Liquid crystal display device comprising a first thin film having a chemical affinity for a material of a spacer that is greater than for a liquid crystal layer

• US 9,091,888 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2008
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industry-University Cooperation Foundation Hanyang University, Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Industry-University Cooperation Foundation Hanyang University, Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hong, Wang-su, Kim, Jae-hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/143,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20090040446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,594 Days
• Field of Search: 349/128, 349/156, 349/183
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133345 Insulating layers G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1337 Surface-induced orientation of the liquid crystal molecules, e.g. by alignment layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device, includes a first substrate including a first insulating substrate, a first thin film positioned on the first insulating substrate, and a first alignment layer positioned on the first thin film and including a first exposing area that exposes the first thin film, a second substrate facing the first substrate and including a second insulating substrate, a spacer positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate and including at least a part that corresponds to the first exposing area, and a liquid crystal layer positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a first substrate comprising a first insulating substrate, a first thin film positioned on the first insulating substrate, and a first alignment layer positioned on the first thin film, the first alignment layer comprising a first exposing area that exposes the first thin film;

a second substrate facing the first substrate and comprising a second insulating substrate;

a spacer positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate, the spacer comprising at least a part that corresponds to the first exposing area; and

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

wherein a chemical affinity of the first thin film for a material of the spacer is greater than a chemical affinity of the first thin film for the liquid crystal layer, and

wherein a chemical affinity of the first alignment layer for the liquid crystal layer is greater than a chemical affinity of the first alignment layer for the material of the spacer.

2. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the second substrate further comprises a second alignment layer positioned on the second insulating substrate.

3. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein the liquid crystal layer directly contacts the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer.

4. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein the second substrate further comprises a second thin film positioned between the second alignment layer and the second insulating substrate, and

the second alignment layer comprises a second exposing area that exposes the second thin film.

5. The liquid crystal display device of claim 4, wherein at least a part of the spacer is positioned to correspond to the second exposing area.

6. The liquid crystal display device of claim 4, wherein the second exposing area is positioned to correspond to the first exposing area.

7. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein the spacer directly contacts the first substrate and the second substrate.

8. The liquid crystal display device of claim 7, wherein the first exposing area has a lattice shape.

9. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein at least one of the first insulating substrate and the second insulating substrate comprises a plastic insulating substrate.

10. The liquid crystal display device of claim 2, wherein the spacer comprises at least one of an ultraviolet ray curable resin and a thermal curable resin.

11. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal layer comprises a liquid crystal molecule, and

wherein the spacer comprises a polymer.

12. The liquid crystal display device of claim 11, wherein a chemical affinity of the first thin film for the polymer is greater than a chemical affinity of the first thin film for the liquid crystal molecule.

13. The liquid crystal display device of claim 11, a chemical affinity of the first alignment layer for the liquid crystal molecule is greater than a chemical affinity of the first alignment layer for the polymer.

14. The liquid crystal display device of claim 11,

wherein the second substrate further comprises a second alignment layer positioned on the second insulating substrate,

a chemical affinity of the second alignment layer for the liquid crystal molecule is greater than a chemical affinity of the second alignment layer for the polymer.