CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This U.S. non-provisional patent application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0067404, filed on Jun. 7, 2019, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a display panel, and more particularly, to a display panel and a method for manufacturing the same.

Various display devices used in multimedia equipment such as televisions, mobile phones, table computers, navigation devices, and game consoles are being developed. A display device includes a transmissive display panel which is selectively transmitting source light generated from a light source and an emission type display panel which is generating source light in the display panel itself.

However, when the display device is used in an outdoor space, reflection and scattering may occur on a display surface, on which an image is visible, by external light. Therefore, a novel way to reduce external light reflection and to improve display quality is, therefore, needed.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a display panel that is capable of reducing external light reflection and a method for manufacturing the same.

An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a display panel including an upper display substrate on which a plurality of pixel areas and a light blocking area adjacent to the pixel areas are defined, and a lower display substrate facing the upper display substrate and including a plurality of display elements respectively overlapping the pixel areas, wherein the upper display substrate includes a base substrate defining the pixel areas and the light blocking area, a barrier part overlapping the light blocking area and disposed on the base substrate, a light blocking layer including a first light blocking portion disposed on the barrier part and a second light blocking portion disposed on the same layer as the barrier part to respectively overlap the pixel areas, a reflection layer including a first reflection portion disposed on the first light blocking portion and a second reflection portion disposed on the second light blocking portion, and a light control layer overlapping the pixel areas and disposed on the reflection layer, wherein a plurality of openings passing through the second light blocking portion and the second reflection portion are defined in each of the pixel areas, and the openings overlap the pixel areas, respectively.

In an embodiment, each of the openings may be surrounded by the second light blocking portion in a top plan view.

In an embodiment, the second light blocking portion overlapping a first pixel area of the pixel areas may include a first light blocking area and a second light blocking area, which are spaced apart from each other in a first direction with respect to a first opening, which overlaps the first pixel area, of the openings, and a width of the first light blocking area, a width of the first opening, and a width of the second light blocking area in the first direction may be substantially equal.

In an embodiment, the second light blocking portion may further include a third light blocking area and a fourth light blocking area, which are spaced apart from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with the first opening, and a width of the third light blocking area, the width of the first opening, and a width of the fourth light blocking area in the second direction may be substantially equal.

In an embodiment, the second light blocking portion overlapping a first pixel area of the pixel areas may have a surface area greater than a surface area of the opening, which overlaps the first pixel area, in the top plan view.

In an embodiment, the first light blocking portion may be disposed between the barrier part and the first reflection portion, and the second light blocking portion may be disposed between the base substrate and the second reflection portion.

In an embodiment, the barrier part may include a top surface facing the base substrate, a bottom surface facing the lower display substrate, and a side surface connecting the top surface to the bottom surface, and the first light blocking portion may expose at least a portion of the bottom surface of the barrier part.

In an embodiment, a bottom surface opening passing through the first light blocking portion and the first reflection portion and exposing the bottom surface of the barrier part may be defined.

In an embodiment, the reflection layer may entirely overlap the light blocking layer.

In an embodiment, the display panel may further include: a color filter layer disposed between the base substrate and the light control layer; and an upper insulation layer covering the color filter layer and disposed on the base substrate, wherein each of the openings may expose the upper insulation layer.

In an embodiment, the display elements may emit first color light to the upper display substrate, the pixel areas may include first, second, and third pixel areas that are arranged in one direction, and the light control layer may include: a first conversion part overlapping the first pixel area and configured to convert the first color light so as to emit second color light; a second conversion part overlapping the second pixel area and configured to convert the first color light so as to emit third color light different from the second color light; and a transmission part overlapping the third pixel area and configured to transmit the first color light.

In an embodiment, the color filter layer may include: a first color filter overlapping the first pixel area and configured to transmit the second color light different from the first color light; a second color filter overlapping the second pixel area and configured to transmit the third color light different from the second color light; and a third color filter overlapping the third pixel area and configured to transmit the first color light, wherein the third color filter may include a filter portion overlapping the third pixel area and a light blocking portion overlapping the light blocking area.

In an embodiment, the lower display substrate may further include a pixel defining layer in which light emitting openings respectively overlapping the pixel areas are defined, each of the display elements may include a first electrode, a light emitting layer disposed on the first electrode, and a second electrode disposed on the light emitting layer, the first electrode is exposed by a corresponding light emitting opening of the light emitting openings, and a height of the barrier part is greater than the shortest distance from a bottom surface of the barrier part to an extension surface parallel to a top surface of the first electrode in a thickness direction perpendicular to the base substrate.

In an embodiment, a ratio of the height of the barrier part to the shortest distance may be 2:1 in the thickness direction.

In an embodiment, the first light blocking portion and the second light blocking portion may be provided in an integrated shape, and the first reflection portion and the second reflection portion may be provided in an integrated shape.

In an embodiment of the inventive concept, a display panel includes: an upper display substrate on which a plurality of pixel areas and a light blocking area adjacent to the pixel areas are defined; and a lower display substrate facing the upper display substrate and comprising a plurality of display elements respectively overlapping the pixel areas, wherein the upper display substrate includes: a base substrate defining the pixel areas and the light blocking area; an insulation layer disposed on the base substrate; a first light blocking layer which is directly disposed on the insulation layer and in which openings respectively overlapping the pixel areas are defined; a first reflection layer disposed on the first light blocking layer; a light control layer overlapping the pixel areas and disposed on the first reflection layer; a barrier part overlapping the light blacking area and disposed on the light control layer; a second light blocking layer disposed on the barrier part; and a second reflection layer disposed on the second light blocking layer.

In an embodiment, the first light blocking layer and the second light blocking layer may be spaced apart from each other with respect to the light control layer, and the first reflection layer and the second reflection layer may be spaced apart from each other with respect to the light control layer.

In an embodiment, the first light blocking layer and the second light blocking layer may be spaced apart from each other with respect to the light control layer in a thickness direction perpendicular to the base substrate.

In an embodiment of the inventive concept, a method for manufacturing a display panel includes: forming a barrier part overlapping a light blocking area on an upper base substrate on which first to third pixel areas and the light blocking area adjacent to the first to third pixel areas are defined; entirely forming a light blocking layer covering the barrier part on the upper base substrate; entirely forming a reflection layer on the light blocking layer; forming first to third openings passing through the light blocking layer and the reflection layer to respectively overlap the first to third pixel areas; forming a light control layer, which comprises a first conversion part overlapping the first pixel area, a second conversion part overlapping the second pixel area, and a transmission part overlapping the third pixel area, on the reflection layer; and coupling the upper base substrate to the lower base substrate on which display elements are disposed.

In an embodiment, the light blocking layer overlapping the first pixel area of the pixel areas may have a surface area greater than a surface area of the opening, which overlaps the first pixel area.

