CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent No. 10-2019-0093421, filed on Jul. 31, 2019, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present disclosure relates to a display device and a method of manufacturing the same.

2. Description of the Related Art

With the development of multimedia, display devices are becoming more important. Accordingly, various display devices such as liquid crystal display devices (LCDs), organic light emitting diode display devices (OLEDs), and the like are being developed.

Among these display devices, the OLEDs include organic light emitting devices (or organic light emitting diodes) which are self-luminous devices. The organic light emitting device may include two opposing electrodes and an organic light emitting layer interposed therebetween. Electrons and holes provided from the two electrodes are recombined in the light emitting layer to generate excitons, and the generated excitons are transitioned from an excited state to a ground state such that light may be emitted.

Because a separate light source is not required, the OLEDs may be formed not only to have low power consumption and to be thin and lightweight, but also to have high quality characteristics such as a wide viewing angle, high brightness and contrast, a fast response speed, and the like. Consequently, the OLEDs are attracting attention as next generation display devices.

SUMMARY

Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure provide a display device that is capable of minimizing a voltage drop, or reducing the likelihood of a voltage drop.

Aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure also provide a method of manufacturing a display device, which is capable of minimizing a voltage drop of a display device and, at the same time, securing economic feasibility of a process.

According to an aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a display device includes a first base, a pixel electrode on the first base, a pixel defining layer having an opening that at least partially exposes the pixel electrode, a light emitting layer on the pixel electrode, an auxiliary electrode at a same layer as the pixel electrode, a partition wall on the auxiliary electrode and at least partially exposing a side surface of the auxiliary electrode, an organic layer on the partition wall, and a common electrode continuously arranged on the light emitting layer and the organic layer, wherein a side surface of the partition wall has a reverse-tapered shape, and wherein the common electrode contacts the side surface of the auxiliary electrode.

In an exemplary embodiment, a first tapered angle between the side surface of the partition wall and an upper surface of the auxiliary electrode may be greater than a second tapered angle between the pixel defining layer and an upper surface of the pixel electrode.

In an exemplary embodiment, the side surface of the partition wall may contact the common electrode.

In an exemplary embodiment, the display device may include a compensation electrode electrically connected to the auxiliary electrode.

In an exemplary embodiment, the display device may further include a source electrode or a drain electrode located between the first base and the pixel electrode, the pixel electrode may be electrically connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode, and the compensation electrode may be at a same layer as the source electrode or the drain electrode.

In an exemplary embodiment, the common electrode may be electrically connected to the compensation electrode.

In an exemplary embodiment, a lower surface of the partition wall may contact the auxiliary electrode, and an upper surface of the partition wall may contact the organic layer.

In an exemplary embodiment, the partition wall and the pixel defining layer may be made of the same material.

In an exemplary embodiment, the partition wall and the pixel defining layer may include SiNx, SiOx, or SiON.

In an exemplary embodiment, the partition wall may include a conductive material.

In an exemplary embodiment, a lower surface of the organic layer may contact the partition wall, and an upper surface of the organic layer may contact the common electrode.

In an exemplary embodiment, the organic layer and the light emitting layer may be made of the same material.

In an exemplary embodiment, the organic layer may be spaced apart from the light emitting layer.

In an exemplary embodiment, the display device may further include a wavelength conversion pattern and a light transmission pattern on the common electrode, and the wavelength conversion pattern or the light transmission pattern may overlap the opening of the pixel defining layer in a thickness direction.

According to another aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a display device includes a first base, a pixel electrode on the first base, a pixel defining layer having an opening that at least partially exposes the pixel electrode, a light emitting layer on the pixel electrode, an auxiliary electrode on the same layer as the pixel electrode, a conductive partition wall at the auxiliary electrode and including a first metal layer on the auxiliary electrode and a second metal layer on the first metal layer, an organic layer on the conductive partition wall, and a common electrode continuously arranged on the light emitting layer and the organic layer, wherein an end portion of the second metal layer protrudes further than an end portion of an upper surface of the first metal layer, and wherein the common electrode contacts a side surface of the first metal layer.

In an exemplary embodiment, the auxiliary electrode may be electrically connected to the common electrode.

In an exemplary embodiment, a lower surface of the first metal layer may contact the auxiliary electrode, and the upper surface of the first metal layer may contact the second metal layer.

In an exemplary embodiment, a width of the lower surface of the first metal layer in a first direction may be greater than a width of the upper surface of the first metal layer in the first direction.

In an exemplary embodiment, a thickness of the first metal layer in a third direction may be greater than a thickness of the second metal layer in the third direction.

According to another aspect of embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing a display device includes providing a first base, forming a pixel electrode and an auxiliary electrode on the first base concurrently, forming an inorganic layer on the pixel electrode and the auxiliary electrode, etching the inorganic layer and forming a pixel defining layer having an opening that at least partially exposes the pixel electrode, over-etching the inorganic layer and forming a partition wall that at least partially exposes a side surface of the auxiliary electrode, forming a light emitting layer on the pixel defining layer and forming an organic layer on the partition wall, and forming a common electrode on the pixel defining layer, the partition wall, and the side surface of the auxiliary electrode.

In an exemplary embodiment, the forming of the pixel defining layer and the forming of the partition wall may be concurrently performed.

In an exemplary embodiment, the forming of the pixel defining layer may include forming first photoresists on the inorganic layer so as to overlap the pixel electrode and forming a second photoresist between the first photoresists on the inorganic layer, the forming of the partition wall may include forming a third photoresist on the inorganic layer so as to overlap the auxiliary electrode, and a thickness of the third photoresist in a thickness direction may be less than a thickness of the first photoresist in the thickness direction.

In an exemplary embodiment, the method may further include, between the providing of the first base and the forming of the pixel electrode and the auxiliary electrode, concurrently forming a source electrode, a drain electrode, and a compensation electrode.

In an exemplary embodiment, the forming of the pixel electrode and the auxiliary electrode may include forming the source electrode or the drain electrode to be in contact with the pixel electrode and forming the compensation electrode to be in contact with the auxiliary electrode.

