Liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same
View Patent ↗A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device includes forming an active pattern on a substrate, forming a first insulating layer on the substrate over the active pattern, forming a gate line including a gate electrode and a data line on the substrate, the data line including a plurality of segmented portions electrically disconnected from each other, forming source and drain regions in the active pattern, forming a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer, the gate line, and the data line, simultaneously forming a pair of first contact holes through the first and second insulating layers, a second contact hole through the second insulating layer, and a pair of third contact holes through the second insulating layer, forming a conductive material along an entire surface of the substrate, and patterning the conductive material to form a drain electrode, a first connection line, and a second connection line on the second insulating layer.
1. A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device, comprising:
forming an active pattern on a substrate;
forming a first insulating layer on the substrate over the active pattern;
forming a gate line including a gate electrode and a data line on the substrate, the data line including a plurality of segmented portions electrically disconnected from each other;
forming source and drain regions in the active pattern;
forming a second insulating layer on the first insulating layer, the gate line, and the data line;
simultaneously forming a pair of first contact holes through the first and second insulating layers exposing the source and drain regions of the active pattern, a second contact hole through the second insulating layer exposing a first lateral portion of a first one of the segmented portions of the data line, and a pair of third contact holes through the second insulating layer, a first one of the pair of third contact holes exposing a second lateral portion of the first one of the segmented portions of the data line, and a second one of the pair of third contact holes exposing a first lateral portion of a second one of the segmented portions of the data line;
forming a conductive material along an entire surface of the substrate; and
patterning the conductive material to form a drain electrode, a first connection line, and a second connection line on the second insulating layer.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the drain electrode includes a first portion contacting the drain region of the active pattern through a first one of the pair of contact holes and a second portion extending along a surface of the second insulating layer into a pixel region of the liquid crystal display device.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first connection line includes a first portion contacting the source region of the active pattern through a second one of the pair of first contact holes and a second portion contacting the first lateral portion of the first one of the segmented portions of the data line through the second contact hole.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the second connection line includes a first portion contacting the second lateral portion of the first one of the segmented portions of the data line through a first one of the pair of third contact holes, and a second portion contacting a first lateral portion of a second one of the segmented portions of the data line through a second one of the pair of third contact holes.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the active pattern includes a silicon layer.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the silicon layer includes a crystallized amorphous silicon thin film.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of segmented portions of the data line are disposed along opposing side portions of the gate line.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the first, second, and third contact holes comprises the steps of:
depositing a photoresist onto the second insulating material;
patterning the photoresist;
forming the pair of first contact holes through the first insulating layer, the second insulating layer, and the patterned photoresist, and forming the second contact hole and the pair of third contact holes through the second insulating layer and the patterned photoresist; and
removing the patterned photoresist.
9. The method according to claim 8 , further including, before removing the patterned photoresist, the steps of:
forming a first portion of a conductive metal layer along an entire surface of the photoresist pattern, a second portion of the conductive metal layer within the first, second, and third contact holes formed through the photoresist pattern, and a third portion of the conductive metal layer within each of the pair of first contact holes through the first and second insulating layer, the second contact hole and the pair of third contact holes through the second insulating layer;
removing the photoresist pattern and the first and second portions of the conductive metal layer using a lift-off process such that the third portion of the conductive metal layer remains in the first, second, and third contact holes.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of forming source and drain regions includes injecting impurity ions into predetermined regions of the active pattern using the gate electrode as a mask.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the impurity ions include a Group V impurity.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the Group V impurity includes phosphorous.
13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the impurity ions include a Group III impurity.
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the Group III impurity includes boron.
15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive material includes a transparent conductive material.
16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the drain electrode extends into a pixel region of the liquid crystal display device to form a pixel electrode.
17. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:
an insulating substrate;
an active pattern formed on the insulating substrate, the active pattern having source, drain, and channel regions;
a first insulating layer formed on the insulating substrate and the active pattern;
a gate line including a gate electrode and a data line formed on the first insulating layer, the data line including a plurality of segmented portions each electrically disconnected from each other;
a second insulating layer formed on and between the gate line, the gate electrode, and the plurality of segmented portions of the data line; and
a plurality of transparent conductive material segments on the second insulating layer,
wherein the first and second insulating layers include a pair of first contact holes exposing the source and drain regions of the active pattern, and the second insulating layer includes a second contact hole exposing a first lateral portion of a first one of the segment portions of the data line, and a pair of third contact holes exposing a second lateral portion of the first one of the segment portions of the data line and exposing a first lateral portion of a second one of the segment portions of the data line.
18. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the plurality of transparent conductive material segments include a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion.
19. The device according to claim 18 , wherein the first portion contacts the drain region of the active pattern through a first one of the pair of first contact holes and extends along a surface of the second insulating layer into a pixel region of the liquid crystal display device to function as a pixel electrode.
20. The device according to claim 18 , wherein the second portion has a first region contacting the source region of the active pattern through a second one of the pair of first contact holes, and a second region contacting the first lateral portion of the first one of the segment portions of the data line through the second contact hole.
21. The device according to claim 20 , wherein the third portion has a first region contacting the second lateral portion of the first one of the segment portions of the data line through a first one of the pair of third contact holes, and a second region contacting the first lateral portion of the second one of the segment portions of the data line through a second one of the pair of third contact holes.
22. The device according to claim 17 , wherein the plurality of segmented portions of the data line are disposed along opposing side portions of the gate line.
23. The device according to claim 17 , further comprising a conductive metal within each of the first, second, and third contact holes.
24. The device according to claim 23 , wherein the conductive metal includes first portions disposed within each of the pair of first contact holes, a second portion disposed within the second contact hole, and third portions disposed within each of the pair of third contact holes.
25. The device according to claim 24 , wherein the first portions of the conductive metal are disposed between the transparent conductive material and the source region of the active pattern and between the transparent conductive material and the drain region of the active pattern.
26. The device according to claim 25 , wherein the second portion of the conductive metal is disposed between the transparent conductive material and the first lateral portion of the first one of the segment portions of the data line.
27. The device according to claim 26 , wherein the third portions of the conductive metal are disposed between the transparent conductive material and the second lateral portion of the first one of the segment portions of the data line and between the transparent conductive material and the first lateral portion of the second one of the segment portions of the data line.