Organic light emitting display panel and method for fabricating the same

• US 10,446,623 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics Company Limited (Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited), Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics Company Limited (Tianma Microelectronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Cai, Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): Toledo, Fernando L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prasad, Neil R
• Application Number:
  US15/431,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20170154935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/813 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/822 characterised by their shape
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/844 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/122 Pixel-defining structures or layers, e.g. banks
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/124 Insulating layers formed between TFT elements and OLED elements
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/873 Encapsulations
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 59/8731 multilayered coatings having a repetitive structure, e.g. having multiple organic-inorganic bilayers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An organic light emitting display panel and a method for fabricating the same are provided by the present invention. The organic light emitting display panel includes: a substrate and a light emitting element layer disposed on the substrate. The light emitting element layer is provided with a plurality of first grooves. The organic light emitting display panel also includes an encapsulation layer disposed on the light emitting element layer, the plurality of first grooves are filled with the encapsulation layer.

Claims

1. An organic light emitting display panel, comprising:

a substrate;

a light emitting element layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the light emitting element layer is provided with a plurality of first grooves; and

an encapsulation layer disposed on the light emitting element layer, wherein the plurality of first grooves are filled with the encapsulation layer;

wherein a thin film transistor array layer is disposed between the substrate and the light emitting element layer, and a planarization layer is disposed between the thin film transistor array layer and the light emitting element layer;

wherein organic light emitting display panel is an active organic light emitting display panel, and the light emitting element layer comprises a first electrode layer, a pixel defining layer, a light emission functioning layer and a second electrode layer;

wherein orthographic projections of the plurality of first grooves on the substrate are located within an orthographic projection of the pixel defining layer on the substrate;

wherein each of the plurality of first grooves runs through the pixel defining layer in a direction perpendicular to the substrate;

wherein the planarization layer is provided with a plurality of second grooves, each of the plurality of second grooves interfacing with a respective one of the plurality of first grooves, and a depth of each of the plurality of second grooves being less than or equal to a thickness of the planarization layer.

2. The organic light emitting display panel of claim 1, wherein

the organic light emitting display panel comprises a luminous zone and a non-luminous zone;

a plurality of openings are disposed at an area of the pixel defining layer corresponding to the luminous zone;

the light emission functioning layer is located in the plurality of openings corresponding to the luminous zone;

the plurality of first grooves are provided in an area of the pixel defining layer corresponding to the non-luminous zone;

the first electrode layer comprises a plurality of first sub-electrodes;

each of the plurality of firs sub-electrodes is electrically connected with a corresponding thin film transistor in the thin film transistor array layer; and

the second electrode layer is a planar electrode.

3. The organic light emitting display panel of claim 2, wherein

each of the plurality of second grooves runs through the planarization layer in the direction perpendicular to the substrate;

the thin film transistor array layer is provided with a plurality of third grooves, each of the plurality of third grooves interfacing with a respective one of the plurality of second grooves, and a depth of each of the plurality of third groove being less than or equal to a thickness of the thin film transistor array layer.

4. The organic light emitting display panel of claim 1, wherein the encapsulation layer comprises at least one inorganic layer and at least one organic layer, and the light emitting element layer contacts with one inorganic layer.

5. The organic light emitting display panel of claim 4, wherein the encapsulation layer comprises a first inorganic layer, a first organic layer and a second inorganic layer sequentially arranged in a direction from the substrate to the light emitting element layer.

6. The organic light emitting display panel of claim 2, wherein the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer both are transparent conductive layers.

7. The organic light emitting display panel of claim 2, wherein the first electrode layer is a metal reflective electrode, and the second electrode is a transparent conductive layer;

or the first electrode layer is a transparent conductive layer and the second electrode is a metal reflective electrode.

8. The organic light emitting display panel of claim 1, wherein the plurality of the first grooves have arc-shaped sidewalls.

9. The organic light emitting display panel of claim 8, wherein an angel between a tangent of the sidewall of the first groove and a bottom surface of the first groove is in a range between 0 degree to 60 degrees.

10. A method for fabricating an organic light emitting display panel, comprising:

forming a light emitting element layer on a substrate;

forming a plurality of first grooves at the light emitting element layer; and

forming an encapsulation layer on the light emitting element layer, wherein the plurality of first grooves are filled with the encapsulation layer;

wherein before the forming the light emitting element layer on the substrate, the method further comprises;

successively forming a thin film transistor array layer and a planarization layer, on the substrate;

wherein the forming the light emitting element layer on the substrate comprises;

sequentially forming a first electrode layer, a light emission functioning layer, and a second electrode layer on the substrate;

forming a first electrode layer on the planarization layer;

forming, on the planarization layer and the first electrode layer, a pixel defining layer;

wherein the method further comprises;

forming a plurality of second grooves at the planarization layer, wherein each of the plurality of first grooves run through the pixel defining layer in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, each of the plurality of second grooves interfacing with a respective one of the plurality of first grooves, and a depth of each of the plurality of second grooves being less than or equal to a thickness of the planarization layer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein

the first electrode layer comprises a plurality of first sub-electrodes arranged in parallel to each other,

and

the second electrode layer comprises a plurality of second sub-electrodes arranged in parallel to each other,

wherein the plurality of first sub-electrodes are insulated from and intersected with the plurality of second sub-electrodes.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a depth of a given one of plurality of the first grooves is less than a sum of a thickness of the first electrode layer, a thickness of the light emission functioning layer and a thickness of the second electrode layer.

13. The method of claim 10,

wherein the first electrode layer comprises a plurality of first sub-electrodes, each of which is electrically connected with a corresponding thin film transistor of the thin film transistor array layer;

wherein forming a light emitting element layer on a substrate comprises;

forming a plurality of openings at an area of the pixel defining layer corresponding to a luminous zone, wherein the plurality of first grooves are formed in an area of the pixel defining layer corresponding to a non-luminous zone, and wherein the plurality of first grooves are arranged between the plurality of openings;

forming the light emitting element layer in the plurality of openings; and

forming the second electrode layer on the light emitting element layer, wherein the second electrode layer is a planar electrode.

14. The method of claim 10,

wherein forming a light emitting element layer on a substrate comprises:

forming a plurality of openings at an area of the pixel defining layer corresponding to the luminous zone, wherein the plurality of first grooves are formed in an area of the pixel defining layer corresponding to the non-luminous zone, and wherein the plurality of first grooves are arranged between the plurality of openings;

forming, in the plurality of openings, the first electrode layer and the light emitting element layer, wherein the first electrode layer comprises a plurality of first sub-electrodes, each of the plurality of first sub-electrodes being electrically connected with a corresponding thin film transistor of the thin film transistor array layer; and

forming the second electrode layer, wherein the second electrode layer is a planar electrode.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of openings and the plurality of first grooves are formed in a same process.

16. An organic light emitting display panel, comprising:

a substrate;

a light emitting element layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the light emitting element layer is provided with a plurality of first grooves; and

an encapsulation layer disposed on the light emitting element layer, wherein the plurality of first grooves are filled with the encapsulation layer;

wherein the organic light emitting display panel is passive organic light emitting display panel, and the light emitting element layer comprises a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer and a light emission functioning layer disposed between the and the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer;

wherein the first electrode layer comprises a plurality of first sub-electrodes arranged in parallel to each other, the second electrode layer comprises a plurality of second sub-electrodes arranged in parallel to each other, and the plurality of first sub-electrodes are insulated from and intersected with the plurality of second sub-electrodes;

wherein vertical projections of the plurality of first grooves on the substrate do not overlap with vertical projections of the plurality of first sub-electrodes and the plurality of second sub-electrodes on the substrate, wherein the light emission functioning layer is provided with the plurality of first grooves or,

wherein vertical projections of the plurality of first grooves on the substrate overlap with vertical projections of intersecting areas of the plurality of first sub-electrodes and the plurality of second sub-electrodes on the substrate, and the plurality of first grooves run though the plurality of second sub-electrodes.

17. The organic light emitting display panel of claim 16, wherein a depth of one of the plurality of the first grooves is less than or equal to a sum of a thickness of the first electrode layer, a thickness of the light emission functioning layer and a thickness of the second electrode layer.