Liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same

1. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a first substrate having a display region in which a thin film transistor (TFT) is disposed and a driver region in which a gate driver and a data driver are disposed, wherein the gate driver and the data driver include at least one TFT, respectively;

a second substrate opposite to the first substrate;

a first sealant overlapping a portion of both the gate driver and data driver in the driver region;

a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates;

an alignment film in the display region and extended to the driver region, wherein the alignment film is spaced apart from the first sealant, and

a second sealant enclosing a periphery of the driver region and spaced apart by a determined distance from the first sealant,

wherein the first sealant only directly covers an exposed portion of a first electrode of the TFT in the driver region and the alignment film only directly covers an exposed portion of a second electrode of the TFT in the driver region.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the alignment film is an uppermost layer of the first substrate.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the TFT includes:

an active layer on the first substrate;

a gate electrode having a double-layer structure in which a metal layer is formed on a transparent conductive layer;

a first insulating film between the active layer and the gate electrode; and

a source electrode and a drain electrode connected to a source region and a drain region of the active layer.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the gate electrode crosses the active layer.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first sealant protects at least one of the source and drain electrodes of the TFT in the driver region.

6. The device of claim 3 , wherein the first substrate further includes:

a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode of the thin film transistor, the pixel electrode having the double-layer structure; and

a second insulating film on the pixel electrode.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the transparent conductive layer of the pixel electrode is exposed through a transmission hole passing through the second insulating film and the metal layer.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the metal layer encloses the transmission hole.

9. A method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device, comprising:

providing a first substrates having a display region in which a thin film transistor (TFT) is disposed and a driver region in which a gate driver and a data driver are disposed, wherein the gate driver and the data driver include at least one TFT, respectively;

provide second substrate opposing to the first substrate;

forming a first sealant on at least one of the first and second substrates, the first sealant overlapping a portion of both the gate driver and data driver in the driver region the driver region;

forming a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates;

forming an alignment film in the display region and extended to the driver region, wherein the alignment film is spaced apart from the first sealant; and

forming a second sealant to enclose a periphery of the driver region and to be spaced apart by a determined distance from the first sealant,

wherein the first sealant only directly covers an exposed portion of a first electrode of the TFT in the driver region and the alignment film only directly covers an exposed portion of a second electrode of the TFT in the driver region.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the alignment film is an uppermost layer of the first substrate.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein forming the thin film transistor includes:

forming an active layer on the first substrate;

forming a first insulating film on the active layer;

forming a gate electrode on the first insulating film, the gate electrode having a double-layer structure in which a metal layer is formed on a transparent conductive layer; and forming a source electrode and a drain electrode connected to a source region and a drain region of the active layer.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the gate electrode crosses the active layer.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first sealant protects at least one of the source and drain electrodes of the thin film transistor in the driver region.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising forming a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode of the thin film transistor.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the pixel electrode has the double-layer structure in the display region.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein forming the pixel electrode includes:

forming a double conductive layer on the first insulating film;

forming a second insulating film on the double conductive layer and forming a transmission hole passing through the second insulating film; and

exposing the transparent conductive layer by etching a metal layer of the double conductive layer through the transmission hole.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the metal layer encloses the transmission hole.