, the heights of the dimming interfaces corresponding to the sub-pixels of the three colors are approximately the same.

[0071] In other embodiments, at least two of the first groove 141, the second groove 142, and the third groove 143 may have different depths along a direction perpendicular to the substrate 100. This results in differences in the height of the dimming interfaces corresponding to the sub-pixels of the three colors when the second dimming functional layer 150 fills all three grooves. This facilitates matching the light extraction efficiency requirements of sub-pixels of different colors and avoids color shift. For example, the depths of the first groove 141 and the second groove 142 may be approximately the same, while the depth of the third groove 143 may be greater than the depths of the first groove 141 and the second groove 142. Alternatively, the depths of the first groove 141, the second groove 142, and the third groove 143 may all be different; the actual depth is set according to the light extraction efficiency requirements of each color sub-pixel.

[0072] In some embodiments, the first dimming functional layer 140 may include a first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 configured to encapsulate the plurality of sub-pixels, that is, to protect the light-emitting devices 110 of the sub-pixels from water and oxygen erosion that would affect their light emission. The first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 covers the plurality of sub-pixels and the isolation pillars 130 between adjacent sub-pixels. Since the isolation pillars 130 have a certain height, the portion of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 covering the isolation pillars 130 protrudes away from the light-emitting area of ​​the sub-pixel relative to the portion covering the light-emitting area of ​​the sub-pixel, thereby forming a protrusion structure with a cross-sectional shape that is approximately trapezoidal between the light-emitting areas of two adjacent sub-pixels. Correspondingly, the aforementioned groove is also formed above the light-emitting area of ​​each sub-pixel.

[0073] As an optional implementation, the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 can be combined with the second dimming functional layer 150 to form the aforementioned dimming interface. This helps save materials, reduce processes, and lower production costs. As another optional implementation, the first dimming functional layer 140 may further include a refractive index matching layer 310, which is stacked on at least a portion of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210. The refractive index matching layer 310 cooperates with the second dimming functional layer 150 to form the aforementioned dimming interface. This allows for flexible selection of the refractive index matching layer 310 material, without being limited by the inorganic encapsulation layer material, to better achieve refractive index matching of the dimming interface and achieve the desired dimming effect.

[0074] The two implementation methods described above can be used individually or in combination. For example, the second dimming functional layer 150 can contact the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 on the side of a portion of the groove to form a dimming interface, and can also contact the refractive index matching layer 310 on the side of a portion of the groove to form a dimming interface.

[0075] When the dimming interface is formed by the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 and the second dimming functional layer 150, the refractive index of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 is less than that of the second dimming functional layer 150, and the second dimming functional layer 150 contacts the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 at least part of the side surface of the groove. It should be noted that the shapes of the bottom and side surfaces of the groove shown in Figure 4 are only schematic and not limiting; the specific shape is determined based on the actual shape of the groove formed after the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 is fabricated. For example, since the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 is formed on the film layer below it by a deposition process, in some embodiments, the film layer below the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 has a step at the edge of the light-emitting area of ​​the sub-pixel. Therefore, the side surface of the groove formed on the side of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 away from the substrate 100 will also have a step. The step on the side surface of the groove shown in Figure 4 is not shown.

[0076] In some embodiments, where each pixel unit P of the display panel 10 includes a first sub-pixel p1, a second sub-pixel p2, and a third sub-pixel p3, the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 may include a first sub-encapsulation layer 211, a second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and a third sub-encapsulation layer 213. The first sub-encapsulation layer 211 is configured to encapsulate the first sub-pixel p1, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 is configured to encapsulate the second sub-pixel p2, and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 is configured to encapsulate the third sub-pixel p3.

[0077] Taking the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 as an example, the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 can be effectively combined with the isolation pillar 130 at the undercut structure of the isolation pillar 130, forming an effective encapsulation of the light-emitting layer 112 and the second electrode 113 in the first sub-pixel p1. For example, along the direction perpendicular to the substrate 100, the height of the isolation pillar 130 can be 0.5μm to 2μm, such as 0.5μm, 1μm or 2μm. When the first sub-pixel p1 is a red sub-pixel, the thickness of the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 can be 0.5μm to 2μm, such as 0.5μm, 1μm or 2μm. The refractive index of the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 can be about 1.6, while the refractive index of the second dimming functional layer 150 can be about 1.7 to 1.8, such as 1.7, 1.75 or 1.8.

[0078] The first sub-encapsulation layer 211, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 can be formed through different deposition and etching processes. The film materials and thicknesses of the first sub-encapsulation layer 211, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 can be the same, or they can be different, depending on actual needs. The refractive indices of the first sub-encapsulation layer 211, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 are less than the refractive index of the second dimming functional layer 150. When the first sub-encapsulation layer 211, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 use the same inorganic encapsulation material, they can be considered as a single unit with the same refractive index.

[0079] The aforementioned plurality of grooves may include a first groove 141, a second groove 142, and a third groove 143. The first groove 141 is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the first sub-pixel p1, the second groove 142 is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the second sub-pixel p2, and the third groove 143 is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the third sub-pixel p3. For example, the orthographic projection of the pixel opening 121 of the first sub-pixel p1 on the substrate 100 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the first groove 141 on the substrate 100; the orthographic projection of the pixel opening 121 of the second sub-pixel p2 on the substrate 100 is located at least partially overlapping with the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the second groove 142 on the substrate 100; and the orthographic projection of the pixel opening 121 of the third sub-pixel p3 on the substrate 100 is located at least partially overlapping with the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the third groove 143 on the substrate 100.

[0080] In some embodiments, in the first sub-encapsulation layer 211, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213, the different sub-encapsulation layers encapsulating two adjacent sub-pixels are connected at the top of the isolation pillar 130 between the two adjacent sub-pixels; and the orthographic projections of the first sub-encapsulation layer 211, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 on the substrate 100 do not overlap. That is, a single-layer sub-encapsulation layer is provided at the light-emitting area of ​​each sub-pixel and at the isolation pillar 130 between adjacent sub-pixels. For example, Figure 4 shows three sub-pixels, from left to right: first sub-pixel p1, second sub-pixel p2, and third sub-pixel p3. The first sub-encapsulation layer 211 and the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 are connected at the top of the isolation pillar 130 between the first sub-pixel p1 and the second sub-pixel p2, and the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 are connected at the top of the isolation pillar 130 between the second sub-pixel p2 and the third sub-pixel p3. The first groove 141, the second groove 142, and the third groove 143 have approximately the same depth.

[0081] For example, for easy distinction, the white-filled area in the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 of Figure 4 represents the first sub-encapsulation layer 211, the light gray-filled area represents the second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and the dark gray-filled area represents the third sub-encapsulation layer 213. The first sub-encapsulation layer 211 and the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 are connected at the middle position of the top of the isolation pillar 130 between the first sub-pixel p1 and the second sub-pixel p2, and the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 are connected at the middle position of the top of the isolation pillar 130 between the second sub-pixel p2 and the third sub-pixel p3.

[0082] It should be noted that when using photolithography to achieve sub-pixel patterning, if a mask of the sub-encapsulation layer is used to etch away the sub-encapsulation layer material in other areas, and then simultaneously etch away the light-emitting layer 112 material and the second electrode 113 material in the area where the sub-encapsulation layer material is etched, then the top of the isolation pillar 130 will retain the light-emitting layer 112 material and the second electrode 113 material. In this case, the aforementioned first dimming functional layer 140 also includes a redundant light-emitting layer and a redundant second electrode stacked with the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 on top of the isolation pillar 130.

[0083] As shown in Figure 4, the top of the isolation pillar 130 between the first sub-pixel p1 and the second sub-pixel p2 still retains the light-emitting layer 112 material of the first sub-pixel p1, the light-emitting layer 112 material of the second sub-pixel p2, and the second electrode 113 material. The first sub-encapsulation layer 211 and the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 connected to the top of the isolation pillar 130 encapsulate this portion of the redundant light-emitting layer and redundant second electrode. The top of the isolation pillar 130 between the second sub-pixel p2 and the third sub-pixel p3 still retains the light-emitting layer material of the second sub-pixel p2, the light-emitting layer material of the third sub-pixel p3, and the second electrode material. The second sub-encapsulation layer 212 and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 connected to the top of the isolation pillar 130 encapsulate this portion of the redundant light-emitting layer and redundant second electrode.

[0084] Retaining the light-emitting layer 112 and the second electrode 113 at the top of the isolation pillar 130 can, on the one hand, allow the use of the sub-encapsulation layer mask to etch the light-emitting layer 112 and the second electrode 113, reducing the number of masks. On the other hand, it can further raise the first dimming functional layer 140 at the top of the isolation pillar 130, increasing the depth of the groove formed by the first dimming functional layer 140, thereby increasing the area of ​​the dimming interface and improving the light emission efficiency of the display panel 10.

[0085] As shown in Figure 4, the first groove 141 is formed by the first sub-encapsulation layer 211, that is, the bottom and side surfaces of the first groove 141 are formed by the surface of the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 away from the substrate 100. The second dimming functional layer 150, which is filled in the first groove 141, is in contact with the bottom and side surfaces of the first groove 141. Since the refractive index of the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 is less than the refractive index of the second dimming functional layer 150, the dimming interface can be formed on the side surface of the first groove 141.

[0086] The second groove 142 is formed by the second sub-encapsulation layer 212, meaning that the bottom and side surfaces of the second groove 142 are formed by the surface of the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 away from the substrate 100. The second dimming functional layer 150, which fills the second groove 142, contacts the bottom and side surfaces of the second groove 142. Since the refractive index of the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 is less than the refractive index of the second dimming functional layer 150, the dimming interface can be formed on the side surface of the second groove 142.

[0087] The aforementioned third groove 143 is formed by a third sub-encapsulation layer 213, meaning that the bottom and side surfaces of the third groove 143 are formed by the surface of the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 away from the substrate 100. The second dimming functional layer 150, filled within the third groove 143, contacts the bottom and side surfaces of the third groove 143. Since the refractive index of the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 is less than the refractive index of the second dimming functional layer 150, the aforementioned dimming interface can be formed on the side surface of the third groove 143.

[0088] As shown in Figure 4, the light L1 emitted by the first sub-pixel p1 is incident on the dimming interface, where total internal reflection occurs, thereby changing the transmission path and exiting from the positive direction of the first sub-pixel p1.

[0089] In some embodiments, at least two of the first sub-encapsulation layer 211, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 are stacked on top of the isolation pillar 130 between at least two adjacent sub-pixels. That is, a single-layer sub-encapsulation layer is provided in the light-emitting area of ​​each sub-pixel, while two or three layers of sub-encapsulation layers are stacked on top of the isolation pillar 130 between at least two adjacent sub-pixels. This can increase the protrusion height of the first dimming function layer 140 on the isolation pillar 130, thereby increasing the depth of the groove, which is beneficial to increasing the area of ​​the dimming interface, allowing more light that could not be emitted to be emitted, so as to further improve the light emission efficiency of the display panel 10.

[0090] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel 10 according to some other embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 includes a first encapsulation portion and a first support portion. The first encapsulation portion covers the top of the first sub-pixel p1 and the top of the isolation pillar 130 surrounding the first sub-pixel p1, and the first support portion covers the top of the isolation pillar 130 between adjacent second sub-pixels p2 and third sub-pixels p3. By providing the first support portion on the top of the isolation pillar 130 between the second sub-pixels p2 and third sub-pixels p3, the number of sub-encapsulation layers on the isolation pillar 130 between the second sub-pixels p2 and third sub-pixels p3 can be increased, thereby facilitating an increase in the depth of the second groove 142 and the third groove 143.

[0091] As shown in Figure 5, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 covers the second sub-pixel p2 and also covers the first encapsulation portion located on top of the isolation pillar 130 between the adjacent first sub-pixel p1 and the second sub-pixel p2. The third sub-encapsulation layer 213 covers the third sub-pixel p3 and also covers the first encapsulation portion located on top of the isolation pillar 130 between the adjacent third sub-pixel p3 and the first sub-pixel p1. The second sub-encapsulation layer 212 and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 are connected at the top of the isolation pillar 130 between the adjacent second sub-pixel p2 and the third sub-pixel p3, and each covers a portion of the first support portion. The orthographic projections of the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 on the substrate 100 do not overlap.

[0092] As shown in Figure 5, two sub-encapsulation layers are stacked on top of the isolation pillars 130 between two adjacent sub-pixels. The depths of the first groove 141, the second groove 142, and the third groove 143 are approximately the same. A first sub-encapsulation layer 211 and a second sub-encapsulation layer 212 are stacked on top of the isolation pillars 130 between the light-emitting areas of the first sub-pixel p1 and the second sub-pixel p2. A first sub-encapsulation layer 211, a second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and a third sub-encapsulation layer 213 are stacked on top of the isolation pillars 130 between the light-emitting areas of the second sub-pixel p2 and the third sub-pixel p3. A first sub-encapsulation layer 211 and a third sub-encapsulation layer 213 are stacked on top of the isolation pillars 130 between the light-emitting areas of the third sub-pixel p3 and the first sub-pixel p1. In this way, compared to the embodiment corresponding to Figure 4, the depth of the grooves is effectively increased, thereby increasing the area of ​​the dimming interface, i.e., increasing the number of rays that can undergo total internal reflection and be emitted forward at the dimming interface, which is beneficial to further improving the light emission efficiency of the display panel 10.

[0093] As shown in Figure 5, the second dimming functional layer 150 filled in the first groove 141 contacts the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 on the left side of the first groove 141, and contacts the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 and the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 on the right side of the first groove 141, forming a dimming interface. This allows at least a portion of the light emitted by the first sub-pixel p1, which would otherwise be unable to escape, to undergo total internal reflection at this dimming interface and thus be emitted forward. The left side of the first groove 141 refers to the side closer to the third sub-pixel p3, and the right side of the first groove 141 refers to the side closer to the second sub-pixel p2. The second dimming functional layer 150 filled in the second groove 142 contacts the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 on the entire side of the second groove 142, forming a dimming interface. This allows at least a portion of the light emitted by the second sub-pixel p2, which would otherwise be unable to escape, to undergo total internal reflection at this dimming interface and thus be emitted forward. The second dimming functional layer 150, which is filled in the third groove 143, contacts the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 on the entire side of the third groove 143 to form a dimming interface, so that at least part of the light emitted by the third sub-pixel p3 that could not originally be emitted is totally internally reflected at the dimming interface and can be emitted in the forward direction.

[0094] For example, when fabricating the first sub-encapsulation layer 211, the material deposited at the isolation pillars 130 between the light-emitting regions of the first sub-pixel p1 and the second sub-pixel p2, the isolation pillars 130 between the light-emitting regions of the first sub-pixel p1 and the third sub-pixel p3, and the isolation pillars 130 between the light-emitting regions of the second sub-pixel p2 and the third sub-pixel p3 can be retained. When fabricating the second sub-encapsulation layer 212, the etching boundaries of the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 at the isolation pillars 130 on the left and right sides of the light-emitting region of the second sub-pixel p2 are inconsistent. On the side closer to the first sub-pixel p1, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 completely covers the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 above the isolation pillars 130; while on the side closer to the third sub-pixel p3, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 partially covers the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 above the isolation pillars 130. Similarly, the fabrication of the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 is similar to that of the second sub-encapsulation layer 212. On the side closer to the first sub-pixel p1, the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 completely covers the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 above the isolation pillar 130, while on the side closer to the second sub-pixel p2, the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 partially covers the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 above the isolation pillar 130 and is connected to the second sub-encapsulation layer 212.

[0095] As shown in Figure 5, above the isolation pillars 130 between adjacent first sub-pixels p1 and second sub-pixels p2, between adjacent second sub-pixels p2 and third sub-pixels p3, and between adjacent first sub-pixels p1 and third sub-pixels p3, a redundant light-emitting layer and a redundant second electrode of the first sub-pixel p1 can be stacked between the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 and the isolation pillars 130. Above the isolation pillars 130 between adjacent first sub-pixels p1 and second sub-pixels p2, and between adjacent second sub-pixels p2 and third sub-pixels p3, a redundant light-emitting layer and a redundant second electrode of the second sub-pixel p2 can be stacked between the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 and the second sub-encapsulation layer 212. Above the isolation pillars 130 between adjacent second sub-pixels p2 and third sub-pixels p3, and between adjacent third sub-pixels p3 and first sub-pixels p1, a redundant light-emitting layer and a redundant second electrode of the third sub-pixel p3 can be stacked between the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213.

[0096] It should be noted that the redundant light-emitting layer of the sub-pixel of the same color and the light-emitting layer 112 in the light-emitting area are set in the same layer and are made of the same material; the redundant second electrode set on the isolation pillar 130 is made of the same material as the second electrode 113 set in the light-emitting area.

[0097] Figure 6 shows a schematic structural diagram of a display panel 10 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 6, in some embodiments, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 may include a second encapsulation portion and a second support portion. The second encapsulation portion covers the second sub-pixel p2, covers the top of the isolation pillar 130 located between adjacent first sub-pixels p1 and second sub-pixels p2, and covers the top of the isolation pillar 130 located between adjacent second sub-pixels p2 and third sub-pixels p3. The second support portion covers the top of the first encapsulation portion between adjacent first sub-pixels p1 and third sub-pixels p3. The third sub-encapsulation layer 213 covers at least the third sub-pixel p3 and a portion of the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 covering the top of the isolation pillar 130 surrounding the third sub-pixel p3.

[0098] As shown in Figure 6, the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 can cover part of the area of ​​the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 on top of the isolation pillars 130 surrounding the third sub-pixel p3. This results in three stacked sub-encapsulation layers above the isolation pillars 130 around the third sub-pixel p3, while two stacked sub-encapsulation layers are set above the isolation pillars 130 around the first sub-pixel p1 and the second sub-pixel p2. The depths of the first groove 141 and the second groove 142 are approximately the same, while the depth of the third groove 143 is greater than the depths of the first groove 141 and the second groove 142. This is beneficial for further improving the light extraction efficiency of the third sub-pixel p3.

[0099] It should be noted that in other embodiments, three stacked sub-encapsulation layers may also be provided above the isolation pillars 130 around sub-pixels of other colors. The actual determination can be made according to the light emission efficiency of sub-pixels of different colors, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0100] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a display panel 10 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 7, the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 can cover the third sub-pixel p3 and the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 on the isolation pillars 130 between adjacent third sub-pixels p3 and first sub-pixels p1, between adjacent third sub-pixels p3 and second sub-pixels p2, and between adjacent second sub-pixels p2 and third sub-pixels p3. That is, the first sub-encapsulation layer 211, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 respectively cover the light-emitting area of ​​their respective sub-pixels and are stacked at the isolation pillars 130 between adjacent sub-pixels. That is, three stacked sub-encapsulation layers are set at the isolation pillars 130 between adjacent sub-pixels, which can effectively increase the depth of the first groove 141, the second groove 142, and the third groove 143, thereby improving the light emission efficiency of the display panel 10.

[0101] The first dimming functional layer 140 also includes a refractive index matching layer 310 disposed on the side of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 away from the substrate 100. When the dimming interface is formed by the second dimming functional layer 150 and the refractive index matching layer 310, the refractive index of the refractive index matching layer 310 is less than the refractive index of the second dimming functional layer 150. The second dimming functional layer 150 is in contact with the refractive index matching layer 310 at least at the side position of a portion of the groove.

[0102] The refractive index of the refractive index matching layer 310 may be different from the refractive index of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210. For example, the refractive index of the refractive index matching layer 310 may be different from at least one of the first sub-encapsulation layer 211, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213. For example, the refractive index of the refractive index matching layer 310 may be less than the refractive index of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210.

[0103] The refractive index matching layer 310 can be made of inorganic insulating material or organic material. Compared to using organic materials, using inorganic insulating materials is advantageous in reducing the thickness of the refractive index matching layer 310, thereby contributing to the thinning of the display panel 10. For example, when the refractive index matching layer 310 is an inorganic film layer, its thickness can be approximately 1 μm, and its refractive index can be 1.4 to 1.5, such as 1.4, 1.45, or 1.5. Similarly, when the refractive index matching layer 310 is an organic film layer, its thickness can be approximately 1 μm to 2 μm, and its refractive index can be 1.4 to 1.5, such as 1.4, 1.45, or 1.5.

[0104] Figures 8 to 13 show schematic diagrams of the structure of a display panel 10 according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 8, the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 includes a flat portion 2101 and a protrusion 2102 disposed around the flat portion 2101. The protrusion 2102 protrudes away from the substrate 100 from the flat portion 2101. The protrusion 2102 is disposed around the flat portion 2101 and connected to the flat portion 2101. The flat portion 2101 covers sub-pixels, and the protrusion 2102 covers the isolation pillars 130 located between adjacent sub-pixels.

[0105] There are various ways to configure the refractive index matching layer 310. In some embodiments, the second dimming functional layer 150 is in contact with the refractive index matching layer 310 at the side position of each groove, and a dimming interface is formed by the refractive index matching of the two, as shown in Figures 8 to 10.

[0106] As shown in Figure 8, the refractive index matching layer 310 is stacked on the protrusion 2102 of the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210. The orthographic projection of the refractive index matching layer 310 on the substrate 100 is outside the orthographic projection range of the multiple pixel openings 121 on the substrate 100. That is, the refractive index matching layer 310 covers the sides and top of the protrusion 2102 and opens at the position directly opposite the pixel opening 121 (i.e., the light-emitting area of ​​the sub-pixel). This helps to reduce the number of film layers covering the light-emitting area and improves the light emission efficiency of the display panel 10.

[0107] As shown in Figure 9, the refractive index matching layer 310 can be stacked on the flat portion 2101 and the convex portion 2102, that is, the refractive index matching layer 310 is a whole layer, covering the entire first inorganic encapsulation layer 210. This can reduce one exposure etching process, save one mask, and help reduce production costs. It should be noted that the refractive index matching layer 310 is made of light-transmitting organic insulating material or inorganic material, so the influence of the refractive index matching layer 310 covering the light-emitting area on the light extraction efficiency of the sub-pixel can be ignored.

[0108] In other embodiments, the refractive index matching layer 310 can be stacked on the protrusions 2102 surrounding some sub-pixels. The second dimming functional layer 150 contacts the refractive index matching layer 310 at the side of some grooves and contacts the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 at the side of some grooves, as shown in FIG10. In this way, on the one hand, the groove depth above the light-emitting area of ​​different color sub-pixels can be adjusted by stacking the refractive index matching layer 310, and the area of ​​the dimming interface corresponding to different color sub-pixels can be adjusted differently, thereby adjusting the light emission efficiency of each sub-pixel. On the other hand, differentiated refractive index matching of the dimming interface can be achieved for different color sub-pixels, which is beneficial to adjust the light emission efficiency of different color sub-pixels in a targeted manner, so as to achieve brightness matching of each color sub-pixel in the same pixel unit and avoid color shift in light emission.

[0109] It should be noted that Figure 10 illustrates an example where the refractive index matching layer 310 covers the protrusions 2102 around the light-emitting area of ​​the first sub-pixel p1 and the protrusions 2102 around the light-emitting area of ​​the third sub-pixel p3, with openings at the light-emitting areas of the first sub-pixel p1, the third sub-pixel p3, the second sub-pixel p2, and the protrusions 2102 around them. This is equivalent to increasing the depth of the first groove 141 and the third groove 143 by stacking the refractive index matching layer 310, making the depth of the first groove 141 and the third groove 143 greater than the depth of the second groove 142. In other embodiments, the refractive index matching layer 310 can also adopt other configurations. For example, it can cover only the protrusions 2102 around the light-emitting area of ​​a sub-pixel of a single color, thereby specifically increasing the area of ​​the dimming interface corresponding to that color sub-pixel, and further improving the light extraction efficiency of that color sub-pixel. This can be set according to the actual light extraction efficiency requirements of each color sub-pixel, and this disclosure does not impose any limitations on this.

[0110] As shown in Figure 10, the second dimming functional layer 150 filled in the first groove 141 contacts the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 on the bottom surface of the first groove 141 and contacts the refractive index matching layer 310 on the side surface of the first groove 141, thereby forming the dimming interface on the side surface of the first groove 141. The second dimming functional layer 150 filled in the second groove 142 contacts the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 on both the bottom surface and the side surface of the second groove 142, thereby forming the dimming interface on the side surface of the second groove 142. The second dimming functional layer 150 filled in the third groove 143 contacts the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 on the bottom surface of the third groove 143 and contacts the refractive index matching layer 310 on the side surface of the third groove 143, thereby forming the dimming interface on the side surface of the third groove 143.

[0111] In some embodiments, the second dimming functional layer 150 may include a plurality of dimming structures spaced apart, each dimming structure being at least partially located within a groove of the first dimming functional layer 140 and in contact with at least a portion of the side surface of the groove. As shown in Figures 4 to 10, adjacent dimming structures of the second dimming functional layer 150 have a gap at the isolation post 130.

[0112] In the embodiments of this disclosure, there are several ways in which the dimming structure is at least partially located within the groove. For example, it can include the following three arrangements: First, at least a portion of the dimming structure can just fill the groove; second, at least a portion of the dimming structure can fill the groove but not completely, that is, the surface of the dimming structure on the side away from the substrate 100 does not exceed the opening of the groove; third, at least a portion of the dimming structure can fill the groove and its thickness perpendicular to the substrate 100 is greater than the depth of the groove, that is, the surface of the dimming structure on the side away from the substrate 100 exceeds the opening of the groove.

[0113] Of course, in other embodiments, the second dimming functional layer 150 may also be a whole layer and fill the groove of the first dimming functional layer 140.

[0114] In the case where the aforementioned multiple sub-pixels include a first sub-pixel p1, a second sub-pixel p2, and a third sub-pixel p3, and the aforementioned multiple grooves include a first groove 141, a second groove 142, and a third groove 143, the aforementioned multiple dimming structures may include a first dimming structure 151, a second dimming structure 152, and a third dimming structure 153. The first dimming structure 151 is at least partially located within the first groove 141, and contacts the material of the first dimming functional layer 140 on the side of the first groove 141, forming a dimming interface with total internal reflection dimming characteristics for the first sub-pixel p1. The second dimming structure 152 is at least partially located within the second groove 142, and contacts the material of the first dimming functional layer 140 on the side of the second groove 142, forming a dimming interface with total internal reflection dimming characteristics for the second sub-pixel p2. The third dimming structure 153 is at least partially located within the third groove 143, and contacts the material of the first dimming functional layer 140 on the side of the third groove 143, forming a dimming interface with total internal reflection dimming characteristics for the third sub-pixel p3.

[0115] In some embodiments, the refractive indices of the first dimming structure 151, the second dimming structure 152, and the third dimming structure 153 may be the same to simplify the process. In other embodiments, the refractive indices of the first dimming structure 151, the second dimming structure 152, and the third dimming structure 153 may be different to specifically adjust the refractive index matching of the materials at the dimming interface of the corresponding color sub-pixels, thereby allowing for targeted adjustment of the light extraction efficiency of various color sub-pixels. For example, the first dimming structure 151, the second dimming structure 152, and the third dimming structure 153 may be formed using different materials to flexibly set the refractive indices of the dimming structures corresponding to different color sub-pixels.

[0116] In some embodiments, the first dimming structure 151 can be a first color filter unit, the second dimming structure 152 can be a second color filter unit, and the third dimming structure 153 can be a third color filter unit. The color of the first color filter unit is the same as the emission color of the first sub-pixel p1, the color of the second color filter unit is the same as the emission color of the second sub-pixel p2, and the color of the third color filter unit is the same as the emission color of the third sub-pixel p3, thereby ensuring normal light emission from the display panel 10. That is, in addition to forming the dimming interface with the first dimming functional layer 140, the second dimming functional layer 150 can also serve as a color filter layer. The refractive index of the color filter layer material is typically around 1.7 to 1.8. By fabricating the color filter layer, which was originally fabricated on the second inorganic encapsulation layer 230, between the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 and the organic encapsulation layer 220, it simultaneously serves the functions of filtering and dimming, which helps to save processes and materials.

[0117] For example, if the first sub-pixel p1 is a red sub-pixel, the second sub-pixel p2 is a green sub-pixel, and the third sub-pixel p3 is a blue sub-pixel, then the first color filter unit is a red color filter unit configured to transmit red light and block other colors of light; the second color filter unit is a green color filter unit configured to transmit green light and block other colors of light; and the third color filter unit is a blue color filter unit configured to transmit blue light and block other colors of light.

[0118] By setting up a first color filter unit, a second color filter unit, and a third color filter unit, light rays of different colors from ambient light can be absorbed, reducing the ambient light that illuminates the reflective film layer such as the second electrode 113. Simultaneously, the color filter unit can also absorb a portion of the ambient light reflected by the film layer such as the second electrode 113. This reduces ambient light reflection and improves the display effect. This avoids the need for a thicker polarizer to filter out ambient light and some light reflected from inside the display panel 10, thus helping to reduce the thickness of the display panel 10.

[0119] In some embodiments, the display panel 10 may further include an organic encapsulation layer 220 disposed on the side of the second dimming functional layer 150 away from the substrate 100, and in contact with the surface of the plurality of dimming structures on the side away from the substrate 100. For example, the organic encapsulation layer 220 may be fabricated by inkjet printing (IJP). The thickness of the organic encapsulation layer 220 may be greater than the depth of the gap between adjacent dimming structures, i.e., the organic encapsulation layer 220 may fill the gap, achieving encapsulation while also providing a planarization effect. For example, the thickness of the organic encapsulation layer 220 in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 100 may be 5 μm to 12 μm, such as 5 μm, 8 μm, or 12 μm.

[0120] In some embodiments, the second dimming functional layer 150 can be an organic material layer, such as a resin material. Since the second dimming functional layer 150 fills the grooves of the first dimming functional layer 140, it has a planarization effect. Therefore, providing the second dimming functional layer 150 on the side of the organic encapsulation layer 220 near the substrate 100 also helps to improve the planarity of the organic encapsulation layer 220.

[0121] In some embodiments, the refractive index of the organic encapsulation layer 220 is less than the refractive index of the dimming structures described above (including the first dimming structure 151, the second dimming structure 152, and the third dimming structure 153). For example, the refractive index of the organic encapsulation layer 220 may be approximately 1.5. At least one dimming structure has a thickness greater than the depth of the groove in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 100, and has a protrusion 1500 extending beyond the edge of the groove opening in the direction toward the adjacent dimming structure. That is, the dimming structure overlaps with the upper surface of the isolation pillar 130; for example, the overlap width, i.e., the width of the protrusion 1500, may be greater than 2 μm.

[0122] In some embodiments, the side of the protrusion 1500 facing the adjacent dimming structure is a ramp surface. The organic encapsulation layer 220 contacts this ramp surface. The distance between the bottom end of the ramp surface and the central axis is greater than the distance between the top end of the ramp surface and the central axis. Here, the central axis is the central axis of the dimming structure having the protrusion 1500. The bottom end of the ramp surface is the end closer to the substrate 100, and the top end is the end farther from the substrate 100. It should be noted that, for ease of distinction, the ramp surface of the protrusion 1500 can be referred to as the first ramp surface, the central axis of the dimming structure having the protrusion 1500 as the first central axis, the ramp surface of the groove as the second ramp surface, and the central axis of the bottom surface of the groove as the second central axis.

[0123] By setting the aforementioned first ramp surface, the forward light emission efficiency of the sub-pixel can be further improved by utilizing the refractive properties of light incident from a high-refractive-index medium to a low-refractive-index medium between the dimming structure and the organic encapsulation layer 220.

[0124] As shown in Figure 4, light L2 incident from the light-emitting area of ​​a sub-pixel onto the first ramp surface of the dimming structure corresponding to that sub-pixel is refracted at the first ramp surface because it is incident from the dimming structure (high refractive index medium) onto the organic encapsulation layer 220 (low refractive index medium). The angle of refraction is greater than the angle of incidence, meaning it is deflected in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 100. This adjusts the transmission path of at least a portion of the light that would otherwise be unable to exit in the forward direction, enabling it to exit in the forward direction and thus improving the light extraction efficiency.

[0125] In the embodiment corresponding to Figure 4, the first dimming structure 151, the second dimming structure 152, and the third dimming structure 153 all have the aforementioned protrusion 1500. At least some of the light rays emitted by the first sub-pixel p1, the second sub-pixel p2, and the third sub-pixel p3 that could not originally be emitted in the forward direction can be deflected at the first slope surface of the corresponding protrusion 1500, so that they can be emitted in the forward direction, which is beneficial to improving the forward light emission efficiency of the first sub-pixel p1, the second sub-pixel p2, and the third sub-pixel p3.

[0126] In some embodiments, at least one dimming groove 154 is provided on the surface of the dimming structure away from the substrate 100, and the organic encapsulation layer 220 fills the dimming groove 154, contacting the bottom and side surfaces of the dimming groove 154. For example, the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the dimming groove 154 onto the substrate 100 may be located within the orthographic projection range of the bottom surface of the groove onto the substrate 100. At least a portion of the side surfaces of the dimming groove 154 are inclined relative to a direction perpendicular to the substrate 100, and the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the dimming groove 154 onto the substrate 100 is located within the orthographic projection range of the opening of the dimming groove 154 onto the substrate 100. The bottom surface of the dimming groove 154 is the surface opposite to the opening of the dimming groove 154, and the side surfaces of the dimming groove 154 are surfaces extending from the bottom surface of the dimming groove 154 to the opening of the dimming groove 154.

[0127] For example, when fabricating the first dimming structure 151, the second dimming structure 152, and the third dimming structure 153, a half-tone mask (HTM) can be used to partially etch the dimming structure at the light-emitting area, forming multiple trapezoidal cross-sectional structures as shown in Figure 11, i.e., forming the dimming groove 154 mentioned above.

[0128] By setting the dimming groove 154, a slope with the above-mentioned refractive properties can be increased between the dimming structure and the organic encapsulation layer 220, which is beneficial to further improve the forward light emission efficiency of the sub-pixel.

[0129] Along the direction perpendicular to the substrate 100, the depth of the dimming groove 154 is less than the thickness of the dimming structure. For example, the depth of the dimming groove 154 can be approximately the same as the thickness of the protrusion 1500, that is, the bottom surface of the dimming groove 154 can be approximately flush with the opening of the groove, so as to avoid affecting the dimming of the second slope surface, that is, to prevent the light incident on the second slope surface from changing its path at the dimming groove 154.

[0130] Figure 11 shows three dimming structures: a first dimming structure 151, a second dimming structure 152, and a third dimming structure 153. Each dimming structure has two dimming slots 154. In the cross-sectional view shown in Figure 11, the bottom surface of the dimming slot 154 is approximately flush with the opening of the groove. The left side of the dimming slot 154 is parallel to the first ramp surface on the right side of the dimming structure, and the right side of the dimming slot 154 is parallel to the first ramp surface on the left side of the dimming structure.

[0131] In some embodiments, the surface of the dimming structure away from the substrate 100 can be concave, for example, it can be a curved surface that is concave towards the substrate 100, as shown in FIG12. This can form a dimming curved surface with a light-focusing effect between the dimming structure and the inorganic encapsulation layer, so that the path of the incident light is deflected in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 100, which is beneficial to improving the forward light emission efficiency of the sub-pixel.

[0132] In some embodiments, the first dimming structure 151, the second dimming structure 152, and the third dimming structure 153 may have the same thickness in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 100.

[0133] In other embodiments, at least two of the first dimming structure 151, the second dimming structure 152, and the third dimming structure 153 may have different thicknesses in the direction perpendicular to the substrate 100. By differentiating the thickness of the dimming structures corresponding to sub-pixels of different colors, the light emission efficiency of sub-pixels of different colors can be adjusted to achieve brightness matching of sub-pixels of different colors in the same pixel unit and avoid color shift in the emitted light.

[0134] For example, the thickness of the third dimming structure 153 is greater than the thickness of the second dimming structure 152, and the thickness of the second dimming structure 152 is greater than the thickness of the first dimming structure 151. As shown in Figure 13, the thickness of the first dimming structure 151 may not exceed the depth of the first groove 141, while the thicknesses of the second dimming structure 152 and the third dimming structure 153 exceed the depths of the second groove 142 and the third groove 143, respectively. Furthermore, the surface of the third dimming structure 153 on the side away from the substrate 100 is higher than the surface of the second dimming structure 152 on the side away from the substrate 100. When the depths of the first groove 141, the second groove 142, and the third groove 143 are approximately the same, the height of the total internal reflection dimming interface corresponding to the second dimming structure 152 and the third dimming structure 153 is greater than the height of the total internal reflection dimming interface corresponding to the first dimming structure 151, and the height of the first slope surface of the third dimming structure 153 is greater than the height of the first slope surface of the second dimming structure 152. Therefore, by setting different thicknesses for the dimming structures corresponding to different color sub-pixels, it is beneficial to meet the light output efficiency requirements of sub-pixels of different colors and avoid color shift in the output light.

[0135] As shown in Figure 13, the display panel 10 may further include a second inorganic encapsulation layer 230, disposed on the side of the second dimming functional layer 150 away from the substrate 100. The second inorganic encapsulation layer 230 is configured to combine with the organic encapsulation layer 220 and the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 to form a thin film encapsulation (TFE) layer for the light-emitting device 110, encapsulating the light-emitting device 110 of the sub-pixel and preventing the light-emitting device 110 from being corroded by water and oxygen, thus affecting its light emission.

[0136] As shown in Figure 13, the display panel 10 may further include a touch structure layer 160 disposed on the side of the second inorganic encapsulation layer 230 away from the substrate 100 to realize the touch function of the display panel 10. The touch structure layer 160 includes a first touch metal layer TMA and a second touch metal layer TMB stacked together. In some embodiments, one of the first touch metal layer TMA and the second touch metal layer TMB may be configured to provide a first touch electrode and a second touch electrode, and the other may be used to provide a bridging portion that bridges the first touch electrode or the second touch electrode. The extending directions of the first touch electrode and the second touch electrode intersect each other, for example, they may be perpendicular to each other. In addition, the touch structure layer 160 also includes a touch insulating layer TLD disposed between the first touch metal layer TMA and the second touch metal layer TMB. The bridging portion is electrically connected to the corresponding touch electrode through a via through the touch insulating layer TLD to realize the bridging of the touch electrode.

[0137] As shown in FIG13, the display panel 10 may further include a light-shielding layer 170 disposed on the side of the touch structure layer 160 away from the substrate 100. In some embodiments, the light-shielding layer 170 may be formed of a black light-shielding material, also known as a black matrix (BM). For example, the film thickness of the light-shielding layer 170 may be 1 μm to 2 μm, such as 1 μm, 1.5 μm or 2 μm.

[0138] In some embodiments, the light-shielding layer 170 covers the first touch metal layer TMA and the second touch metal layer TMB to reduce the reflection of ambient light by the first touch metal layer TMA and the second touch metal layer TMB. For example, the orthographic projection of the first touch metal layer TMA and the second touch metal layer TMB on the substrate 100 may be within the orthographic projection range of the light-shielding layer 170 on the substrate 100.

[0139] In some embodiments, the light-shielding layer 170 has a mesh structure, and the openings of the mesh structure correspond to the pixel openings 121 (i.e., the light-emitting areas). The orthographic projections of the plurality of pixel openings 121 on the substrate 100 do not overlap with the orthographic projections of the light-shielding layer 170 on the substrate 100. For example, there may be a gap between the boundary of the upper light-shielding layer 170 and the pixel opening 121 to avoid the light-shielding layer 170 affecting the light emission of the sub-pixels. For example, the orthographic projection of the light-shielding layer 170 on the substrate 100 is a first projection area, and the orthographic projection of the pixel opening 121 on the substrate 100 is a second projection area. The distance between the adjacent boundary lines of the first projection area and the second projection area can be 2μm to 5μm, such as 2μm, 3μm, or 5μm.

[0140] As shown in FIG. 13, the display panel 10 may further include a protective layer 180 disposed on the side of the light-shielding layer 170 away from the substrate 100. The material of the protective layer 180 may be, for example, a transparent insulating material such as optical adhesive. As shown in FIG. 13, the display panel 10 may further include an overcoating (OC) 161 disposed between the light-shielding layer 170 and the second touch metal layer TMB, configured to protect the touch electrodes. Its material may be, for example, a transparent insulating material such as optical adhesive. Of course, in other embodiments, the overcoating 161 shown in FIG. 13 may not be disposed between the light-shielding layer 170 and the second touch metal layer TMB, and this disclosure does not limit this.

[0141] This disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing a display panel, used to manufacture the display panel 10 provided in the embodiments above. The above manufacturing method may include the following steps:

[0142] Step S110: Provide a display substrate, which includes a substrate 100, a first electrode layer and a pixel defining layer 120 sequentially stacked on the substrate 100, and isolation pillars 130 disposed on the pixel defining layer 120.

[0143] Step S120: A light-emitting layer 112 and a second electrode 113 for each sub-pixel are formed on the display substrate, and a first dimming functional layer 140 is formed. The light-emitting layers of adjacent sub-pixels are separated at isolation pillars 130. The first dimming functional layer 140 covers the light-emitting area of ​​each sub-pixel and the isolation pillars 130, such that a plurality of spaced grooves are formed on the side of the first dimming functional layer 140 away from the substrate, and these grooves are positioned opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the sub-pixel.

[0144] In step S130, a second dimming functional layer 150 is formed on the first dimming functional layer 140. The second dimming functional layer 150 is at least partially located in the groove and is in contact with at least a portion of the side of the groove. The refractive index of the second dimming functional layer 150 is greater than the refractive index of the material of the first dimming functional layer 140 that is in contact with the side of the groove.

[0145] In some embodiments, the first dimming functional layer 140 includes a first inorganic encapsulation layer 210. When each pixel unit P of the display panel 10 includes a first sub-pixel p1, a second sub-pixel p2, and a third sub-pixel p3, the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 may include a first sub-encapsulation layer 211, a second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and a third sub-encapsulation layer 213. The process of forming the light-emitting layer 112 and the second electrode 113 for each sub-pixel on the display substrate, and forming the first dimming functional layer 140, may include: forming the light-emitting layer 112, the second electrode 113, and the first sub-encapsulation layer 211 for the first sub-pixel p1; forming the light-emitting layer 112, the second electrode 113, and the second sub-encapsulation layer 212 for the second sub-pixel p2; and forming the light-emitting layer 112, the second electrode 113, and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 for the third sub-pixel p3. Without using an FMM mask, the light-emitting layer material is separated by the isolation pillars 130, and the masks for the first sub-encapsulation layer 211, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 are used to form the light-emitting layer 112, the second electrode 113, and their respective sub-encapsulation layers for the first sub-pixel p1, the second sub-pixel p2, and the third sub-pixel p3, respectively. When the first sub-encapsulation layer 211, the second sub-encapsulation layer 212, and the third sub-encapsulation layer 213 use the same inorganic encapsulation material, the first inorganic encapsulation layer 210 can be considered as a single unit.

[0146] To facilitate understanding, the following description uses the fabrication of the display panel shown in Figure 4 as an example to illustrate an exemplary fabrication process for a display panel.

[0147] On the display substrate with the Ti-Al-Ti stacked structure of the isolation pillar 130, the light-emitting layer and cathode of the red sub-pixel are first prepared. The light-emitting layer and cathode can be deposited by full-surface evaporation. Then, the inorganic encapsulation material (CVD-R) of the red sub-pixel is deposited on the entire surface. Using the encapsulation mask (i.e., CVD-R mask) corresponding to the red sub-pixel, the removal and retention of CVD-R are precisely controlled by exposure and development. That is, the CVD-R at the red sub-pixel is retained, and the CVD-R at other color sub-pixels is removed, thus achieving the patterning of CVD-R. Furthermore, at the location of CVD-R etching, the light-emitting layer material and cathode material can be etched simultaneously. At the same time, the CVD-R can effectively combine with the isolation pillar 130 at the undercut structure of the isolation pillar 130, forming an effective encapsulation of the light-emitting layer and cathode in the red sub-pixel, thereby completing the preparation of the light-emitting layer, cathode, and sub-encapsulation layer of the red sub-pixel. For example, the height of the isolation pillar 130 structure is 0.5μm to 2μm, and the thickness of the CVD-R can be approximately 0.5μm to 2μm. After covering the isolation pillar 130 around the luminescent area of ​​the red subpixel with the CVD-R, a convex structure with a trapezoidal cross-section can be formed, and its slope angle can be 45° to 85°.

[0148] In the above process, the etching boundary of CVD-R can be located at the middle boundary between the red sub-pixel and its adjacent sub-pixel, and CVD-R is removed at other locations.

[0149] Then, the emitting layers and cathodes of the green and blue sub-pixels are deposited by vapor deposition, and the inorganic encapsulation materials (CVD-G) for the green sub-pixels and (CVD-R) for the blue sub-pixels are deposited and etched. The fabrication process can be similar to that of the red sub-pixel and will not be detailed here. The film materials of CVD-R, CVD-G, and CVD-B can be the same, with equal thickness and a refractive index of approximately 1.6. The slope angle of the trapezoidal protrusions formed at the isolation pillars 130 around the sub-pixels of different colors can be different.

[0150] Next, red color filter units (R-Resin), green color filter units (G-Resin), and blue color filter units (B-Resin) are sequentially fabricated in the luminescent regions of the sub-pixels of each color, respectively filling the grooves in the luminescent regions of the sub-pixels after CVD-R, CVD-R, and CVD-G formations. The thickness of these color filter units can be 1 μm to 2 μm, and they overlap with the upper surface of the isolation pillar 130, with the overlap being greater than 2 μm. The refractive indices of R-Resin, G-Resin, and B-Resin can be 1.7 to 1.8.

[0151] Next, the organic encapsulation layer 220 is prepared using the IJP process. Due to the planarization effect of R-Resin, G-Resin, and B-Resin, the planarity of the organic encapsulation layer 220 is improved. The thickness of the organic encapsulation layer 220 can be 5μm to 12μm, and the refractive index can be approximately 1.5.

[0152] Next, an inorganic encapsulation material is deposited on the organic encapsulation layer 220 to form a second inorganic encapsulation layer 230. Then, a touch structure layer 160 is fabricated on the second inorganic encapsulation layer 230, namely, a first touch metal layer TMA, a touch insulating layer TLD, and a second touch metal layer TMB are formed sequentially. After forming the second touch metal layer TMB, a light-shielding layer (BM) 170 is fabricated. The thickness of the light-shielding layer 170 can be 1μm to 2μm, and the distance between it and the boundary of the pixel opening 121 can be 2μm to 5μm. After the light-shielding layer 170 is completed, the protective layer 180 is fabricated.

[0153] The fabrication process of the display panel shown in Figure 5 is roughly similar to that shown in Figure 4. The main difference is that the CVD-R at the isolation pillar 130 between the red and green sub-pixels, the isolation pillar 130 between the red and blue sub-pixels, and the isolation pillar 130 between the green and blue sub-pixels are all retained during the fabrication of CVD-R.

[0154] During the fabrication of CVD-G, the CVD-G etching boundaries at the isolation pillars 130 on both sides of the luminescent area of ​​the green sub-pixel are inconsistent. On the side closer to the red sub-pixel, CVD-G completely covers the CVD-R above the isolation pillar 130, while on the side closer to the blue sub-pixel, CVD-G partially covers the CVD-R above the isolation pillar 130. Similarly, the fabrication of CVD-B is similar to CVD-G. On the side closer to the red sub-pixel, CVD-B completely covers the CVD-R above the isolation pillar 130; while on the side closer to the green sub-pixel, CVD-B partially covers the CVD-G above the isolation pillar 130. This allows the luminescent area of ​​each sub-pixel to remain a single-layer inorganic encapsulation layer, avoiding impact on light extraction efficiency. However, by forming a two-layer inorganic encapsulation layer structure at the isolation pillar 130, the encapsulation thickness is increased, thereby increasing the proportion of light that can undergo total internal reflection at the dimming interfaces between R-Resin, G-Resin, and B-Resin and the inorganic encapsulation layer, further improving light extraction efficiency.

[0155] It should be noted that the manufacturing process of the display panel shown in Figures 6 to 13 is roughly similar to that of the display panel shown in Figure 4, and will not be described in detail here.

[0156] Figure 14 shows a schematic diagram of a display device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 14, the display device 1000 provided in some embodiments of the present disclosure includes the display panel 10 provided in any of the embodiments described above. For example, the display device 1000 can be any product or component with display function, such as a mobile phone, laptop computer, tablet computer, augmented reality (AR) device, virtual reality (VR) device, wearable device, in-vehicle display terminal, monitor, television, digital photo frame, etc. Of course, the display device 1000 provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure is not limited to the types listed above.

[0157] The above description does not provide detailed technical specifications regarding the layout of each layer of the product. However, those skilled in the art should understand that layers and regions of the desired shape can be formed using various technical means. Furthermore, to form the same structure, those skilled in the art can also design methods that are not entirely identical to those described above. Although various embodiments have been described above, this does not mean that the measures in the various embodiments cannot be used advantageously in combination.

[0158] It should be noted that the accompanying drawings of the embodiments disclosed herein only relate to the structures involved in the embodiments of this disclosure; other structures can be referred to with conventional designs. Where there is no conflict, the embodiments of this disclosure and the features described therein can be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.

[0159] Although some embodiments of this disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make further changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A display panel, comprising: Substrate; Multiple pixel units are disposed on one side of the substrate. Each pixel unit includes multiple sub-pixels. Each sub-pixel includes a first electrode, a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode stacked together. A pixel defining layer is disposed on one side of the substrate and includes a plurality of pixel openings, wherein the pixel openings are configured to define the light-emitting area of ​​the sub-pixel; An isolation pillar is disposed on the side of the pixel defining layer away from the substrate. The isolation pillar is located between two adjacent sub-pixels and is disposed around the sub-pixels. The isolation pillar is configured to isolate the light-emitting layer of the two adjacent sub-pixels. A first dimming functional layer covers the light-emitting areas of the plurality of sub-pixels and the isolation pillars. The side of the first dimming functional layer away from the substrate has a plurality of grooves spaced apart, and the grooves are arranged opposite to the light-emitting areas of the sub-pixels. as well as The second dimming functional layer is at least partially located within the groove and in contact with at least a portion of the side surface of the groove. The refractive index of the second dimming functional layer is greater than the refractive index of the first dimming functional layer material in contact with the side surface of the groove.

2. The display panel of claim 1, wherein, The second dimming functional layer includes a plurality of dimming structures spaced apart, each dimming structure being at least partially located within one of the grooves and in contact with at least a portion of the side surface of the groove.

3. The display panel of claim 2, wherein, The plurality of sub-pixels includes a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel; the plurality of grooves includes a first groove, a second groove, and a third groove; the first groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the first sub-pixel; the second groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the second sub-pixel; and the third groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the third sub-pixel. The plurality of dimming structures include a first dimming structure, a second dimming structure, and a third dimming structure. The first dimming structure, the second dimming structure, and the third dimming structure have different refractive indices. The first dimming structure is at least partially located in the first groove, the second dimming structure is at least partially located in the second groove, and the third dimming structure is at least partially located in the third groove.

4. The display panel of claim 3, wherein, The first dimming structure is a first color filter unit, the second dimming structure is a second color filter unit, and the third dimming structure is a third color filter unit. The color of the first color filter unit is the same as the emission color of the first sub-pixel, the color of the second color filter unit is the same as the emission color of the second sub-pixel, and the color of the third color filter unit is the same as the emission color of the third sub-pixel. The first dimming structure, the second dimming structure, and the third dimming structure have the same thickness in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, or at least two of the first dimming structure, the second dimming structure, and the third dimming structure have different thicknesses in the direction perpendicular to the substrate.

5. The display panel according to claim 2, further comprising: An organic encapsulation layer is disposed on the side of the second dimming functional layer away from the substrate and is in contact with the surface of the plurality of dimming structures on the side away from the substrate. The refractive index of the organic encapsulation layer is less than the refractive index of the plurality of dimming structures.

6. The display panel of claim 5, wherein, The surface of the dimming structure away from the substrate is concave; and / or, the surface of the dimming structure away from the substrate is provided with at least one dimming groove, the organic encapsulation layer fills the dimming groove and contacts the bottom and side surfaces of the dimming groove, at least a portion of the side surfaces of the dimming groove are inclined relative to the direction perpendicular to the substrate, and the orthographic projection of the bottom surface of the dimming groove on the substrate is located within the orthographic projection range of the opening of the dimming groove on the substrate.

7. The display panel of claim 5, wherein, At least one of the dimming structures has a thickness greater than the depth of the groove in the direction perpendicular to the substrate, and has a protrusion that extends beyond the edge of the groove opening in the direction toward an adjacent dimming structure; The side of the protrusion facing the adjacent dimming structure is a first ramp surface. The organic encapsulation layer is in contact with the first ramp surface. The distance between the bottom end of the first ramp surface and the first central axis is greater than the distance between the top end of the first ramp surface and the first central axis. The first central axis is the central axis of the dimming structure with the protrusion. The bottom end of the first ramp surface is the end closer to the substrate, and the top end is the end farther away from the substrate.

8. The display panel of any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The first dimming functional layer includes a first inorganic encapsulation layer configured to encapsulate the plurality of sub-pixels, wherein the refractive index of the first inorganic encapsulation layer is less than the refractive index of the second dimming functional layer; The second dimming functional layer is in contact with the first inorganic encapsulation layer at least at a portion of the side of the groove.

9. The display panel of claim 8, wherein, The plurality of sub-pixels includes a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel. The first inorganic encapsulation layer includes a first sub-encapsulation layer, a second sub-encapsulation layer, and a third sub-encapsulation layer. The first sub-encapsulation layer is configured to encapsulate the first sub-pixel, the second sub-encapsulation layer is configured to encapsulate the second sub-pixel, and the third sub-encapsulation layer is configured to encapsulate the third sub-pixel. The plurality of grooves includes a first groove, a second groove, and a third groove. The first groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the first sub-pixel, the second groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the second sub-pixel, and the third groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the third sub-pixel.

10. The display panel of claim 9, wherein, In the first sub-encapsulation layer, the second sub-encapsulation layer, and the third sub-encapsulation layer, the different sub-encapsulation layers encapsulating two adjacent sub-pixels are connected at the top of the isolation pillars between the two adjacent sub-pixels; the orthographic projections of the first sub-encapsulation layer, the second sub-encapsulation layer, and the third sub-encapsulation layer on the substrate do not overlap.

11. The display panel of claim 9, wherein, At least two of the first sub-encapsulation layer, the second sub-encapsulation layer, and the third sub-encapsulation layer are stacked on top of the isolation pillars between at least two adjacent sub-pixels.

12. The display panel of claim 11, wherein, The first sub-encapsulation layer includes a first encapsulation portion and a first support portion. The first encapsulation portion covers the top of the first sub-pixel and the top of the isolation pillars surrounding the first sub-pixel, and the first support portion covers the top of the isolation pillars between adjacent second and third sub-pixels.

13. The display panel according to claim 12, wherein, The second sub-encapsulation layer covers the second sub-pixel and also covers the first encapsulation portion located on top of the isolation pillar between the adjacent first and second sub-pixels; The third sub-encapsulation layer covers the third sub-pixel and also covers the first encapsulation portion located on top of the isolation pillar between the adjacent third sub-pixel and the first sub-pixel; as well as The second sub-encapsulation layer and the third sub-encapsulation layer are connected at the top of the isolation pillar between adjacent second and third sub-pixels, and each covers a portion of the first support portion. The orthographic projections of the second sub-encapsulation layer and the third sub-encapsulation layer on the substrate do not overlap.

14. The display panel of claim 12, wherein, The second sub-encapsulation layer includes a second encapsulation portion and a second support portion; The second encapsulation portion covers the second sub-pixel, covers the first encapsulation portion located on the top of the isolation pillar between the adjacent first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel, and covers the first support portion located on the top of the isolation pillar between the adjacent second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel. The second support portion covers the first encapsulation portion located on the top of the isolation pillar between the adjacent first sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel. as well as The third sub-encapsulation layer covers at least the third sub-pixel and a portion of the second sub-encapsulation layer that covers the top of the isolation pillars surrounding the third sub-pixel.

15. The display panel of any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The first dimming function layer includes: A first inorganic encapsulation layer is configured to encapsulate the plurality of sub-pixels; and A refractive index matching layer is disposed on the side of the first inorganic encapsulation layer away from the substrate. The refractive index of the refractive index matching layer is less than the refractive index of the second dimming functional layer. The second dimming functional layer is in contact with the refractive index matching layer at least at a portion of the side surface of the groove.

16. The display panel of claim 15, wherein, The first inorganic encapsulation layer includes a flat portion and a protrusion disposed around the flat portion. The protrusion protrudes in a direction away from the substrate relative to the flat portion. The protrusion is disposed around the flat portion and connected to the flat portion. The flat portion covers the sub-pixel, and the protrusion covers the isolation pillar located between adjacent sub-pixels. as well as The second dimming functional layer contacts the refractive index matching layer at a side position of each of the grooves. The refractive index matching layer is stacked on the flat portion and the convex portion, or the refractive index matching layer is stacked on the convex portion. The orthogonal projection of the refractive index matching layer on the substrate is located outside the orthogonal projection range of the plurality of pixel openings on the substrate; or... The refractive index matching layer is stacked on the protrusions around a portion of the sub-pixels. The second dimming functional layer contacts the refractive index matching layer at a side position of a portion of the groove and contacts the first inorganic encapsulation layer at a side position of a portion of the groove.

17. The display panel of any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The side of the groove is a second slope surface. The distance between the top of the second slope surface and the second central axis is greater than the distance between the bottom of the second slope surface and the second central axis. The second central axis is the central axis of the bottom surface of the groove. The top of the second slope surface is the end away from the substrate, and the bottom is the end close to the substrate.

18. The display panel of any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The plurality of sub-pixels includes a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, and a third sub-pixel; the plurality of grooves includes a first groove, a second groove, and a third groove; the first groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the first sub-pixel; the second groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the second sub-pixel; and the third groove is disposed opposite to the light-emitting area of ​​the third sub-pixel. Along a direction perpendicular to the substrate, the depths of the first groove, the second groove, and the third groove are approximately the same, or at least two of the first groove, the second groove, and the third groove have different depths.

19. The display panel according to any one of claims 1-7, further comprising: The second inorganic encapsulation layer is disposed on the side of the second dimming functional layer away from the substrate. A touch structure layer is disposed on the side of the second inorganic encapsulation layer away from the substrate, and the touch structure layer includes a first touch metal layer and a second touch metal layer stacked together. A light-shielding layer is disposed on the side of the touch structure layer away from the substrate. The orthographic projections of the first touch metal layer and the second touch metal layer on the substrate are located within the orthographic projection range of the light-shielding layer on the substrate. The orthographic projections of the plurality of pixel openings on the substrate and the orthographic projections of the light-shielding layer on the substrate do not overlap. as well as A protective layer is disposed on the side of the light-shielding layer away from the substrate.

20. A display device comprising: The display panel according to any one of claims 1-19.

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