In-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same

An in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device comprising:

• (a) a first substrate;
• (b) a second substrate located opposing said first substrate;
• and
• (c) a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between said first and second substrates,
• wherein said first substrate includes:
• (a1) a thin film transistor having a gate electrode, a drain electrode and a source electrode;
• (a2) a pixel electrode each associated to a pixel to be driven;
• (a3) a common electrode to which a reference voltage is applied;
• (a4) data lines;
• (a5) a scanning line;
• and
• (a6) common electrode lines,
• said gate electrode is electrically connected to said scanning line, said drain electrode is electrically connected to said data lines, said source electrode is electrically connected to said pixel electrode, and said common electrode is electrically connected to said common electrode lines,
• said pixel electrode is in a zigzag form and almost equally spaced away from adjacent ones,
• said common electrode is in a zigzag form and almost equally spaced away from adjacent ones,
• two-directional electric fields almost parallel with a surface of said first substrate are applied across said pixel electrode and said common electrode,
• said in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device includes a first sub pixel area to which an electric field having a first direction is applied and in which molecular axes of liquid crystal in said liquid crystal layer are rotated in a first rotational direction in a plane parallel with a surface of said first substrate, and a second sub pixel area to which an electric field having a second direction is applied and in which said molecular axes are rotated in a second rotational direction which is different from said first rotational direction, in a plane parallel with a surface of said first substrate,
• said common electrode is composed of transparent material, and is formed on a layer located closer to said liquid crystal layer than said data lines,
• said common electrode entirely overlaps said data lines with an insulating layer being sandwiched therebetween except an area where said data lines are located in the vicinity of said scanning line,
• said in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device further includes a light-impermeable layer in an area where said common electrode entirely overlaps the data lines,
• said light-impermeable layer is formed on said second substrate or on said first substrate such that said light-impermeable layer and said liquid crystal layer are located at the same side with respect to said data lines and that said light-impermeable layer faces said data lines,
• said light-impermeable layer is comprised of a black matrix layer or multi-layered color layers,
• said black matrix layer or said multi-layered color layers has a width smaller than a width of said common electrode overlapping said data lines,
• said data lines extend in a zigzag along said pixel electrode.

An in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device comprising:

• (a) a first substrate;
• (b) a second substrate located opposing said first substrate;
• and
• (c) a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between said first and second substrates,
• wherein said first substrate includes:
• (a1) a thin film transistor having a gate electrode, a drain electrode and a source electrode;
• (a2) a pixel electrode each associated to a pixel to be driven;
• (a3) a common electrode to which a reference voltage is applied;
• (a4) data lines;
• (a5) a scanning line;
• and
• (a6) common electrode lines,
• said gate electrode is electrically connected to said scanning line, said drain electrode is electrically connected to said data lines, said source electrode is electrically connected to said pixel electrode, and said common electrode is electrically connected to said common electrode lines,
• said pixel electrode is in a zigzag form and almost equally spaced away from adjacent ones;
• said common electrode is in a zigzag form and almost equally spaced away from adjacent ones,
• two-directional electric fields almost parallel with a surface of said first substrate are applied across said pixel electrode and said common electrode,
• said in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device includes a first sub pixel area to which an electric field having a first direction is applied and in which molecular axes of liquid crystal in said liquid crystal layer are rotated in a first rotational direction in a plane parallel with a surface of said first substrate, and a second sub pixel area to which an electric field having a second direction is applied and in which said molecular axes are rotated in a second rotational direction which is different from said first rotational direction, in a plane parallel with a surface of said first substrate,
• an opening of said first substrate extends in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which said data lines extend,
• said common electrode is composed of transparent material, and is formed on a layer located closer to said liquid crystal layer than said data lines,
• said common electrode entirely overlaps said data lines with an insulating layer being sandwiched therebetween except an area where said data lines are located in the vicinity of said scanning line,
• said common electrode is electrically connected to said common electrode lines through a contact hole in each of pixels,
• said in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device further includes a light-impermeable layer in an area where said common electrode entirely overlaps the data lines,
• said light-impermeable layer is formed on said second substrate or on said first substrate such that said light-impermeable layer and said liquid crystal layer are located at the same side with respect to said data lines and that said light-impermeable layer faces said data lines,
• said light-impermeable layer is comprised of a black matrix layer or multi-layered color layers,
• said black matrix layer or said multi-layered color layers has a width smaller than a width of said common electrode overlapping said data lines,
• said data lines extend in a line,
• a gate line which constitutes said gate electrode extends in a zigzag.

An in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device comprising:

• (a) a first substrate;
• (b) a second substrate located opposing said first substrate;
• and
• (c) a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between said first and second substrates,
• wherein said first substrate includes:
• (a1) a thin film transistor having a gate electrode, a drain electrode and a source electrode;
• (a2) a pixel electrode each associated to a pixel to be driven;
• (a3) a common electrode to which a reference voltage is applied;
• (a4) data lines;
• (a5) a scanning line;
• and
• (a6) common electrode lines,
• said gate electrode is electrically connected to said scanning line, said drain electrode is electrically connected to said data lines, said source electrode is electrically connected to said pixel electrode, and said common electrode is electrically connected to said common electrode lines,
• said pixel electrode is in a zigzag form and almost equally spaced away from adjacent ones,
• said common electrode is in a zigzag form and almost equally spaced away from adjacent ones,
• two-directional electric fields almost parallel with a surface of said first substrate is applied across said pixel electrode and said common electrode,
• said in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device includes a first sub pixel area to which an electric field having a first direction is applied and in which molecular axes of liquid crystal in said liquid crystal layer are rotated in a first rotational direction in a plane parallel with a surface of said first substrate, and a second sub pixel area to which an electric field having a second direction is applied and in which said molecular axes are rotated in a second rotational direction which is different from said first rotational direction, in a plane parallel with a surface of said first substrate,
• an isolated floating electrode formed of a layer of which said gate electrode or said drain electrode is formed overlaps said common electrode or said pixel electrode at bending portions of said zigzag-shaped common or pixel electrode with an insulating film being sandwiched therebetween,
• at least one of said common and pixel electrodes have a projection projecting from bending portions of said zigzag-shaped common and pixel electrodes in a direction in which said bending portions project, along a boundary between said first and second sub pixel areas.

An electronic device including an in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device comprised of:

• (a) a first substrate;
• (b) a second substrate located opposing said first substrate;
• and
• (c) a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between said first and second substrates,
• wherein said first substrate includes:
• (a1) a thin film transistor having a gate electrode, a drain electrode and a source electrode;
• (a2) a pixel electrode each associated to a pixel to be driven;
• (a3) a common electrode to which a reference voltage is applied;
• (a4) data lines;
• (a5) a scanning line;
• and
• (a6) common electrode lines,
• said gate electrode is electrically connected to said scanning line, said drain electrode is electrically connected to said data lines, said source electrode is electrically connected to said pixel electrode, and said common electrode is electrically connected to said common electrode lines,
• molecular axes of liquid crystal in said liquid crystal layer are rotated in a plane parallel with said first substrate by an electric field substantially parallel with a plane of said first substrate and to be applied between said pixel electrode and said common electrode, to thereby display certain images,
• said common electrode is composed of transparent material, and are formed on a layer located closer to said liquid crystal layer than said data lines,
• said common electrode entirely overlaps said data lines with an insulating layer being sandwiched therebetween except an area where said data lines are located in the vicinity of said scanning line,
• said in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device further includes a light-impermeable layer in an area where said common electrode entirely overlaps the data lines,
• said light-impermeable layer is formed on said second substrate or on said first substrate such that said light-impermeable layer and said liquid crystal layer are located at the same side with respect to said data lines and that said light-impermeable layer faces said data lines,
• said light-impermeable layer is comprised of a black matrix layer or multi-layered color layers,
• said black matrix layer or said multi-layered color layers has a width smaller than a width of said common electrode overlapping said data lines.

An electronic device including an in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device comprised of:

• (a) a first substrate;
• (b) a second substrate located opposing said first substrate;
• and
• (c) a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between said first and second substrates,
• wherein said first substrate includes:
• (a1) a thin film transistor having a gate electrode, a drain electrode and a source electrode;
• (a2) a pixel electrode each associated to a pixel to be driven;
• (a3) a common electrode to which a reference voltage is applied;
• (a4) data lines;
• (a5) a scanning line;
• and
• (a6) common electrode lines,
• said gate electrode is electrically connected to said scanning line, said drain electrode is electrically connected to said data lines, said source electrode is electrically connected to said pixel electrode, and said common electrode is electrically connected to said common electrode lines,
• said pixel electrode is in a zigzag form and almost equally spaced away from adjacent ones,
• said common electrode is in a zigzag form and almost equally spaced away from adjacent ones,
• two-directional electric fields almost parallel with a surface of said first substrate are applied across said pixel electrode and said common electrode,
• said in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device includes a first sub pixel area to which an electric field having a first direction is applied and in which molecular axes of liquid crystal in said liquid crystal layer are rotated in a first rotational direction in a plane parallel with a surface of said first substrate, and a second sub pixel area to which an electric field having a second direction is applied and in which said molecular axes are rotated in a second rotational direction which is different from said first rotational direction, in a plane parallel with a surface of said first substrate,
• said common electrode is composed of transparent material, and is formed on a layer located closer to said liquid crystal layer than said data lines,
• said common electrode entirely overlaps said data lines with an insulating layer being sandwiched therebetween except an area where said data lines are located in the vicinity of said scanning line,
• said in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device further includes a light-impermeable layer in an area where said common electrode entirely overlaps the data lines,
• said light-impermeable layer is formed on said second substrate or on said first substrate such that said light-impermeable layer and said liquid crystal layer are located at the same side with respect to said data lines and that said light-impermeable layer faces said data lines,
• said light-impermeable layer is comprised of a black matrix layer or multi-layered color layers,
• said black matrix layer or said multi-layered color layers has a width smaller than a width of said common electrode overlapping said data lines,
• said data lines extend in a zigzag along said pixel electrode.

An electronic device including an in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device comprised of:

• (a) a first substrate;
• (b) a second substrate located opposing said first substrate;
• and
• (c) a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between said first and second substrates,
• wherein said first substrate includes:
• (a1) a thin film transistor having a gate electrode, a drain electrode and a source electrode;
• (a2) a pixel electrode each associated to a pixel to be driven;
• (a3) a common electrode to which a reference voltage is applied;
• (a4) data lines;
• (a5) a scanning line;
• and
• (a6) common electrode lines,
• said gate electrode is electrically connected to said scanning line, said drain electrode is electrically connected to said data lines, said source electrode is electrically connected to said pixel electrode, and said common electrode is electrically connected to said common electrode lines,
• said pixel electrode is in a zigzag form and almost equally spaced away from adjacent ones;
• said common electrode is in a zigzag form and almost equally spaced away from adjacent ones,
• two-directional electric fields almost parallel with a surface of said first substrate are applied across said pixel electrode and said common electrode,
• said in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device includes a first sub pixel area to which an electric field having a first direction is applied and in which molecular axes of liquid crystal in said liquid crystal layer are rotated in a first rotational direction in a plane parallel with a surface of said first substrate, and a second sub pixel area to which an electric field having a second direction is applied and in which said molecular axes are rotated in a second rotational direction which is different from said first rotational direction, in a plane parallel with a surface of said first substrate,
• an opening of said first substrate extends in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which said data lines extend,
• said common electrode is composed of transparent material, and is formed on a layer located closer to said liquid crystal layer than said data lines,
• said common electrode entirely overlaps said data lines with an insulating layer being sandwiched therebetween except an area where said data lines are located in the vicinity of said scanning line,
• said common electrode is electrically connected to said common electrode lines through a contact hole in each of pixels,
• said in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device further includes a light-impermeable layer in an area where said common electrode entirely overlaps the data lines,
• said light-impermeable layer is formed on said second substrate or on said first substrate such that said light-impermeable layer and said liquid crystal layer are located at the same side with respect to said data lines and that said light-impermeable layer faces said data lines,
• said light-impermeable layer is comprised of a black matrix layer or multi-layered color layers,
• said black matrix layer or said multi-layered color layers has a width smaller than a width of said common electrode overlapping said data lines,
• said data lines extends in a line,
• a gate line constitutes said gate electrode extending in a zigzag.

An electronic device including an in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device comprised of:

• (a) a first substrate;
• (b) a second substrate located opposing said first substrate;
• and
• (c) a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between said first and second substrates,
• wherein said first substrate includes:
• (a1) a thin film transistor having a gate electrode, a drain electrode and a source electrode;
• (a2) a pixel electrode each associated to a pixel to be driven;
• (a3) a common electrode to which a reference voltage is applied;
• (a4) data lines;
• (a5) a scanning line;
• and
• (a6) common electrode lines,
• said gate electrode is electrically connected to said scanning line, said drain electrode is electrically connected to said data lines, said source electrode is electrically connected to said pixel electrode, and said common electrode is electrically connected to said common electrode lines,
• said pixel electrode is in a zigzag form and almost equally spaced away from adjacent ones,
• said common electrode is in a zigzag form and almost equally spaced away from adjacent ones,
• two-directional electric fields almost parallel with a surface of said first substrate is applied across said pixel electrode and said common electrode,
• said in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device includes a first sub pixel area to which an electric field having a first direction is applied and in which molecular axes of liquid crystal in said liquid crystal layer are rotated in a first rotational direction in a plane parallel with a surface of said first substrate, and a second sub pixel area to which an electric field having a second direction is applied and in which said molecular axes are rotated in a second rotational direction which is different from said first rotational direction, in a plane parallel with a surface of said first substrate,
• said gate electrode or an isolated floating electrode formed of a layer of which said drain electrode is formed overlaps said common electrode or said pixel electrode at bending portions of said zigzag-shaped common or pixel electrode with an insulating film being sandwiched therebetween,
• at least one of said common and pixel electrodes have a projection projecting from bending portions of said zigzag-shaped common and pixel electrodes in a direction in which said bending portions project, along a boundary between said first and second sub pixel areas.

A method of fabricating an in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device comprising:

• (a) a first substrate;
• (b) a second substrate located opposing said first substrate;
• and
• (c) a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between said first and second substrates,
• wherein said first substrate includes:
• (a1) a thin film transistor having a gate electrode, a drain electrode and a source electrode;
• (a2) a pixel electrode each associated to a pixel to be driven;
• (a3) a common electrode to which a reference voltage is applied;
• (a4) data lines;
• (a5) a scanning line;
• (a6) common electrode lines;
• (a7) a data line terminal;
• (a8) a scanning line terminal;
• and
• (a9) a common electrode line terminal,
• said gate electrode is electrically connected to said scanning line, said drain electrode is electrically connected to said data lines, said source electrode is electrically connected to said pixel electrode, and said common electrode is electrically connected to said common electrode lines, and
• molecular axes of liquid crystal in said liquid crystal layer are rotated in a plane parallel with said first substrate by an electric field substantially parallel with a plane of said first substrate and to be applied between said pixel electrode and said common electrode, to thereby display certain images,
• said method comprising the steps of:
• (a) forming said thin film transistor, said data lines, said scanning line and said common electrode line, and thereafter, forming an interlayer insulating film thereover;
• (b) etching said interlayer insulating film to form contact holes reaching said data lines, said scanning line and said common electrode line;
• (c) deposit transparent metal all over a product resulted from said step (b) to cover inner surfaces of said contact holes with said transparent metal, thereby forming said data line terminal, said scanning line terminal and said common electrode line terminal;
• and
• (d) etching said transparent metal to form said common electrode such that said common electrode overlaps said data lines.

A method of fabricating an in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device comprising:

• (a) a first substrate;
• (b) a second substrate located opposing said first substrate;
• and
• (c) a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between said first and second substrates,
• wherein said first substrate includes:
• (a1) a thin film transistor having a gate electrode, a drain electrode and a source electrode;
• (a2) a pixel electrode each associated to a pixel to be driven;
• (a3) a common electrode to which a reference voltage is applied;
• (a4) data lines;
• (a5) a scanning line;
• and
• (a6) common electrode lines,
• said gate electrode is electrically connected to said scanning line, said drain electrode is electrically connected to said data lines, said source electrode is electrically connected to said pixel electrode, and said common electrode is electrically connected to said common electrode lines,
• said pixel electrode is in a zigzag form and almost equally spaced away from adjacent ones,
• said common electrode is in a zigzag form and almost equally spaced away from adjacent ones,
• two-directional electric fields almost parallel with a surface of said first substrate are applied across said pixel electrode and said common electrode,
• said in-plane switching mode active matrix type liquid crystal display device includes a first sub pixel area to which an electric field having a first direction is applied and in which molecular axes of liquid crystal in said liquid crystal layer are rotated in a first rotational direction in a plane parallel with a surface of said first substrate, and a second sub pixel area to which an electric field having a second direction is applied and in which said molecular axes are rotated in a second rotational direction which is different from said first rotational direction, in a plane parallel with a surface of said first substrate,
• said method comprising the steps of:
• (a) forming said thin film transistor, said data lines, said scanning line and said common electrode line, and thereafter, forming an interlayer insulating film thereover;
• (b) etching said interlayer insulating film to form contact holes reaching said data lines, said scanning line and said common electrode line;
• (c) deposit transparent metal all over a product resulted from said step (b) to cover inner surfaces of said contact holes with said transparent metal, thereby forming said data line terminal, said scanning line terminal and said common electrode line terminal;
• and
• (d) etching said transparent metal to form said common electrode such that said common electrode overlaps said data lines.