Color filter array panel and method for fabricating the same

A liquid crystal display comprises a matrix pattern formed in a double layer comprising a lower pattern having a hydrophilic property on a substrate, and a black matrix having a hydrophobic property on the lower pattern; and color filters formed in the pixel area.

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-090227 (filed on Sep. 18, 2006), which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The embodiment relates to a liquid crystal display.

2. Description of the Related Art

Since a liquid crystal display is suitable for electronic appliances having tendency toward the light weight, slim structure, and small size, and the productivity of the liquid crystal display has been improved, the liquid crystal display has been quickly substituted for a cathode ray tube in various application fields.

Such a liquid crystal display has a structure in which a thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate provided with a thin film transistor (TFT) and a pixel electrode and a color filter substrate provided with a color filter layer are coupled with each other while interposing a liquid crystal layer therebetween.

In particular, the color filter substrate is fabricated in such a manner that pixel areas are defined by a black matrix in the form of a lattice and red, green, and blue color filters are formed on the pixel areas. The red, green, and blue color filters are formed by sequentially coating red, green, and blue resin on a substrate, and performing a mask process after each coating step.

In general, color resin includes hydrophilic material, and black matrix includes hydrophobic material, such that the color resin can be uniformly coated on the pixel area. However, if the hydrophobic material remains in the process of forming the black matrix, the color resin may be not formed with a uniform thickness.

In addition, the hydrophobic material for blocking light may exist in the pixel area, so that color purity of the color filter may be degraded.

If the color of the color filter is degraded by the hydrophobic material remaining in the pixel area, or the color filter is irregularly formed, the image quality of the liquid crystal display may be degraded.

SUMMARY

The embodiment provides a liquid crystal display and a method for manufacturing the same, capable of uniformly spreading color ink in a pixel area.

According to the embodiment, a liquid crystal display includes a matrix pattern formed in a double layer including a lower pattern having a hydrophilic property on a substrate, and a black matrix having a hydrophobic property on the lower pattern; and color filters formed in the pixel area.

According to the embodiment, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display according to the embodiment, includes the steps of sequentially forming a hydrophilic photosensitive material layer and an opaque hydrophobic photosensitive material layer on a substrate; forming a matrix pattern dividing a pixel area by performing an exposure and development process with respect to the hydrophilic photosensitive material layer and the opaque hydrophobic photosensitive material layer; and forming a color filter on the pixel area.

According to the embodiment, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, includes the steps of forming a hydrophilic photosensitive material layer and an opaque hydrophobic photosensitive material layer on a substrate; forming a matrix pattern dividing a pixel area by exposing the hydrophilic photosensitive material layer and the opaque hydrophobic photosensitive material layer through a mask process, developing the opaque hydrophobic photosensitive material layer, and then developing the hydrophilic photosensitive material layer; and forming a color filter on the pixel area through an ink-jet scheme.

According to the embodiment, a liquid crystal display includes a matrix pattern formed in a double layer including a lower pattern having a hydrophilic property on a substrate, and a black matrix having a hydrophobic property on the lower pattern; a color filter substrate comprising color filters formed in the pixel area; an array substrate corresponding to the color filter substrate, and comprising a pixel electrode and a thin film transistor; and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the color filter substrate and the array substrate.

According to the embodiment, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display, includes the steps of sequentially forming a hydrophilic photosensitive material layer and an opaque hydrophobic photosensitive material layer on a substrate; forming a matrix pattern dividing a pixel area by performing an exposure and development process with respect to the hydrophilic photosensitive material layer and the opaque hydrophobic photosensitive material layer; forming a color filter substrate by forming a color filter on the pixel area; providing an array substrate corresponding to the color filter substrate, and comprising a pixel electrode and a thin film transistor; and interposing a liquid crystal layer between the color filter substrate and the array substrate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be described with reference toFIGS. 1 to 2G.

FIG. 1is a sectional view showing a color filter substrate according to the embodiment.

Referring toFIG. 1, the color filter substrate includes matrix patterns105and color filters106sequentially formed on a substrate102. In addition, the color filter array panel includes a planar layer on the substrate102formed with the color filter106if necessary, or a common electrode according to a liquid crystal mode.

The matrix patterns105are provided on the substrate102in the form of a mesh such that a plurality of pixel areas for the color filters106can be formed. In addition, the matrix patterns105have lower patterns103with a hydrophilic photosensitive material and black matrix104, which are stacked on the lower patterns103, including an opaque hydrophobic photosensitive material.

In this case, the lower pattern103of the matrix pattern105has a hydrophilic property. In other words, even if the residue of the lower pattern103exits in a pixel area P due to the process of forming the matrix pattern105, the lower pattern103has the same property (hydrophilic property) as that of a color ink used in the following process. In detail, after coating a hydrophilic material constituting the lower pattern103on the substrate102through a spin coating scheme, or a slit coating scheme, a hydrophobic material constituting the black matrix104is formed on the hydrophilic material through a spin coating scheme, or the slit coating scheme. When the hydrophilic material and the hydrophobic material stacked on the hydrophilic material are patterned, the hydrophobic material and the hydrophilic material are removed from the pixel area P. As a result, the residue of the hydrophobic material does not remain in the pixel area P. In addition, even if the residue of the hydrophilic material is not removed from the substrate104, but remains, the hydrophilic material does not prevent color ink having a hydrophilic property from being uniformly spread on the pixel area P. Accordingly, the color filter106may be uniformly formed in the pixel area P. Detailed description about the manufacturing process of the matrix pattern104and the color filter106will be described below with reference toFIGS. 2A to 2G.

Since the black matrix104of the matrix pattern105includes an opaque material, the black matrix104prevents light interference between adjacent pixels. In addition, since the black matrix104of the matrix pattern105includes a hydrophobic material, the black matrix104prevents color ink having a hydrophilic property from overflowing into an adjacent pixel area P so that the color ink can be prevented from being mixed with color ink having other color.

The color filters106are formed on pixel areas divided by the matrix pattern104through an ink-jetting scheme. The color filters106are formed by red (R), green (G), and blue (B) hydrophilic color ink so that red (R), green (G), and blue (B) colors are realized.

FIGS. 2A to 2Gare sectional views showing the manufacturing process of the color filter substrate according to the embodiment.

As shown inFIG. 2A, a hydrophilic photosensitive material120is formed on the substrate101. The hydrophilic photosensitive material120includes photoresist. In addition, the hydrophilic photosensitive material120may have one of red (R), green (G), and blue (B). More preferably, the hydrophilic photosensitive material120has a transparent color, so that the hydrophilic photosensitive material120does not change the color of the color filter, which is formed later in the pixel area P, even if the photosensitive material120having the hydrophilic property remains in the pixel area P.

Thereafter, as shown inFIG. 2B, the hydrophilic photosensitive material120is hardened through a baking process at a temperature in the range of 90° to 120°. As shown inFIG. 2C, the opaque hydrophobic photosensitive material130is formed on the hydrophilic photosensitive material120. The opaque hydrophobic photosensitive material130includes opaque photoresist.

The hydrophobic photosensitive material130is hardened through a baking process at a temperature in a range of 90° C. to 120° C.

Thereafter, as shown inFIG. 2E, an exposure mask140is disposed at the upper portion of the substrate102. The exposure mask140includes an exposing area144of transmitting light and a blocking area142of blocking light. The parts of the photosensitive materials120and130corresponding to the exposing area144and the blocking area142are varied according to the type of the photosensitive materials120and130. Hereinafter, negative photosensitive materials120and130will be representatively described. If the negative photosensitive materials120and130are employed, the blocking area142of the exposure mask140corresponds to a part of the pixel area P, and the exposing area144corresponds to a part the matrix pattern105. Then, the photosensitive materials120and130are removed from the pixel area P through the exposure and development process. Regarding detailed description of the development process, after the opaque hydrophobic photosensitive material130is removed from the pixel area P, the hydrophilic photosensitive material120formed at the lower portion of the opaque hydrophobic photosensitive material130is removed. Accordingly, the opaque hydrophobic photosensitive material130can be completely removed from the pixel area P.

As shown inFIG. 2F, ink-jet devices148are arranged on the substrate106formed with the matrix patterns105. The ink-jet devices148spray corresponding color ink132on the red (R), green (G), and blue (B) pixel areas P. In this case, the color ink132has a hydrophilic property. Even if the residue of the photoresist material120exists in the pixel area P during the development process shown inFIG. 2E, the residue of the photosensitive material120becomes not a factor of preventing the color ink132having the hydrophilic property from being uniformly spread in the pixel areas P.

Thereafter, as the color ink132sprayed in the pixel area P is hardened, red (R), green (G), and blue (B) color filters106are formed in the pixel areas P as shown inFIG. 2G. A planar layer may be formed on the substrate102formed with the color filters106if necessary. In addition, a common electrode may be formed on the substrate102according to liquid crystal modes.

As described above, in a color filter array panel and a method for fabricating the same according to the embodiment, a lower pattern having the same hydrophilic material as that of color ink is provided on the lower portion of a black matrix, thereby preventing the hydrophobic material from remaining on a substrate. Accordingly, in the color filter array panel and a method for fabricating the same according to the embodiment, the hydrophobic material does not remain on the substrate, so that the color ink is uniformly spread on a pixel area.

FIG. 3is a view showing a liquid crystal display according to the embodiment.

Referring toFIG. 3, in the liquid crystal display, a color filter substrate200, which is manufactured according to a manufacturing process shown inFIGS. 2A to 2G, and an array substrate300, which is provided with a thin film transistor (TFT)218and a pixel electrode222, are bonded to each other while interposing a liquid crystal layer224therebetween.

The color filter substrate200includes a pixel area divided in the matrix pattern105including the lower pattern103having hydrophilic material and the black matrix104having hydrophobic material on the substrate102. The pixel area is formed with the red, green, and blue color filters106. A common electrode208, which includes transparent conductive material, is formed on the substrate102having the color filter106. However, when the common electrode208is formed on the array substrate300in a mode such as an in-switching (IPS) mode, or a fringe field switching (FFS) mode, the common electrode208is not formed on the color filter substrate200.

In addition, an overcoat layer (not shown) may be additionally formed between the color filter106and the common electrode208in order to planarize the color filter106.

When the color filter substrate200is completely manufactured as described above, the color filter substrate200and the array substrate300are bonded to each other while interposing the liquid crystal layer224therebetween, thereby manufacturing the liquid crystal display.

Reference numbers214,216, and212, which are not described even through shown in drawings, represent a gate line, a data line, and a lower substrate, respectively.

The thin film transistor218applies a data signal from the data line216to the pixel electrode222in response to a gate signal from the gate line212. The pixel electrode222including a transparent conductive layer applies a data signal from the thin film transistor218so as to drive the liquid crystal layer224.

Liquid crystals having dielectric anisotropy are rotated according to an electric field created by a data signal of the pixel electrode222and common voltage Vcom of the common electrode208, so as to adjust light transmittance, thereby realizing gray scales.