Array substrate for liquid crystal display substrate having high aperture ratio and method for fabricating the same

• US 7,515,215 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2003
• Issued: 04/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chae, Gee Sung, Lee, Jae Kyun, Kim, Ik Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dudek; James A
• Application Number:
  US10/730,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20040119900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,946 Days
• Field of Search: 349/38, 349/44, 349/46, 349/43, 349/39
• US Class Current: 349/39
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136213 Storage capacitors associated with the pixel electrode

Abstract

An array substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes a transparent substrate, a gate line arranged along a first direction on the transparent substrate, a gate electrode extending from the gate line, a common line arranged along the first direction adjacent to the gate line and having a protrusion, a gate insulation layer on the transparent substrate to cover the gate line, the gate electrode, and the common electrode, an active layer on the gate insulation layer and over the gate electrode, first and second ohmic contact layers on the active layer, a data line arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first upon the gate insulation layer, a source electrode extending from the data line and contacting the first ohmic contact layer, a drain electrode spaced apart from the source electrode and contacting the second ohmic contact layer, a first capacitor electrode formed on the gate insulation layer and connected to the drain electrode, the first capacitor electrode overlapping the common line and the protrusion of the common line, a passivation layer formed on the gate insulation layer to cover the data line, the source and drain electrodes, and the first capacitor electrode, the passivation layer having a first contact hole exposing a portion of the capacitor electrode, and a pixel electrode formed on the passivation layer and contacting the first capacitor electrode through the first contact hole.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a first transparent substrate;

a second transparent substrate facing the first transparent substrate;

a gate line arranged on the first transparent substrate along a first direction, the gate line includes a gate electrode extending from the gate line by a predetermined length along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;

a data line arranged on the first transparent substrate along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the gate line and the data line perpendicularly crossing each other and defining a pixel region;

a thin film transistor arranged on the first transparent substrate and adjacent to the pixel region, the thin film transistor electrically connected to both the gate line and the data line;

a common line arranged on the first transparent substrate along the first direction parallel with and adjacent to the gate line, the common line having a protrusion extending toward the gate line along the second direction spaced apart from the gate line by a predetermined distance;

a first capacitor electrode overlapping a portion of the common line and the protrusion of the common line to form a first storage capacitor, the first capacitor electrode connected to the thin film transistor;

a pixel electrode formed within the pixel region, the pixel electrode contacting the first capacitor electrode;

a black matrix on the second transparent substrate, the black matrix covering the thin film transistor, the protrusion of the common line, and portions of the gate line and common line; and

a common electrode on the second transparent substrate to cover the black matrix,

wherein the predetermined length of the gate electrode is greater than the predetermined distance between the protrusion and the gate line.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the common line includes a same material as the gate line.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the common line and the gate line are simultaneously formed of an opaque metallic material.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the data line and the first capacitor electrode are simultaneously formed of a same material.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a second capacitor electrode overlapping a portion of the gate line to form a second storage capacitor.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the first capacitor electrode and the second capacitor electrode are simultaneously formed of a same material.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the second capacitor electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion extends from the common line toward the gate line along the second direction.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the protrusion is arranged between the gate line and the common line.

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

forming a gate line on a first transparent substrate along a first direction, the gate line includes a gate electrode extending from the gate line by a predetermined length along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;

forming a data line on the first transparent substrate along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the gate line and the data line perpendicularly crossing each other and defining a pixel region;

forming a thin film transistor on the first transparent substrate and adjacent to the pixel region, the thin film transistor is electrically connected to both the gate line and the data line;

forming a common line on the first transparent substrate along the first direction parallel with and adjacent to the gate line, the common line having a protrusion extending toward the gate line along the second direction spaced apart from the gate line by a predetermined distance;

forming a first capacitor electrode to overlap a portion of the common line and the protrusion of the common line to form a first storage capacitor, the first capacitor electrode connected to the thin film transistor;

forming a pixel electrode within the pixel region, the pixel electrode contacting the first capacitor electrode;

forming a black matrix on a second transparent substrate, the black matrix covering the thin film transistor, the protrusion of the common line, and portions of the gate line and common line;

forming a common electrode on the second transparent substrate to cover the black matrix; and

forming the first substrate to face the second substrate,

wherein the predetermined length of the gate electrode is greater than the predetermined distance between the protrusion and the gate line.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the common line includes a same material as the gate line.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the common line and the gate line are simultaneously formed of an opaque metallic material.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the steps of forming the data line and the first capacitor electrode are simultaneously formed of a same material.

14. The method according to claim 10, further comprising a step of forming a second capacitor electrode to overlap a portion of the gate line to form a second storage capacitor.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of forming a first capacitor electrode and the step of forming a second capacitor electrode are simultaneously performed using a same material.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the second capacitor electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode.

17. The method according to claim 10, wherein the protrusion extends from the common line toward the gate line along the second direction.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the protrusion is arranged between the gate line and the common line.

19. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a first transparent substrate;

a second transparent substrate facing the first transparent substrate;

a gate line arranged on the first transparent substrate along a first direction;

a data line arranged on the first transparent substrate along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the gate line and the data line perpendicularly crossing each other and defining a pixel region;

a thin film transistor arranged on the first transparent substrate and adjacent to the pixel region, the thin film transistor electrically connected to both the gate line and the data line;

a common line arranged on the first transparent substrate along the first direction parallel with and adjacent to the gate line;

a protrusion extending from the common line toward the gate line along the second direction;

a first capacitor electrode overlapping a portion of the common line to form a first storage capacitor, wherein the first capacitor electrode is connected to the thin film transistor;

a pixel electrode formed within the pixel region;

a black matrix on the second transparent substrate, the black matrix covering the thin film transistor and portions of the gate line and common line; and

a common electrode on the second transparent substrate to cover the black matrix,

wherein the black matrix covers an area between the gate line and the protrusion.

20. The device according to claim 19, further comprising a second capacitor electrode overlapping a portion of the gate line to form a second storage capacitor.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the first capacitor electrode and the second capacitor electrode are simultaneously formed of a same material.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein the second capacitor electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode at a first region.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the black matrix overlaps the first region.

24. The device according to claim 19, wherein the common line and the adjacent gate line are separated by a gap and the black matrix overlaps the gap.

25. The device according to claim 19, wherein the protrusion is arranged between the gate line and the common line.

26. A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a first transparent substrate;

a second transparent substrate facing the first transparent substrate;

forming a gate line arranged on a first transparent substrate along a first direction;

forming a data line arranged on the first transparent substrate along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the gate line and the data line perpendicularly crossing each other and defining a pixel region;

forming a thin film transistor on the first transparent substrate and adjacent to the pixel region, the thin film transistor electrically connected to both the gate line and the data line;

forming a common line on the first transparent substrate along the first direction parallel with and adjacent to the gate line, the common line includes a protrusion extending from the common line toward the gate line along the second direction;

forming a firt capacitor electrode overlapping a portion of the common line to form a first storage capacitor, wherein the first capacitor electrode is connected to the thin film transistor;

forming a pixel electrode formed within the pixel region;

forming a black matrix on a second transparent substrate, the black matrix covering the thin film transistor and portions of the gate line and common line; and

forming a common electrode on the second transparent substrate to cover the black matrix,

wherein the black matrix covers an area between the gate line and the protrusion.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising forming a second capacitor electrode overlapping a portion of the gate line to form a second storage capacitor.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the first capacitor electrode and the second capacitor electrode are simultaneously formed of a same material.

29. The method according to claim 27, wherein the second capacitor electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode at a first region.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the black matrix overlaps the first region.

31. The method according to claim 26, wherein the common line and the adjacent gate line are separated by a gap and the black matrix overlaps the gap.

32. The method according to claim 26, wherein the protrusion is arranged between the gate line and the common line.