Array substrate for liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same

A method of fabricating an array substrate for a liquid crystal display device, comprising:

• forming a gate line, a gate electrode connected to the gate line, a gate pad at one end of the gate line on a substrate through a first mask process;
• forming a gate insulating layer on the gate line, the gate electrode, and the gate pad;
• forming a semiconductor layer on the gate insulating layer through a second mask process, the boundary of the semiconductor layer is within the gate electrode;
• and
• forming a data line crossing the gate line, a source electrode connected to the data line, a drain electrode spaced apart from the source electrode, a pixel electrode extending from the drain electrode, a gate pad terminal contacting the gate pad and a data pad terminal connected to the data line and forming a passivation pattern on the data line, the source electrode and the drain electrode through a third mask process,
• wherein the third mask process comprises:
• sequentially forming first and second conductive material layers on the semiconductor layer;
• forming a first photoresist pattern on the second conductive material layer, the first photoresist pattern having a first portion and a second portion having a thickness greater than the thickness of the first portion, the second conductive material layer corresponding to the gate electrode exposed through the first photoresist pattern;
• patterning the second conductive material layer and the first conductive material layer using the first photoresist pattern as an etch mask to form the data line, the source electrode, the drain electrode and a pixel electrode pattern;
• partially removing the first photoresist pattern to form a second photoresist pattern corresponding to the pixel electrode pattern;
• forming a passivation layer on the second photoresist pattern, the data line, the source electrode and the drain electrode;
• removing the second photoresist pattern and the passivation layer on the second photoresist pattern to form the passivation pattern;
• and
• removing the second conductive material layer of the pixel electrode pattern to form the pixel electrode.

A method of fabricating an array substrate for a liquid crystal display device, comprising:

• forming a gate line, a gate electrode connected to the gate line, a gate pad at one end of the gate line on a substrate through a first mask process;
• forming a gate insulating layer on the gate line, the gate electrode, and the gate pad;
• forming a semiconductor layer on the gate insulating layer through a second mask process, the boundary of the semiconductor layer is within the gate electrode;
• and
• forming a data line crossing the gate line, a source electrode connected to the data line, a drain electrode spaced apart from the source electrode, a pixel electrode extending from the drain electrode, a gate pad terminal contacting the gate pad and a data pad terminal connected to the data line and forming a passivation pattern on the data line, the source electrode and the drain electrode through a third mask process,
• forming a common line on the substrate through the first mask process;
• and
• forming a common electrode connected to the common line through the third mask process, the common electrode alternating with the pixel electrode in the pixel region.