Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display includes a first insulating substrate, thin film transistors formed on the first insulating substrate, and pixel electrodes connected to the thin film transistors each with an opening pattern. A second insulating substrate faces the first insulating substrate. A black matrix and color filters are formed on the second insulating substrate, and a common electrode covers the black matrix and the color filters. A protrusion pattern is formed on the common electrode. The protrusion pattern is pillar-shaped with top and bottom sides. The top and bottom sides of the protrusion pattern are shaped with a circle, a rectangle, or a rectangle with curved edges. The protrusion pattern includes a protrusion having a relatively small thickness, and a protrusion having a relatively large thickness. The former protrusion is used for domain partitioning, and the latter protrusion is used as a spacer. A vertical alignment layer is internally formed on the substrates, and a liquid crystal is injected in-between the substrates. Polarizing plates are externally attached to the substrates, respectively. A bi-axial film and a λ/4 plate are interposed between the respective substrates and the respective polarizing plates. The bi-axial film and the λ/4 plate transform the linear-polarizing into a circular-polarizing.
1. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display (LCD), comprising the steps of:
forming a color filter layer on a substrate;
forming a conductive layer on the color filter layer;
forming an insulating layer on the conductive layer;
forming a photoresist layer on the insulating layer; and
patterning the insulating layer and the photoresist layer to form a protrusion and a spacer taller than the protrusion.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of patterning the insulating layer and the photoresist layer comprising steps of:
preparing a mask having an opaque area, a semitransparent area and a transparent area on predetermined areas thereof;
exposing the photoresist layer to a light beam through the mask;
developing the photoresist layer to expose portions of the insulating layer; and
etching the exposed portions of the insulating layer.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the insulating layer contains silicon.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of forming a black matrix layer on the substrate, wherein the spacer overlaps the black matrix layer.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spacer comprise the insulating layer and the photoresist layer.
6. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display (LCD), comprising steps of:
forming a black matrix layer on a first substrate, the black matrix layer comprising a first black matrix pattern surrounding a pixel region and a second black matrix pattern formed within the pixel region;
forming a color filter layer on the black matrix layer;
forming a conductive layer on the color filter layer; and
forming a protrusion on a portion of the conductive layer corresponding to the second black matrix pattern, the protrusion having a height to maintain a predetermined gap between the first substrate and a second substrate facing the first substrate.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the height of the protrusion ranges between 3.0 μm and 4.5 μm.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the protrusion is pillar-shaped.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein a top surface and a bottom surface of the protrusion have a circular or rectangular shape or a rectangular shape with curved edges.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the protrusion formed of a photosensitive material, positive or negative photoresist or an insulating material containing silicon.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the pixel region is divided into a plurality of sub-regions and the protrusion is formed within each sub-region.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the protrusion is formed at the center of each sub-region.
13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the protrusion is in contact with a pixel electrode of the second substrate to maintain the predetermined gap between the first substrate and the second substrate.
14. The method of claim 5 , wherein the protrusion comprises the insulating layer.