Abstract:
A liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates facing each other and spaced apart by a uniform cell gap, an array element having a switching element on the first substrate and a first transparent electrode connected to the switching element, a first patterned spacer disposed on the array element having a first height less than the uniform cell gap, a second transparent electrode under the second substrate, a second patterned spacer disposed beneath the second transparent electrode, the second patterned spacer having a second height less than the uniform cell gap and connected to the first patterned spacer, a first alignment layer covering the first patterned spacer, a second alignment layer covering the second patterned spacer, and a liquid crystal material layer interposed between the first and second alignment layers, wherein the first and second spacers are connected to each other and a summation of the first and second heights of the first and second patterned spacers is equivalent to the uniform cell gap.

Description:
The present application is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/323,897 (now allowed) and claims the benefit of Korean Application No. P2004-021627 filed on Mar. 30, 2004, which is are both hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and method of fabricating the same, and more particularly, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having a patterned spacer for keeping a cell gap and a method for fabricating the same. 
     2. Discussion of the Related Art 
     In general, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices have been developed for displaying images having low power consumption and portability characteristics. Currently, liquid crystal cells must be manufactured using LCDs for displaying images. The liquid crystal cells have array and color filter substrates and a liquid crystal material layer between the array and color filter substrates. Transparent electrodes are commonly formed on each of the array and color filter substrates to induce an electric field to the liquid crystal material layer by application of a voltage. An amount of transmitted light is controlled by the applied voltage, and images are displayed by a light shutter effect. An active matrix liquid crystal display device (AMLCD) that has a switching element at each pixel has been developed having superior resolution and an improved ability to display moving images. The liquid crystal display (LCD) device can be fabricated through an array substrate forming process, a color filter substrate forming process, and a liquid crystal cell forming process. Array elements, such as switching elements and pixel electrodes, are formed during the array substrate forming process, and color filters and common electrodes are formed during the color filter substrate forming process. The liquid crystal material is injected into a space between the array and color filter substrate during the liquid crystal cell forming process. The liquid crystal cell forming process is relatively simple compared to the array substrate and color filter forming processes. The liquid crystal cell forming process mainly comprises an alignment forming process, a cell gap forming process, a cell cutting process, and a liquid crystal material injection process. A liquid crystal display panel is completed by the liquid crystal cell forming process. 
       FIG. 1  is a cross sectional view of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device according to the related art. In  FIG. 1 , upper and lower substrates  10  and  30  are spaced apart from each other and a liquid crystal material layer  50  is interposed between the upper and lower substrates  10  and  30 . A gate electrode  32  is formed on a transparent substrate  1  of the lower substrate  30 , and a gate insulating layer  34  is formed on entire surface of the transparent substrate  1 . A semiconductor layer  36  that has an active layer  36   a  and an ohmic contact layer  36   b  are sequentially formed over the gate electrode  32 . Source and drain electrodes  38  and  40  are formed on the semiconductor layer  36 , and a channel “ch” that exposes a portion of the active layer  36   a  is formed between the source and drain electrodes  38  and  40 . The gate electrode  32 , the semiconductor layer  36 , the source electrode  38 , the drain electrode  40 , and the channel “ch” form a thin film transistor “T.” A gate line (not shown), which is connected to the gate electrode  32 , is formed along a horizontal direction, and a data line (not shown), which is connected to the source electrode  38 , is formed along a vertical direction. The gate and data lines (not shown) cross each other to define a pixel region “P,” and a passivation layer  42  that has a drain contact hole  44  is formed over the thin film transistor “T.” A pixel electrode  48  that is connected to the drain electrode  40  through the drain contact hole  44  is formed within the pixel region “P.” A color filter  14  is formed on a bottom surface of the upper substrate  10 , and corresponds to the pixel electrode  48 . A black matrix  12  is formed within a boundary region between neighboring sub-color filters to prevent light leakage and light infiltration into the thin film transistor “T.” A common electrode  16  is formed beneath the color filter  14  for applying a voltage, and a seal pattern  52  is formed along edges of the lower substrate  30  to prevent the injected liquid crystal material from leaking. Ball spacers  54  are disposed between the upper and lower substrates  10  and  30  to maintain a uniform cell gap along with the seal pattern  52 . An upper alignment film (not shown) and a lower alignment film (not shown) may further be formed between the common electrode  16  and the liquid crystal layer  50  and between the pixel electrode  48  and the liquid crystal layer  50 , respectively. The ball spacers  54  are commonly formed of an elastic material, such as glass fiber and organic material, and are randomly disposed between the upper and lower substrates  10  and  30 . However, alignment layer inferiority may occur due to movement of the ball spacers  54 , and light leakage may occur around the ball spacers  54  due to an absorption power between the ball spacers  54  and liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal material layer  50  adjacent to the ball spacers  54 . In addition, it is difficult to maintain a stable cell gap when the ball spacers  54  are applied to a large-sized liquid crystal display (LCD) device. Moreover, since the ball spacers  54  are electrically conductive and move around between the upper and lower substrates  10  and  30 , a severe ripple phenomenon occurs when a screen is touched. Consequently, it is difficult to display high quality images in a liquid crystal display (LCD) device in which ball spacers are used for maintaining a uniform cell gap. 
     To overcome these problems related to ball spacers, patterned spacers formed at specific locations of the upper and lower substrates by a photolithographic process have been suggested. Accordingly, light leakage can be reduced and a uniform cell gap can be maintained since the patterned spacers are formed within non-pixel regions. In addition, the liquid crystal display (LCD) device can be manufactured to avoid the ripple phenomenon. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having a patterned spacer according to the related art. In  FIG. 2 , upper and lower substrates  60  and  70  are spaced apart from each other, and a thin film transistor “T” and pixel electrode  72  are formed of transparent conductive material on the lower substrate  70 , and are electrically connected to the thin film transistor “T.” A black matrix  62  is formed beneath the upper substrate  60  corresponding to the thin film transistor “T,” and a color filter  64  is formed beneath the upper substrate  60  and the black matrix  62 . A common electrode  66  is formed of a same material as that of the pixel electrode  72  beneath the color filter  64 . A patterned spacer  74  is formed at a position between the black matrix  62  and the thin film transistor “T” to maintain a uniform cell gap between the upper and lower substrates  60  and  70 . A liquid crystal material layer  80  is formed between the upper and lower substrates  60  and  70 . In addition, upper and lower alignment layers (not shown) are formed between the common electrode  66  and the liquid crystal layer  80 , and the pixel electrode  72  and the liquid crystal layer  80 , respectively. The patterned spacer  74  is selectively formed only one of the upper and lower substrates  60  and  70 , thereby functioning to maintain a constant cell gap between the upper and lower substrates  60  and  70  after attaching the upper and lower substrates  60  and  70 . A height of the patterned spacer  74  is proportional to the required uniform cell gap between the upper and lower substrates  60  and  70 . However, as the height of the patterned spacer  74  increases, positional accuracy of the patterned spacer  74  is lowered during the photolithographic process for patterning the patterned spacer  74 . Accordingly, a uniform cell gap is not maintained, and inferior rubbing areas increase. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of a rubbing process on the patterned spacer of the liquid crystal display (LCD) device according to the related art. In  FIG. 3 , a patterned spacer  84  is formed on a substrate  82 , and an alignment layer  86  is formed on the entire surface of the substrate  82 . During a rubbing process, scratches are formed along a certain direction on a surface of the alignment layer  86 . A region “II” of the alignment layer  86  around a base of the patterned spacer  84  is not rubbed, or is irregularly rubbed, thereby generating an inferior rubbing area “II.” As a height “I” of the patterned spacer  84  increases, a width of the inferior rubbing area “II” increases proportionally to the height of the patterned spacer  84 . For example, if the height of the patterned spacer  84  is 5 μm, a width of the inferior rubbing is approximately between 7 μm and 8 μm. Accordingly, since the inferior rubbing area “II” is to be covered with a black matrix (not shown) of an opposing substrate, an aperture ratio is decreased due to the additional amount of the black matrix (not shown). In addition, patterned spacers of a height over 5 μm is not proper for photolithographic processing. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a patterned spacer of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device that substantially obviates one or more of problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display (LCD) device in which patterned spacers are formed on first and second substrates to secure an alignment stability of liquid crystal molecules by minimizing an inferior rubbing area and to increase aperture and contrast ratios by reducing an amount of black matrix. 
     Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. 
     To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, a liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates facing each other and spaced apart by a uniform cell gap, an array element having a switching element on the first substrate and a first transparent electrode connected to the switching element, a first patterned spacer disposed on the array element having a first height less than the uniform cell gap, a second transparent electrode under the second substrate, a second patterned spacer disposed beneath the second transparent electrode, the second patterned spacer having a second height less than the uniform cell gap and connected to the first patterned spacer, a first alignment layer covering the first patterned spacer, a second alignment layer covering the second patterned spacer, and a liquid crystal material layer interposed between the first and second alignment layers, wherein the first and second spacers are connected to each other and a summation of the first and second heights of the first and second patterned spacers is equivalent to the uniform cell gap. 
     In another aspect, a method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device includes forming an array element having a switching element on a first substrate, forming a first transparent electrode connected to the switching element, forming a first patterned spacer on the array element to have a first height less than a uniform cell gap, forming a first alignment layer to cover the first patterned spacer, forming a second transparent electrode on a second substrate, forming a second patterned spacer on the second transparent electrode to have a second height, forming a second alignment layer to cover the second patterned spacer, bonding the first and second substrates together to be spaced apart by the uniform cell gap, and forming a liquid crystal material layer interposed between the first and second alignment layers to fill the uniform cell gap, wherein the first and second spacers are connected to each other and a summation of the first and second heights of the first and second patterned spacers is equivalent to the uniform cell gap. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a cross sectional view of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device according to the related art; 
         FIG. 2  is a cross sectional view of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having a patterned spacer according to the related art; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of a rubbing process on the patterned spacer of the liquid crystal display (LCD) device according to the related art; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of an exemplary liquid crystal display (LCD) device having a patterned spacer according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5A  is a plan view of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having patterned spacers according to the present invention, and illustrates formation of inferior rubbing areas when first and second substrates are rubbed along a same direction; 
         FIG. 5B  is a plan view of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having patterned spacer according to the present invention, and illustrates formation of inferior rubbing areas when a first substrate is rubbed along a direction perpendicular to a rubbing direction of a second substrate; 
         FIG. 6  is a partial plan view of an exemplary liquid crystal display (LCD) device having patterned spacers according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 7A  is a cross sectional view of an exemplary first substrate taken along IX-IX of the liquid crystal display (LCD) device of  FIG. 6  according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 7B  is a cross sectional view of an exemplary second substrate taken along IX-IX of the liquid crystal display (LCD) device of  FIG. 6  according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view of another exemplary liquid crystal display (LCD) device having patterned spacers according to the present invention, and illustrates alignment characteristics of liquid crystal molecules around the patterned spacers. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of an exemplary liquid crystal display (LCD) device having a patterned spacer according to the present invention. In  FIG. 4 , first and second substrates  110  and  130  may be spaced apart from each other, wherein a first transparent electrode  112  may be formed on a transparent substrate  100  of the first substrate  110 , and a second transparent electrode  132  may be formed beneath a transparent substrate  100  of the second substrate  130 . First and second patterned spacers  114  and  134  may be formed between the first and second transparent electrode  112  and  132 , and a top surface of the first patterned spacer  114  may contact a top surface of the second patterned spacer  134 . Accordingly, the first and second patterned spacers  114  and  134  form a uniform cell gap that may be equivalent to a summation of individual heights of the first and second patterned spacers  114  and  134 . A liquid crystal material layer  150  may be formed within a region of the uniform cell gap between the first and second substrate  110  and  130 . If rubbing directions of the first and second substrates  110  and  130  are the same or similar, first and second inferior rubbing areas “IVa” and “IVb” corresponding to the first and second patterned spacers  114  and  134  may be formed. Accordingly, the individual heights of both the first and second patterned spacers  114  and  134  may be reduced, thereby reducing an area of the first and second inferior rubbing areas “IVa” and “Ivb,” and increasing aperture and contrast ratios. Although not shown, the first transparent electrode  112  may be connected to a thin film transistor, and color filter and black matrix layers may be formed between the transparent substrate  100  of the second substrate  130  and the second transparent electrode  132 . In addition, the first and second patterned spacers  114  and  134  may be formed by a photolithographic process using a photoresist material. 
       FIG. 5A  is a plan view of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having patterned spacers according to the present invention, and illustrates formation of inferior rubbing areas when first and second substrates are rubbed along a same direction. In  FIG. 5A , an inferior rubbing area “Va” that is formed around a base of a patterned spacer  156  may be reduced when first and second substrates  152  and  154  are rubbed along a same or similar directions. However, the inferior rubbing area “Va” may increase to another inferior rubbing area “Vb” as a height of the patterned spacer  156  increases. In addition, since the spacer is formed on both the first and second substrates  152  and  154 , heights of individual patterned spacers on each of the first and second substrates  152  and  154  may be about one-half a total distance between the first and second substrates  152  and  154 . Accordingly, since the inferior rubbing area “Va” is dependent upon the total height of the individual patterned spacers, the inferior rubbing area “Va” may decrease by reducing the height of one of the patterned spacers of one of the first and second substrates  152  and  154 . 
       FIG. 5B  is a plan view of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device having patterned spacers according to the present invention, and illustrates formation of inferior rubbing areas when a first substrate  162  is rubbed along a direction perpendicular to a rubbing direction of a second substrate  164 . Accordingly, first and second inferior rubbing areas “VIIa” and “VIIb” may decrease to third and fourth rubbing areas “VIa” and “VIb” by effectively reducing a height of each individual patterned spacer when rubbing directions of the first and second substrates  162  and  164  are not along a same or similar directions. 
       FIG. 6  is a partial plan view of an exemplary liquid crystal display (LCD) device having patterned spacers according to the present invention. In  FIG. 6 , a gate line  202  may be formed along a first direction, and a data line  204  may be formed along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A thin film transistor “T” may be formed at a region where the gate and data lines  202  and  204  cross each other, and a pixel electrode  206  may be formed within a pixel region and connected to the thin film transistor “T.” Although not shown, edge portions of the pixel electrode  206  and a space between the pixel electrode  206  and the thin film transistor “T” may be covered with a black matrix layer of an opposing substrate that corresponds to a black matrix region  208 . Accordingly, since a width of the gate line  202  may be larger than a width of the data line  204  to prevent a delay of a gate signal voltage, a patterned spacer  213  may be formed within the black matrix region  208 . 
     The patterned spacer  213  may be formed in a way such that first and second patterned spacers  210  and  211  may be formed over the gate line  202  and the thin film transistor “T,” respectively. If a rubbing process is performed along a direction from an upper portion of a substrate (i.e., top of page) to a lower portion of the substrate (i.e., bottom of page), then the first patterned spacer  210  disposed over the gate line  202  may be formed such that a longitudinal centerline of the first patterned spacer  210  is offset from a longitudinal centerline “VIII” of the gate line  202 . On the other hand, the patterned spacers  213  may be formed over one of the gate line  202  and the thin film transistor “T.” Alternatively, the patterned spacer  213  may be formed only over the gate line  202  rather than over the thin film transistor “T.” Although not shown in  FIG. 6 , the patterned spacer  213  may include an upper patterned spacer portion formed on an upper substrate and a lower patterned spacer portion formed on a lower substrate, whereby a uniform cell gap may be created by a summation of the individual heights of the upper and lower patterned spacer portions. Accordingly, if the height of the lower patterned spacer portion is between 80% and 90% of the uniform cell gap, then the height of the upper patterned spacer portion may be between 10% and 20% of the uniform cell gap. In addition, the upper patterned spacer portion may have a width larger than a width of the lower patterned spacer portion, thereby compensating for any assembling margin of upper and lower substrates. 
       FIG. 7A  is a cross sectional view of an exemplary first substrate taken along IX-IX of the liquid crystal display (LCD) device of  FIG. 6  according to the present invention. In  FIG. 7A , the gate line  202  may be formed on a transparent substrate  200 , and a gate insulating layer  203  may be formed on an entire surface of the transparent substrate  200 . A passivation layer  205  may be formed to cover the thin film transistor “T” (in  FIG. 6 ) on the gate insulating layer  203 . The first lower patterned spacer  210   a  may be formed on the passivation layer  205  to overlap the gate line  202 , and a lower alignment layer  212  may be formed on entire surface of the transparent substrate  200 . If the lower alignment layer  212  is rubbed along a lateral direction (i.e., from a left side of the page to a right side of the page), an inferior rubbing area “X” may be formed at a trailing edge of the first lower patterned spacer  210   a  (i.e., right side of the spacer). Accordingly, the first lower patterned spacer  210  may be formed laterally offset from the centerline “VIII” of the gate line  202 . Thus, the inferior rubbing area “X” may be adequately covered by a black matrix layer (not shown) overlapping the gate line  202 . In addition, a summation of a height “XIa” of the first lower patterned spacer  210   a  and a height of a first upper patterned spacer (not shown) may be equivalent to the uniform cell gap of the liquid crystal display (LCD) device. For example, the height of the first lower patterned spacer “XIa” may be between 80% and 90% of the uniform cell gap, and the first upper patterned spacer (not shown) may be between 20% and 10% of the uniform cell gap. 
       FIG. 7B  is a cross sectional view of an exemplary second substrate taken along IX-IX of the liquid crystal display (LCD) device of  FIG. 6  according to the present invention. In  FIG. 7B , a black matrix layer  252  and a color filter layer  254  may be sequentially formed on a transparent substrate  200 , and a common electrode  256  may be formed on the color filter layer  254 . The first upper patterned spacer  210   b  having a height “XIIb” may be formed on the common electrode  256 , and an upper alignment layer  260  may be formed on an entire surface of the transparent substrate  200 . Accordingly, if the upper alignment layer  260  is rubbed along a lateral direction (i.e., from a left side of the page to a right side of the page), then an inferior rubbing area “XIII” may be formed in a trailing edge (i.e., right side) of the first upper patterned spacer  210   b . Thus, the first upper patterned spacer  210   b  may be formed laterally offset from the centerline “VIII” of the gate line  202 . In addition, the height “XIIa” of the first upper patterned spacer  210   b  may be between 10% and 20% of the uniform cell gap since the height “XIa” of the first lower patterned spacer  210   a  (in  FIG. 7A ) is between 80% and 90% of the uniform cell gap. A width “XIIb” of the first upper patterned spacer  210   b  may be larger than a width “XIb” of the first lower patterned spacer  210   a  (in  FIG. 7A ) when considering a possible assembling margin of about ±5 μm. In addition, the patterned spacers may be formed in a non-pixel region. 
       FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view of another exemplary liquid crystal display (LCD) device having patterned spacers according to the present invention, and illustrates alignment characteristics of liquid crystal molecules around the patterned spacers. In  FIG. 8 , first and second substrates  310  and  330  may be spaced apart from each other with a liquid crystal material layer  350  formed therebetween. A patterned spacer  334  that may be equivalent to a uniform cell gap may be formed between the first and second substrates  310  and  330 . The patterned spacer  334  may include a first patterned spacer  312  disposed on the first substrate  310  and a second patterned spacer  332  disposed on the second substrate  330 . Accordingly, the first and second patterned spacers  312  and  332  may contact each other such that a summation of the individual heights of the first and second patterned spacers  312  and  322  may be equivalent to the uniform cell gap of a liquid crystal display (LCD) device. For example, a height of the first patterned spacer  312  may be between 80% and 90% of the uniform cell gap and a height of the second patterned spacer  332  may be between 10% and 20% of the uniform cell gap. In addition, a width of the second patterned spacer  332  may be larger than a width of the first patterned spacer  312 . If the patterned spacer according to the present invention is applied to an optically compensated birefringence (OCB) mode liquid crystal display (LCD) device in which a response time and a light viewing angle is controlled using birefringence and orientation of the liquid crystal molecules having a bend structure when a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal molecules, liquid crystal molecules  350  adjacent to the patterned spacer  334  are more easily aligned vertically and a quick transition from a splay orientation to a bend orientation is possible with a low voltage. The OCB mode liquid crystal display (LCD) device may have a high cell gap between about 5 μm and about 6 μm to prevent a delay of a phase difference. If the patterned spacer according to the present invention is applied to the liquid crystal display (LCD) device having a relatively large cell gap, such as the OCB mode liquid crystal display (LCD) device, a height of the patterned spacer disposed on one substrate may be reduced such that deviation of the height of the patterned spacer may be reduced during photolithographic processing using a photoresist material. Accordingly, a flatness property of the patterned spacer may be improved and a uniform cell gap may be obtained. Moreover, any inferior rubbing area formed around a base of the patterned spacer may be minimize, and aperture and contrast ratios may be increased. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the liquid crystal display device having a patterned spacer and method of fabricating the same of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.