DISPLAY DEVICE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20100201931A1
• Filed: 12/10/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Li, Yi, Jang, Yong-Kyu, Lee, Jae-Young, Lee, Seong-Jun
• Granted Patent: US 8,902,388 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/139
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133707 Structures for producing distorted electric fields, e.g. bumps, protrusions, recesses, slits in pixel electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133746 for high pretilt angles, i.e. higher than 15 degrees
• 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 1/13775 Polymer-stabilized liquid crystal layers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1393 the birefringence of the liquid crystal being electrically controlled, e.g. ECB-, DAP-, HAN-, PI-LC cells G02F1/1396, G02F1/141 take precedence

Abstract

A display device may include a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. The first substrate may include a domain-forming layer including a depression pattern for forming a liquid crystal domain in a pixel area and a pixel electrode formed on the domain-forming layer. The second substrate may face the first substrate. The second substrate may include a common electrode formed on the entire surface thereof. The liquid crystal layer may be disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The liquid crystal layer may include a reactive mesogen (RM) which fixes liquid crystal molecules formed in the liquid crystal domain. Since a liquid crystal domain may be formed without a separate pattern on a common electrode, a display device having an enhanced aperture ratio and an enhanced viewing angle may be manufactured.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising:

a first substrate comprising a pixel electrode and a domain-forming layer comprising a depression pattern, the depression pattern providing a liquid crystal domain in a pixel area;

a second substrate facing the first substrate, the second substrate comprising a common electrode; and

a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the liquid crystal layer comprising a reactive mesogen (RM) to fix liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal domain.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a switching element comprising a contact electrode electrically connected to the pixel electrode, and

wherein the depression pattern exposes the contact electrode.

3. The display device of claim 2, wherein the first substrate further comprises a storage line overlapping with the contact electrode.

4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the first substrate further comprises a bottom electrode formed under the domain-forming layer of the pixel area, the bottom electrode directly contacting the storage line.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein the bottom electrode comprises a transmissive electrode layer.

6. The display device of claim 1, wherein the domain-forming layer comprises at least one color filter.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein the domain-forming layer is formed on the at least one color filter to have a pattern layer comprising the depression pattern.

8. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a switching element comprising a contact electrode electrically connected to the pixel electrode, and

wherein the domain-forming layer further comprises a contact hole exposing the contact electrode, the contact electrode contacting the pixel electrode.

9. The display device of claim 1, wherein the second substrate further comprises a protrusion formed in an area corresponding to the depression pattern

10. The display device of claim 1, wherein at least two depression patterns are formed in the pixel area of the first substrate.

11. The display device of claim 10, wherein the first substrate further comprises a reflective electrode formed at a portion of the pixel area.

12. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first substrate further comprises:

a bottom electrode formed under the domain-forming layer of the pixel area; and

a storage line directly contacting an end portion of the bottom electrode

13. The display device of claim 12, wherein the pixel electrode comprises an opening pattern corresponding to the depression pattern.

14. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first substrate further comprises a light-blocking pattern formed in an area corresponding to the depression pattern, the light blocking pattern being formed of the same metal layer that is also used to form a switching element electrically connected to the pixel electrode.

15. A display device, comprising:

a first substrate comprising a pixel electrode having an opening pattern to form a liquid crystal domain in a pixel area;

a second substrate facing the first substrate, the second substrate comprising a common electrode; and

a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the liquid crystal layer comprising a reactive mesogen to fix liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal domain.

16. The display device of claim 15, wherein the first substrate further comprises:

a bottom electrode formed in the pixel area; and

a storage line directly contacting an end portion of the bottom electrode.

17. A method of manufacturing a display device, the method comprising:

forming, on a first substrate, a domain-forming layer comprising a depression pattern, the depression pattern providing a liquid crystal domain in a pixel area;

forming a pixel electrode on the domain-forming layer;

forming a common electrode on an entire surface of a second substrate;

disposing a liquid crystal composition material comprising liquid crystal molecules and reactive mesogen monomers between the first substrate and the second substrate; and

forming a liquid crystal layer by applying a light to the liquid crystal molecules and the reactive mesogen monomers disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein a first voltage is applied to the common electrode and a second voltage is applied to the pixel electrode while applying the light.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein forming the liquid crystal layer comprises:

irradiating light to the first substrate and the second substrate, and

wherein a magnitude of the second voltage is lower than a magnitude of the first voltage.