Display substrate and display apparatus

Abstract

Provided are a display substrate and a display apparatus. A plurality of sub-pixels are defined by a pixel defining layer (3), each sub-pixel comprising a light-emitting element (Q1 / Q2), and the light-emitting element comprising a first electrode (2); a spacing region between adjacent first electrodes is filled by a filling layer (T), and a pixel partition structure (C) is arranged in the filling layer so as to disconnect at least one of a plurality of sub-functional film layers (401-403) in a light-emitting functional layer, thus reducing lateral electrical crosstalk between pixels and improving display quality. In addition, a first portion (301) of the pixel defining layer that overlaps each first electrode covers the first electrode; after the first electrode is manufactured, when the pixel partition structure is manufactured, the first portion protects the surface of the first electrode, thus preventing the surface of the first electrode from being corroded when the pixel separation structure is manufactured.

Description

Display substrate and display device

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510025210.4, filed on January 7, 2025, entitled “Display substrate and method for preparation thereof, display device”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This application relates to the field of display technology, and in particular to a display substrate and a display device. Background Technology

[0004] With the development of display technology, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display products have occupied the high-end display product market in recent years due to their excellent picture quality and wide range of applications. As a result, users' demands for the display performance of OLED display products are also increasing. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a display substrate, wherein the display substrate comprises:

[0007] Substrate;

[0008] A pixel defining layer, located on the substrate, includes multiple pixel openings defining multiple sub-pixels;

[0009] The plurality of sub-pixels are located on the substrate, each sub-pixel includes a light-emitting element, the light-emitting element includes a light-emitting functional layer and a first electrode located between the light-emitting functional layer and the substrate, adjacent first electrodes include a spacer region, and the light-emitting functional layer includes a plurality of sub-functional film layers;

[0010] A filling layer is located on the substrate, and the filling layer at least fills the spacer region;

[0011] The pixel defining layer includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is located on the side of the first electrode away from the substrate, and the second portion is located on the side of the first portion and the filling layer away from the substrate.

[0012] A pixel-separating structure is disposed in the portion of the pixel-defining layer located in the spacing region.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present application, the display substrate provided has a distance from at least a portion of the surface of the filling layer away from the substrate to the substrate along the normal direction of the substrate. This distance is greater than or equal to the distance from the surface of the first electrode away from the substrate to the substrate.

[0014] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, the second portion includes a first sublayer and a second sublayer;

[0015] The first sublayer covers the first portion and the filler layer, the portion of the first sublayer located in the spacer region includes a groove, and the second sublayer includes an opening exposing the groove; the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the opening on the substrate is located within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the groove on the substrate.

[0016] The pixel separation structure includes the groove.

[0017] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, the distance between the region of the first sublayer covering the first portion and the surface of the substrate and the first electrode along the normal direction of the substrate is greater than the distance between the region of the first sublayer covering the filling layer and the surface of the substrate and the filling layer.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present application, the display substrate provided has a greater distance from the surface of the substrate to the substrate along the normal direction of the substrate than the distance from the surface of the substrate to the substrate of the area where the first sublayer covers the first portion.

[0019] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, the thickness of the first portion is less than the thickness of the first sublayer along the normal direction of the substrate.

[0020] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, the thickness of the second sublayer is less than the thickness of the first sublayer along the normal direction of the substrate, and the thickness of the first portion is less than or equal to the thickness of the second sublayer.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present application, the display substrate provided includes a pixel defining layer that further includes an interface sublayer disposed between the first portion and the first sublayer.

[0022] The orthographic projection of the interface sublayer on the substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the substrate.

[0023] In some embodiments of the present application, the material of the first portion is the same as the material of the first sublayer, and the material of the interface sublayer is different from the material of the first portion.

[0024] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, the thickness of the interface sublayer is less than the thickness of the first portion along the normal direction of the substrate.

[0025] In some embodiments of the present application, the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the interface sublayer on the substrate is located within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the substrate, and there is a gap between the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the interface sublayer on the substrate and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the substrate.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present application, the display substrate provided has a spacing greater than the distance between the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the opening on the substrate and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the groove on the substrate.

[0027] In some embodiments of the present application, the display substrate provided has the filling layer extending from the spacer region to a portion of the first electrode region, and the orthographic projection of the filling layer on the substrate overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the substrate region.

[0028] In some embodiments of the present application, the display substrate provided has the filling layer covering the side of the first electrode, and the orthographic projection of the filling layer and the first portion on the substrate does not overlap.

[0029] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, the maximum distance between the surface of the filling layer away from the substrate and the substrate is less than or equal to the maximum distance between the surface of the interface sublayer away from the substrate and the substrate.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present application, the display substrate provided has the filling layer covering at least a portion of the first portion.

[0031] In some embodiments of the present application, the display substrate provided with the filling layer covers the area in the first portion where the interface sublayer is not disposed.

[0032] In some embodiments of the present application, the display substrate provided has the filling layer extending to the region between the interface sublayer and the first sublayer, and the filling layer covering at least a portion of the interface sublayer.

[0033] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, along the normal direction of the substrate, in the region where the filling layer covers the interface sublayer, at least a portion of the thickness of the filling layer is less than or equal to the sum of the thickness of the first portion and the interface sublayer.

[0034] In some embodiments of the present application, the display substrate provided has a filling layer covering the interface sublayer. The area of ​​the interface sublayer covered by the filling layer includes a first area and a second area. The distance from the first area to the spacing area is less than the distance from the second area to the spacing area.

[0035] The average thickness of the portion of the filler layer located in the first region is less than or equal to the average thickness of the portion of the filler layer located in the second region.

[0036] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, the thickness of the filling layer gradually decreases in the region covered by the interface sublayer along the direction from the second region to the first region.

[0037] In some embodiments of the present application, the display substrate provided includes a third region and a fourth region surrounding the third region in the portion of the filling layer located in the spacer region. The third region is located between the groove and the substrate, and the fourth region is located between the first electrode and the third region.

[0038] Wherein, along the normal direction of the substrate, the average distance between the surface of the third region away from the substrate and the substrate is less than or equal to the average distance between the surface of the fourth region away from the substrate and the substrate.

[0039] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, the portion of the filling layer located in the fourth region has a first protrusion.

[0040] Along the normal direction of the substrate, the maximum distance between the first protrusion and the substrate is greater than or equal to the maximum distance between the interface sublayer and the substrate.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present application, the second portion of the pixel defining layer includes a second protrusion, which overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first protrusion onto the substrate.

[0042] In some embodiments of the present application, the portion of the filling layer located in the fourth region has a first recess, the orthographic projection of the first recess on the substrate being located between the orthographic projections of the first protrusion and the groove on the substrate.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present application, the second portion of the pixel defining layer is provided with a second recess in the area between the second protrusion and the groove.

[0044] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, the distance between the portion of the pixel defining layer away from the substrate and the portion near the pixel opening and the substrate is greater than the distance between the portion of the pixel defining layer away from the substrate and the portion near the spacing region and the substrate.

[0045] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a display device including a display substrate as described in any one of the first aspects.

[0046] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of this application and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this application more obvious and understandable, the following are specific embodiments of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0047] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or related technologies, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0048] Figure 1A shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary Single structure light-emitting element according to an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 1B shows a schematic diagram of a light-emitting element with an exemplary Tandem structure according to an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 2A shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary display substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 2B shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary display substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 2C shows a schematic diagram of yet another exemplary display substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 2D shows a schematic diagram of yet another exemplary display substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 2E shows a schematic diagram of yet another exemplary display substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 2F shows a schematic diagram of yet another exemplary display substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 2G shows a schematic diagram of yet another exemplary display substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 2H shows a schematic diagram of the change in grain height on the surface of an exemplary first electrode according to an embodiment of this application after being eroded by a chemical solution;

[0058] Figure 2I shows a schematic diagram of the initial lattice morphology of an exemplary first electrode surface according to an embodiment of this application;

[0059] Figure 2J shows a schematic diagram of the morphology of the lattice on the surface of an exemplary first electrode according to an embodiment of this application after being eroded by a chemical solution.

[0060] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary display substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0061] Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of yet another exemplary display substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of yet another exemplary display substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 6 shows a schematic diagram of yet another exemplary display substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of yet another exemplary display substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 8A shows a schematic diagram of yet another exemplary display substrate according to an embodiment of this application;

[0066] Figures 8B and 8C are magnified schematic diagrams of the partial structures in Figure 8A, respectively;

[0067] Figures 9A to 9E are schematic diagrams of the intermediate structure during the fabrication process of the display substrate shown in Figure 3;

[0068] Figures 10A to 10E are schematic diagrams of the intermediate structure during the fabrication process of the display substrate shown in Figure 5;

[0069] Figures 11A to 11E are schematic diagrams of the intermediate structure during the fabrication process of the display substrate shown in Figure 7. Specific Implementation

[0070] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0071] As described in the background section, with the development of display technology, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display products have occupied the high-end display product market in recent years due to their excellent picture quality and wide range of applications. Consequently, users' demands for the display performance of OLED display products are also increasing.

[0072] However, OLED displays suffer from electrical crosstalk. OLED devices contain functional material layers with high lateral carrier mobility, such as the charge generation layer (CGL). During OLED fabrication, open masks are typically used to create these CGLs. Because these functional material layers have a continuous planar structure, charges can move freely within the plane. This can easily lead to abnormal emission from pixels surrounding the currently emitting pixel, resulting in poor color gamut and impacting display quality.

[0073] To improve the current utilization efficiency of OLEDs and reduce power consumption, compared to traditional single-layer pixel structures, tandem OLED pixel structures connect multiple OLED devices in series through organic material layers to form high-efficiency OLED devices. These structures are characterized by higher efficiency, lower current consumption, and longer lifespan. However, tandem OLED displays suffer from more severe electrical crosstalk.

[0074] Figure 1A shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary Single structure light-emitting element 100a according to an embodiment of this application.

[0075] As shown in Figure 1A, the light-emitting element 100a includes a first electrode 102, a light-emitting functional layer 104, and a second electrode 106. The light-emitting functional layer 104 is located between the first electrode 102 and the second electrode 106. When the first electrode 102 and the second electrode 106 are working, an electric field is generated between them, and the light-emitting functional layer 104 emits light under the action of the electric field. The first electrode 102 can be an anode, and the second electrode 106 can be a cathode (CTD).

[0076] In the light-emitting element 100a, the light-emitting functional layer 104 includes multiple sub-functional film layers 1042, including a hole injection layer (HTL) 1042, a light emitting layer (EL) 1044, and an electron transport layer (ETL) 1046. When current passes through, the first electrode 102 emits holes, and the second electrode 106 emits electrons. These holes and electrons meet and recombine in the light emitting layer 1044 to generate light.

[0077] Figure 1B shows a schematic diagram of a light-emitting element 100b with an exemplary Tandem structure according to an embodiment of this application.

[0078] As shown in Figure 1B, compared to the single-structure light-emitting element 100a, the tandem-structure light-emitting element 100b utilizes a charge-generating layer 1048 to connect the upper and lower light-emitting layers (e.g., the first light-emitting layer 1044 and the second light-emitting layer 1050) in series, forming a series-structured light-emitting element. When current flows, some holes and electrons recombine and emit light in one of the two light-emitting layers (e.g., the first light-emitting layer 1044), while other holes and electrons pass through the charge-generating layer 1048 and recombine and emit light again in the other light-emitting layer (e.g., the second light-emitting layer 1050). Therefore, compared to the single-structure light-emitting element 100a, the tandem-structure light-emitting element 100b significantly reduces the luminous current and improves the lifespan of the light-emitting element at the same luminous intensity. Therefore, the tandem-structure light-emitting element has advantages such as long lifespan, low power consumption, and high brightness.

[0079] However, for products using tandem structure light-emitting elements, the charge generation layer has strong conductivity and the light-emitting functional layers of adjacent sub-pixels are connected. Therefore, the charge generation layer is prone to crosstalk between adjacent sub-pixels, which seriously affects the display quality.

[0080] Figure 2A shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary display substrate 200a according to an embodiment of this application.

[0081] As shown in Figure 2A, the display substrate 200a includes a substrate 202, a pixel defining layer 204, and a plurality of sub-pixels located on the substrate 202. The pixel defining layer 204 defines a plurality of pixel openings 206 for the plurality of sub-pixels. The pixel defining layer 204 may include a plurality of sub-layers stacked sequentially along a direction away from the substrate 202, and the plurality of sub-layers may be formed simultaneously on the substrate 202 in a single patterning process.

[0082] Each of the multiple sub-pixels includes a light-emitting element (e.g., light-emitting element 208a and light-emitting element 208b), the light-emitting element including a light-emitting functional layer 210 and a first electrode 212 located between the light-emitting functional layer 210 and the substrate 202, the first electrode 212 may be an anode.

[0083] The light-emitting functional layer 210 includes multiple sub-functional film layers, including a charge-generating layer 2102 and light-emitting layers (e.g., a first light-emitting layer 2104 and a second light-emitting layer 2106) located on the upper and lower sides of the charge-generating layer 2102. The charge-generating layer 2102 of the light-emitting element can be an integral structure, fabricated using an open mask.

[0084] In the display substrate 200a, the light-emitting functional layers 210 of adjacent sub-pixels are connected, while the charge-generating layer 2102 has strong conductivity, allowing charges to move freely within a planar range. Therefore, the charge-generating layer 2102 easily causes lateral crosstalk between adjacent sub-pixels. For example, crosstalk between adjacent sub-pixels refers to the situation where a light-emitting element that should not emit light emits light. As shown in Figure 2A, if the desired situation is that light-emitting element 208a emits light while light-emitting element 208b does not emit light, but due to the conductivity of the charge-generating layer 2102, light-emitting element 208b also emits light, thus forming crosstalk and affecting display quality.

[0085] To solve the crosstalk problem between adjacent sub-pixels, a pixel isolation structure can be set between adjacent sub-pixels, and at least one of the multiple sub-functional film layers in the light-emitting functional layer can be disconnected at the location of the pixel isolation structure, thereby avoiding crosstalk between adjacent sub-pixels caused by the highly conductive charge generation layer.

[0086] Figure 2B shows a schematic diagram of an exemplary display substrate 200b according to an embodiment of this application.

[0087] As shown in Figure 2B, in some embodiments, when fabricating the pixel separation structure, the fabrication materials for the first electrode 212 and the protective layer 214 of the first electrode 212 can be deposited on one side of the substrate 202. The fabrication material for the first electrode 212 may include a TAT stacked structure (Ti / TiN / Al / TiN, titanium / titanium nitride / aluminum / titanium nitride) and indium tin oxide (ITO), while the fabrication material for the protective layer 214 may include silicon nitride (SiNx) and silicon oxide (SiOx).

[0088] Figure 2C shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary display substrate 200b according to an embodiment of this application.

[0089] As shown in Figure 2C, after depositing the materials for the first electrode 212 and the protective layer 214 of the first electrode 212, in some embodiments, the first electrode 212 can be formed by a single patterning process, wherein the single patterning process may include an etching process.

[0090] Figure 2D shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary display substrate 200b according to an embodiment of this application.

[0091] As shown in Figure 2D, in some embodiments, the substrate 202 after the formation of the first electrode 212 can be filled with silicon oxide, and then the spacer region 220 of the first electrode 212 can be flattened by a dry etching lateral height coverage (LHC) process to form a filling layer 216. The filling layer 216 can be formed in a single patterning process. During the formation of the filling layer 216, the protective layer 214 is etched away, thereby exposing the surface of the first electrode 212.

[0092] Figure 2E shows a schematic diagram of yet another exemplary display substrate 200b according to an embodiment of this application.

[0093] As shown in Figure 2E, in some embodiments, after forming the fill layer 216, a pixel defining layer 204 can be formed on the substrate 202. The pixel defining layer 204 may include multiple sublayers sequentially stacked along a direction away from the substrate 202, and these multiple sublayers can be formed simultaneously on the substrate 202 in a single patterning process. The materials used to fabricate the multiple sublayers along the direction away from the substrate 202 may sequentially include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, and silicon oxide.

[0094] Figure 2F shows a schematic diagram of yet another exemplary display substrate 200b according to an embodiment of this application.

[0095] As shown in Figure 2F, in some embodiments, after forming the pixel definition layer 204, a pixel separation structure 218 can be formed between adjacent sub-pixels.

[0096] Figure 2G shows a schematic diagram of another exemplary display substrate 200b according to an embodiment of this application.

[0097] As shown in Figure 2G, at least one of the multiple sub-functional film layers in the light-emitting functional layer 210 (e.g., the charge generation layer 2102) can be disconnected at the pixel separation structure 218, thereby improving the lateral crosstalk problem between adjacent sub-pixels and improving display quality.

[0098] As described above, during the formation of the filler layer 216, the protective layer 214 is etched away, thereby exposing the surface of the first electrode 212. Simultaneously, wet stripping is required during the formation of the filler layer 216, the pixel defining layer 204, and the pixel separation structure 218. Because the surface of the first electrode 212 is exposed, the stripping solution will repeatedly erode the anode surface during multiple stripping processes.

[0099] Figure 2H shows a schematic diagram of the change in grain height on the surface of an exemplary first electrode 212 according to an embodiment of this application after being eroded by a chemical solution.

[0100] As shown in Figure 2H, the initial grain height of the surface of the first electrode 212 is 1.11 micrometers. During the formation of the filling layer 216, after the first chemical etch, the grain height of the surface of the first electrode 212 is 1.01 micrometers. During the formation of the pixel defining layer 204, after the second chemical etch, the grain height of the surface of the first electrode 212 is 0.97 micrometers. During the formation of the pixel partition structure 218, after the third chemical etch, the grain height of the surface of the first electrode 212 is 0.77 micrometers. It can be seen that after multiple chemical etches, the grain height of the surface of the first electrode 212 gradually decreases, resulting in a decrease in the surface roughness of the first electrode 212.

[0101] Figure 2I shows a schematic diagram of the initial morphology of the surface lattice of an exemplary first electrode 212 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 2J shows a schematic diagram of the morphology of the surface lattice of an exemplary first electrode 212 according to an embodiment of this application after being etched by a chemical solution.

[0102] As can be seen from Figures 2I and 2J, the initial lattice morphology of the surface of the first electrode 212 is relatively large. After three etching processes with the chemical solution, the lattice becomes smaller, and the surface lattice of the first electrode 212 becomes blurred. A larger lattice results in better electrical conductivity. Conversely, a smaller lattice leads to increased inter-lattice spacing, which in turn reduces the carrier migration rate and consequently increases the resistance of the first electrode 212. This increased resistance in the first electrode 212 causes heat generation during OLED light emission, potentially leading to short circuits and melting of the anode and cathode. This further contributes to display defects such as foreign objects and line spots, ultimately reducing the overall image quality.

[0103] To at least address the aforementioned problems, this application provides a display substrate and a display device. A pixel defining layer defines multiple sub-pixels, each sub-pixel including a light-emitting element. The light-emitting element includes a first electrode. A filling layer fills the gap between adjacent first electrodes, and a pixel isolation structure is formed in a second portion of the pixel defining layer above the filling layer. This can disconnect at least one of the multiple sub-functional film layers in the light-emitting functional layer, thereby reducing lateral electrical crosstalk between pixels and improving display quality. Simultaneously, a first portion overlapping the pixel defining layer and the first electrode covers the first electrode. Thus, after the first electrode is fabricated, when the pixel isolation structure is fabricated, the first portion can protect the surface of the first electrode, preventing erosion of the first electrode surface during the fabrication of the pixel isolation structure.

[0104] The display substrate provided in this application will be described and explained in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0105] The embodiments of this application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0106] An embodiment of this application provides a display substrate, wherein, as shown in Figures 3 to 8A, the display substrate includes:

[0107] Substrate 1;

[0108] The pixel defining layer 3 is located on the substrate 1 and includes a plurality of pixel openings 304 (refer to the markings in FIG3) defining a plurality of sub-pixels;

[0109] Multiple sub-pixels are located on a substrate 1. Each sub-pixel includes a light-emitting element (e.g., light-emitting element Q1 and light-emitting element Q2). The light-emitting element includes a light-emitting functional layer 4 and a first electrode 2 located between the light-emitting functional layer 4 and the substrate 1. An interspace is included between adjacent first electrodes 2. The light-emitting functional layer 4 includes multiple sub-functional film layers.

[0110] A filling layer T is located on the substrate 1, and the filling layer T at least fills the spacer region;

[0111] As shown in Figures 3 to 8A, the pixel limiting layer 3 includes a first part 301 and a second part 302. The first part 301 is located on the side of the first electrode 2 away from the substrate 1, and the second part 302 is located on the side of the first part 301 and the filling layer T away from the substrate 1.

[0112] A pixel partition structure (e.g., including a groove C) is disposed in the portion of the pixel defining layer 3 located in the spacing region, and at least one of the plurality of sub-functional film layers in the light-emitting functional layer 4 is disconnected at the location of the pixel partition structure (e.g., including the groove C).

[0113] In an exemplary embodiment, the substrate 1 may include a substrate and a driving unit located on the substrate, wherein the driving unit is used to drive the sub-pixel to emit light.

[0114] In exemplary embodiments, the driving unit may include two transistors and one capacitor (2T1C); or, the driving unit may include four transistors and one capacitor (4T1C); or, the driving unit may include five transistors and one capacitor (5T1C). The embodiments of the driving unit in this disclosure are not limited thereto; in other embodiments, the driving unit may also include more transistors, more capacitors, or other devices.

[0115] In some examples, the substrate material may be made of one or more of the following: glass, polyimide, polycarbonate, polyacrylate, polyetherimide, and polyethersulfone, and this embodiment includes, but is not limited to, these.

[0116] In some examples, the substrate may be a rigid substrate or a flexible substrate; when the substrate is a rigid substrate, the substrate may include a glass substrate or a silicon substrate.

[0117] The arrangement of the aforementioned sub-pixels is not limited here; it can be any arrangement found in related technologies. Please refer to the descriptions of the relevant technologies for details.

[0118] The multiple pixel openings in the aforementioned pixel limiting layer 3 refer to the areas in which the sub-pixels in the display substrate actually emit light. The pixel openings are used to expose a portion of the first electrode 2, making it easier for the light-emitting functional layer 4 to contact and conduct with the first electrode 2, thereby controlling the light-emitting functional layer 4 to emit light.

[0119] For example, the first electrode 2 may include a metallic material, such as any one or more of magnesium (Mg), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti) and molybdenum (Mo); or an alloy of the above metals, such as aluminum-neodymium alloy (AlNd) or molybdenum-niobium alloy (MoNb).

[0120] For example, the material of the filling layer T may include silicon oxide (SiOx).

[0121] For example, the first electrode AN may further include a non-conductive material, such as an inorganic material, like silicon nitride, silicon oxide, or silicon oxynitride; or, for example, an organic material, such as a resin. The non-conductive material in the first electrode layer AN can be sandwiched between the first electrode 2 to adjust the thickness of the first electrode, and the electrical function of the first electrode AN can be achieved by providing conductive materials on both sides of the sandwich.

[0122] The gap between adjacent first electrodes 2 refers to the gap between two adjacent first electrodes 2.

[0123] The light-emitting functional layer 4 may further include multiple sub-functional film layers, which may include a charge generation layer 402 and light-emitting layers (e.g., a first light-emitting layer 401 and a second light-emitting layer 403) located on the upper and lower sides of the charge generation layer 402. The charge generation layer 402 may be an integral structure.

[0124] In an exemplary embodiment, a filling layer T is disposed between two adjacent first electrodes 2, so that a specific surface morphology can be formed in the pixel separation structure between the two adjacent first electrodes 2 during the subsequent fabrication of the pixel defining layer 3. This reduces the difficulty of the fabrication process and improves the stability of the production process.

[0125] As shown in Figures 3 to 8A, in the embodiments of this application, the pixel defining layer 3 includes a first portion 301 overlapping with the first electrode 2. The first portion 301 is located on the side of the first electrode 2 away from the substrate 1. Thus, in the display substrates (e.g., 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, and 800) provided in the embodiments of this application, multiple sub-pixels are defined by the pixel defining layer 3, and a pixel isolation structure is provided between adjacent sub-pixels. At least one of the multiple sub-functional film layers in the light-emitting functional layer 4 can be disconnected to reduce lateral electrical crosstalk between pixels and improve display quality. At the same time, the first portion 301 overlapping with the first electrode 2 covers the first electrode 2. Thus, after the first electrode 2 is fabricated, when the pixel isolation structure is fabricated, the first portion 301 can protect the surface of the first electrode 2 and prevent the surface of the first electrode 2 from being eroded during the fabrication of the pixel isolation structure.

[0126] As shown in Figures 3 to 8A, the display substrate may further include a second electrode 5, which may be a cathode. The light-emitting functional layer 4 is located between the first electrode 2 and the second electrode 5. By protecting the surface of the first electrode 2 through the first part 301, the problem of increased resistance of the first electrode 2 after repeated erosion of the surface of the first electrode 2 can be improved, thereby improving the problem of short circuit caused by the melting of the anode and cathode due to the heat of the first electrode 2 during the light emission process.

[0127] As shown in Figures 3 to 8A, in the embodiments of this application, the pixel defining layer 3 includes a second portion 302, which is located on the side of the first portion 301 and the filling layer T away from the substrate 1. Thus, in practical applications, the second portion 302 has a protrusion at the edge junction with the first electrode 2, which may significantly increase the path of the light-emitting functional layer 4 into the pixel isolation structure, thereby causing at least one sub-functional film layer in the light-emitting functional layer 4 to break at the pixel isolation structure under stress.

[0128] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG4, in the display substrate, at least a portion of the surface of the filling layer T away from the substrate 1 is at a distance h1 from the substrate 1 to the substrate 1, which is greater than or equal to the distance h2 from the surface of the first electrode 2 away from the substrate 1 to the substrate 1.

[0129] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, along the normal direction of the substrate 1, at least a portion of the surface of the filling layer T away from the substrate 1 is at a distance h1 from the substrate 1 equal to the distance h2 from the surface of the first electrode 2 away from the substrate 1. In this case, the filling layer T fills the gap between the first electrodes 2.

[0130] In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 6-8A, at least a portion of the surface of the filling layer T away from the substrate 1 is at a distance h1 from the substrate 1 to the substrate 1, which is greater than the distance h2 from the surface of the first electrode 2 away from the substrate 1 to the substrate 1. In this case, the filling layer T fills the gap between the first electrodes 2, and at least a portion of the filling layer T is also higher than the surface of the first electrode 2 away from the substrate 1.

[0131] It should be noted that, in order to avoid ambiguity due to excessive markings, only the distance h1 between at least a portion of the surface of the filling layer T away from the substrate 1 and the substrate 1, and the distance h2 between the surface of the first electrode 2 away from the substrate 1 and the substrate 1 are marked in Figure 4; these are not repeated in the other figures.

[0132] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, as shown in Figures 3 to 8A, the second portion 302 includes a first sub-layer 3021 and a second sub-layer 3022; the first sub-layer 3021 covers the first portion 301 and the filling layer T, and the portion of the first sub-layer 3021 located in the spacing region includes a groove C, and the second sub-layer 3022 includes an opening K that exposes the groove C; as shown in FIG3, the outer contour S2 of the orthographic projection of the opening K on the substrate 1 is located within the outer contour S1 of the orthographic projection of the groove C on the substrate 1; the pixel separation structure includes the groove C.

[0133] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, as shown in Figures 3 to 8A (marked only in Figure 3), in the normal direction along the substrate 1, the distance c between the region of the first sublayer 3021 covering the first portion 301 away from the surface of the substrate 1 and the first electrode 2 is greater than the distance d between the region of the first sublayer 3021 covering the filling layer T away from the surface of the substrate 1 and the filling layer T.

[0134] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figures 3 to 8A, in the normal direction along the substrate 1, the distance e between the region of the first sublayer 3021 covering the first portion 301 and the surface of the substrate 1 is greater than the distance f between the region of the first sublayer 3021 covering the filling layer T and the surface of the substrate 1.

[0135] In the embodiments of this application, the distance c between the area of ​​the first sublayer 3021 covering the first portion 301 away from the surface of the substrate 1 and the first electrode 2 is set to be greater than the distance d between the area of ​​the first sublayer 3021 covering the filling layer T away from the surface of the substrate 1 and the filling layer T; or, the distance e between the area of ​​the first sublayer 3021 covering the first portion 301 away from the surface of the substrate 1 and the substrate 1 is greater than the distance f between the area of ​​the first sublayer 3021 covering the filling layer T away from the surface of the substrate 1 and the substrate 1.

[0136] In this way, on the one hand, after the first electrode 2 is fabricated, when fabricating the pixel partition structure, the area of ​​the first part 301 and the first sub-layer 3021 covering the first part 301 can protect the surface of the first electrode 2 and prevent the surface of the first electrode 2 from being eroded when fabricating the pixel partition structure; on the other hand, when fabricating the pixel opening 304, it can be ensured that the pixel opening 304 has a steeper sidewall, so that under the action of the steep sidewall of the pixel opening 304, at least one sub-functional film layer of the light-emitting functional layer 4 can be disconnected, thereby improving the problem of lateral crosstalk.

[0137] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, as shown in Figures 3 to 8A (refer to the markings in Figure 4), the thickness T3 of the first portion 301 is less than the thickness T1 of the first sublayer 3021 along the normal direction of the substrate 1.

[0138] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, as shown in Figures 3 to 8A (refer to the markings in Figure 4), the thickness T2 of the second sublayer 3022 is less than the thickness T1 of the first sublayer 3021 in the normal direction along the substrate 1, and the thickness T3 of the first portion 301 is less than or equal to the thickness T2 of the second sublayer 3022.

[0139] In the embodiments of this application, when preparing the first sublayer 3021, since the first sublayer 3021 covers both the first portion 301 and the filling layer T, if the thickness of the first portion 301 is large, the first sublayer 3021 will have a large step difference at the junction of the first portion 301 and the filling layer T, which can easily cause cracks or fractures in the first sublayer 3021 at this location. By setting the thickness of the first portion 301 to be less than the thickness of the first sublayer 3021, on the one hand, the film formation quality of the first sublayer 3021 can be guaranteed, avoiding cracks; on the other hand, the distance c between the area of ​​the first sublayer 3021 covering the first portion 301 and the surface of the substrate 1 and the first electrode 2 can be greater than the distance d between the area of ​​the first sublayer 3021 covering the filling layer T and the surface of the substrate 1 and the filling layer T, which facilitates the subsequent increase of stress in the light-emitting functional layer 4 so that at least one sub-functional film layer can be disconnected.

[0140] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in Figures 5 to 8A, the pixel defining layer 3 further includes an interface sublayer 303, which is disposed between the first portion 301 and the first sublayer 3021; ​​the orthogonal projection of the interface sublayer 303 on the substrate 1 is located within the orthogonal projection of the first electrode 2 on the substrate 1.

[0141] For example, the material of the interface sublayer 303 may include titanium nitride (TiNx) or aluminum oxide (Al3O2). The interface sublayer 303 is used as a signal marker for etching excess fill layer (e.g., fill layer above the first electrode 2) when preparing the fill layer T. In addition, it can also protect the first electrode 2 and prevent the etching process from damaging the first electrode 2.

[0142] In some embodiments of the present application, the material of the first portion 301 is the same as that of the first sublayer 3021, while the material of the interface sublayer 303 is different from that of the first portion 301.

[0143] For example, the material of the first portion 301 and the material of the first sublayer 3021 can be silicon nitride (SiNx).

[0144] For example, the material of the second sublayer 3022 and the material of the filling layer T can be silicon oxide (SiOx).

[0145] The orthographic projection of the interface sublayer 303 on the substrate 1 is located within the orthographic projection of the first electrode 2 on the substrate 1, including the following cases:

[0146] First, the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the interface sublayer 303 on the substrate 1 overlaps with the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first electrode 2 on the substrate 1.

[0147] Second, the outer contour of the orthogonal projection of the interface sublayer 303 on the substrate 1 is located within the outer contour of the orthogonal projection of the first electrode 2 on the substrate 1.

[0148] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the filling layer T does not cover the first electrode 2, the location of the interface sublayer 303 is related to the boundary location of the filling layer T.

[0149] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, as shown in Figures 5 to 8A, the thickness of the interface sublayer 303 is less than the thickness of the first portion 301 along the normal direction of the substrate 1.

[0150] In the embodiments of this application, when the filling layer T does not cover the first electrode 2, the interface sublayer 303 is mainly used as a signal capture layer during the etching process of the filling layer T. When the thickness of the interface sublayer 303 is too large, material residue will inevitably occur during the etching process. Since the material of the interface sublayer 303 may have conductive properties, when material residue occurs, it is very easy to conduct with the light-emitting element, forming a leakage path and thus reducing the light-emitting efficiency of the light-emitting element.

[0151] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, as shown in Figures 5 to 8A, the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the interface sublayer 303 on the substrate 1 is located within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first electrode 2 on the substrate 1, and referring to the markings shown in Figure 5, there is a gap (for example, the gap b marked in Figure 5) between the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the interface sublayer 303 on the substrate 1 and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first electrode 2 on the substrate 1.

[0152] In the embodiments of this application, when fabricating the first sublayer 3021 and the second sublayer 3022, a step difference is created at the junction of the interface sublayer 303 and the filling layer T (because the first electrode 2 is provided with the first portion 301 and the interface sublayer 303). To avoid cracks from occurring during the subsequent fabrication of the first sublayer 3021 and the second sublayer 3022, a gap is created between the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the interface sublayer 303 on the substrate 1 and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first electrode 2 on the substrate 1 (i.e., the interface sublayer 303 does not cover the edge of the first electrode 2). This can significantly reduce the step difference in this area, thereby reducing the risk of cracks in the first sublayer 3021 and the second sublayer 3022 and improving the quality of the display substrate.

[0153] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, as shown in Figures 5 to 8A (marked only in Figure 5), the spacing b is greater than the distance a between the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the opening K on the substrate 1 and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the groove C on the substrate 1.

[0154] In embodiments of this application, the spacing b is set to be greater than the distance a between the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the opening K on the substrate 1 and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the groove C on the substrate 1. In some embodiments, when preparing the filling layer T, as shown in FIG6, the filling layer T can be left at the edge of the first electrode 2, so that the filling layer T can mitigate the step difference at this point, thereby avoiding cracks caused by the step difference during the subsequent preparation of the first sublayer 3021 and the second sublayer 3022. Such cracks can easily cause leakage paths in the light-emitting functional layer, thereby reducing the luminous efficiency.

[0155] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG6, the filling layer T extends from the spacer region to a portion of the first electrode 2, and the orthographic projection of the filling layer T on the substrate 1 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first electrode 2 on the substrate 1.

[0156] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG6, the filling layer T covers the side of the first electrode 2, and the orthographic projections of the filling layer T and the first portion 301 on the substrate 1 do not overlap.

[0157] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG6, the maximum distance h4 between the surface of the filling layer T away from the substrate 1 and the substrate 1 is less than or equal to the maximum distance h3 between the surface of the interface sublayer 303 away from the substrate 1 and the substrate 1.

[0158] In the embodiments of this application, when the orthographic projections of the filling layer T and the first portion 301 on the substrate 1 do not overlap, the maximum distance h4 between the surface of the filling layer T away from the substrate 1 and the substrate 1 is set to be less than or equal to the maximum distance h3 between the surface of the interface sublayer 303 away from the substrate 1 and the substrate 1. In this way, when the first sublayer 3021 and the second sublayer 3022 are subsequently formed, the first sublayer 3021 and the second sublayer 3022 can form a slowly extending steep slope at the junction of the first electrode 2 and the filling layer T, avoiding stress fracture of the first sublayer 3021 and the second sublayer 3022 at this location. At the same time, when the light-emitting functional layer 4 is subsequently formed on the first sublayer 3021 and the second sublayer 3022, under the combined effect of the slowly extending steep slope at the junction of the first electrode 2 and the filling layer T and the pixel isolation structure, at least one sub-functional film layer in the light-emitting functional layer 4 can be disconnected.

[0159] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG7 or FIG8, the filler layer T covers at least a portion of the area of ​​the first portion 301.

[0160] For example, the filling layer T covering at least a portion of the first portion 301 may include the following situations: the filling layer T covers a portion of the first portion 301, or the filling layer T covers all portions of the first portion 301.

[0161] In some embodiments of the display substrate provided in this application, the filling layer T covers the area in the first portion 301 where the interface sublayer 303 is not disposed. It can be understood that the filling layer T covers a portion of the first portion 301, and the orthographic projections of the filling layer T and the interface sublayer 303 on the substrate 1 do not overlap.

[0162] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG7 and FIG8A, the filling layer T extends to the region between the interface sublayer 303 and the first sublayer 3021, and the filling layer T covers at least a portion of the interface sublayer 303.

[0163] In the embodiments of this application, by setting the filling layer T to extend to the region between the interface sub-layer 303 and the first sub-layer 3021, and the filling layer T covering at least a portion of the interface sub-layer 303, the sidewalls of the pixel opening 304 formed later are steeper when the pixel opening 304 is formed. For example, the angle between the sidewall of the pixel opening 304 and the first electrode 2 is approximately a right angle. This increases the surface stress of the light-emitting functional layer 4 when the light-emitting functional layer 4 is formed in the pixel opening 304, which helps to increase the subsequent disconnection of at least one sub-functional film layer in the light-emitting functional layer 4 at the pixel isolation structure location.

[0164] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG7, FIG8A and FIG8B, along the normal direction of the substrate 1, in the region where the filling layer T covers the interface sublayer 303, at least a portion of the thickness t4 of the filling layer T is less than or equal to the sum of the thicknesses t5 of the first portion 301 and the interface sublayer 303.

[0165] For example, along the normal direction of the substrate 1, in the region where the filling layer T covers the interface sublayer 303, at least a portion of the thickness t4 of the filling layer T is less than the sum of the thicknesses t5 of the first portion 301 and the interface sublayer 303.

[0166] For example, along the normal direction of the substrate 1, in the region where the filling layer T covers the interface sublayer 303, the thickness t4 of at least a portion of the filling layer T is equal to the sum of the thicknesses t5 of the first portion 301 and the interface sublayer 303.

[0167] In the embodiments of this application, by setting the thickness t4 of at least a portion of the filling layer T in the region covering the interface sublayer 303 to be less than or equal to the sum of the thicknesses t5 of the first portion 301 and the interface sublayer 303, it is possible to avoid the filling layer T being too thick (an excessively thick filling layer T would have a planarization effect), thereby avoiding weakening the lifting effect of the first portion 301 and the interface sublayer 303 on the first sublayer 3021 and the second sublayer 3022, ensuring that the portions of the first sublayer 3021 and the second sublayer 3022 located on the first electrode 2 have a raised surface, or in other words, ensuring that the distance c between the surface of the region of the first sublayer 3021 covering the first portion 301 away from the substrate 1 and the first electrode 2 is greater than the distance d between the surface of the region of the first sublayer 3021 covering the filling layer T away from the substrate 1 and the filling layer T; or, ensuring that the distance e between the surface of the region of the first sublayer 3021 covering the first portion 301 away from the substrate 1 and the substrate 1 is greater than the distance f between the surface of the region of the first sublayer 3021 covering the filling layer T away from the substrate 1 and the substrate 1.

[0168] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG8A, a filler layer T covers an interface sublayer 303. The area of ​​the interface sublayer 303 covered by the filler layer T includes a first region A1 and a second region A2. The distance from the first region A1 to the spacer region is less than the distance between the second region A2 and the spacer region. The average thickness t4-A1 of the portion of the filler layer T located in the first region A1 is less than or equal to the average thickness t4-A2 of the portion of the filler layer T located in the second region A2.

[0169] It is understandable that in the area where the filling layer T covers the interface sub-layer 303, the average thickness of the filling layer T near the pixel opening 304 is greater than the average thickness of the filling layer T near the spacing area.

[0170] In this way, by setting the average thickness of the filling layer T near the pixel opening 304 in the region covered by the filling layer T of the interface sub-layer 303 to be greater than the average thickness of the filling layer T near the spacing region, it is possible to make the surface of the second sub-layer 3022 away from the substrate have the same variation area. For example, the average distance between the portion of the surface of the second sub-layer 3022 away from the substrate that overlaps with the second region A2 and the first electrode 2 is greater than the average distance between the portion of the surface of the second sub-layer 3022 away from the substrate that overlaps with the first region A1 and the first electrode 2. During the subsequent fabrication of the light-emitting functional layer 4, it is beneficial for at least one sub-functional film layer in the light-emitting functional layer 4 to break in the region between the sidewall position of the pixel opening 304 and the position of the pixel partition structure, thereby solving the problem of sub-pixel lateral crosstalk.

[0171] In some embodiments of the present application, in the display substrate provided, the thickness t4 of the filling layer T gradually decreases in the region of the interface sublayer 303 covered by the filling layer T along the direction from the second region A2 to the first region A1.

[0172] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG8A, the portion of the filling layer T located in the spacer region includes a third region A3 and a fourth region A4 surrounding the third region A3. The third region A3 is located between the groove C and the substrate 1, and the fourth region A4 is located between the first electrode 2 and the third region A3. In this case, along the normal direction of the substrate 1, the average distance h5 between the surface of the third region A3 away from the substrate 1 and the substrate 1 is less than or equal to the average distance h6 between the surface of the fourth region A4 away from the substrate 1 and the substrate 1.

[0173] It should be noted that, in some embodiments, in conjunction with the fabrication process, after the pixel partition structure (groove C) is formed, an etching process is usually performed to form the pixel opening 304. At this time, a small amount of the bottom of the groove C will be etched, thus thinning the portion of the filling layer T located in the third region. As a result, the average distance h5 between the surface of the third region A3 away from the substrate 1 and the substrate 1 is less than or equal to the average distance h6 between the surface of the fourth region A4 away from the substrate 1 and the substrate 1.

[0174] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG6, FIG8A and FIG8C, the portion of the filling layer T located in the fourth region A4 has a first protrusion tq1. In the normal direction along the substrate 1, the maximum distance h4 between the first protrusion tq1 and the substrate 1 is greater than or equal to the maximum distance h3 between the interface sublayer 303 and the substrate 1.

[0175] In some examples, as shown in Figure 6, the maximum distance h4 between the first protrusion tq1 and the substrate 1 along the normal direction of the substrate 1 is equal to the maximum distance h3 between the interface sublayer 303 and the substrate 1.

[0176] In some examples, as shown in Figures 8A and 8C, the maximum distance h4 between the first protrusion tq1 and the substrate 1 along the normal direction of the substrate 1 is greater than the maximum distance h3 between the interface sublayer 303 and the substrate 1.

[0177] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG8C, the second portion 302 of the pixel defining layer includes a second protrusion tq2, which overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first protrusion tq1 on the substrate 1.

[0178] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG8C, the portion of the filling layer T located in the fourth region A4 has a first recess ax1, and the orthographic projection of the first recess ax1 on the substrate 1 is located between the orthographic projection of the first protrusion tq1 and the groove C on the substrate 1.

[0179] In some embodiments of the present application, as shown in FIG8C, the second portion 302 of the pixel defining layer is provided with a second recess ax2 in the area between the second protrusion tq2 and the groove C.

[0180] In the embodiments of this application, by setting the first protrusion tq1, the second protrusion tq2, the first recess ax1 and the second recess ax2, the path between the light-emitting functional layer 4 and the pixel partition structure can be increased, and the internal stress of the film layer can be increased, thereby facilitating the disconnection of at least one sub-functional film layer in the light-emitting functional layer 4 at the pixel partition structure.

[0181] In some embodiments of the present application, as indicated in FIG7, the distance h8 between the portion of the pixel defining layer 3 away from the substrate 1 and the portion near the pixel opening 304 and the substrate 1 is greater than the distance h7 between the portion of the pixel defining layer 3 away from the substrate 1 and the portion near the spacing region and the substrate 1.

[0182] This application also provides a method for preparing a display substrate.

[0183] Taking the structure of the display substrate 300 shown in Figure 3 as an example, the fabrication method of the display substrate 300 will be described. Referring to Figures 9A-9E, the fabrication method may include the following steps:

[0184] Step 1: As shown in FIG9A, a substrate 1 is provided, and a thin film of the material of the first electrode 2 and a thin film of the material of the first portion 301 of the pixel defining layer 3 are formed on the substrate 1.

[0185] Step 2, as shown in Figure 9B, by patterning the thin film of the material of the first electrode 2 and the thin film of the material of the first portion 301 of the pixel limiting layer 3, the first electrode 2, the gap region between two adjacent first electrodes 2, and the first portion 301 of the pixel limiting layer 3 covering the first electrode 2 are obtained.

[0186] Step 3: As shown in Figure 9C, a filling layer T is formed in the spacer area;

[0187] Step 4: As shown in Figure 9D, a thin film of material is formed on the first portion 301 of the pixel limiting layer 3 and the filling layer T to form the second portion 302 (including 3021 and 3022) of the pixel limiting layer 3.

[0188] Step 5: As shown in Figure 9E, the thin film of the material of the second part 302 (including 3021 and 3022) of the pixel limiting layer 3 is etched to obtain the groove C, which serves as a pixel separation structure.

[0189] Step 6: As shown in Figure 3, the pixel limiting layer 3 is further etched to obtain the pixel opening region 304.

[0190] Of course, the fabrication of the display substrate also includes other fabrication processes and steps. This application only describes the fabrication process of the structure related to the inventive point. Other fabrication processes and steps can be referred to the descriptions in related technologies.

[0191] Additionally, it should be noted that Figures 10A to 10E provide a fabrication process using the structure of the display substrate 500 shown in Figure 5 as an example. The difference from the fabrication process of the display substrate 300 is that, as shown in Figure 10A, in step 1, a substrate 1 is provided, and thin films of the material for the first electrode 2, the material for the first portion 301 of the pixel defining layer 3, and the material for the interface sublayer 303 are formed on the substrate 1. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10B, when patterning the thin film of the interface sublayer 303, the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the interface sublayer 303 onto the first electrode 2 after etching is located within the edge of the first electrode 2, and the edges of the first electrode 2 have a certain spacing.

[0192] It should also be noted that Figures 11A to 11E provide a fabrication process using the structure of the display substrate 700 shown in Figure 7 as an example. The difference between this process and that of the display substrate 500 is that, as shown in Figure 11C, when forming the filling layer T, a thin film of the material of the filling layer T is first formed over the entire surface. Secondly, during the patterning process, by controlling the process parameters of the patterning process (e.g., etching time), the filling layer T not only fills the spacer area but also covers the first electrode 2.

[0193] Embodiments of this application provide a display device including a display substrate as described above.

[0194] The display substrate can be any embodiment or arrangement / combination of the aforementioned display substrates. The display device is a product with image display capabilities, such as: a monitor, television, billboard, digital photo frame, laser printer with display function, telephone, mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), digital camera, portable camcorder, viewfinder, navigator, vehicle, large-area wall, home appliance, information query equipment (such as e-government, banking, hospital, power sector business query equipment, monitors, etc.).

[0195] Those skilled in the art will understand that the display device provided in this application has the advantages of the display panel of any of the above embodiments.

[0196] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth" are used to distinguish the same or similar items with essentially the same function and effect, only for the purpose of clearly describing the technical solution of the embodiments of this application, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated.

[0197] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "upper" and "lower" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0198] In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "exemplary embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic associated with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. The illustrative representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics mentioned may be included in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

[0199] In the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more, and "at least one" means one or more, unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0200] As used in this application, "parallel," "perpendicular," "equal," and "flush" encompass the described situation and situations that are similar to the described situation, within an acceptable deviation range, 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 the acceptable deviation range for approximate parallelism can be, for example, within 10° or 5°; "perpendicular" includes absolute perpendicularity and approximate perpendicularity, where the acceptable deviation range for approximate perpendicularity can also be, for example, within 10° or 5°. "Equal" includes absolute equality and approximate equality, where the acceptable deviation range for approximate equality can be, for example, the difference between the two equals being less than or equal to 5% of either one. "Flush" includes absolute flush and approximate flush, where the acceptable deviation range for approximate flush can be, for example, the distance between the flushes being less than or equal to 5% of either one's dimension.

[0201] Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout the specification and claims, the term "comprising" is interpreted as open and encompassing, that is, "including, but not limited to".

[0202] The polygons used in this specification are not strictly defined; they can be approximate triangles, parallelograms, trapezoids, pentagons, or hexagons, and may have minor deformations due to tolerances.

[0203] In this specification, "electrical connection" and "coupling" include situations where components are connected together by elements that have some electrical function. There are no particular limitations on what constitutes an "electrical element," as long as it allows for the transmission and reception of electrical signals between the connected components. Examples of "electrical elements" include not only electrodes and wiring, but also switching elements such as transistors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, and other elements with various functions.

[0204] In this specification, the term "same-layer arrangement" refers to a structure formed by patterning two (or more) structures through the same patterning process, and their materials may be the same or different. For example, the precursors forming multiple structures in a same-layer arrangement may be made of the same material, while the final materials may be the same or different.

[0205] 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.

[0206] "At least one of A, B and C" has the same meaning as "at least one of A, B or C", both including the following combinations of A, B and C: only A, only B, only C, combinations of A and B, combinations of A and C, combinations of B and C, and combinations of A, B and C.

[0207] "A and / or B" includes the following three combinations: A only, B only, and a combination of A and B.

[0208] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A display substrate, wherein, The display substrate includes: Substrate; A pixel defining layer, located on the substrate, includes multiple pixel openings defining multiple sub-pixels; The plurality of sub-pixels are located on the substrate, each sub-pixel includes a light-emitting element, the light-emitting element includes a light-emitting functional layer and a first electrode located between the light-emitting functional layer and the substrate, adjacent first electrodes include a spacer region, and the light-emitting functional layer includes a plurality of sub-functional film layers; A filling layer is located on the substrate, and the filling layer at least fills the spacer region; The pixel defining layer includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is located on the side of the first electrode away from the substrate, and the second portion is located on the side of the first portion and the filling layer away from the substrate. A pixel-separating structure is disposed in the portion of the pixel-defining layer located in the spacing region.

2. The display substrate according to claim 1, wherein, Along the normal direction of the substrate, at least a portion of the surface of the filling layer away from the substrate is at a distance greater than or equal to the distance between the surface of the first electrode away from the substrate and the substrate.

3. The display substrate according to claim 1, wherein, The second part includes a first sublayer and a second sublayer; The first sublayer covers the first portion and the filler layer, the portion of the first sublayer located in the spacer region includes a groove, and the second sublayer includes an opening exposing the groove; the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the opening on the substrate is located within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the groove on the substrate. The pixel separation structure includes the groove.

4. The display substrate according to claim 3, wherein, Along the normal direction of the substrate, the distance between the region of the first sublayer covering the first portion and the surface of the substrate and the first electrode is greater than the distance between the region of the first sublayer covering the fill layer and the surface of the substrate and the fill layer.

5. The display substrate according to claim 3, wherein, Along the normal direction of the substrate, the distance between the region of the first sublayer covering the first portion and the surface of the substrate is greater than the distance between the region of the first sublayer covering the fill layer and the surface of the substrate.

6. The display substrate according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, Along the normal direction of the substrate, the thickness of the first portion is less than the thickness of the first sublayer.

7. The display substrate according to claim 6, wherein, Along the normal direction of the substrate, the thickness of the second sublayer is less than the thickness of the first sublayer, and the thickness of the first portion is less than or equal to the thickness of the second sublayer.

8. The display substrate according to claim 6, wherein, The pixel definition layer further includes an interface sub-layer, which is disposed between the first portion and the first sub-layer; The orthographic projection of the interface sublayer on the substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the substrate.

9. The display substrate according to claim 8, wherein, The material of the first part is the same as the material of the first sublayer, while the material of the interface sublayer is different from the material of the first part.

10. The display substrate according to claim 8, wherein, The thickness of the interface sublayer is less than the thickness of the first portion along the normal direction of the substrate.

11. The display substrate according to claim 8, wherein, The outer contour of the orthographic projection of the interface sublayer on the substrate is located within the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the substrate, and there is a gap between the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the interface sublayer on the substrate and the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the substrate.

12. The display substrate according to claim 11, wherein, The spacing is greater than the distance between the outer contour of the orthogonal projection of the opening on the substrate and the outer contour of the orthogonal projection of the groove on the substrate.

13. The display substrate according to claim 11, wherein, The filling layer extends from the spacer region to a portion of the first electrode, and the orthographic projection of the filling layer on the substrate overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the substrate.

14. The display substrate according to claim 13, wherein, The filling layer covers the side of the first electrode, and the orthographic projection of the filling layer and the first portion on the substrate does not overlap.

15. The display substrate according to claim 14, wherein, The maximum distance between the surface of the filling layer away from the substrate and the substrate is less than or equal to the maximum distance between the surface of the interface sublayer away from the substrate and the substrate.

16. The display substrate according to claim 13, wherein, The filling layer covers at least a portion of the area of ​​the first part.

17. The display substrate according to claim 16, wherein, The filling layer covers the area in the first part where the interface sublayer is not provided.

18. The display substrate according to claim 13, wherein, The filling layer extends into the region between the interface sublayer and the first sublayer, and the filling layer covers at least a portion of the interface sublayer.

19. The display substrate according to claim 18, wherein, Along the normal direction of the substrate, in the region where the filler layer covers the interface sublayer, the thickness of the filler layer is less than or equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the first portion and the interface sublayer.

20. The display substrate according to claim 18, wherein, The filling layer covers the interface sub-layer, and the area of ​​the interface sub-layer covered by the filling layer includes a first area and a second area, wherein the distance from the first area to the interval area is less than the distance between the second area and the interval area; The average thickness of the portion of the filler layer located in the first region is less than or equal to the average thickness of the portion of the filler layer located in the second region.

21. The display substrate according to claim 20, wherein, In the region covered by the filling layer of the interface sublayer, the thickness of the filling layer gradually decreases along the direction from the second region to the first region.

22. The display substrate according to claim 13, wherein, The portion of the filling layer located in the spacer region includes a third region and a fourth region surrounding the third region, the third region being located between the groove and the substrate, and the fourth region being located between the first electrode and the third region; Wherein, along the normal direction of the substrate, the average distance between the surface of the third region away from the substrate and the substrate is less than or equal to the average distance between the surface of the fourth region away from the substrate and the substrate.

23. The display substrate according to claim 22, wherein, The portion of the filling layer located in the fourth region has a first protrusion. Along the normal direction of the substrate, the maximum distance between the first protrusion and the substrate is greater than or equal to the maximum distance between the interface sublayer and the substrate.

24. The display substrate according to claim 23, wherein, The second portion of the pixel defining layer includes a second protrusion that overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first protrusion onto the substrate.

25. The display substrate according to claim 24, wherein, The portion of the filling layer located in the fourth region has a first recess, the orthographic projection of which on the substrate lies between the orthographic projections of the first protrusion and the groove on the substrate.

26. The display substrate according to claim 25, wherein, The second portion of the pixel defining layer has a second recess in the area between the second protrusion and the groove.

27. The display substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein, The distance between the portion of the pixel defining layer away from the substrate and the portion near the pixel opening and the substrate is greater than the distance between the portion of the pixel defining layer away from the substrate and the portion near the spacing area and the substrate.

28. A display device comprising a display substrate as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 27.

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