In-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same

1. An in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device, comprising:

first and second substrates facing and spaced apart from each other;

a plurality of gate lines on the first substrate;

a plurality of data lines crossing the plurality of gate lines to define a plurality of sub-pixel regions;

a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line;

a common line parallel to and spaced apart from the gate line;

a common electrode extending from the common line and having a ring shape;

a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor and having a ring shape, the pixel electrode alternating with the common electrode;

a liquid crystal layer between the pixel electrode and the second substrate, the liquid crystal layer in neighboring sub-pixel regions having orientation directions different from each other;

a first capacitor electrode connected to the thin film transistor;

a second capacitor electrode overlapping the common electrode; and

a pixel connecting line combining the first and second capacitor electrodes.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein each sub-pixel region has a square shape.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein neighboring four sub-pixel regions display red, green, blue and white colors, respectively, and constitute one pixel region.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein first and second orientation directions of the liquid crystal layer in neighboring two sub-pixel regions are substantially perpendicular to each other.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the first orientation direction is one of 0° direction and 45° direction with respect to a direction parallel to the gate line, and the second orientation direction is one of 90° direction and 135° direction.

6. The device of claim 5 , further comprising a first polarizing plate outside the first substrate and a second polarizing plate outside the second substrate, wherein the first polarizing plate has a first direction of 90° to 270° and the second polarizing plate has a second direction of 0° to 180°.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystal layer is oriented using one of a rubbing method, a photo-orientation method, a plasma method, an ion beam method and an electron beam method.

8. A method of fabricating an in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device, comprising:

forming a plurality of gate lines on a first substrate;

forming a plurality of data lines crossing the plurality of gate lines to define a plurality of sub-pixel regions;

forming a thin film transistor connected to each of the gate lines and the data lines;

forming a common line parallel to and spaced apart from the gate line;

forming a common electrode extending from the common line and having a ring shape;

forming a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor and having a ring shape, the pixel electrode alternating with the common electrode;

forming a first capacitor electrode connected to the thin film transistor, a second capacitor electrode overlapping the common electrode and a pixel connecting line combining the first and second capacitor electrodes;

attaching the first substrate and a second substrate such that the first substrate faces and is spaced apart from the second substrate;

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

orientating the liquid crystal layer in neighboring sub-pixel regions to have orientation directions different from each other.