Patent ID: 12225755

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The features and exemplary embodiments of various respects of the present disclosure will be described in detail below.

It should be noted that in the present disclosure, the ordinal terms such as “first” and “second” are merely used to differentiate an entity or operation from another entity or operation, and are not intended to indicate or imply relative importance or order relationship between these entities or operations, or to imply the number of entities or operations referred to.

It should be understood that the performing orders of the steps of the manufacturing method in the present disclosure are not strictly limited by the embodiments described below. The steps of the manufacturing method in the present disclosure can be performed and implemented in any possible orders as long as there is no contradiction between the steps. Moreover, at least some of the steps of the manufacturing method may include multiple sub-steps or stages, in which the multiple sub-steps or stages may not necessarily be completed at the same time but completed at different times, and may not necessarily be performed sequentially but performed alternately or by turns with other steps or sub-steps or at least part of stages.

A display component, as a current-type component, can generate a lot of heat during a light-emitting period, which can reduce the service life of the display component, thus reducing the product life of the display panel. Moreover, with the increasing size of the current display panel, a length of a leading wire is increasing, and the resistance of the leading wire is increasing, thereby increasing an IR-drop of a screen body and decreasing the brightness uniformity. Although a problem of uniformity of the IR-drop in the driving structure of the display panel can be solved by arranging a compensation circuit or adding at least one auxiliary wire, there is still no good method to solve the problem of uniformity of the IR-drop in the electrode of the display component.

The exemplary embodiments in the present disclosure provide a display panel including a display component and an encapsulation structure. The display component can be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display component, a micro light-emitting diode (Micro-LED) display component, and so on. In the exemplary embodiments in the present disclosure, a guiding layer is provided to effectively solve a problem of heat dissipation of the display panel and a problem of uniformity of the IR-drop of the electrode. The exemplary embodiments in the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring toFIG.1, a display panel in an embodiment includes a display component1and an encapsulation structure2stacked on the display component1. Display component1can be an OLED display component and generally can include a first electrode, a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode which are stacked in sequence in a direction away from a driving structure of the display panel. The first electrode and the second electrode can be respectively an anode and a cathode. Generally, the anode is connected to the driving structure of the display panel. At least one functional layer, such as an electron injection layer, an electron transport layer, a hole blocking layer, an electron blocking layer, and a hole transport layer, can be disposed between the rust electrode and the light-emitting layer or between the second electrode and the light-emitting layer.

In this embodiment, as shown inFIG.1, the display component1includes an electrode layer11. The electrode layer11can be configured to be adjacent to the encapsulation structure2. In an embodiment that the display component1is an OLED display component, the electrode layer11can be the second electrode which is the cathode. A guiding layer21is disposed in the encapsulation structure2and connected to the electrode layer11of the display component1. The guiding layer21is configured to transfer heat from the display component1to the outside. In this way, the guiding layer21is in contact with the display component1, for example, the guiding layer21is in contact with the electrode layer11of the display component1, so that the heat generated by the display component1in a working process can first be transferred to the electrode layer11and then transferred from the electrode layer11to the guiding layer21. The guiding layer21is in contact with at least one external leading wire, so that the heat can be further transferred to outside by the at least one external leading wire. The heat generated by the display component1in the working process can be effectively transferred to outside through the guiding layer21, so that a reduction of service life of various functional materials in the display component1caused by an inefficient heat dissipation can be avoided, and service life of the display panel is prolonged.

Referring toFIG.1again, optionally, encapsulation structure2includes at least one connecting hole22. The guiding layer21is in direct contact with the electrode layer11by extending through the at least one connecting hole22. As shown inFIG.1, the number of the at least one connecting hole22can be one, as long as the direct contact between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11can be achieved. A sufficient contact between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11is ensured by the direct contact between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11, thereby increasing the efficiency of heat conduction between the electrode layer11and the guiding layer21. In this way, the heat generated by the display component1in the working process can be better transferred to the outside, so that the reduction of the service life of various functional materials in the display component1caused by the inefficient heat dissipation can be avoided, and the service life of the display panel is prolonged. Moreover, due to the contact between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11of the display component1, the electrical conductivity of the electrode layer11can be increased, the resistance of the electrode layer11can be reduced, and the IR-drop can be improved, so that the brightness uniformity of the display panel can be increased.

FIG.2is a schematic view of a display panel provided in a second embodiment in the present disclosure. Referring toFIG.2, a plurality of connecting holes22can be defined in the encapsulation structure2. The guiding layer21is in direct contact with the electrode layer11by extending through the plurality of connecting holes22. The sufficient contact between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11is ensured by the direct contact between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11, thereby increasing the efficiency of the heat conduction between the electrode layer11and the guiding layer21. The advantage of defining the plurality of connecting holes22is that the contact area between the electrode layer11and the guiding layer21can be increased, so that the heat generated by the display component1in the working process can be better transferred to the outside, thus increasing the efficiency and rate of the heat conduction. Moreover, the plurality of connecting holes22can be dispersedly distributed, so that the contact positions between the electrode layer11and the guiding layer21can be dispersedly distributed. In this way, it can be avoided that the efficiency of heat conduction is affected by an accumulation of heat at a certain region due to excessive concentration of heat conduction. Furthermore, due to the contact between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11of the display component1, the electrical conductivity of the electrode layer11can be increased, the resistance of the electrode layer11can be reduced, and the IR-drop can be improved, so that the brightness uniformity of the display panel can be increased.

Optionally, the encapsulation structure2includes a plurality of connecting holes22arranged in an array. The contact positions between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11are distributed more uniformly due to the plurality of connecting holes22arranged in an array, so that the heat generated by the display component1in the working process can be more uniformly transferred to the outside, and overheating in a certain region caused by an accumulation of heat at a certain region can be avoided.

FIG.3is a schematic view of a display panel in a third embodiment in the present disclosure. Referring toFIG.3, the encapsulation structure2includes at least one connecting hole22and at least one dispersed structure23disposed in the at least one connecting hole22. The guiding layer21is connected to the electrode layer11by the at least one dispersed structure23. Compared to directly disposing the guiding layer21in the at least one connecting hole22, in this embodiment, other materials can be disposed in the at least one connecting hole22to connect the guiding layer21with the electrode layer11. The other materials can also transfer the heat generated by the display component1to the outside in the working process, so that the reduction of the service life of various functional materials in the display component1caused by the inefficient heat dissipation can be avoided, and the service life of the display panel is prolonged. Moreover, due to the contact between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11of the display component1by the at least one dispersed structure23, the electrical conductivity of the electrode layer11can be increased, the resistance of the electrode layer11can be reduced, and the IR-drop can be improved, so that the brightness uniformity of the display panel can be improved.

In this embodiment, optionally, a plurality of connecting holes22are defined in the encapsulation structure2. The dispersed structures23disposed in some of the connecting holes22can be electrically conductive structures which are electrically connecting the guiding layer21with the electrode layer11. In this way, the dispersed structures23can not only transfer the heat generated by the display component1to the outside in the working process, but also increase the electrical conductivity of the electrode layer11, reduce the resistance of the electrode layer11, and improve the IR-drop. In addition, the dispersed structures23disposed in the other connecting holes22can be stress dispersed structures. The strain resistance of the display panel can be increased by the stress dispersed structures disposed in the connecting holes22. When the display panel is impacted by external force or bent, the external force can be dispersed via the stress dispersed structures in the connecting holes22, so that the damage to the display panel caused by the external force can be effectively avoided, and thus the strength of the display panel is improved. Moreover, when the connecting holes22are arranged in an array, the effect of stress dispersion can be better achieved. It should be understood that the dispersed structure23can both be able to conduct electricity and disperse stress.

Optionally, the dispersed structures23include at least one electrically conductive structure which is electrically connecting the guiding layer21with the electrode layer11and at least one stress dispersed structure which is configured to disperse stress. A ratio of the number of the at least one electrically conductive structure to the number of the at least one stress dispersed structure can be between 3:1 and 1:3. In this way, the dispersed structures23can be effective in both electrical conduction and stress dispersion.

In a possible embodiment, in the above-described display panel provided in embodiments of the present disclosure, a material of the dispersed structure23includes at least one of polysiloxane, polyimide, polydimethylsiloxane, polymethacrylate, polystyrene, polycarbonate, indium tin oxide (ITO), indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), and indium zinc oxide (IZO). The above-described material is favorable to the heat conduction and the stress dispersion of the dispersed structure23.

The encapsulation structure2in the display panel can be achieved by a technique of thin film encapsulation. For example, the encapsulation structure2can include at least one inorganic layer and at least one organic layer alternately stacked with each other. Referring toFIG.4, the encapsulation structure2can include a first inorganic layer24, an organic layer25, and a second inorganic layer26stacked in sequence with each other. The first inorganic layer24is disposed at a side of the electrode layer11facing to the encapsulation structure2. The connecting holes22merely extend through the first inorganic layer24. The guiding layer21is located between the first inorganic layer24and the organic layer25. The guiding layer21can be connected to the electrode layer11by extending through the connecting holes22, as shown inFIG.2, or the guiding layer21can be connected to the electrode layer11by the dispersed structures23disposed in the connecting holes22, as show inFIG.3. On one hand, by disposing the guiding layer21between the first inorganic layer24and the organic layer25in the encapsulation structure2and making the guiding layer21be in contact with the electrode layer11of the display component1, the heat generated by the display component1in the working process can be effectively transferred to the outside through the guiding layer21, so that the reduction of the service life of various functional materials in the display component1caused by the inefficient heat dissipation can be avoided, and the service life of the display panel is prolonged. On the other hand, due to the contact between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11of the display component1, the electrical conductivity of the electrode layer11can be increased, the resistance of the electrode layer11can be reduced, and the IR-drop can be improved, so that the brightness uniformity of the display panel can be increased. Moreover, as the guiding layer21is disposed between the first inorganic layer24and the organic layer25, the distance between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11is relatively small, so that the connecting holes22have a relatively small length in their extending direction. Therefore, the connecting holes22can be made through a relatively simple process, which is favorable to a realization of the process.

In a fifth embodiment, as shown inFIG.5, the guiding layer21can be located between the organic layer25and the second inorganic layer26. The connecting holes22can extend through the first inorganic layer24and the organic layer25, so that the guiding layer21can be connected to the electrode layer11. It should be understood that in other optional embodiments, the number of the organic layers and the number of the inorganic layers in the encapsulation structure2can be set according to actual needs. Correspondingly, the guiding layer21can be disposed between any two layers of the encapsulation structure2, and the connecting holes22extending through the layers between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11is configured to connect the guiding layer21to the electrode layer11. Optionally, the material of the inorganic layers in the encapsulation structure2includes at least one of SiNx, SiOx, and SiON.

In an optional embodiment, in the above-described display panel provided in the exemplary embodiments in the present disclosure, a thickness of the guiding layer21can be 100 nm to 300 nm. For example, the thickness of the guiding layer21can be 100 nm, 125 nm, 135 nm, 160 nm, 180 nm, 210 nm, 225 nm, 250 nm, 280 nm, or 300 nm. If the guiding layer21is too thick, it will be not conducive to reducing the overall thickness of the display panel. If the guiding layer21is too thin, it will affect the heat conduction and be not conducive to the heat dissipation of the display component1. When the thickness of the guiding layer21is set as above, the heat generated by the display component1in the working process can be more effectively transferred to the outside, thereby increasing the service life of the display panel. Moreover, the electrical conductivity of the electrode layer11can be increased, the resistance of the electrode layer11can be reduced, the IR-drop can be improved, the brightness uniformity of the display panel can be increased, and the encapsulation effect will not be affected.

FIG.6is a schematic top view of the guiding layer provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring toFIG.6, a projection of the guiding layer21on a horizontal plane where the display component1is located in is shaped as a grid. The projection which is shaped as a grid includes a plurality of grid openings27defined by a plurality of gridlines28. Each of the plurality of grid openings is aligned with a light-emitting region of the display component1. Since the projection of the guiding layer21is shaped as a grid, the heat generated by the display component1in working the process can be better transferred to the outside, thereby increasing the efficiency and rate of heat conduction. Therefore, it can be avoided that the heat conduction is concentrated in a certain area, thus avoiding an accumulation of heat at a certain region, thus avoiding affecting the effect of heat conduction. Moreover, since the grid opening27is aligned with the light-emitting region of the display component1, the guiding layer21will not adversely affect the light emission of the display component1. Based on this, the material of the guiding layer21can be a non-transparent material, thereby expanding the choosing range of the material of the guiding layer21, which is beneficial to the process.

In an embodiment, a range of a width of the gridline28is 5 μm to 20 μm. As shown inFIG.6, the width of the gridline28refers to a width d of each of the plurality of gridlines forming the grid in the guiding layer21. For example, the width of the gridline28can be 5 μm, 8 μm, 12 μm, 15 μm, 17 μm, or 20 μm. If the width of the gridline28is too small, it is unfavorable to decrease the resistance of the electrode layer11. If the width of the gridline28is too large and the guiding layer21is made of a non-transparent material, the gridline28will adversely affect the light emission of the display component1. By adopting the gridline28in this embodiment, on one hand, the heat generated by the display component1in the working process can be effectively transferred to the outside, thereby increasing the service life of the display panel. On the other hand, the electrical conductivity of the electrode layer11can be increased, the resistance of the electrode layer11can be reduced, the IR-drop can be improved, and the brightness uniformity of the display panel can be increased.

Optionally, in the above-described display panel provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the material of the guiding layer21includes metal or electrically conductive oxide, the electrically conductive oxide may be transparent. Various types of materials can be selected. Optionally, the metal material of the guiding layer21can be a layer of Ti—Al—Ti. The electrically conductive oxide of the guiding layer21concludes at least one of indium tin oxide (ITO), indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO), and indium zinc oxide (IZO). Better heat conduction can be achieved by using the above-described materials. Moreover, the electrical conductivity of the electrode layer11can be increased, the resistance of the electrode layer11can be reduced, the IR-drop can be improved, and the brightness uniformity of the display panel can be increased.

Optionally, in the display panel provided in embodiments of the present disclosure, the guiding layer21can be disposed on the encapsulation structure2. The connection manner between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11can be referred to the manner described in the above embodiments, as long as the guiding layer21is in contact with the electrode layer11, and the connection manner between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11will not be repeated again herein. In this embodiment, the same effect can be achieved as the aforementioned embodiments, and the effect will not be repeated again. Optionally, when the guiding layer21is located on the encapsulation structure2, since a touch-control structure is often disposed on the encapsulation structure2, one layer in the touch-control structure can be used as the guiding layer21, there is no need to provide an additional guiding layer21. In this way, the same effect as the aforementioned embodiments can also be achieved.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments, as long as it does not affect the light emission of the display device, the materials and the setting manners of the guiding layer21, the connecting holes22, and the dispersed structures23can be arbitrarily combined and will not be repeated again herein. In the aforementioned embodiments, the cross-sections of the connecting holes22can have various shapes such as circle or rectangle.

The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure further provide a manufacturing method of the display panel, as shown inFIG.7. Referring toFIG.1andFIG.7, in an embodiment, taking an example of setting the guiding layer21in the encapsulation structure2, the manufacturing method includes the following steps.

Step S1, providing the display component1, and the display component1including the electrode layer11.

The provided display component1has been previously manufactured.

Step S2, manufacturing at least one layer of the encapsulation structure2on the electrode layer11by using a technique of thin-film encapsulation.

In an embodiment, the technique of thin-film encapsulation for manufacturing the encapsulation structure2is a chemical vapor deposition (CVD).

Step S3, forming at least one connecting hole22in the at least one layer of the encapsulation structure2to expose the electrode layer11by using a photolithography technique or a dry etching technique.

Step S4, forming the guiding layer21on the at least one layer of the encapsulation structure2.

In an embodiment, the guiding layer21is connected to the electrode layer11of the display component1by extending through the at least one connecting hole22. In another embodiment, a step of forming at least one dispersed structure23in the at least one connecting hole is further provided between the step S3and the step S4, so that the guiding layer21is connected to the electrode layer11of the display component1by the at least one dispersed structure23.

Optionally, the above-described manufacturing method can further include step S5.

Step S5, forming another layer of the encapsulation structure2on the guiding layer21.

The above-described manufacturing method is only one of the methods for achieving the display panel provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the display panel of the present disclosure can also be achieved by other manufacturing methods.

In the display panel provided in the exemplary embodiments in the present disclosure, the guiding layer21is disposed in or on the encapsulation structure2, and the guiding layer21is in contact with the display component1, so that the heat generated by the display component1in the working process can be effectively transferred to the outside. Therefore, the reduction of the service life of the display component caused by the inefficient heat dissipation can be avoided, and the service life of the display panel is prolonged. Moreover, due to the contact between the guiding layer21and the electrode layer11of the display component1, the electrical conductivity of the electrode layer11can be increased, the resistance of the electrode layer can be reduced, and the IR-drop can be improved, so that the brightness uniformity of the display panel can be increased.

The exemplary embodiments in the present disclosure further provide a display device including the above-described display panel. The display device can be applied to any products or assemblies having displaying functions, such as virtual display devices, mobile phones, tablets, televisions, displayers, laptops, digital photo frames, navigators, wearable watches, IoT nodes, and so on. Since a principle of solving a problem for the display device is similar to that for the above-described display panel, an implementation of the display device can refer to an implementation of the above-described display panel, and the display device has the same advantages as that of the above-described display panel, which will not be repeated herein.

The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In order to make the description simple, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, the combinations should be in the scope of the present application.