Display device

1 . A display device comprising:

a substrate comprising a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area;

a first pixel on the substrate in the display area;

a dam structure on the substrate, surrounding the first pixel in a plan view and disposed in the display area;

a spacer in an area surrounded by the dam structure in the plan view;

a first inorganic encapsulation layer on the dam structure and the spacer; and

an organic encapsulation layer on the first inorganic encapsulation layer,

wherein an upper surface of the spacer is at a higher position than a portion of an upper surface of the dam structure and a portion of an upper surface of the organic encapsulation layer, the portion of the upper surface of the organic encapsulation layer being a surface of the organic encapsulation layer furthest from an upper surface of the substrate and disposed in the display area, and the portion of the upper surface of the dam structure being a surface of the dam structure furthest from the upper surface of the substrate,

wherein a height measured from the upper surface of the substrate to the portion of the upper surface of the dam structure along a thickness direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate is equal to or greater than a height measured from the upper surface of the substrate to the portion of the upper surface of the organic encapsulation layer along the thickness direction,

wherein a first portion of the first inorganic encapsulation layer overlaps the upper surface of the dam structure in the thickness direction, and

wherein a second portion of the first inorganic encapsulation layer overlaps the upper surface of the spacer in the thickness direction.

2 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the spacer protrudes above the organic encapsulation layer.

3 . The display device of claim 2 , further comprising:

a second inorganic encapsulation layer on the organic encapsulation layer,

wherein the first inorganic encapsulation layer on the spacer protruding above the organic encapsulation layer is in direct contact with the second inorganic encapsulation layer.

4 . The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a planarization layer on the substrate;

a passivation layer on the planarization layer; and

a recess pattern defined by removing portions of the passivation layer and the planarization layer,

wherein the recess pattern surrounds the spacer in the plan view.

5 . The display device of claim 4 , wherein a sidewall of the recess pattern comprises a side surface of the passivation layer and a side surface of the planarization layer, and

wherein the side surface of the passivation layer protrudes outward from the side surface of the planarization layer.

6 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein a surface roughness of the upper surface of the spacer is greater than a surface roughness of the upper surface of the dam structure.

7 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the organic encapsulation layer is in the area surrounded by the dam structure in the plan view.

8 . The display device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate further comprises a plurality of islands separated by slits, and a plurality of bridges connecting between adjacent ones of the islands, and

wherein the first pixel and the dam structure are in each of the plurality of islands.

9 . The display device of claim 8 , wherein the spacer is in at least some of the plurality of islands.

10 . The display device of claim 8 , further comprising:

a second pixel in each of the plurality of islands,

wherein the spacer is between the first pixel and the second pixel in the plan view.

11 . The display device of claim 10 , wherein the first pixel is configured to emit light of a first color, and the second pixel is configured to emit light of a second color different from the first color.

12 . The display device of claim 8 , wherein arrangement patterns of the plurality of islands and the plurality of bridges have arrangement pattern units, and

wherein the arrangement pattern units are repeatedly arranged along a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction.

13 . The display device of claim 12 , wherein the arrangement pattern units comprise a first arrangement pattern unit and a second arrangement pattern unit adjacent to the first arrangement pattern unit along the first direction or the second direction, and

wherein the second arrangement pattern unit has a line-symmetric shape with respect to the first arrangement pattern unit.