Liquid crystal display and fabricating method thereof

• US 20030117542A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Philips Company Limited (LG Display Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Choo, Kyo Seop
• Granted Patent: US 6,999,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/43
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136227 Through-hole connection of the pixel electrode to the active element through an insulation layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/40 Arrangements for improving the aperture ratio

Abstract

Disclosed are a liquid crystal display and a fabricating method thereof enabling to improve an opening ratio of the liquid crystal display by modifying a structure of a thin film transistor. Each pixel of the liquid crystal display includes a gate line formed on a substrate in one direction with a predetermined interval from another one, a data line formed in a direction perpendicular to the gate line so as to define a pixel area, a thin film transistor formed on the gate line at an intersection between the gate and data lines, and a pixel electrode formed in the pixel area.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a gate line formed on a substrate in one direction with a predetermined interval from other gate lines;

a data line formed in a direction perpendicular to the gate line so as to define a pixel area;

a thin film transistor formed on the gate line at an intersection between the gate and data lines; and

a pixel electrode formed in the pixel area.

2. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, the thin film transistor comprising:

a semiconductor layer formed over the gate line at the intersection between the gate and data lines wherein the gate and data lines are used as gate and source electrodes, respectively; and

a drain electrode formed over the gate line across a portion of the semiconductor layer confronting the data line.

3. The liquid crystal display of claim 2, wherein the semiconductor layer is further formed under the data line.

4. The liquid crystal display of claim 2, wherein the pixel electrode extends to be connected to the drain electrode.

5. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein a portion of the gate line where the thin film transistor is formed is wider than a remaining portion of the gate line.

6. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein gate and source electrodes of the thin film transistor do not protrude from the gate and data lines, respectively.

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

forming a gate line on a substrate;

depositing a gate insulating layer on an entire surface of the substrate having the gate line formed thereon;

forming an island-like semiconductor layer on the gate insulating layer over the gate line; and

forming a data line on the gate insulating layer in a direction perpendicular to the gate line so as to be overlapped with one side off the semiconductor layer and forming a drain electrode over the gate line so as to be overlapped an the opposing side of the semiconductor layer.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

forming a passivation layer on an entire surface of the substrate and removing a contact portion of the passivation layer so as to have a contact hole exposing the drain electrode; and

forming a pixel electrode in a pixel area so as to be connected to the drain electrode through the contact hole.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising preventing a gate electrode of a thin film transistor protruding from the gate line and forming a portion of the gate line where the thin film transistor wider than a remaining portion of the gate line.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising forming the semiconductor layer over the gate line where a thin film transistor will be formed as well as on the gate insulating layer where the data line.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising preventing a source electrode of a thin film transistor protruding from the data line.