TWI686654B - Manufacturing method of a display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

A manufacturing method of a display panel includes the following steps. Providing an array substrate. Forming an active device layer on the array substrate. Forming a pixel defining layer on the active device layer, and the pixel defining layer has an opening. Forming a first electrode on the active device layer and overlaps with the opening. Forming a light emitting layer on the first electrode and in the opening. Forming a second electrode on the pixel defining layer and overlaps with the light-emitting layer. Forming a capping layer on the second electrode, and the capping layer has a first part overlapping with the pixel defining layer and a second part overlapping with the opening. Conducting an exposing process on the first part of the capping layer to modify the first part into a light shielding layer. Disposing a color filter substrate opposite to the array substrate. The light shielding layer overlaps with the pixel defining layer.

Description

Manufacturing method of display panel

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a display panel, and in particular to a display panel in which a light-shielding layer is formed on a pixel definition layer.

In recent years, organic light-emitting diode (Organic light-emitting diode, OLED) display panels have gradually attracted various technologies due to their high color saturation, fast response, and high contrast performance compared to current mainstream liquid crystal display panels. The investment vision of big factories.

Generally speaking, in order to prevent the wires in the display panel from reflecting the light from the outside, a black matrix (BM) is provided on the color light substrate opposite to the array substrate to shield the wires and reduce the reflectivity. However, under the condition of a large viewing angle in an oblique direction, the light of the organic light-emitting diode is easily blocked by the light-shielding layer, resulting in a significant decrease in brightness. Therefore, the image observed by the user when looking obliquely will be darker than the image observed when looking at it properly, which will degrade the image quality and reduce the user's visual experience.

The manufacturing method of the display panel of the present invention includes the following steps. Provide array substrate. An active device layer is formed on the array substrate. A pixel definition layer is formed on the active device layer, and the pixel definition layer has an opening. A first electrode is formed on the active device layer and overlaps the opening. A light-emitting layer is formed on the first electrode and is located in the opening. A second electrode is formed on the pixel definition layer and overlaps the light-emitting layer. A cover layer is formed on the second electrode, and the cover layer has a first portion overlapping the pixel definition layer and a second portion overlapping the opening. An exposure procedure is performed on the first part of the cover layer to modify the first part into a light-shielding layer. And, the color light substrate is disposed opposite to the array substrate. The shading layer overlaps the pixel definition layer.

The manufacturing method of the display panel of the present invention includes the following steps. Provide array substrate. An active device layer is formed on the array substrate. A pixel definition layer is formed on the active device layer, and the pixel definition layer has an opening. A light-emitting layer is formed on the first electrode and is located in the opening. A second electrode is formed on the pixel definition layer and overlaps the light-emitting layer. A cover layer is formed on the second electrode, and the cover layer has a first portion overlapping the pixel definition layer and a second portion overlapping the opening. A light shielding layer is formed on the first portion of the cover layer. And, the color light substrate is disposed opposite to the array substrate. The shading layer overlaps the pixel definition layer.

Based on the above, in the method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, since the light shielding layer of the display panel can be correspondingly overlapped on the pixel definition layer on the array substrate, the emission of the light emitting layer at a large angle in the oblique direction can be reduced The probability of the light being absorbed. Thereby, the brightness of the display panel under a large viewing angle can be improved. In addition, since the light emitting layer can emit light at a large angle, the light emitting angle of the light emitting layer can be increased to improve the aperture ratio of the display panel. In addition, since a light-shielding layer is not required on one side of the color light substrate, the aperture ratio of the display panel can be further improved. Furthermore, the light shielding layer completely overlaps the pixel definition layer and directly covers the second electrode, so the light shielding layer can significantly reduce the reflectivity of the display panel. In addition, the light shielding layer can also absorb the light leakage of the light emitting layer in the lateral direction, reducing the probability of light mixing and color mixing. In this way, the manufacturing method of the display panel can improve the display quality of the display panel. In addition, the cover layer and/or the light-transmitting layer provided on the light-emitting layer can also provide protection for the light-emitting layer.

One of the objects of the present invention is to reduce the light shielded by the light shielding layer in the display panel.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to increase the brightness of the display panel under a large viewing angle.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to increase the aperture ratio of the display panel.

One of the objects of the present invention is to reduce the reflectivity of the display panel.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to improve the display quality of the display panel.

One of the objects of the present invention is to simplify the manufacturing method of the display panel.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to reduce the manufacturing cost of the display panel.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide protection to the light emitting layer.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to reduce the damage to the light-emitting layer during the manufacturing process.

In order to make the above-mentioned features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the embodiments are specifically described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings for detailed description as follows.

In order to make the above-mentioned features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and understandable, the embodiments are specifically described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings for detailed description as follows. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

In the drawings, the thickness of each element and the like are exaggerated for clarity. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals denote the same elements. It should be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being “on another element”, or “connected to another element”, “overlapping another element”, it can be directly on the other element On or connected to another element, or an intermediate element may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" or "directly connected to" another element, there are no intervening elements present. As used herein, "connected" may refer to physical and/or electrical connections.

It should be understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, and/or Or part should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. Accordingly, the "first element", "component", "region", "layer", or "portion" discussed below may be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings herein.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not limiting. As used herein, unless the content clearly indicates, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms, including "at least one." "Or" means "and/or". As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should also be understood that when used in this specification, the terms "including" and/or "comprising" designate the described features, regions, wholes, steps, operations, presence of elements and/or components, but do not exclude one or more The presence or addition of other features, regions as a whole, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or combinations thereof.

In addition, relative terms such as "lower" or "bottom" and "upper" or "top" may be used herein to describe the relationship between one element and another element, as shown. It should be understood that relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device than those shown in the figures. For example, if the device in one drawing is turned over, the element described as being on the "lower" side of the other element will be oriented on the "upper" side of the other element. Thus, the exemplary term "lower" may include "lower" and "upper" orientations, depending on the particular orientation of the drawings. Similarly, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements would then be oriented "above" the other elements. Thus, the exemplary terms "below" or "below" can include an orientation of above and below.

As used herein, "about", "substantially", "substantially", or "approximately" includes the stated value and the average value within an acceptable deviation range for a particular value determined by one of ordinary skill in the art, considering The measurement in question and the specific number of errors associated with the measurement (ie, the limitations of the measurement system). For example, "about" may mean within one or more standard deviations of the stated value, or within ±30%, ±20%, ±10%, ±5%.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant technology and the present invention, and will not be interpreted as idealized or excessive Formal meaning unless explicitly defined as such in this article.

Exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to cross-sectional views that are schematic diagrams of idealized embodiments. Therefore, it is possible to anticipate a change in the shape of the graph as a result of, for example, manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances. Therefore, the embodiments described herein should not be construed as being limited to the specific shapes of the regions as shown herein, but include deviations in shapes caused by manufacturing, for example. For example, an area shown or described as flat may generally have rough and/or non-linear characteristics. In addition, the acute angle shown may be round. Therefore, the regions shown in the drawings are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to show the precise shapes of the regions, and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a display panel according to an embodiment of the invention. Please refer to FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the display panel 10 includes an array substrate 100, an active device layer 110 is disposed on the array substrate 100, a pixel definition layer 120 is disposed on the active device layer 110, and a pixel definition layer 120 has an opening 122, a first electrode 130 is disposed on the active device layer 110 and overlaps the opening 122 in a direction perpendicular to the array substrate 100, a light emitting layer 140 is disposed on the first electrode 130 and is located in the opening 122, and a second electrode 150 The pixel-defining layer 120 is disposed to overlap the light-emitting layer 140, the light-shielding layer 162 is disposed on the second electrode 150 to overlap the pixel-defining layer 120, and the color light substrate 200 is disposed opposite to the array substrate 100. The display panel 10 further includes an encapsulation layer 170 disposed on the light-shielding layer 162 and an insulating layer 180 disposed on the encapsulation layer 170. The encapsulation layer 170 is located between the light-shielding layer 162 and the color light substrate 200. In this embodiment, the display panel 10 is, for example, a flexible or non-flexible display panel. The flexible display panel is taken as an example to briefly describe the manufacturing method of the display panel 10.

2A to 2E are schematic cross-sectional views of a manufacturing process of a display panel according to an embodiment of the invention. Please refer to FIG. 2A. First, the array substrate 100 is provided. The array substrate 100 is, for example, a flexible substrate, and its material can be selected from organic polymers, for example: polyimide (PI), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene terephthalate Ester (polyethylene terephthalate, PET), polycarbonate (PC), polyether sulfone (PES) or polyarylate (polyarylate), or other suitable materials, or a combination of at least two of the foregoing . However, the invention is not limited to this. In some embodiments, when the display panel does not need to have a flexible function, the material of the array substrate 100 may include glass, quartz, plastic, opaque/reflective materials (eg, conductive materials, metals, wafers, ceramics) , Or other applicable materials) or other applicable materials.

Next, an active device layer 110 is formed on the array substrate 100. For example, the active device layer 110 may be a pixel array on the array substrate 100 so that the array substrate 100 is used as the pixel array substrate of the display panel 10. The active device layer 110 may be a single-layer or multi-layer structure, including a plurality of thin film transistors (not shown), a multi-layer insulating layer (not shown), and a plurality of signal lines (not shown). For clarity of illustration and convenience of description, FIG. 2A is only schematically represented by one film layer. The thin film transistor is, for example, low temperature poly-Si (LTPS) or amorphous silicon thin-film transistor (a-Si), but the invention is not limited thereto. The thin film transistor includes a gate electrode, a semiconductor channel layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode (not shown) electrically connected to the semiconductor channel layer. In this embodiment, the semiconductor channel layer includes amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon, microcrystalline silicon, single crystal silicon, organic semiconductor materials, oxide semiconductor materials (for example: indium zinc oxide, indium germanium zinc oxide, or other suitable Materials, or a combination of the above), or other suitable materials, or containing dopants in the above materials, or a combination of the above, but the invention is not limited thereto. The gate electrode can be made of metal material, but the invention is not limited to this. According to other embodiments, the gate electrode, the source electrode and the drain electrode can also use other suitable conductive materials. For example: alloys, nitrides of metal materials, oxides of metal materials, oxynitrides of metal materials, or stacked layers of metal materials and other conductive materials. The thin film transistor may be a top gate type or a bottom gate type, but the invention is not limited thereto. The signal line is, for example, a scanning line, a data line, a common electrode line, a power line or other suitable lines, and the invention is not limited thereto. Generally speaking, based on conductivity considerations, the signal lines are made of metal materials, but other suitable conductive materials can also be used. For example: alloys, nitrides of metal materials, oxides of metal materials, oxynitrides of metal materials, or stacked layers of metal materials and other conductive materials.

Next, a pixel definition layer 120 is formed on the active device layer 110. The pixel definition layer 120 has an opening 122, and the opening 122 penetrates through the pixel definition layer 120 to expose the active device layer 110. In this embodiment, the opening 122 can be used as a subsequent space for accommodating the organic light-emitting layer, which will be described later. The material of the pixel definition layer 120 may include photosensitive polyimide material, acryl-based material, siloxane material, phenolic resin material, oxide, nitride or oxynitride, but the invention is not limited thereto. It should be noted here that although FIG. 2A only shows one opening 122, those skilled in the art should be able to know that the number of openings 122 is determined by the needs of users. Therefore, the number of openings 122 may be one, two, three or more, and is not limited by the illustration. In addition, the plurality of openings 122 of the pixel definition layer 120 may also be aligned with each other to form a matrix, but the invention is not limited thereto.

Then, the first electrode 130 is formed on the active device layer 110. In the direction perpendicular to the array substrate 100, the first electrode 130 overlaps the opening 122. In other words, the first electrode 130 is located in the placement space of the opening 122. In this embodiment, the first electrode 130 is electrically connected to the active device 110. The material of the first electrode 130 is a conductor material, such as aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), molybdenum (Mo), magnesium (Mg) , Platinum (Pt), gold (Au) or a combination thereof. The first electrode 130 may have a single-layer, double-layer, or multilayer structure. For example, in some embodiments, the first electrode 130 may be a three-layer structure composed of ITO/Ag/ITO, but the invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the first electrode 130 may also be Ti/Al/Ti or a three-layer structure composed of Mo/Al/Mo. The forming method of the first electrode 130 may be chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), vapor deposition (VTE), sputtering (SPT), or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the first electrode 130 may serve as an anode of the light-emitting layer 140, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Next, the light emitting layer 140 is formed on the first electrode 130. The light-emitting layer 140 is disposed in the placement space in the opening 122. The material of the light-emitting layer 140 is, for example, an organic light-emitting material. In other words, the light-emitting layer 140 is, for example, a light-emitting layer of an organic light-emitting diode (Organic light-emitting diode, OLED). For convenience of description and clear representation in FIG. 2A, the light-emitting layer 140 is only schematically shown as a layer structure. However, in some embodiments, the light-emitting layer 140 may have a multi-layer structure, including a hole injection layer (HIL), a hole transfer layer (HTL), an emission layer (EL), and Electron transfer layer (ETN).

In some embodiments, the material of the hole injection layer is, for example, xylylene copper, star arylamines, polyaniline, polyethylene dioxythiophene, or other suitable materials. The material of the hole transport layer is, for example, triaromatic amines, cross-structured diamine biphenyl, diamine biphenyl derivatives or other suitable materials. The light-emitting layer 140 may be a red organic light-emitting layer, a green organic light-emitting layer, a blue organic light-emitting layer, or a light-emitting layer of different colors (for example, white, orange, yellow, etc.) produced by mixing light of various spectra. The material of the electron transport layer may be oxazole derivatives and their dendrimers, metal chelate compounds (such as Alq3), azole compounds, diazoanthracene derivatives, silicon-containing heterocyclic compounds, or other suitable materials.

Then, the second electrode 150 is formed on the pixel definition layer 120. In this embodiment, the second electrode 150 covers the pixel definition layer 120 over the entire surface and overlaps the opening 122 and the light-emitting layer 140. However, the present invention is not limited to this. In other embodiments, the display panel may also have multiple second electrodes formed through a patterning process. The second electrode 150 directly contacts the light emitting layer 140. The material of the second electrode 150 may be a transparent conductive material, such as indium tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, aluminum tin oxide, aluminum zinc oxide, or indium germanium zinc oxide. In some embodiments, the forming method of the second electrode 150 may be chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), vapor deposition (VTE), sputtering (SPT), or Its combination. In some embodiments, the second electrode 150 may serve as a cathode of the light-emitting layer 140.

Next, a cover layer 160 is formed on the second electrode 150. The cover layer 160 covers the entire surface and overlaps the second electrode 150 and the pixel definition layer 120. In this embodiment, the cover layer 160 may also overlap the opening 122 and the light emitting layer 140. The cover layer 160 has a first portion 160A overlapping the pixel definition layer 120 and a second portion 160B overlapping the opening 122. The material of the cover layer 160 is, for example, a photosensitive color-changing material, including spiropyrans, spirooxazines, diarylethenes or azibenzenes, or other suitable materials. This is the limit.

Please refer to FIGS. 2B and 2C, and then, an exposure process is performed on the first portion 160A of the cover layer 160. For example, the step of performing the exposure process includes first setting a patterned mask PM above the cover layer 160. Next, the light beam L is further passed through the patterned mask PM to expose the first portion 160A of the cover layer 160. The patterned mask PM does not pass the light beam L where it corresponds to the second portion 160B of the cover layer 160, so the second portion 160B is not exposed by the light beam L. In this embodiment, the light beam L includes far-ultraviolet light, near-ultraviolet light, visible light beams, infrared light, electron beams, or other suitable light beams, and the invention is not limited thereto.

It is worth noting that the cover layer 160 can be transparent and colorless before the exposure process. However, the first portion 160A of the cover layer 160 exposed to the light beam L is modified to form the light shielding layer 162. This is because when the photosensitive color-changing material is exposed to, for example, ultraviolet light, a conjugated system can be formed in its structure to absorb visible light. Therefore, the light-shielding layer 162 formed by the modified cover layer 160 generates color, which reduces the light transmittance of the light-shielding layer 162. In addition, the second portion 160B of the cover layer 160 that is not exposed to the light beam L is not modified and maintains the original light transmission characteristics. In other words, the second portion 160B of the cover layer 160 may form the light-transmitting layer 164. Compared with the light-shielding layer 162, the light-transmitting layer 164 has a greater transmittance than the light-shielding layer 162.

In this embodiment, the light shielding layer 162 overlaps the pixel definition layer 120. The light-shielding layer 162 can be applied as a black matrix (BM). In addition to shielding the second electrode 150 and reducing the reflectivity of the display panel 10, the light leakage of the light-emitting layer 140 in the lateral direction can also be reduced, which further reduces light mixing and color mixing. The probability increases the display quality of the display panel 10. In addition, the light-transmitting layer 164 overlaps the light-emitting layer 140 in the opening 122. In this way, the light-transmitting layer 164 with high light transmittance does not affect the light emission of the light-emitting layer 140. In addition, the light-transmitting layer 164 can also provide protection to the light-emitting layer 140.

Referring to FIG. 2D, the manufacturing method of the display panel 10 of this embodiment further includes forming an encapsulation layer 170 on the light-shielding layer 162 and the light-transmitting layer 164 to isolate moisture, impurities, and the like. In some embodiments, the encapsulation layer 170 may be a single-layer or multi-layer structure, and the invention is not limited thereto. The material of the encapsulation layer 170 may include inorganic materials or organic materials. The inorganic material includes silicon nitride or aluminum oxide, but the invention is not limited thereto. Organic materials include acrylic resins, epoxy resins, or silicon oxycarbide, but the invention is not limited thereto.

Next, an insulating layer 180 is formed on the encapsulation layer 170. The material of the insulating layer 180 includes a filler, such as a transparent adhesive material. For example, the filling material may be a polyalkyl acrylic resin or a polyalkyl epoxy resin adhesive, but the invention is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the insulating layer 180 can cover the array substrate 100 in a large area, reduce the risk of damage to the light emitting layer 140, and maintain a better surface uniformity.

Please refer to FIG. 2E. Next, the color light substrate 200 is disposed opposite to the array substrate 100. In this embodiment, the colored light substrate 200 is, for example, a cover plate, and the material can be selected from organic polymers, such as: polyimide (PI), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polypyridine Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), polyether sulfone (PES) or polyarylate (polyarylate), or other suitable materials, or at least the foregoing Combination of two materials. However, the invention is not limited to this. In some embodiments, when the display panel does not need to have a flexible function, the material of the color light substrate 200 may include glass, quartz, plastic, opaque/reflective materials (for example: conductive materials, metals, wafers, Ceramics, or other applicable materials) or other applicable materials.

In this embodiment, a color filter layer 220 may be selectively provided on the color light substrate 200. In this way, the color light substrate 200 can be used as the color filter substrate of the display panel 10. In this embodiment, the color filter layer 220 includes a first color light pattern 222, a second color light pattern 224, and a third color light pattern 226. The first color light pattern 222, the second color light pattern 224, and the third color light pattern 226 may be any type of color light pattern known in the art to be used in OLED display panels. The colors of the first color light pattern 222, the second color light pattern 224, and the third color light pattern 226 may be red, green, or blue, respectively, but not limited thereto. In addition, the colors of the first color light pattern 222, the second color light pattern 224, and the third color light pattern 226 may also be the same, partially the same, or completely different. In other words, the color of the first color light pattern 222 may be red, the color of the second color light pattern 224 may also be red, and the color of the third color light pattern 226 may be blue. Alternatively, the color of the first color light pattern 222 may be red, the color of the second color light pattern 224 may be green, and the color of the third color light pattern 226 may be red, or any other possible combination. This is limited.

In this embodiment, in the direction perpendicular to the array substrate 100, the second colored light pattern 224 corresponds to the overlapping light-emitting layer 140. In this way, the light emitted by the light-emitting layer 140 passes through the second colored light pattern 224. For example, when the light-emitting layer 140 includes a white organic light-emitting material, the color of the second colored light pattern 224 may be green. In other words, the white light emitted by the light-emitting layer 140 will be converted into green light after passing through the second colored light pattern 224. For another example, when the light-emitting layer 140 includes a green organic light-emitting material, the color of the second colored light pattern 224 may be green, that is, the color of the second colored light pattern 224 is the same as the color of the light-emitting layer 140, so The green light emitted by the light-emitting layer 140 remains green after passing through the second colored light pattern 224.

As shown in FIG. 2E, when the color light substrate 200 is paired to the array substrate 100, the color filter layer 220 is located between the array substrate 100 and the color light substrate 200. In addition, the light shielding layer 162 is located between the pixel definition layer 120 and the encapsulation layer 170. The encapsulation layer 170 is located between the light shielding layer 162 and the color filter layer 220 on the color light substrate 200. The insulating layer 180 is located between the encapsulation layer 170 and the color filter layer 220.

It is worth noting that, in the conventional design, the light emitted by the organic light-emitting diode on the pixel array substrate at a large angle in the oblique direction is shielded and absorbed by the light-shielding layer provided on the side of the color light substrate. In this embodiment, since the light shielding layer 162 may be disposed in the display panel 10, it is located on one side of the array substrate 100. Therefore, the probability that light emitted by the light-emitting layer 140 at a large angle in the oblique direction is absorbed can be reduced. In this way, the light shielded by the light shielding layer 162 in the display panel 10 can be reduced, and the brightness of the display panel 10 at a large viewing angle can be improved. Therefore, the display quality of the display panel 10 can be improved.

In some embodiments, the display panel 10 may further include a touch layer (not shown) disposed between the insulating layer 180 and the color filter layer 220 to provide the touch function of the display panel 10, but the present invention does not Limited.

In short, since the light-shielding layer 162 of the display panel 10 of this embodiment overlaps the pixel definition layer 120 on the array substrate 100 and is not located on the color light substrate 200, the light-emitting layer 140 can be reduced in an oblique direction The probability that light emitted from a large angle will be absorbed. Thereby, the brightness of the display panel 10 under a large viewing angle can be improved. In addition, since the light emitting layer 140 can emit light at a large angle, the light emitting angle of the light emitting layer 140 can be increased to increase the aperture ratio of the display panel 10. Moreover, it is not necessary to provide a light-shielding layer 162 on one side of the color light substrate 200, which can further improve the aperture ratio of the display panel 10. In addition, the light shielding layer 162 completely overlaps the pixel definition layer 120 and directly covers the second electrode 150, so the light shielding layer 162 can significantly reduce the reflectivity of the display panel 10. In addition, the light shielding layer 162 can also absorb the light leakage of the light emitting layer 140 in the lateral direction, thereby reducing the probability of light mixing and color mixing. As such, the manufacturing method of this embodiment can improve the display quality of the display panel 10. In addition, the cover layer 160 and/or the light-transmitting layer 164 disposed on the light-emitting layer 140 can also provide protection for the light-emitting layer 140.

The following embodiments continue to use the element numbers and partial contents of the previous embodiments, wherein the same reference numerals are used to denote the same or similar elements. For the description of the parts that omit the same technical content, please refer to the previous embodiments. Repeat the details.

3A to 3D are schematic cross-sectional views of a manufacturing process of a display panel according to another embodiment of the invention. Please refer to FIGS. 2B and 3A. In the manufacturing method of the display panel 10A (shown in FIG. 3D) of this embodiment, the steps from providing the array substrate 100 to completing the step of forming the cover layer 160 are the same as the above-described display panel 10 The production method is the same, so I won’t go into details. In this embodiment, the cover layer 160 may be a photosensitive color-changing material or a transparent adhesive material or other suitable materials, and the invention is not limited thereto.

Please refer to FIGS. 3A and 3B. Next, a light shielding layer 162A is formed on the first portion 160A of the cover layer 160. In this embodiment, the step of forming the light-shielding layer 162A includes first performing an inkjet printing (IJP) procedure. For example, the method of the inkjet printing process described above includes, through the printing head PH, to simply spray the light-shielding layer material 162' on the first portion 160A of the cover layer 160. The material of the light-shielding layer material 162' includes resins selected from acrylic-based, rubber-based, and silicone-based resins, or any combination of the foregoing resins, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Next, a curing process (not shown) is performed to cure the light-shielding layer material 162' into the light-shielding layer 162. The above curing method includes heat curing or light curing, and the invention is not limited thereto. Under the above arrangement, the light-shielding layer 162A overlaps the pixel definition layer 120 in the direction perpendicular to the array substrate 100. In addition, the cover layer 160 is located between the light shielding layer 162A and the second electrode 150. In this way, the light shielding layer 162A can be simply disposed on the side of the array substrate 100 by inkjet printing, which simplifies the manufacturing method of the display panel 10A and reduces the manufacturing cost of the display panel 10A. In addition, the light-shielding layer 162A of the display panel 10A can also obtain similar technical effects as the light-shielding layer 162 of the display panel 10 described above.

Please refer to FIG. 3C. Next, the encapsulation layer 170 is formed on the light shielding layer 162A and the insulating layer 180 is formed on the encapsulation layer 170. The materials and forming methods of the encapsulating layer 170 and the insulating layer 180 in this embodiment are similar to the materials and forming methods of the encapsulating layer 170 and the insulating layer 180 of the display panel 10 described above, so they will not be repeated here. In addition to covering the light-shielding layer 162A, the encapsulation layer 170 of this embodiment may also contact where the covering layer 160 overlaps the opening 122. In other words, the light shielding layer 162A can be encapsulated between the cover layer 160 and the encapsulation layer 170.

Please refer to FIG. 3D. Then, the color light substrate 200 is disposed opposite to the array substrate 100. The color light substrate 200 of the display panel 10A of this embodiment is similar to the color light substrate 200 of the display panel 10 described above, so it will not be described again. A color filter layer 220 is formed on the color light substrate 200. The color filter layer 220 includes a first colored light pattern 222, a second colored light pattern 224, and a third colored light pattern 226. The encapsulation layer 170 is located between the cover layer 160 and the color filter layer 220 on the color light substrate 200. In this way, the display panel 10A can obtain technical effects similar to those of the foregoing embodiments.

4A to 4B are schematic cross-sectional views of a process of forming a light-shielding layer according to yet another embodiment of the invention. Please refer to FIG. 3A to FIG. 3B and FIG. 4A to FIG. 4B. The light shielding layer 162B of this embodiment is similar to the light shielding layer 162A of FIG. 3B. The main difference is that the step of forming the light shielding layer 162B includes first setting a patterned fine metal A FM (fine metal mask, FMM) is on the cover layer 160. Next, through a vapor deposition process VD, a light-shielding layer material (not shown) is passed through the patterned fine metal mask FM to plate the light-shielding layer material on the first portion 160A of the cover layer 160. Then, the above-mentioned light-shielding layer material is cured to form the light-shielding layer 162B. In this embodiment, the material of the light-shielding layer includes a small molecule material with absorption in the visible light band, and its composition includes a composition selected from elements containing carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, or any combination of the above elements, but the present invention Not limited to this. In this way, the light-shielding layer 162B can be simply disposed on the cover layer 160, and the technical effects similar to those of the above-mentioned embodiments can be obtained.

5A to FIG. 5E are schematic cross-sectional views of a process of forming a light-shielding layer according to yet another embodiment of the invention. Please refer to FIG. 3A to FIG. 3B and FIG. 5A to FIG. 5E. The light shielding layer 162C of this embodiment is similar to the light shielding layer 162A of FIG. 3B. The main difference is that the step of forming the light shielding layer 162C includes applying orthogonal light development technology (orthogonal photolithography). The above-mentioned orthogonal light developing technique includes first forming a protective layer 310 on the cover layer 160. Then, a photoresist layer 320 is formed on the protective layer 310. A first region 320A overlapping the first portion 160A of the cover layer 160 may be defined on the photoresist layer 320. The photoresist layer 320 may further define a second region 320B overlapping the second portion 160B of the cover layer 160. In this embodiment, the protective layer 310 is, for example, a fluorinated photoresist. It is worth mentioning that the fluorinated photoresist material does not interact with organic materials, so the above orthogonal light development technology will not only affect the organic light-emitting material of the light-emitting layer 140, but also provide protection to the light-emitting layer 140, or During the manufacturing process, damage to the light-emitting layer 140 is reduced. The photoresist layer 320 includes a positive photoresist and a negative photoresist, and its material includes phenolic resin, epoxy resin, polyisoprene rubber, or other suitable materials, and the invention is not limited thereto. In the following embodiments, the photoresist layer 320 is a positive photoresist, but it is not limited thereto.

Next, a patterned mask PM is provided on the photoresist layer 320. Then, an exposure process is performed to expose the light beam L through the patterned mask PM to the photoresist layer 320 in the first region 320A. The light beam L includes far-ultraviolet light, near-ultraviolet light, visible light beams, infrared light, and electron beams or other suitable light beams, and the invention is not limited thereto. This embodiment uses ultraviolet light as an example for description, but it is not limited thereto.

Please refer to FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, and then, the development process (not shown) is performed. The development process includes using a solvent to remove the exposed photoresist layer 320 in the first region 320A to form a patterned photoresist layer 320'.

Please refer to FIGS. 5B and 5C, and then, an etching process is performed. The above etching process includes using the patterned photoresist layer 320' as a mask and patterning the protective layer 310 to form a patterned protective layer 310' having a receiving space 312 overlapping the first region 320A. The above method of patterning the protective layer 310 includes etching the protective layer 310 with a fluoro solvent containing fluorine atoms. The above-mentioned fluorinated solvents have the characteristics of not interacting with polar or non-polar materials, and have the advantages of environmental friendliness and low toxicity. In this embodiment, in the direction perpendicular to the array substrate 100, the accommodating space 312 exposes the cover layer 160 and overlaps the first portion 160A of the cover layer 160 and the pixel definition layer 120.

Please refer to FIG. 5D. Next, a light-shielding layer material 162C' is formed on the patterned photoresist layer 320'. The light-shielding layer material 162C' is formed on the patterned photoresist layer 320' by, for example, physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), sputtering, or printing coating. In addition, since the accommodating space 312 exposes the cover layer 160, a part of the light-shielding layer material 162C' may also be formed in the accommodating space 312 and disposed on the cover layer 160. The light-shielding layer material 162C' formed in the accommodating space 312 overlaps the pixel definition layer 120. On the other hand, the light-shielding layer material 162C' formed in the accommodating space 312 does not overlap the opening 122 and the light-emitting layer 140.

Please refer to FIG. 5D and FIG. 5E, and then, the peeling process is performed. The above stripping process includes washing the patterned protective layer 310 ′ and the cover layer 160 with a fluorinated solvent under a nitrogen (N ₂ ) environment. Therefore, the patterned protective layer 310' can be dissolved in the fluorinated solvent and removed. In this way, the patterned photoresist layer 320' and the light-shielding layer material 162C' formed on the patterned protective layer 310' can be simultaneously removed.

Finally, the light-shielding layer material 162C' is cured to form the light-shielding layer 162C. In this embodiment, in the direction perpendicular to the array substrate 100, the light shielding layer 162C overlaps the pixel definition layer 120 to shield the second electrode 150. In this way, the light-shielding layer 162C can reduce the reflectivity, and can also obtain similar technical effects as the light-shielding layer 162 of the display panel 10 described above. In addition, the manufacturing method of the light-shielding layer 162C of this embodiment can also protect the organic light-emitting material of the light-emitting layer 140 through the cover layer 160. In addition, the orthogonal light developing technology used in the above manufacturing method further uses a fluorinated photoresist material and a fluorinated solvent. Therefore, it can provide protection to the light-emitting layer 140 and reduce damage to the light-emitting layer 140 during the manufacturing process, and also has advantages in environmental friendliness, low toxicity, and other green energy.

In summary, in the method for manufacturing a display panel according to an embodiment of the invention, the light shielding layer of the display panel can be fabricated on one side of the array substrate, and the light shielding layer overlaps the pixel definition layer on the array substrate. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the probability that light emitted from the light-emitting layer at a large angle in the oblique direction is absorbed. Thereby, the brightness of the display panel under a large viewing angle can be improved. In addition, since the light emitting layer can emit light at a large angle, the light emitting angle of the light emitting layer can be increased to improve the aperture ratio of the display panel. In addition, since a light-shielding layer is not required on one side of the color light substrate, the aperture ratio of the display panel can be further improved. Furthermore, the light shielding layer completely overlaps the pixel definition layer and directly covers the second electrode, so the light shielding layer can significantly reduce the reflectivity of the display panel. In addition, the light shielding layer can also absorb the light leakage of the light emitting layer in the lateral direction, reducing the probability of light mixing and color mixing. In this way, the manufacturing method of the display panel can improve the display quality of the display panel. In addition, the cover layer and/or the light-transmitting layer provided on the light-emitting layer can also provide protection for the light-emitting layer.

In addition, the manufacturing method of the present invention also provides exposure modification, inkjet printing, or vapor deposition to form the light-shielding layer. In this way, the light shielding layer can be simply formed to simplify the manufacturing method of the display panel and reduce the manufacturing cost of the display panel. In addition, the manufacturing method of the present invention further provides the use of orthogonal light development technology to provide protection to the light-emitting layer and reduce damage to the light-emitting layer during the manufacturing process, and also has the advantages of environmental friendliness, low toxicity and other green energy.

Although the present invention has been disclosed as above with examples, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person with ordinary knowledge in the technical field can make some changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention shall be subject to the scope defined in the appended patent application.

10, 10A: display panel 100: array substrate 110: Active component layer 120: pixel definition layer 122: opening 130: first electrode 140: light emitting layer 150: second electrode 160: Overlay 160A: Part 1 160B: Part 2 162, 162A, 162B, 162C: shading layer 162’, 162C’: shading layer material 164: Light-transmitting layer 170: encapsulation layer 180: Insulation 200: color light substrate 220: color filter layer 222: The first colorful light pattern 224: Second colorful light pattern 226: Third color light pattern 310: protective layer 310’: Patterned protective layer 312: accommodating space 320: photoresist layer 320’: Patterned photoresist layer 320A: District 1 320B: District 2 FM: fine metal cover curtain L: beam PH: printing nozzle PM: mask VD: evaporation process

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a display panel according to an embodiment of the invention. 2A to 2E are schematic cross-sectional views of a manufacturing process of a display panel according to an embodiment of the invention. 3A to 3D are schematic cross-sectional views of a manufacturing process of a display panel according to another embodiment of the invention. 4A to 4B are schematic cross-sectional views of a process of forming a light-shielding layer according to yet another embodiment of the invention. 5A to FIG. 5E are schematic cross-sectional views of a process of forming a light-shielding layer according to yet another embodiment of the invention.

10: Display panel

100: array substrate

110: Active component layer

120: pixel definition layer

122: opening

130: first electrode

140: light emitting layer

150: second electrode

162: shading layer

164: Light-transmitting layer

170: encapsulation layer

180: Insulation

200: color light substrate

220: color filter layer

222: The first colorful light pattern

224: Second colorful light pattern

226: Third color light pattern

Claims (9)

A manufacturing method of a display panel includes: providing an array substrate; forming an active element layer on the array substrate; forming a pixel definition layer on the active element layer, the pixel definition layer having an opening; forming a first An electrode is on the active device layer and overlaps the opening; a light-emitting layer is formed on the first electrode and is located in the opening; a second electrode is formed on the pixel definition layer and overlaps the light-emitting layer; forming a cover Layer on the second electrode, the cover layer has a first part overlapping the pixel definition layer and a second part overlapping the opening; an exposure process is performed on the first part of the cover layer to The first part is modified to a light-shielding layer; and a colored light substrate is disposed opposite to the array substrate, wherein the light-shielding layer overlaps the pixel definition layer, and the material of the cover layer is a photosensitive color-changing material. The method for manufacturing a display panel as described in item 1 of the patent application scope further includes: forming an encapsulation layer on the light-shielding layer; and forming an insulating layer on the encapsulation layer, wherein the light-shielding layer is located on the pixel definition layer And the encapsulation layer, and the encapsulation layer is located between the light shielding layer and the colored light substrate. The method for manufacturing a display panel as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the exposure procedure includes: setting a patterned mask on the cover layer; and exposing the first light beam through the patterned mask to the first Part to form the light-shielding layer, and the second part not exposed to the light beam forms a light-transmitting layer, wherein the light-transmitting layer overlaps the light-emitting layer. A manufacturing method of a display panel includes: providing an array substrate; forming an active element layer on the array substrate; forming a pixel definition layer on the active element layer, the pixel definition layer having an opening; forming a first An electrode is on the active device layer and overlaps the opening; a light-emitting layer is formed on the first electrode and is located in the opening; a second electrode is formed on the pixel definition layer and overlaps the light-emitting layer; forming a cover A layer on the second electrode, the cover layer has a first portion overlapping the pixel definition layer and a second portion overlapping the opening; forming a light-shielding layer on the first portion of the cover layer; and setting A colored light substrate is opposite to the array substrate, wherein the light-shielding layer overlaps the pixel definition layer, and the material of the cover layer is a photosensitive color-changing material. The manufacturing method of the display panel as described in item 4 of the patent application scope further includes: Forming an encapsulation layer on the light-shielding layer; and forming an insulating layer on the encapsulation layer, wherein the light-shielding layer is located between the cover layer and the encapsulation layer, and the encapsulation layer is located between the cover layer and the colored light substrate between. The method for manufacturing a display panel as described in item 4 of the patent application scope, wherein the step of forming the light-shielding layer includes: an inkjet printing process to spray a light-shielding layer material on the first portion of the cover layer; and A curing process to cure the shading layer material into the shading layer. The method for manufacturing a display panel as described in item 4 of the patent application scope, wherein the step of forming the light-shielding layer includes: setting a patterned fine metal mask on the cover layer; and passing a material of the light-shielding layer through the patterned A fine metal mask is vapor-deposited on the first part; and the material of the light-shielding layer is cured to form the light-shielding layer. The method for manufacturing a display panel as described in item 4 of the patent application scope, wherein the step of forming the light-shielding layer includes: forming a protective layer on the cover layer; forming a photoresist layer on the protective layer, the photoresist layer A first area overlapping the first portion and a second area overlapping the second portion are defined above; an exposure process is performed to expose a light beam through the patterned mask to the photoresist in the first area Floor; Perform a development process to remove the photoresist layer in the first region to form a patterned photoresist layer; perform an etching process to pattern the protective layer using the patterned photoresist layer as a mask to form A patterned protective layer having an accommodating space overlapping the first area; forming a light-shielding layer material on the patterned photoresist layer and in the accommodating space; performing a peeling process to remove the patterned A protective layer; and curing the material of the shading layer to form the shading layer. The method for manufacturing a display panel as described in item 8 of the patent application range, wherein the protective layer is a fluorinated photoresist material, and the stripping procedure includes dissolving the protective layer in a fluorinated solvent.

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