Fringe field switching mode liquid crystal display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same

• US 20120242942A1
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jeon, Mu-Kyung
• Granted Patent: US 8,885,130 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/141
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133707 Structures for producing distorted electric fields, e.g. bumps, protrusions, recesses, slits in pixel electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1343 Electrodes reflective electrodes G02F1/133553
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1393 the birefringence of the liquid crystal being electrically controlled, e.g. ECB-, DAP-, HAN-, PI-LC cells G02F1/1396, G02F1/141 take precedence

Abstract

Embodiments may include a fringe field switching mode liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus includes a first substrate on which a first electrode and a second electrode are installed, the second electrode facing the first electrode and having a plurality of slits therein; a second substrate, which faces the first substrate; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the first electrode having a protrusion at a slit end portion of the slits, the protrusion protruding toward the second electrode.

Claims

1. A fringe field switching mode liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus, comprising:

a first substrate on which a first electrode and a second electrode are installed, the second electrode facing the first electrode and having a plurality of slits therein;

a second substrate, which faces the first substrate; and

a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate,

the first electrode having a protrusion at a slit end portion of the slits, the protrusion protruding toward the second electrode.

2. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electrode is a pixel electrode, and the second electrode is a common electrode.

3. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein, at the protrusion, the common electrode also protrudes toward the liquid crystal layer.

4. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the first substrate further includes a gate electrode layer, an active layer, and a source/drain electrode layer for applying a voltage to the pixel electrode, and

the protrusion is formed as the pixel electrode is protruded by a step forming unit formed on the source/drain electrode layer.

5. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the first substrate further includes a gate electrode layer, an active layer, and a source/drain electrode layer for applying a voltage to the pixel electrode, and

the protrusion is formed as the pixel electrode is protruded by a step forming unit formed on the gate electrode layer.

6. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the protrusion is formed by a metal layer added to form a step below the pixel electrode of the first substrate.

7. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein a separate voltage is applied to the metal layer, so that a higher voltage is applied to the slit end portion.

8. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the protrusion overlaps a corner of the slit end portion.

9. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein an overlapping portion of the protrusion is chamfered.

10. A method of manufacturing a fringe field switching mode liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus, the method comprising:

preparing a first substrate on which a first electrode and a second electrode are installed, the second electrode facing the first electrode and having a plurality of slits therein;

preparing a second substrate, which faces the first substrate; and

attaching the first substrate and the second substrate to each other by interposing a liquid crystal layer therebetween,

wherein the preparing of the first substrate includes forming a protrusion of the first electrode at a slit end portion of the slits, the protrusion protruding toward the second electrode.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first electrode is a pixel electrode, and the second electrode is a common electrode.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein, at the protrusion, the common electrode also protrudes toward the liquid crystal layer.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the preparing of the first substrate further includes forming a gate electrode layer, an active layer, and a source/drain electrode layer for applying a voltage to the pixel electrode, and

the protrusion is formed as the pixel electrode is protruded by a step forming unit formed on the source/drain electrode layer.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the preparing of the first substrate further includes forming a gate electrode layer, an active layer, and a source/drain electrode layer for applying a voltage to the pixel electrode, and

the protrusion is formed as the pixel electrode is protruded by a step forming unit formed on the gate electrode layer.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the preparing of the first substrate further includes adding a metal layer to form a step below the pixel electrode of the first substrate, and

the protrusion is formed as the pixel electrode, located on the metal layer, is protruded by the metal layer.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein a separate voltage is applied to the metal layer, so that a higher voltage is applied to the slit end portion.

17. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the protrusion overlaps a corner of the slit end portion.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein an overlapping portion of the protrusion is chamfered.