Liquid crystal display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016342016-A1
Application number	US-201615066597-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	May 18, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate, on which a display area and a non-display area are defined, a first electrode on the first substrate in the non-display area, where the first electrode receives a common voltage, a step difference pattern on the first electrode, a second electrode on the step difference pattern, where the second electrode is electrically connected to the first electrode, a first light shielding unit spaced apart from the step difference pattern and having a first height, a second light shielding unit between the first light shielding unit and the step difference pattern, where the second light shielding unit has a second height, which is less than the first height, a second substrate opposing the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A liquid crystal display device comprising:
a first substrate on which a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area are defined; a first electrode on the first substrate in the non-display area, wherein the first electrode receives a common voltage; a step difference pattern on the first electrode; a second electrode on the step difference pattern, wherein the second electrode is electrically connected to the first electrode; a first light shielding unit spaced apart from the step difference pattern and having a first height; a second light shielding unit between the first light shielding unit and the step difference pattern, wherein the second light shielding unit has a second height, which is less than the first height; a second substrate opposing the first substrate; and a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate.

2 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is a common electrode.

3 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a common electrode on the second substrate.

4 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a conductive spacer on the second electrode, wherein the conductive spacer is electrically connected to the second electrode and the common electrode.

5 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 4 , wherein the conductive spacer is spaced apart from the second light shielding unit.

6 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 5 , wherein the conductive spacer comprises at least one selected from gold (Au), silver (Ag), indium (In), aluminum (Al), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni).

7 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a thin film transistor on the first substrate, wherein the thin film transistor comprises a semiconductor layer, a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode; a pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor; and red, green, and blue color filters on the first substrate.

8 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 7 , wherein the first electrode comprises a material the same as a material of the gate electrode.

9 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 8 , wherein the first electrode and the gate electrode are defined by a same patterned layer.

10 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 7 , wherein the first electrode surrounds the display area.

11 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 7 , wherein the step difference pattern comprises a material the same as a material of at least one of the red, green and blue color filters.

12 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 11 , wherein the step difference pattern comprises a material the same as a material of the blue color filter.

13 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 7 , wherein the second electrode comprises a material the same as a material of the pixel electrode.

14 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 13 , wherein the second electrode and the pixel electrode are defined by a same patterned layer.

15 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 7 , further comprising:
a column spacer which maintains an interval between the first substrate and the second substrate.

16 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 15 , wherein the first light shielding unit, the second light shielding unit and the column spacer comprise a same material, which shields light, as each other.

17 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 16 , wherein the first light shielding unit, the second light shielding unit and the column spacer are defined by a same patterned layer.

18 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 15 , wherein the conductive spacer comprises a material the same as a material of the column spacer.

19 . The liquid crystal display device of claim 18 , wherein the conductive spacer and the column spacer are defined by a same patterned layer.

Assignees

• Samsung Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• IM Wansoon
• Lee Jungwook

Classifications

• G02F1/13439

  characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making · CPC title

• G02F2001/13398

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02F1/133512 Primary

  Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix (G02F1/136209 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02F1/1368

  in which the switching element is a three-electrode device {(G02F1/136277 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G02F1/13394

  spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars (G02F1/133377 takes precedence) · CPC title