Loading patent…
AssigneeLG.Philips LCD Co., Ltd.
InventorsKu-Hyun Park, Sang-Ho Choi
Estimating the term…
A liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates facing each other and spaced apart by a uniform cell gap, an array element having a switching element on the first substrate and a first transparent electrode connected to the switching element, a first patterned spacer disposed on the array element having a first height less than the uniform cell gap, a second transparent electrode under the second substrate, a second patterned spacer disposed beneath the second transparent electrode, the second patterned spacer having a second height less than the uniform cell gap and connected to the first patterned spacer, a first alignment layer covering the first patterned spacer, a second alignment layer covering the second patterned spacer, and a liquid crystal material layer interposed between the first and second alignment layers, wherein the first and second spacers are connected to each other and a summation of the first and second heights of the first and second patterned spacers is equivalent to the uniform cell gap.
Search is unavailable right now. Please try again in a moment.
A liquid crystal display device, comprising:
A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device, comprising steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Backward citations are indexed for grants only.
Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells: spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars
By treatment of the surface, e.g. embossing, rubbing or light irradiation: by rubbing
Active matrix addressed cells: light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix, incorporated in the active matrix substrate, e.g. structurally…
The birefringence of the liquid crystal being electrically controlled, e.g. ECB-, DAP-, HAN-, PI-LC cells: optically compensated birefringence…
Term end not estimated
The present invention claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2002-20721, filed in Korea on Apr. 16, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and method of fabricating the same, and more particularly, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having a patterned spacer for keeping a cell gap and a method for fabricating the same.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device according to the related art;
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having a patterned spacer according to the related art;
Reference will now be made in detail to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of an exemplary liquid crystal display (LCD) device having a patterned spacer according to the present invention. In FIG. 4, first and second substrates 110 and 130 may be spaced apart from each other, wherein a first transparent electrode 112 may be formed on a transparent substrate 100 of the first substrate 110, and a second transparent electrode 132 may be formed beneath a transparent substrate 100 of the second substrate 130. First and second patterned spacers 114 and 134 may be formed between the first and second transparent electrode 112 and 132, and a top surface of the first patterned spacer 114 may contact a top surface of the second patterned spacer 134. Accordingly, the first and second patterned spacers 114 and 134 form a uniform cell gap that may be equivalent to a summation of individual heights of the first and second patterned spacers 114 and 134. A liquid crystal material layer 150 may be formed within a region of the uniform cell gap between the first and second substrate 110 and 130. If rubbing directions of the first and second substrates 110 and 130 are the same or similar, first and second inferior rubbing areas “IVa” and “IVb” corresponding to the first and second patterned spacers 114 and 134 may be formed. Accordingly, the individual heights of both the first and second patterned spacers 114 and 134 may be reduced, thereby reducing an area of the first and second inferior rubbing areas “IVa” and “Ivb,” and increasing aperture and contrast ratios. Although not shown, the first transparent electrode 112 may be connected to a thin film transistor, and color filter and black matrix layers may be formed between the transparent substrate 100 of the second substrate 130 and the second transparent electrode 132. In addition, the first and second patterned spacers 114 and 134 may be formed by a photolithographic process using a photoresist material.
FIG. 5A is a plan view of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having patterned spacers according to the present invention, and illustrates formation of inferior rubbing areas when first and second substrates are rubbed along a same direction. In FIG. 5A, an inferior rubbing area “Va” that is formed around a base of a patterned spacer 156 may be reduced when first and second substrates 152 and 154 are rubbed along a same or similar directions. However, the inferior rubbing area “Va” may increase to another inferior rubbing area “Vb” as a height of the patterned spacer 156 increases. In addition, since the spacer is formed on both the first and second substrates 152 and 154, heights of individual patterned spacers on each of the first and second substrates 152 and 154 may be about one-half a total distance between the first and second substrates 152 and 154. Accordingly, since the inferior rubbing area “Va” is dependent upon the total height of the individual patterned spacers, the inferior rubbing area “Va” may decrease by reducing the height of one of the patterned spacers of one of the first and second substrates 152 and 154.