Method of manufacturing pixel walls of an electrowetting display device

1. A method of manufacturing an electrowetting display device, the method comprising:

forming a preliminary partition wall pattern on a lower substrate on which a pixel electrode and an insulation layer are formed, wherein the preliminary partition wall pattern is disposed along a boundary of the pixel electrode;

forming a water-repellent layer on the preliminary partition wall pattern, the pixel electrode, and the insulation layer, wherein the water-repellent layer comprises a self-assembled monolayer having a hydrophobic property;

removing a portion of the preliminary partition wall pattern and the water-repellent layer formed on the preliminary partition wall pattern, and forming a partition wall pattern on the insulation layer;

forming a water-repellent pattern on the insulation layer and the pixel electrode between partition walls of the partition wall pattern, wherein removing the portion of the preliminary partition wall pattern results in a portion of the partition wall pattern above the water-repellant pattern that is narrower than a portion of the partition wall pattern below the water-repellant pattern;

forming a fluid layer on the lower substrate on which the water-repellent pattern is formed; and

combining the lower substrate with an upper substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the preliminary partition wall pattern comprises:

coating a photosensitive polymer having a hydrophilic property on the lower substrate;

exposing a portion of the photosensitive polymer; and

developing the photosensitive polymer to expose the pixel electrode and the insulation layer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the self-assembled monolayer is a silane-based self-assembled monolayer.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the silane-based self-assembled monolayer includes perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (FDTS), octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), perfluorooctyltrichlorosilane (FOTS), or octyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water-repellent layer is formed by liquid or vapor phase deposition.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water-repellent layer has a thickness of about 5 Å to about 100 Å.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the preliminary partition wall pattern and the water-repellent layer are removed through a wet etching process.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a wet etching solution used in the wet etching process has an etching selection ratio with respect to the pixel electrode and the insulation layer, and wherein the wet-etching solution selectively etches the preliminary partition wall pattern.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein surface energy of the partition wall pattern is substantially lower than surface energy of the pixel electrode and the insulation layer.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water-repellent layer comprises:

a first water-repellent layer formed on the preliminary partition wall pattern; and

a second water-repellent layer formed on the pixel electrode and the insulation layer, and

wherein the first water-repellent layer has pin holes and defects.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein forming the water-repellent pattern comprises:

infiltrating a wet-etching solution through the pin hole and the defects of the first water-repellent layer to remove the portion of the preliminary partition wall pattern.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a protection layer between the water-repellent pattern and the insulation layer.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pixel electrode comprises an oxide-based transparent electrode, and the insulation layer comprises a silicon oxide.

14. A method of manufacturing an electrowetting display device, the method comprising:

forming preliminary partition walls on a lower substrate on which a pixel electrode and an insulation layer are formed, wherein the preliminary partition walls have a first width;

forming a first water-repellent layer on the preliminary partition walls;

forming a second water-repellent layer on the pixel electrode and the insulation layer;

removing the first water-repellent layer from the preliminary partition walls; and

removing a portion of the preliminary partition walls above the second water-repellent layer to form partition walls, wherein the partition walls include (i) a first portion above the second water-repellent layer and (ii) a second portion below the second water-repellent layer, and wherein the first portion has a second width that is smaller than the first width.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first water-repellent layer comprises a self-assembled monolayer.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first water-repellent layer includes a greater number of pin holes and defects than the second water-repellent layer.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein removing the portion of the preliminary partition walls above the second water-repellent layer to form partition walls comprises:

providing a wet-etching solution through the pin holes and the defects of the first water-repellent layer to remove the portion of the preliminary partition walls above the second water-repellent layer.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first water-repellent layer has a thickness of about 5 Å to about 100 Å.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the portion of the preliminary partition walls and the first water-repellent layer are removed through a wet etching process.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein a wet etching solution used in the wet etching process has an etching selection ratio with respect to the pixel electrode and the insulation layer, and wherein the wet etching solution selectively etches the preliminary partition walls.