LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY

• US 20120146889A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: KWAK, YUN HEE
• Granted Patent: US 8,704,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/88
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133345 Insulating layers G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134372 for fringe field switching [FFS] where the common electrode is not patterned

Abstract

A liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of pixel areas, a plurality of spacers maintaining a distance between a first display panel and a second display panel, an insulating layer formed on the first display panel, and a plurality of contact holes formed in the insulating layer, and each contact hole connecting an upper conductive layer with a lower conductive layer, in which the pixel areas include a first pixel area group of pixel areas having the contact holes and a second pixel area group of pixel areas not including the contact holes, and the spacers are positioned in respective pixel areas of the second pixel area group and disposed at portions corresponding to where the contact holes are positioned in the pixel areas of the first pixel area group.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display, comprising:

a first display panel including a plurality of pixel areas;

a second display panel positioned opposite to the first display panel;

a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first display panel and the second display panel;

a plurality of spacers maintaining a distance between the first display panel and the second display panel;

an insulating layer formed on the first display panel; and

a plurality of contact holes formed in the insulating layer and each contact hole connecting an upper conductive layer with a lower conductive layer,

wherein the pixel areas include a first pixel area group of pixel areas having the contact holes and a second pixel area group of pixel areas not including the contact holes, and

the spacers are positioned in respective pixel areas of the second pixel area group and disposed at portions in the respective pixel areas corresponding to where the contact holes are positioned in the pixel areas of the first pixel area group.

2. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein:

the first display panel further includes;

a first insulation substrate;

a gate line and a data line formed on the first insulation substrate, wherein the gate line and data line are insulated from and intersect each other;

a thin film transistor connected with the gate line and the data line;

a pixel electrode connected with the thin film transistor; and

a reference electrode having a plurality of branch electrodes overlapping the pixel electrode, wherein the insulating layer is between the reference and pixel electrodes.

3. The liquid crystal display of claim 2, further comprising:

a reference voltage line parallel with the gate line,

wherein the reference electrode is connected with the reference voltage line through a contact hole of the plurality of contact holes.

4. The liquid crystal display of claim 3, wherein:

the reference voltage line further includes an extender protruding from the reference voltage line, and

the reference electrode contacts the extender through the contact hole.

5. The liquid crystal display of claim 4, wherein a spacer of the plurality of spacers overlaps an extender protruding from a reference voltage line in a pixel area of the second pixel area group.

6. The liquid crystal display of claim 4, wherein:

each branch electrode of the plurality of branch electrodes has a first branch bent at a first predetermined angle, and

a second branch that is bent at a second predetermined angle with respect to the first branch.

7. The liquid crystal display of claim 6, wherein:

the reference electrode is electrically connected to a reference electrode of an adjacent pixel and further comprises a longitudinal connecting portion overlapping the data line and a transverse connecting portion overlapping the gate line.

8. The liquid crystal display of claim 6, wherein:

a third branch extends from the first branch and is bent at a third predetermined angle with respect to the first branch, and the third branch is connected with the transverse connecting portion.

9. The liquid crystal display of claim 7, wherein:

the longitudinal connecting portion includes a cutout extending along the data line.

10. The liquid crystal display of claim 6, wherein:

the data line includes a first bend bent at the same angle as the first predetermined angle of the first branch and the second bend bent at the same angle as the second predetermined angle of the second branch.

11. The liquid crystal display of claim 10, wherein:

the pixel electrode includes a pair of curved sides, each curved side having portions parallel with the first bend and the second bend.

12. The liquid crystal display of claim 11, further comprising:

a horizontal alignment layer on the first insulation substrate,

wherein the first bend makes an angle of about 5°

to about 10°

with respect to a rubbing direction of the alignment layer.

13. The liquid crystal display of claim 12, wherein:

the second bend makes an angle of about 7°

to about 15°

with respect to the first bend.

14. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, further comprising:

a color filter formed on the first display panel or the second display panel in a pixel area,

wherein the color filter is one of a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter, and

the green color filter is positioned in a pixel area of the second pixel area group.

15. The liquid crystal display of claim 2, further comprising:

a shield electrode formed on the same layer as the gate line, separated from the gate line, and extending along the data line.

16. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, further comprising:

a light blocking member disposed on the second display panel at a position corresponding to a spacer of the plurality of spacers.

17. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein:

the liquid crystal layer has positive dielectric anisotropy.