Color filter on thin film transistor type liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same

1. A method of fabricating a liquid crystal panel for a color filter on thin film transistor (COT) type liquid crystal display (LCD) device, comprising:

forming a gate line and a data line on a first substrate having a display area and a non-display area, the non-display area is at a periphery of the display area, the gate line and the data line crossing each other to define a pixel region in the display area;

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

forming a color filter layer over the thin film transistor;

forming a black matrix on the color filter layer;

forming a pixel electrode contacting the thin film transistor on the color filter layer;

forming a common electrode on a second substrate having the display area and the non-display area;

forming a first alignment key on the second substrate in the non-display area;

forming a first orientation film on the common electrode;

forming a sealant between the first and second substrates at a boundary between the display area and the non-display area;

attaching the first and second substrates such that the pixel electrode faces the common electrode; and

forming a liquid crystal layer between the pixel electrode and the common electrode,

wherein the first alignment key is simultaneously formed with the first orientation film.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising forming a second orientation film on the pixel electrode.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first alignment key is formed using one of a printing method and an inkjet method.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first alignment key is formed by partially melting a surface of the second substrate in the non-display area.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising forming a second alignment key on the first substrate corresponding to the first alignment key.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the second alignment key is simultaneously formed with the gate line and the data line.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising

forming a light-shielding pattern at the boundary between the display area and the non-display area; and

forming a patterned spacer in the display area while simultaneously forming the first alignment key.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the forming the first alignment key, the light-shielding pattern and the patterned spacer includes:

forming an opaque material layer on the second substrate having the common electrode;

forming a photosensitive organic material layer on the opaque material layer;

exposing the photosensitive organic material layer through a mask having a transmissive portion and a blocking portion;

developing the photosensitive organic material layer to form first, second and third organic material patterns; and

patterning the opaque material layer using the first, second and third organic material patterns to form first, second and third opaque material patterns as etch masks,

wherein the first opaque material pattern and the first organic material pattern constitute the first alignment key, the second opaque material pattern and the second organic material pattern constitute the light-shielding pattern, and the third opaque material pattern and the third organic material pattern constitute the patterned spacer.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the forming the first alignment key, the light-shielding pattern and the patterned spacer includes:

forming an opaque material layer on the second substrate having the common electrode;

forming a photosensitive organic material layer on the opaque material layer;

exposing the photosensitive organic material layer through a mask having a transmissive portion, a half-transmissive portion and a blocking portion;

developing the photosensitive organic material layer to form first, second and third organic material patterns, the second and third organic material patterns corresponding to the half-transmissive portion and the blocking portion, respectively; and

patterning the opaque material layer using the first, second and third organic material patterns to form first, second and third opaque material patterns as etch masks,

wherein the first opaque material pattern and the first organic material pattern constitute the first alignment key, the second opaque material pattern and the second organic material pattern constitute the light-shielding pattern, and the third opaque material pattern and the third organic material pattern constitute the patterned spacer.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the light-shielding pattern overlaps the sealant.

11. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the light-shielding pattern is formed between the adjacent gate lines and between the adjacent data lines.

12. A method of fabricating a color filter on thin film transistor (COT) type liquid crystal display (LCD) device, comprising:

forming a gate line and a data line on a first substrate having a display area and a non-display area, the non-display area is at a periphery of the display area, the gate line and the data line crossing each other to define a pixel region in the display area;

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

forming a color filter layer over the thin film transistor;

forming a black matrix on the color filter layer;

forming a pixel electrode contacting the thin film transistor on the color filter layer;

forming a common electrode on a second substrate having the display area and the non-display area;

forming a first alignment key on the second substrate in the non-display area;

forming a light-shielding pattern at a boundary and a patterned spacer in the display area;

forming a sealant between the first and second substrate at the boundary between the display area and the non-display area;

attaching the first and second substrates such that the pixel electrode faces the common electrode;

forming a liquid crystal layer between the pixel electrode and the common electrode;

removing a portion of the second substrate having the first alignment key; and

forming a top case and a bottom case enclosing the first and second substrates therein such that the light-shielding pattern corresponds to end portions of the top case,

wherein the light-shielding pattern and the patterned spacer are simultaneously formed with the first alignment key.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein forming the first alignment key, the light-shielding pattern and the patterned spacer includes:

forming an opaque material layer on the second substrate having the common electrode;

forming a photosensitive organic material layer on the opaque material layer;

exposing the photosensitive organic material layer through a mask having a transmissive portion and a blocking portion;

developing the photosensitive organic material layer to form first, second and third organic material patterns; and

patterning the opaque material layer using the first, second and third organic material patterns to form first, second and third opaque material patterns as etch masks,

wherein the first opaque material pattern and the first organic material pattern constitute the first alignment key, the second opaque material pattern and the second organic material pattern constitute the light-shielding pattern, and the third opaque material pattern and the third organic material pattern constitute the patterned spacer.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the forming the first alignment key, the light-shielding pattern and the patterned spacer includes:

forming an opaque material layer on the second substrate having the common electrode;

forming a photosensitive organic material layer on the opaque material layer;

exposing the photosensitive organic material layer through a mask having a transmissive portion, a half-transmissive portion and a blocking portion;

developing the photosensitive organic material layer to form first, second and third organic material patterns, the second and third organic material patterns corresponding to the half-transmissive portion and the blocking portion, respectively; and

patterning the opaque material layer using the first, second and third organic material patterns to form first, second and third opaque material patterns as etch masks,

wherein the first opaque material pattern and the first organic material pattern constitute the first alignment key, the second opaque material pattern and the second organic material pattern constitute the light-shielding pattern, and the third opaque material pattern and the third organic material pattern constitute the patterned spacer.