KR20070078178A - Liquid crystal display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

An LCD(Liquid Crystal Display) panel is provided to intercept the movement of a spacer due to the external impact, thereby preventing the light leakage from generating. A stopper(174) is formed on a substrate. A spacer(170) is formed on the second substrate opposite to the first substrate and maintains a liquid crystal cell gap between the first and second substrates. A penetration hole(172) penetrates a portion of any one between the stopper and the spacer so that any one of the stopper and the spacer is inserted into the remaining one. The penetration hole also penetrates a portion of the spacer at an area overlapped with the stopper. A gate line(102) is formed on the first substrate. A data line is formed on the first substrate and crossed with the gate line. A TFT(Thin Film Transistor) is connected with the gate and data lines. A passivation layer protects the TFT. A pixel electrode(122) is formed on the passivation layer and connected with the TFT.

Description

Liquid crystal display panel {LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY PANEL}

1 is a plan view illustrating a thin film transistor substrate and a color filter substrate of a liquid crystal display panel according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a liquid crystal display panel including a thin film transistor substrate and a color filter substrate cut along line II ′ in FIG. 1.

3 is a plan view illustrating each of a thin film transistor substrate and a color filter substrate of a liquid crystal display panel according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a liquid crystal display panel including a thin film transistor substrate and a color filter substrate cut along the line II-II ′ in FIG. 3.

5A and 5B are cross-sectional views illustrating another example of the stopper and the through hole illustrated in FIG. 4.

6 is a plan view illustrating each of a thin film transistor substrate and a color filter substrate of a liquid crystal display panel according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a liquid crystal display panel including a thin film transistor substrate and a color filter substrate cut along line III-III ′ of FIG. 6.

8A through 8E are cross-sectional views illustrating a method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display panel illustrated in FIG. 2.

 <Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

101,111: substrate 102: gate line

104: data line 106: gate electrode

108: source electrode 110: drain electrode

112 gate insulating film 114 active layer

116: ohmic contact layer 118: protective film

122: pixel electrode 130, thin film transistor

150: color filter substrate 152: black matrix

154: color filter 156: overcoat layer

158: common electrode 160: thin film transistor substrate

170: spacer 172,182: through hole

174: stopper

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display panel, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display panel capable of fixing column spacers.

The liquid crystal display device displays an image by adjusting the light transmittance of the liquid crystal using an electric field. The liquid crystal display includes a thin film transistor substrate and a color filter substrate which are bonded to each other with the liquid crystal interposed therebetween.

The thin film transistor substrate includes a gate line and a data line formed to cross each other, a thin film transistor formed at an intersection thereof, a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor, and a lower alignment layer coated thereon for liquid crystal alignment.

The color filter substrate includes a black matrix for preventing light leakage, a color filter for color implementation, a common electrode forming a vertical electric field with the pixel electrode, and an upper alignment layer coated thereon for liquid crystal alignment.

A column spacer is formed between the color filter substrate and the thin film transistor substrate to maintain a cell gap.

When an external shock or pressure is applied to the liquid crystal display panel, the column spacer cannot be undone after the position is changed by the impact or pressure. As a result, misalignment is generated between the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter substrate, thereby causing light leakage. In addition, since the cell gap is changed for each position by the column spacer whose position is changed, the liquid crystal moves to a region where the cell gap is large. Accordingly, the filling amount of the liquid crystal is not uniform in the entire area of the liquid crystal display panel, there is a problem that a defect in the form of a bubble occurs.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display panel which can fix a column spacer.

In order to achieve the above technical problem, the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention comprises a stopper formed on the first substrate; A spacer formed on a second substrate facing the first substrate to maintain a liquid crystal cell gap between the first and second substrates; And a through hole penetrating a part of any one of the stopper and the spacer so that the other one is inserted into any one of the stopper and the spacer.

The through hole may pass through a part of the spacer in an area overlapping the stopper.

The liquid crystal display panel may further include a gate line formed on the first substrate; A data line formed on the first substrate to intersect the gate line; A thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line; A protective film protecting the thin film transistor; And a pixel electrode formed on the passivation layer and connected to the thin film transistor.

The stopper may overlap the gate line and be formed of the same metal on the same plane as the data line.

In this case, the through hole is characterized in that penetrates through the stopper in the region overlapping the spacer.

The liquid crystal display panel may further include a second through hole penetrating the passivation layer formed to cover the stopper.

On the other hand, the stopper is characterized in that overlapping the data line and formed of the same metal on the same plane as the gate line.

Other technical problems and advantages of the present invention in addition to the above technical problem will be apparent from the description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8E.

FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a liquid crystal display panel including a thin film transistor substrate and a color filter substrate according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a view illustrating the liquid crystal display panel illustrated in FIG. 1 taken along the line II ′. It is sectional drawing shown.

1 and 2 include a thin film transistor substrate 160 and a color filter substrate 150 that face each other with liquid crystal interposed therebetween.

The color filter substrate 150 includes a black matrix 152 formed on the upper substrate 111, a color filter 154 for implementing color, a common electrode 158 forming a vertical electric field with the pixel electrode 122, and And a spacer 170 for maintaining the cell gap.

The black matrix 152 is formed on the upper substrate 111 to distinguish the pixel region in which the color filter 154 is to be formed. The black matrix 152 is formed to overlap the gate line 102, the data line 104, and the thin film transistor 130. The black matrix 152 prevents light leakage between the color filters 154, external light reflection, and light leakage current due to exposure of the channel portion of the thin film transistor 130 to external light.

The color filter 154 is formed in the pixel area provided by the black matrix 152. The color filter 154 is formed for each of R, G, and B to implement R, G, and B colors.

The overcoat layer 156 is formed of a transparent organic insulator such as an acrylic resin on the color filter 154 and the black matrix 152. The overcoat layer 156 compensates for the step difference between the color filter 154 and the black matrix 152 to provide a flat surface.

The common electrode 158 is formed on the upper substrate 111 to control the movement of the liquid crystal using the supplied common voltage.

The spacer 170 is formed to overlap at least one of the gate line 102, the data line 104, and the thin film transistor 130 to maintain a cell gap between the thin film transistor substrate 160 and the color filter substrate 150. . The spacer 170 is formed to surround the through hole 172 passing through a portion of the spacer 170 to form a ring. The through hole 172 is formed to have a width greater than or equal to the stopper 174 formed on the thin film transistor substrate 160.

The thin film transistor substrate 160 includes a thin film transistor 130 connected to the gate line 102 and the data line 104, a pixel electrode 122 connected to the thin film transistor 130 and overlapping the color filter 140. And a stopper 174 formed in an area overlapping the gate line GL.

The thin film transistor 130 selectively supplies the data signal from the data line 104 to the pixel electrode 122 in response to the gate signal from the gate line 102. To this end, the thin film transistor 130 includes a gate electrode 106 connected to the gate line 102, a source electrode 108 connected to the data line 104, and a drain electrode 110 connected to the pixel electrode 122. And an active layer 114 forming a channel between the source electrode 108 and the drain electrode 110 while overlapping the gate electrode 106 and the gate insulating layer 112 therebetween, the active layer 114 and the source electrode 108. ) And an ohmic contact layer 116 for ohmic contact with the drain electrode 110.

The passivation layer 118 is formed on the gate insulating layer 112 to cover the thin film transistor 130 and the data line 104.

The pixel electrode 122 is independently formed to overlap the color filters R, G, and B in each pixel area, and is connected to the drain electrode 110 exposed through the contact hole 120. The pixel electrode 122 generates a potential difference from the common electrode 158 by the pixel data signal supplied through the thin film transistor 130. This potential difference causes the liquid crystal to rotate, and the light transmittance is determined by the degree of rotation of the liquid crystal.

The stopper 174 is formed on the gate line 102 on the same plane as the source and drain electrodes 108 and 110 on the same metal. The stopper 174 is inserted into the through hole 172 formed in the color filter substrate 150 to block the movement of the spacer 174. In addition, the active layer 114 and the ohmic contact layer 116 are formed under the stopper 174 in the same pattern as the stopper 174. The height difference H between the top surface of the stopper 174 and the top surface of the spacer 170 is increased by the active layer 114 and the ohmic contact layer 116 to increase the blocking rate of the movement of the spacer 170.

As described above, the liquid crystal display panel according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention may block the movement of the spacer due to an external impact by inserting a ring stopper into a through hole penetrating a portion of the spacer. Accordingly, the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention is prevented from light leakage and bubble phenomenon.

3 is a plan view illustrating a liquid crystal display panel according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal display panel illustrated in FIG. 3 taken along the line II-II ′.

3 and 4 have the same components except that the through-holes are formed to penetrate a part of the stopper as compared to the liquid crystal display panels shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The spacer 170 is formed to overlap at least one of the gate line 102, the data line 104, and the thin film transistor 130 to maintain a cell gap between the thin film transistor substrate 160 and the color filter substrate 150. . The spacer 170 is formed to have a width less than or equal to the through hole 182 to be inserted into the through hole 182 formed in the thin film transistor substrate 160.

The stopper 174 is formed on the gate line 102 on the same plane as the source and drain electrodes 108 and 110 on the same metal. The stopper 174 is formed to surround the through hole 182 penetrating a part of the stopper 174 to form a ring. The through hole 182 is formed to have a width greater than or equal to the spacers 170 formed on the color filter substrate 150. Meanwhile, the through hole 182 may be formed to penetrate the passivation layer 118 formed to cover the stopper 174 as shown in FIG. 5A or may pass through a portion of the stopper 174 as shown in FIG. 5B. The through hole 182a and the second through hole 182b overlapping the first through hole 182a and penetrating the passivation layer 118 may be formed. The spacer is inserted into the through hole 182 to block the movement of the spacer 174 by the stopper.

In addition, the active layer 114 and the ohmic contact layer 116 are formed under the stopper 174 in the same pattern as the stopper 174. The height difference H between the top surface of the stopper 174 and the top surface of the spacer 170 is increased by the active layer 114 and the ohmic contact layer 116 to increase the blocking rate of the movement of the spacer 170.

As described above, in the liquid crystal display panel according to the second exemplary embodiment, the spacer 170 is inserted into the through hole 182 penetrating a part of the stopper 174 to prevent the spacer 170 from moving due to external impact. You can block. Accordingly, the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention is prevented from light leakage and bubble phenomenon.

Meanwhile, in the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the spacer 170 and the stopper 184 may be formed to overlap the data line 104. That is, the stopper 184 is formed on the same plane as the gate line 102 by the same metal. The spacer 170 is formed in a ring shape to have a through hole 172 into which the stopper 184 is to be inserted. In addition, the stopper 184 may be formed in a ring shape to have a through hole 172 into which the spacer 170 is to be inserted, and thus the spacer 170 may be inserted into the through hole 172.

8A to 8E are cross-sectional views illustrating a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention. Here, the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention will be described taking the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display panel shown in FIG. 2 as an example.

Referring to FIG. 8A, a first conductive pattern group including a gate line 102 and a gate electrode 106 connected to the gate line 102 is formed on the lower substrate 101.

Specifically, the gate metal layer is formed on the lower substrate 101 through a deposition method such as a sputtering method. The gate metal layer is patterned by a photolithography process and an etching process to form a first conductive pattern group including the gate line 102 and the gate electrode 106.

Referring to FIG. 8B, a gate insulating layer 112 is formed on a lower substrate 101 on which a first conductive pattern group is formed, and includes a data line 104, a source electrode 108, and a drain electrode 110 thereon. The semiconductor pattern 115 including the second conductive pattern group and the stopper 174 and the active layer 114 and the ohmic contact layer 116 overlapping the back surface of the second conductive pattern group and the stopper 174 are formed. do. The semiconductor pattern 115, the second conductive pattern group, and the stopper 174 are formed by one mask process using a slit mask or a semi-transmissive mask.

In detail, the gate insulating layer 112, the amorphous silicon layer, the amorphous silicon layer doped with impurities (n + or p +), and the source / drain metal layer are sequentially formed on the lower substrate 101 on which the first conductive pattern group is formed.

After the photoresist is applied on the source / drain metal layer, the photoresist is exposed and developed by a photolithography process using a slit mask to form a photoresist pattern having a step difference.

Subsequently, the second conductive pattern group is formed by patterning the source / drain metal layer by an etching process using a photoresist pattern having a step difference. The semiconductor patterns 114 and 116 are formed by patterning an amorphous silicon layer and an amorphous silicon layer doped with impurities (n + or p +) by an etching process using a photoresist pattern. In this case, the source electrode 108 and the drain electrode 110 of the second conductive pattern group have a structure connected to each other.

Next, the photoresist pattern is ashed by an ashing process using an oxygen (O ₂ ) plasma. The source electrode 108 and the drain electrode 110 are separated and the active layer 114 is exposed by removing the second conductive pattern group exposed through the etching process using the ashed photoresist pattern and the ohmic contact layer thereunder. Accordingly, a channel formed of the active layer 114 is formed between the source electrode 108 and the drain electrode 110. Then, the photoresist pattern is removed by a stripping process.

Referring to FIG. 8C, a passivation layer 118 having a contact hole 120 is formed on a lower substrate 101 on which a semiconductor pattern, a second conductive pattern group, and a stopper 174 are formed.

In detail, the passivation layer 118 is formed on the lower substrate 101 to cover the second conductive pattern group and the stopper 174. As the passivation layer 118, an inorganic insulating material such as the gate insulating layer 112 may be used, or an organic insulating material such as photoacrylic may be used.

The passivation layer 118 is patterned by a photolithography process and an etching process to form a contact hole 120 exposing the drain electrode 110.

Referring to FIG. 8D, a third conductive pattern group including the pixel electrode 122 is formed on the passivation layer 118.

Specifically, the transparent conductive film is formed on the entire surface of the lower substrate 101 on which the protective film 118 is formed by a deposition method such as sputtering or the like. ITO, TO, IZO, etc. are used as a transparent conductive film. The transparent conductive film is patterned by a photolithography process and an etching process to form a third conductive pattern group including the pixel electrode 122.

Referring to FIG. 8E, a liquid crystal display panel is formed by bonding the thin film transistor substrate formed by the manufacturing method illustrated in FIGS. 8A to 8D and the color filter substrate 160 formed by a separate process.

In detail, the color filter substrate 150 may include a spacer having a black matrix 152, a color filter 154, an overcoat layer 156, a common electrode 158, and a through hole 172 on the upper substrate 111. 170 is completed by sequentially forming. The color filter substrate 150 and the thin film transistor substrate 160 are bonded by a bonding process using a bonding agent (not shown), thereby completing a liquid crystal display panel.

As described above, in the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention, any one of a spacer and a stopper formed to face the through hole is inserted into a through hole passing through a portion of one of the stopper and the spacer. Accordingly, the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention can block the movement of the spacer due to the external shock to prevent light leakage and bubble phenomenon.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification but should be defined by the claims.

Claims (7)

A stopper formed on the first substrate; A spacer formed on a second substrate facing the first substrate to maintain a liquid crystal cell gap between the first and second substrates; And a through hole penetrating a part of any one of the stopper and the spacer so that the other one is inserted into one of the stopper and the spacer. The method of claim 1, And the through hole penetrates through a part of the spacer in an area overlapping the stopper. The method according to any one of claims 1 and 2, A gate line formed on the first substrate; A data line formed on the first substrate to intersect the gate line; A thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line; A protective film protecting the thin film transistor; And a pixel electrode formed on the passivation layer and connected to the thin film transistor. The method of claim 3, wherein The stopper is The liquid crystal display panel overlapping the gate line and formed of the same metal on the same plane as the data line. The method of claim 4, wherein And the through hole penetrates through the stopper in an area overlapping the spacer. The method of claim 4, wherein And a second through hole penetrating the passivation layer formed to cover the stopper. The method of claim 3, wherein The stopper is The liquid crystal display panel overlapping the data line and formed of the same metal on the same plane as the gate line.

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