Display apparatus comprisng a partition wall on an organic insulating layer and method of manufacturing the same

A display apparatus comprising:

• a substrate defining an opening area and comprising a display area and an intermediate area between the opening area and the display area;
• an inorganic insulating layer in the display area and the intermediate area;
• a pixel circuit in the display area;
• an organic insulating layer on the pixel circuit;
• a pixel electrode on the organic insulating layer and electrically connected to the pixel circuit, an intermediate layer on the pixel electrode, and an opposite electrode on the intermediate layer;
• a thin-film encapsulation layer on the opposite electrode and comprising a first inorganic encapsulation layer, a second inorganic encapsulation layer, and an organic encapsulation layer between the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer;
• and
• a partition wall on the organic insulating layer in the intermediate area and comprising at least two dams,
• wherein the inorganic insulating layer is in contact with the thin-film encapsulation layer in an area between the partition wall and the opening area;
• and
• wherein the partition wall comprises at least three dams with a valley between each of the at least three dams, respectively.

A display apparatus comprising:

• a substrate defining an opening area and comprising a display area and an intermediate area between the opening area and the display area;
• an inorganic insulating layer in the display area and the intermediate area;
• a pixel circuit on the inorganic insulating layer in the display area;
• an organic insulating layer on the pixel circuit;
• a pixel electrode on the organic insulating layer and electrically connected to the pixel circuit, an intermediate layer on the pixel electrode, and an opposite electrode on the intermediate layer;
• a thin-film encapsulation layer on the opposite electrode and comprising a first inorganic encapsulation layer, a second inorganic encapsulation layer, and an organic encapsulation layer between the first inorganic encapsulation layer and the second inorganic encapsulation layer;
• at least two partition walls on the organic insulating layer in the intermediate area;
• and
• a dam portion on the inorganic insulating layer and in the intermediate area between the partition wall and the opening area;
• and
• wherein each of the intermediate layer and the opposite electrode extends to the intermediate area and covers the partition wall.

A method of manufacturing a display apparatus, the method comprising:

• preparing a substrate defining an opening area and comprising a display area and an intermediate area between the opening area and the display area;
• forming an inorganic insulating layer in the display area and the intermediate area;
• forming a pixel circuit on the inorganic insulating layer in the display area;
• forming an organic insulating layer on the pixel circuit;
• forming a partition wall comprising at least two dams on the organic insulating layer in the intermediate area;
• sequentially forming, on the organic insulating layer, a pixel electrode, an intermediate layer, and an opposite electrode which are electrically connected to the pixel circuit;
• irradiating with a laser the opposite electrode and the intermediate layer in the intermediate area between the opening area and the partition wall;
• and
• forming, on the opposite electrode, a thin-film encapsulation layer in which a first inorganic encapsulation layer, an organic encapsulation layer, and a second inorganic encapsulation layer are sequentially formed,
• wherein the first inorganic encapsulation layer is in contact with the inorganic insulating layer in the intermediate area between the opening area and the partition wall;
• and
• wherein each of the intermediate layer and the opposite electrode extends to the intermediate area and covers the partition wall.