Fringe field switching mode liquid crystal display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same

1. A fringe field switching mode liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus, comprising:

a first substrate on which a pixel electrode and a common electrode are installed, the common electrode facing the pixel electrode and having a plurality of slits therein;

a second substrate, which faces the first substrate, the common electrode being interposed between the second substrate and the pixel electrode; and

a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the pixel electrode having a protrusion at a slit end portion of the slits in the common electrode, the protrusion protruding toward the common electrode, wherein the protrusion is formed by a metal layer added to form a step below the pixel electrode of the first substrate.

2. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, at the protrusion, the common electrode also protrudes toward the liquid crystal layer.

3. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

the first substrate further includes a gate electrode layer, an active layer, and a source/drain electrode layer for applying a voltage to the pixel electrode, and

the protrusion is formed as the pixel electrode is protruded by a step forming unit formed on the source/drain electrode layer.

4. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

the first substrate further includes a gate electrode layer, an active layer, and a source/drain electrode layer for applying a voltage to the pixel electrode, and

the protrusion is formed as the pixel electrode is protruded by a step forming unit formed on the gate electrode layer.

5. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a separate voltage is applied to the metal layer, so that a higher voltage is applied to the slit end portion.

6. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the protrusion overlaps a corner of the slit end portion.

7. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein an overlapping portion of the protrusion is chamfered.

8. A method of manufacturing a fringe field switching mode liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a first substrate on which a pixel electrode and a common electrode are installed, the common electrode facing the pixel electrode and having a plurality of slits therein;

disposing a second substrate to face the first substrate; and

attaching the first substrate and the second substrate to each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween, wherein:

the preparing of the first substrate includes forming a protrusion of the pixel electrode at a slit end portion of the slits in the common electrode, the protrusion protruding toward the common electrode,

the slits in the common electrode are each formed to have a first side, a gap, and a second side opposite the first side with the gap being interposed between the first side and the second side, and

at the slit end portion, the first side of the slit is formed to be offset from the second side of the slit in a height direction such that the first side of the slit is spaced apart from the first substrate by a first distance and the second side of the slit is spaced apart from the first substrate by a second distance that is less than the first distance.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein, at the protrusion, the common electrode also protrudes toward the liquid crystal layer.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein:

the first substrate is formed to include a gate electrode layer, an active layer, and a source/drain electrode layer for applying a voltage to the pixel electrode, and

the protrusion is formed as the pixel electrode is protruded by a step forming unit formed on the source/drain electrode layer.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein:

the first substrate is formed to include a gate electrode layer, an active layer, and a source/drain electrode layer for applying a voltage to the pixel electrode, and

the protrusion is formed as the pixel electrode is protruded by a step forming unit formed on the gate electrode layer.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein:

the first substrate is formed to include a metal layer that forms a step below the pixel electrode of the first substrate, and

the protrusion is formed as the pixel electrode, located on the metal layer, is protruded by the metal layer.

13. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the protrusion overlaps a corner of the slit end portion.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein an overlapping portion of the protrusion is chamfered.

15. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

the liquid crystal layer is above the common electrode, such that the liquid crystal layer is interposed between the common electrode and the second substrate, the common electrode protruding toward the liquid crystal layer,

the common electrode is interposed between the liquid crystal layer and the pixel electrode, and

the arrangement of liquid crystals in the liquid crystal layer is changed by forming a fringe field above the common electrode and the pixel electrode.

16. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein:

the protrusion is offset from the slit such that the slit end portion exposes a high portion and a low portion of a stepped area formed by the protrusion, and

the slit end portion overlies the high portion and the low portion of the stepped area, the slit end portion conforming to the high portion and the low portion of the stepped area such that a central part of the slit end portion projects towards the liquid crystal layer relative to a side part of the slit end portion.

17. The fringe field switching mode LCD apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:

the slits in the common electrode each have a first side, a gap, and a second side opposite the first side with the gap being interposed between the first side and the second side, and

at the slit end portion, the first side of the slit is offset from the second side of the slit in a height direction such that the first side of the slit is spaced apart from the first substrate by a first distance and the second side of the slit is spaced apart from the first substrate by a second distance that is less than the first distance.

18. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein:

the liquid crystal layer is disposed above the common electrode, such that the liquid crystal layer is interposed between the common electrode and the second substrate, the common electrode protruding toward the liquid crystal layer,

the common electrode is interposed between the liquid crystal layer and the pixel electrode, and

the display is formed such that the arrangement of liquid crystals in the liquid crystal layer is changed by forming a fringe field above the common electrode and the pixel electrode.

19. A fringe field switching mode liquid crystal display (LCD) apparatus, comprising:

a first substrate on which a pixel electrode and a common electrode are installed, the common electrode facing the pixel electrode and having a plurality of slits therein;

a second substrate, which faces the first substrate, the common electrode being interposed between the second substrate and the pixel electrode; and

a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, the pixel electrode having a protrusion at a slit end portion of the slits in the common electrode, the protrusion protruding toward the common electrode, wherein, at the protrusion, the common electrode also protrudes toward the liquid crystal layer.