Liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same

• US 20050185129A1
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Philips LCD Company Limited (LG Display Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kim, Jeom Jae, Jo, Sung Hak, Yang, Sang Don, Moon, Hong Man
• Granted Patent: US 7,576,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/156
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12041 LED

Abstract

A liquid crystal display (LCD) device includes first and second substrates facing each other, a plurality of column spacers on at least one of the first and second substrates, each column spacer including first pattern second patterns, the first and second patterns being connected to each other, the second pattern having a contact surface less than the first pattern, and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display (LCD) device comprising:

first and second substrates facing each other;

a plurality of column spacers on at least one of the first and second substrates, each column spacer including first and second patterns, the first and second patterns being connected to each other, the second pattern having a contact surface less than the first pattern; and

a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates.

2. The LCD device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of column spacers have at the same height.

3. The LCD device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of column spacers have the different heights.

4. The LCD device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of column spacers comprises a first group of column spacers in contact with both of the first and second substrates, and a second group of column spacers separate from one of the first and second substrates.

5. The LCD device of claim 1, further comprising a TFT array on the first substrate, and a color filter array on the second substrate.

6. The LCD device of claim 5, wherein the TFT array comprises a plurality of gate and data lines crossing each other defining a pixel region, a plurality of thin film transistors at respective crossing portions of the gate and data lines, and a plurality of common and pixel electrodes alternately formed in the pixel region, and the color filter array comprises a black matrix corresponding to the gate and data lines and the thin film transistors of the TFT array, a color filter layer, and an overcoat layer on the color filter layer.

7. The LCD device of claim 6, further comprising an ITO layer on a rear side of the first substrate.

8. The LCD device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of column spacers are formed on the color filter array.

9. The LCD device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of column spacers are formed on the black matrix layer.

10. The LCD device of claim 5, wherein the TFT array comprises a plurality of gate and data lines crossing each other defining a pixel region, a plurality of thin film transistors at respective crossing portions of the gate and data lines, and a plurality of pixel electrodes in the respective pixel regions, and the color filter array comprises a black matrix corresponding to the gate and data lines and the thin film transistors of the TFT array, a color filter layer and a common electrode on the color filter layer.

11. The LCD device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of column spacers are formed on the black matrix layer.

12. The LCD device of claim 1, further comprising alignment layers formed on the first and second substrates.

13. The LCD device of claim 1, wherein the first pattern has a first cross-section of about 10 μ

m˜

35 μ

m×

10 μ

m˜

35 μ

m, and the second pattern has a second cross-section of about 0.1 μ

m˜

10 μ

m×

0.1 μ

m˜

10 μ

m.

14. The LCD device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of column spacers each have a height of at least 2 μ

m.

15. The LCD device of claim 1, wherein the first pattern has a first height, and the second pattern has a second height shorter than the first height.

16. A liquid crystal display (LCD) device comprising:

a first substrate having a TFT array;

a second substrate having a color filter array opposing to the first substrate;

a first column spacer in contact with the first and second substrates;

a second column spacer on the second substrate and separate from the first substrate; and

a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates.

17. The LCD device of claim 16, further comprising alignment layers on the first and second substrates.

18. A liquid crystal display (LCD) device comprising:

a first substrate having a TFT array;

a second substrate having a color filter array opposing to the first substrate;

a first column spacer on the second substrate, the first column spacer comprising a first pattern having a first cross-section and a first height and a second pattern having a second cross-section and a second height smaller than those of the first pattern, the first and second patterns being connected to each other;

a second column spacer on the second substrate to have a height corresponding to the first height of the first pattern of the first column spacer; and

a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates.

19. The LCD device of claim 18, further comprising alignment layers on the first and second substrates.

20. A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display (LCD) device comprising:

forming a TFT array on a first substrate;

forming a color filter array on a second substrate;

forming a plurality of column spacers on the second substrate, each column spacer including a first pattern and a second pattern, the first and second patterns being connected to each other, the second pattern having a contact surface less than the first pattern;

dispersing a liquid crystal material on the first substrate; and

bonding the first and second substrates to each other.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising forming alignment layers on the first and second substrates.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein forming the plurality of column spacers comprises forming the first pattern to have a first cross-section and a first height and the second pattern to have a second cross-section and a second height smaller than those of the first pattern.

23. A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display (LCD) device comprising:

forming a TFT array on a first substrate;

forming a color filter array on a second substrate;

forming first and second column spacers having the different heights on the second substrate;

dispersing a liquid crystal material on the first substrate; and

bonding the first and second substrates to each other.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising forming alignment layers on the first and second substrates.

25. A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display (LCD) device comprising:

forming a TFT array on a first substrate;

forming a color filter array on a second substrate;

forming a first column spacer on the second substrate, the first column spacer comprising a first pattern having a first cross-section and a first height and a second pattern having a second cross-section and a second height smaller than those of the first pattern, the first and second patterns being connected to each other;

forming a second column spacer on the second substrate to have a height corresponding to the first height of the first pattern of the first column spacer;

dispersing a liquid crystal material on the first substrate; and

bonding the first and second substrates to each other.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising forming alignment layers on the first substrate and second substrates.