In-plane switching type liquid crystal display devices having improved aperture ratio and methods of fabrication therefor using nonuniform spacing between pixel and common electrodes

A panel for a liquid crystal display device, the panel comprising:

• a substrate;
• a data line on said substrate, extending along a first direction;
• and
• a pixel region on said substrate, disposed adjacent said data line;
• a plurality of spaced apart parallel elongate pixel electrodes disposed within said pixel region;
• and
• a plurality of spaced apart parallel elongate common electrodes disposed within said pixel region, parallel to said plurality of pixel electrodes, and positioned such that a respective pixel electrode is disposed adjacent and parallel to a respective common electrode,
• wherein said common and pixel electrodes define a plurality of gaps, a respective one of said gaps separating a respective pair of parallel adjacent common and pixel electrodes, wherein the plurality of gaps are nonuniform in size and include a first group of gaps of a first size and a second group of gaps of a second size different than said first size, and wherein said first group of gaps comprises all of said plurality of gaps except a gap between a first common electrode nearest said data line and a pixel electrode nearest said first common electrode and a gap between a second common electrode furthest from said data line and a pixel electrode nearest said second common electrode.

A method of fabricating a panel for a liquid crystal display device, the method comprising the steps of:

• forming a data line on a substrate, extending along a first direction;
• and
• forming a pixel on the substrate adjacent the data line, the pixel including a plurality of spaced apart parallel elongate common electrodes extending parallel to the data line and a plurality of spaced apart parallel elongate pixel electrodes extending parallel to the data line and to said plurality of pixel electrodes, and positioned such that a respective one of the pixel electrodes is disposed adjacent a respective one of the common electrodes,
• wherein the common and pixel electrodes define a plurality of gaps, a respective one of the gaps separating a respective pair of common and pixel electrodes, wherein the gaps of the plurality of gaps are nonuniform in size and include a first group of gaps of a first size and a second group of gaps of a second size different from said first size, and wherein the first group of gaps comprises all of the plurality of gaps except a gap between one common electrode nearest the data line and a pixel electrode nearest the one common electrode.

A method of fabricating a panel for a liquid crystal display device, the method comprising the steps of:

• forming a data line on a substrate, extending along a first direction;
• and
• forming a pixel on the substrate adjacent the data line, the pixel including a plurality of spaced apart parallel elongate common electrodes extending parallel to the data line and a plurality of spaced apart parallel elongate pixel electrodes extending parallel to the data line and to said plurality of pixel electrodes, and positioned such that a respective one of the pixel electrodes is disposed adjacent a respective one of the common electrodes,
• wherein the common and pixel electrodes define a plurality of gaps, a respective one of the gaps separating a respective pair of common and pixel electrodes, wherein the gaps of the plurality of gaps are nonuniform in size and include a first group of gaps of a first size and a second group of gaps of a second size, and wherein the first group of gaps comprises all of the plurality of gaps except a gap between a first common electrode nearest the data line and a pixel electrode nearest the first common electrode and a gap between a second common electrode furthest from the data line and a pixel electrode nearest the second common electrode.