IPS liquid crystal display with conductive spacers

• US 20040189920A1
• Filed: 03/29/2004
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Inventors: Hsieh, Tsau-Hua, Pang, Jia-Pang, Chen, Cheuh-Ju
• Application Number:
  US10/812,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20040189920A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/141
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134363 for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]

Abstract

An IPS (in-plane switching) liquid crystal display (2) has a first substrate (23), a second substrate (24) opposite to the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the two substrates, a plurality of common electrodes (25) and pixel electrodes (26) disposed on the second substrate, and a plurality of spacers (29) disposed on the common electrodes and the pixel electrodes. The spacers are electrically conductive. The liquid crystal layer, together with the electric field generators comprising the electrodes and the spacers connected with them, cooperatively form a “functionally unified” configuration. Accordingly, liquid crystal molecules (27) in the liquid crystal layer are in a strong electric field having a highly uniform direction. The strong electric field enables the IPS type liquid crystal display to operate on a lower driving voltage, and/or to provide more space between the electrodes to yield a higher aperture ratio.

Claims

2. The IPS liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spacers have a rectangular cross-section.

3. The IPS liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spacers are made of metal.

4. The IPS liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spacers are made of an ACF (anisotropic conductive film).

9. An IPS (in-plane switching) liquid crystal display, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate opposite to the first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer disposed between the two substrates;

a plurality of common electrodes and pixel electrodes disposed on the second substrate; and

a plurality of spacers disposed on the common electrodes and the pixel electrodes;

wherein each of the spacers comprises a spacer body and an electrically conductive film around the spacer body.

1. An IPS (in-plane switching) liquid crystal display, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate opposite to the first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer disposed between the two substrates;

a plurality of common electrodes and pixel electrodes disposed on the second substrate; and

a plurality of spacers disposed on the common electrodes and the pixel electrodes;

wherein the spacers are electrically conductive.

5. The IPS liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spacers have a circular cross-section.

6. The IPS liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spacers are made of metal.

7. The IPS liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spacers are made of an ACF (anisotropic conductive film).

8. The IPS liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of counter electrodes disposed between the spacers and the first substrate.

10. The IPS liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of the spacers has a rectangular cross-section.

11. The IPS liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 10, wherein the spacer body is made of glass.

12. The IPS liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 10, wherein the conductive film comprises indium-tin oxide.

13. The IPS liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of the spacers has a circular cross-section.

14. The IPS liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 13, wherein the spacer body is made of glass.

14-1. The IPS liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a plurality of counter electrodes disposed between the spacers and the first substrate.

15. The IPS liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 13, wherein the conductive film comprises indium-tin oxide.

16. The liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 15, wherein common electrodes and pixel electrodes are located between the corresponding spacers and one of said first and second substrates.

17. The liquid crystal display as claimed in claim 16, wherein counter electrodes are located between the corresponding spacers and the other of said first and second substrates.

15-2. A liquid crystal display comprising:

opposite first and second substrates in a spatial parallel relation;

a liquid crystal layer located between the first and second substrates;

a plurality of spacers located between the first and second substrates and surrounding the liquid crystal layer; and

an alignment film located above the second substrate and under the liquid crystal layer, and horizontally among said spacers.