Color filter array substrate, a liquid crystal display panel and fabricating methods thereof

1. A liquid crystal display panel, comprising:

a thin film transistor array substrate;

a color filter array substrate opposite the thin film transistor array substrate; and

a liquid crystal layer between the thin film transistor array substrate and the color filter array substrate,

wherein the color filter array substrate includes:

a black matrix partitioning sub pixels;

a plurality of color filters at respective sub pixels; and

a spacer-integrated planarizing layer arranged on the color filters and the black matrix,

wherein the spacer-integrated planarizing layer includes a planarized surface at each of the sub pixels and a spacer pattern integrated with the planarized surface and protruding at the black matrix to maintain a cell gap between the thin film transistor array substrate and the color filter array substrate,

wherein the spacer-integrated planarizing layer includes a liquid crystalline material,

wherein the liquid crystalline material includes reactive mesogen containing a central core with liquid-crystalline properties, and a pair of photo-polymerizable end groups bound to the central core by flexible spacers.

2. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1 , further comprising an alignment film between the color filters and the spacer-integrated planarizing layer.

3. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1 , wherein the spacer-integrated planarizing layer includes a liquid crystalline material-containing resin.

4. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1 , wherein the sub pixels include red, green, blue and transparent sub pixels and the color filters are formed in the red, green and blue sub pixels.

5. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1 , further comprising an alignment film on the spacer-integrated planarizing layer.

6. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1 , further comprising a common electrode arranged between the color filters and the spacer-integrated planarizing layer.

7. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 6 , further comprising an alignment film arranged between the common electrode and the spacer-integrated planarizing layer.

8. A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel, comprising:

forming a color filter array substrate;

positioning the color filter array substrate opposite to a thin film transistor array substrate; and

forming a liquid crystal layer between the thin film transistor array substrate and the color filter array substrate,

wherein the step of forming the color filter array substrate includes:

forming a black matrix partitioning sub pixels;

forming a plurality of color filters at respective sub pixels; and

forming a spacer-integrated planarizing layer arranged on the color filters and the black matrix,

wherein the spacer-integrated planarizing layer includes a planarized surface at each of the sub pixels and a spacer pattern integrated with the planarized surface and protruding at the black matrix to maintain a cell gap between the thin film transistor array substrate and the color filter array substrate,

wherein the spacer-integrated planarizing layer includes a liquid crystalline material,

wherein the liquid crystalline material includes reactive mesogen containing a central core with liquid-crystalline properties, and a pair of photo-polymerizable end groups bound to the central core by flexible spacers.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising forming an alignment film between the color filters and the spacer-integrated planarizing layer.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the spacer-integrated planarizing layer includes a liquid crystalline material-containing resin.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sub pixels include red, green, blue and transparent sub pixels and the color filters are formed in the red, green and blue sub pixels.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising forming an alignment film on the spacer-integrated planarizing layer.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising forming a common electrode arranged between the color filters and the spacer-integrated planarizing layer.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming an alignment film arranged between the common electrode and the spacer-integrated planarizing layer.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of forming the spacer-integrated planarizing layer includes:

preparing a resin including 30 to 40 vol % of a mono-functional monomer, 20 to 40 vol % of a di-functional monomer, 0 to 20 vol % of a tri-functional monomer, 10 vol % or more of the reactive mesogen and 1 to 3 vol % of a photoinitiator, based on a total 100 vol % of the resin;

molding the resin using a soft mold having a pattern corresponding to the planarized surface at each of the sub-pixels and the spacer pattern protruding at the black matrix; and

photo-curing the resin.