Liquid crystal display device comprising a protective film so that the protective film borders with one end of a transparent conductive pattern

• US 8,013,969 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2010
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Philips LCD Company Limited (LG Display Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ahn, Byung Chul, Lim, Joo Soo, Park, Byung Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson; Mark A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang; Charles
• Application Number:
  US12/787,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20100231820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 349/141, 349/138
• US Class Current: 349/141
• 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 1/1362 Active matrix addressed cells G02F1/134336, G02F1/134363 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136295 Materials; Compositions; Manufacture processes

Abstract

A thin film transistor substrate for applying a horizontal electric field and a fabricating method thereof for simplifying a process are disclosed. In a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, a gate line on a substrate; a data line crossing the gate line having a gate insulating film there between to define a pixel area; a thin film transistor including a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode and a semiconductor layer to define a channel between the source electrode and the drain electrode; a common line on the substrate; a common electrode in the pixel area; and a pixel electrode in the pixel area to form a horizontal electrode field with the common electrode, wherein the data line, the source electrode and the drain electrode have an opaque conductive pattern and a transparent conductive pattern, the pixel electrode is formed by an extension of the transparent conductive pattern of the drain electrode, and a protective film borders with the transparent conductive pattern and in the remaining area thereof.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a gate line on a substrate;

a data line crossing the gate line having a gate insulating film therebetween to define a pixel area;

a thin film transistor including a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode and a semiconductor layer to define a channel between the source electrode and the drain electrode;

a common line on the substrate;

a common electrode in the pixel area; and

a pixel electrode in the pixel area to form a horizontal electrode field with the common electrode,

wherein the data line, the source electrode and the drain electrode have an opaque conductive pattern and a transparent conductive pattern, the pixel electrode is formed by an extension of the transparent conductive pattern of the drain electrode, and one end of a protective film borders with an end of the transparent conductive pattern at an area in which the end of the transparent conductive pattern is overlapped with the common line.

2. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a storage capacitor provided such that the pixel electrode overlaps with a portion of the common electrode having the gate insulating film therebetween.

3. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gate line, the gate electrode, the common line and the common electrode includes one of a single-layer structure formed of one of Mo, Ti, Cu, AlNd, Al, Cr, a Mo alloy, a Cu alloy and an Al alloy, and a multiple-layer structure having at least two layers thereof.

4. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a pad connected to the gate line, the common line and the data line, wherein the pad includes;

a lower pad electrode on the substrate with the gate line and the common line;

a contact hole passing through the gate insulating film to expose the lower pad electrode; and

an upper pad electrode connected to the lower data pad electrode via said contact hole and formed of the transparent conductive pattern.

5. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a data link extended from the lower pad electrode of the data pad;

a second contact hole passing through the gate insulating film to expose the data link; and

a contact electrode extended from the transparent conductive pattern of the data line to be connected to the data link via the second contact hole.

6. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the contact electrode is integral to the upper pad electrode.

7. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the transparent conductive pattern encloses the opaque conductive pattern.

8. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opaque conductive pattern includes one of a single-layer structure formed of one of Mo, Ti, Cu, AlNd, Al, Cr, a Mo alloy, a Cu alloy and an Al alloy, and a multiple-layer structure having at least two layers thereof.

9. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the upper pad electrode and the contact electrode borders with the protective film.

10. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the common line is parallel to the gate line.

11. The liquid crystal display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pixel electrode extends from the drain electrode.