LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20160091766A1
• Filed: 08/05/2015
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: BAE, Kwang Soo, KIM, Yong Seok, SONG, Dae Ho, YUN, Hae Ju
• Granted Patent: US 10,451,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133305 Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133377 Cells with plural compartments or having plurality of liquid crystal microcells partitioned by walls, e.g. one microcell per pixel
• 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 1/1341 Filling or closing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136286 Wiring, e.g. gate line, drain line
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1259 Multistep manufacturing methods

Abstract

A liquid crystal display and a method of making it are provided. The liquid crystal display includes: a substrate; a thin film transistor disposed on the substrate; a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor; a roof layer disposed to be spaced from the pixel electrode; a liquid crystal layer between the pixel electrode and the roof layer; and a plurality of columns arranged along a gate line connected to the thin film transistor and supporting the roof layer, wherein the plurality of columns are formed of the same material as the roof layer.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a substrate;

a thin film transistor disposed on the substrate;

a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor;

a roof layer disposed to be spaced from the pixel electrode;

a liquid crystal layer between the pixel electrode and the roof layer; and

a plurality of columns arranged along a gate line connected to the thin film transistor and supporting the roof layer,

wherein the plurality of columns are formed of the same material as the roof layer.

2. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of columns are integrated with the roof layer as one continuous body.

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

the gate line includes a first gate line and a second gate line adjacent to each other;

an assistance column supporting the roof layer is included between the first gate line and the second gate line; and

the assistance column overlaps a data line connected to the thin film transistor.

4. The liquid crystal display of claim 3, further comprising

a first pixel area, a second pixel area, and a third pixel area disposed between the first gate line and the second gate line and adjacent to each other, wherein:

the data line includes a first data line disposed between the first pixel area and the second pixel area and a second data line disposed between the second pixel area and the third pixel area; and

the assistance column includes at least one first assistance column arranged while overlapping the first data line and at least one second assistance column arranged while overlapping the second data line.

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

the plurality of columns arranged along the gate line extend across the first pixel area and the third pixel area and be separated by the second pixel area.

6. The liquid crystal display of claim 5, wherein

the first pixel area is a red pixel region, the second pixel area is a green pixel region, and the third pixel area is a blue pixel region.

7. The liquid crystal display of claim 3, wherein

the assistance column is disposed at a bent portion of the data line.

8. The liquid crystal display of claim 2, further comprising

a partition formed along the data line of the thin film transistor and supporting the roof layer.

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

the gate line is a first gate line and the liquid crystal display further comprises a second gate line adjacent to the first gate line;

a first pixel area, a second pixel area, and a third pixel area are disposed adjacent to one another and between the first gate line and the second gate line;

each of a plurality of a unit pixels includes the first pixel area, the second pixel area, and the third pixel area arranged adjacent to each other and including a first unit pixel and a second unit pixel; and

the partition is disposed between the third pixel area of the first unit pixel and the first pixel area of the second unit pixel.

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

the plurality of columns arranged along the gate line extend along an end portion of the first pixel area and an end portion of the third pixel area and are separated by the second pixel area.

11. The liquid crystal display of claim 10, wherein

the first pixel area is a red pixel region, the second pixel area is a green pixel region, and the third pixel area is a blue pixel region.

12. The liquid crystal display of claim 2, wherein

the plurality of columns are disposed at portions where the data line and the gate line connected to the thin film transistor cross each other.

13. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display comprising:

forming a thin film transistor on a substrate;

forming a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor;

forming a sacrificial layer with a plurality of column holes on the pixel electrode;

forming a roof layer on the sacrificial layer;

removing the sacrificial layer to form a space, such that columns shaped by the column holes extend through the space and support the roof layer;

injecting an alignment material into the space; and

injecting a liquid crystal material into the space,

wherein the columns include the same material as the roof layer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein

the plurality of column holes are formed above a gate line connected to the thin film transistor, and the columns are formed at the column holes along the gate line.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the gate line is a first gate line and there is also a second gate line, further comprising

forming the plurality of column holes to overlap the data line connected to the thin film transistor between the first gate line and the second gate line.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising

forming an assistance column at one of the column holes overlapping the data line.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a first pixel area, a second pixel area, and a third pixel area are disposed between the first gate line and the second gate line and adjacent to one other, further comprising:

forming the plurality of columns along the gate line such that the columns extend across the first pixel area and the third pixel area and are separated by the second pixel area.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising disposing

the assistance column at a bent portion of the data line.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising

forming a partition along the data line of the thin film transistor and supporting the roof layer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the gate line includes a first gate line and a second gate line adjacent to each other,

a first pixel area, a second pixel area, and a third pixel area are disposed between the first gate line and the second gate line and adjacent to each other, and wherein

a unit pixel includes the first pixel area, the second pixel area, and the third pixel area arranged adjacent to each other, further comprising

disposing the partition between the third pixel area of the first unit pixel and the first pixel area of the second unit pixel.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the plurality of columns arranged along the gate line extend across the first pixel area and the third pixel area and

are separated by the second pixel area.

22. The method of claim 14, further comprising disposing

the plurality of columns at portions where the data line and the gate line connected to the thin film transistor cross.

23. The method of claim 13, further comprising

forming a common electrode disposed with the pixel electrode via an interlayer insulating layer on the substrate.

24. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a substrate;

a thin film transistor connected to a gate line and disposed on the substrate;

a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor;

a roof layer disposed to be spaced from the pixel electrode;

a liquid crystal layer between the pixel electrode and the roof layer; and

a partition disposed along a data line connected to the thin film transistor and supporting the roof layer,

wherein the gate line is a first gate line and the liquid crystal display further comprises a second gate line adjacent to the first gate line;

wherein a first pixel area, a second pixel area, and a third pixel area are disposed adjacent to one another and between the first gate line and the second gate line;

wherein each of a plurality of unit pixels includes the first pixel area, the second pixel area, and the third pixel area, the plurality of unit pixels being arranged adjacent to each other and including a first unit pixel and a second unit pixel; and

wherein the partition is disposed between the third pixel area of the first unit pixel and the first pixel area of the second unit pixel.