Liquid crystal display device and fabricating method thereof with a simplified mask process

A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device, comprising:

• a first mask process of forming a first conductive pattern group including a pre-stage gate line, a gate line and a gate electrode, a common line and a common electrode, a pixel electrode, a gate pad, a data pad and a common pad, each including a transparent conductive layer on a substrate and an opaque conductive layer thereon;
• a second mask process of forming an insulating film and a semiconductor layer including a plurality of contact holes on the first conductive pattern group;
• a third mask process of forming a second pattern group including a data line, a source electrode and a drain electrode, a pixel connecting line and an upper storage electrode, and patterning an ohmic contact layer of the semiconductor layer to expose an active layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode, wherein the pixel connecting line is separate and physically disconnected from the upper storage electrode,
• wherein the forming the first conductive pattern group includes the step of etching an edge portion of the opaque conductive layer such that the etched opaque conductive layer has a smaller width than that of the transparent conductive layer in the pixel electrode and the common electrode;
• and
• forming a first capacitor provided by an overlapping of the pixel connecting line with a portion of the common line with the insulating film therebetween,
• wherein the pixel electrode is connected to the pixel connecting line and the upper storage electrode via first and second contact holes, respectively.