IP Library Granted Patent US 12696656
Granted Patent B2
US 12696656 · App. 18/395,950 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Display panel and display panel manufacturing method

Inventors: Jingyuan Hu (Shenzhen, CN); Fanjing Wu (Shenzhen, CN)
Assignee: SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS SEMICONDUCTOR DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
H10K59/80522H10K59/1201H10K59/122H10K59/131
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12696656
App. No.
18/395,950
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present application provides a display panel and a display panel manufacturing method disposing a stacked second auxiliary electrode such that the second auxiliary electrode forms a cutout structure. A first aperture is defined in a location of the pixel definition layer corresponding to the second auxiliary electrode. The first aperture exposes at least one portion of the cutout structure of the second auxiliary electrode, the organic light emitting layer is disconnected at the at least one portion of the cutout structure exposed by the first aperture to expose at least one portion of the sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode. A cathode layer is electrically connected to the at least one portion of the sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode exposed by the organic light emitting layer such that the cathode layer can directly contact and be electrically connected to a sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode.

Claims (41)

1 . A display panel, comprising:

an underlay substrate;

a first auxiliary electrode disposed on the underlay substrate;

a second auxiliary electrode disposed on a side of the first auxiliary electrode away from the underlay substrate and electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode, wherein the second auxiliary electrode comprises a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a third electrode layer stacked on one another, the first electrode layer is located on a side of the third electrode layer away from the first auxiliary electrode, an edge of the second electrode layer retracts relative to an edge of the first electrode layer to form a cutout structure;

a pixel definition layer disposed on a side of the second auxiliary electrode away from the first auxiliary electrode, wherein a first aperture is defined in a location of the pixel definition layer corresponding to the second auxiliary electrode, and the first aperture exposes at least one portion of the cutout structure of the second auxiliary electrode;

an organic light emitting layer covering a side of the pixel definition layer away from the second auxiliary electrode and disconnected on the at least one portion of the cutout structure exposed by the first aperture to expose at least one portion of a sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode; and

a cathode layer covering the organic light emitting layer and electrically connected to the at least one portion of the sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode exposed by the organic light emitting layer;

wherein a thickness of the first electrode layer is greater than a thickness of the third electrode layer, and the thickness of the first electrode layer ranges from 500 Å to 1000 Å.

2 . The display panel according to claim 1 , wherein material of the first electrode layer is the same as material of the third electrode layer, and the material of the first electrode layer is different from material of the second electrode layer.

3 . The display panel according to claim 2 , wherein the material of the first electrode layer comprises at least one of IZO, ITO, IGZO, and WOx, and the material of the second electrode layer comprises at least one of Ag alloy and Al alloy.

4 . The display panel according to claim 1 , further comprising a planarization layer covering the first auxiliary electrode and an anode disposed on the planarization layer, wherein the organic light emitting layer is located between the anode and the cathode layer, and the anode and the second auxiliary electrode are disposed in a same layer.

5 . The display panel according to claim 4 , wherein a first via hole is defined in a location of the planarization layer corresponding to the first auxiliary electrode location, the first via hole exposes a portion of the first auxiliary electrode, the second auxiliary electrode is located on the planarization layer and in the first via hole, and the second auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode via a portion of the second auxiliary electrode located in the first via hole.

6 . The display panel according to claim 4 , wherein a second aperture is defined in a location of the planarization layer corresponding to the first auxiliary electrode, the second aperture is disposed to correspond to the first aperture and communicates with the first aperture, the second aperture exposes a portion of the first auxiliary electrode; the second auxiliary electrode is located on the first auxiliary electrode in the second aperture, and is electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode.

7 . The display panel according to claim 4 , further comprising a transistor disposed on the underlay substrate, wherein the anode is located on a side of the transistor away from the underlay substrate, and the anode is electrically connected to the transistor; the transistor comprises an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, and the first auxiliary electrode and the source electrode are disposed in a same layer.

8 . The display panel according to claim 1 , wherein an edge of the third electrode layer retracts relative to the edge of the second electrode layer to form a second cutout structure.

9 . A display panel, comprising:

an underlay substrate;

a first auxiliary electrode disposed on the underlay substrate;

a second auxiliary electrode disposed on a side of the first auxiliary electrode away from the underlay substrate and electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode, wherein the second auxiliary electrode comprises a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a third electrode layer stacked on one another, the first electrode layer is located on a side of the third electrode layer away from the first auxiliary electrode, an edge of the second electrode layer retracts relative to an edge of the first electrode layer to form a cutout structure;

a pixel definition layer disposed on a side of the second auxiliary electrode away from the first auxiliary electrode, wherein a first aperture is defined in a location of the pixel definition layer corresponding to the second auxiliary electrode, and the first aperture exposes at least one portion of the cutout structure of the second auxiliary electrode;

an organic light emitting layer covering a side of the pixel definition layer away from the second auxiliary electrode and disconnected on the at least one portion of the cutout structure exposed by the first aperture to expose at least one portion of a sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode;

a cathode layer covering the organic light emitting layer and electrically connected to the at least one portion of the sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode exposed by the organic light emitting layer; and

a planarization layer covering the first auxiliary electrode and an anode disposed on the planarization layer, wherein the organic light emitting layer is located between the anode and the cathode layer, and the anode and the second auxiliary electrode are disposed in a same layer;

wherein an edge of the third electrode layer retracts relative to the edge of the second electrode layer to form a second cutout structure;

wherein a second aperture is defined in a location of the planarization layer corresponding to the first auxiliary electrode, the second aperture is disposed to correspond to the first aperture and communicates with the first aperture, the second aperture exposes a portion of the first auxiliary electrode; the second auxiliary electrode is located on the first auxiliary electrode in the second aperture, and is electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode.

10 . The display panel according to claim 9 , wherein a thickness of the first electrode layer is greater than a thickness of the third electrode layer, and the thickness of the first electrode layer ranges from 500 Å to 1000 Å.

11 . The display panel according to claim 9 , wherein material of the first electrode layer is the same as material of the third electrode layer, and the material of the first electrode layer is different from material of the second electrode layer.

12 . The display panel according to claim 11 , wherein the material of the first electrode layer comprises at least one of IZO, ITO, IGZO, and WOx, and the material of the second electrode layer comprises at least one of Ag alloy and Al alloy.

13 . The display panel according to claim 9 , wherein a first via hole is defined in a location of the planarization layer corresponding to the first auxiliary electrode location, the first via hole exposes a portion of the first auxiliary electrode, the second auxiliary electrode is located on the planarization layer and in the first via hole, and the second auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode via a portion of the second auxiliary electrode located in the first via hole.

14 . The display panel according to claim 9 , further comprising a transistor disposed on the underlay substrate, wherein the anode is located on a side of the transistor away from the underlay substrate, and the anode is electrically connected to the transistor; the transistor comprises an active layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode, and the first auxiliary electrode and the source electrode are disposed in a same layer.

15 . A display panel manufacturing method, comprising:

providing an underlay substrate, and manufacturing a first auxiliary electrode on the underlay substrate;

manufacturing a second auxiliary electrode on a side of the first auxiliary electrode away from the underlay substrate, wherein the second auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the first auxiliary electrode, the second auxiliary electrode comprises a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer, and a third electrode layer stacked on one another, the first electrode layer is located on a side of the third electrode layer away from the first auxiliary electrode, and making an edge of the second electrode layer retracting relative to an edge of the first electrode layer to form a cutout structure;

manufacturing a pixel definition layer on a side of the second auxiliary electrode away from the first auxiliary electrode, and forming a first aperture in a location of the pixel definition layer corresponding to the second auxiliary electrode, wherein the first aperture exposes at least one portion of the cutout structure of the second auxiliary electrode;

covering a side of the pixel definition layer away from the second auxiliary electrode with an organic light emitting layer, and disconnecting the organic light emitting layer at the at least one portion of the cutout structure exposed by the first aperture to expose at least one portion of a sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode; and

covering the organic light emitting layer with a cathode layer, and electrically connecting the cathode layer to the at least one portion of the sidewall of the second auxiliary electrode exposed by the organic light emitting layer;

wherein a thickness of the first electrode layer is greater than a thickness of the third electrode layer, and the thickness of the first electrode layer ranges from 500 Å to 1000 Å.

16 . The display panel manufacturing method according to claim 15 , wherein the step of making an edge of the second electrode layer retracting relative to an edge of the first electrode layer to form a cutout structure comprises:

etching the second auxiliary electrode by Ag acid, by controlling an etching time and an etching apparatus parameter of the Ag acid, and making an edge of the second electrode layer retract relative to an edge of the first electrode layer to form a cutout structure.

17 . The display panel manufacturing method according to claim 15 , wherein the step of manufacturing a second auxiliary electrode on a side of the first auxiliary electrode away from the underlay substrate further comprises: making an edge of the third electrode layer retract relative to the edge of the second electrode layer to form a second cutout structure.

18 . The display panel manufacturing method according to claim 16 , wherein the step of manufacturing a second auxiliary electrode on a side of the first auxiliary electrode away from the underlay substrate further comprises: making an edge of the third electrode layer retract relative to the edge of the second electrode layer to form a second cutout structure.