Liquid crystal display device and fabricating method thereof and method of repairing pixel using the same

• US 6,833,882 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2001
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Philips LCD Company Limited (LG Display Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Su Woong
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Erdem, Fazli
• Application Number:
  US10/028,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20020163602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 369/37, 369/39, 369/42, 369/47, 369/192, 369/54, 369/53, 369/139, 369/143, 369/43, 369/38
• US Class Current: 349/43
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136259 Repairing; Defects
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136268 Switch defects
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/40 Arrangements for improving the aperture ratio

Abstract

This invention discloses a liquid crystal display device and a fabricating method therefore. In addition, the present invention discloses a pixel repairing method for increasing an aperture ratio and increasing a repair efficiency. If a fault occurs in a channel of a TFT, a pixel electrode is connected with a repair drain electrode of a previous TFT, after cutting a data signal from a data line to a TFT using a laser. Thus, a bad pixel cell can realize the same color as a previous pixel cell. By this arrangement, a brightness point may be removed from the display. Also, a repair efficiency is improved. Also, since the source electrode of a repair TFT and a main TFT is used commonly, a display area is increased and a high aperture ratio can be realized.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a main thin film transistor including

a common source electrode receiving a data signal,

a pixel drain electrode opposed to the common source electrode as having a predetermined main channel between them and connected to a first pixel electrode for driving the liquid crystal of a first horizontal line, and

a gate electrode responding to a scan signal and switching on/off the main channel;

an auxiliary thin film transistor including

the common source electrode in the main thin film transistor,

a gate line applying the scan signal to the gate electrode, and

a repair drain electrode opposed to the common source electrode as having a predetermined auxiliary channel between them and formed to overlap with a second pixel electrode for driving the liquid crystal of a second horizontal line; and

an active layer forming the main channel and the auxiliary channel, the active layer extended from the main channel to the auxiliary channel through the common source electrode area.

2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a gate insulating film formed to cover the gate electrode and the gate line on a substrate;

a semiconductor layer formed on the gate insulating film;

a protective layer formed on the entire surface of the gate insulating film to cover the common source electrode, the pixel drain electrode and the repair drain electrode; and

a contact hole formed in the protective film to have the pixel drain electrode electrically in contact with the pixel electrode.

3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein the semiconductor layer is formed at the neighbor area of the main thin film transistor, the auxiliary thin film transistor and a data line.

4. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein the semiconductor layer is formed at the neighbor area of the main thin film transistor and the auxiliary thin film transistor.

5. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a gate insulating film formed to cover the gate electrode and the gate line on a substrate;

a semiconductor layer formed on the gate insulating film;

a protective layer formed on the entire surface of the gate insulating film to cover the common source electrode, the pixel drain electrode and the repair drain electrode; and

a contact hole formed in the protective film to have the pixel drain electrode electrically in contact with the pixel electrode, and

wherein the common source electrode, the pixel drain electrode and the repair drain electrode are patterned simultaneously as the semiconductor layer.

6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 5, wherein the semiconductor layer is formed at the neighbor area of the main thin film transistor, the auxiliary thin film transistor and a data line.

7. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 5, wherein the semiconductor layer is formed at the neighbor area of the main thin film transistor and the auxiliary thin film transistor.

8. A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device, comprising the steps of:

forming a gate line and a gate electrode on a substrate;

forming a gate insulating film on the substrate;

forming a semiconductor layer on the gate insulating film;

forming a data line and a common source electrode on the gate insulating film, and in addition, forming a pixel drain electrode and a repair drain electrode to oppose the common source electrode such that a main channel of a main thin film transistor and an auxiliary channel of an auxiliary thin film transistor reside in the semiconductor layer at the same time;

forming a protective layer on the gate insulating film to cover the common source electrode, the pixel drain electrode and the repair drain electrode; and

forming a pixel electrode on the protective film to overlap with the repair drain electrode and to be electrically in contact with the pixel drain electrode.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the gate electrodes of the main thin film transistor and the auxiliary thin film transistor are unified at the common source electrode area.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the semiconductor layer is formed at the neighbor area of the main thin film transistor, the auxiliary thin film transistor and the data line.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the semiconductor layer is formed at the neighbor area of the main thin film transistor and the auxiliary thin film transistor.

12. A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device, comprising the steps of:

forming a gate line and a gate electrode on a substrate;

forming a gate insulating film on the substrate to cover the gate electrode and the gate line;

forming a semiconductor layer, a common source electrode and a data line by depositing a semiconductor material and a metal layer on the gate insulating film and patterning them at the same time, and in addition, forming a pixel drain electrode and a repair drain electrode to oppose the common source electrode such that a main channel of a main thin film transistor and an auxiliary channel of an auxiliary thin film transistor reside in the semiconductor layer at the same time;

forming a protective layer on the gate insulating film to cover the common source electrode, the pixel drain electrode and the repair drain electrode; and

forming a pixel electrode on the protective film to overlap with the repair drain electrode and to be electrically in contact with the pixel drain electrode.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the gate electrodes of the main thin film transistor and the auxiliary thin film transistor are unified at the common source electrode area.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the semiconductor layer is formed at the neighbor area of the main thin film transistor, the auxiliary thin film transistor and the data line.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the semiconductor layer is formed at the neighbor area of the main thin film transistor and the auxiliary thin film transistor.

16. A repairing method of a liquid crystal display device, comprising the steps of:

connecting a pixel drain electrode for driving to a pixel electrode of a first horizontal line, and in addition, providing a thin film transistor including a repair drain electrode that overlaps with a pixel electrode of a second horizontal line;

sensing a bad pixel included in the horizontal lines;

opening a part of a drain electrode for driving of the bad pixel; and

connecting the repair drain electrode to the pixel electrode of the bad pixel such that the same color data as a normal pixel, is supplied to the pixel electrode of the bad pixel.