In-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device

Abstract

An in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device includes: a lower substrate and an upper substrate which face each other; a gate line and a data line on the lower substrate such that the gate line and the data line cross each other to define a pixel region that is divided into a transmissive region and a reflective region; a thin film transistor arranged at a crossing of the gate line and the data line; a reflective plate in the reflective region; a pixel electrode and a common electrode arranged in an alternating pattern at the pixel region; a retardation layer arranged on the upper substrate to correspond to the reflective region; a liquid crystal layer between the upper substrate and the lower substrate; and a first polarizing plate and a second polarizing plate at outer surfaces of the lower substrate and the upper substrate, respectively.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view illustrating a related art in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view illustrating a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a retardation layer is provided on a lower substrate;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view illustrating a liquid crystal display device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are views illustrating a transmission axis or optical axis of each layer in a reflective region and a transmissive region of FIG. 3, respectively;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are configuration views illustrating black and white optical states of the reflective region defined in a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating an in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line I-I′ of FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II′ of FIG. 6.

Claims

1. An in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device comprising: a lower substrate and an upper substrate which face each other;a gate line and a data line on the lower substrate such that the gate line and the data line cross each other to define a pixel region that is divided into a transmissive region and a reflective region;a thin film transistor arranged at a crossing of the gate line and the data line;a reflective plate in the reflective region;a pixel electrode and a common electrode arranged in an alternating pattern at the pixel region;a retardation layer arranged on the upper substrate to correspond to the reflective region;a liquid crystal layer between the upper substrate and the lower substrate; anda first polarizing plate and a second polarizing plate at outer surfaces of the lower substrate and the upper substrate, respectively.

2. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the retardation layer has a phase retardation of about λ/2.

3. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein an optical axis of the retardation layer has an angle of about 20˜45°.

4. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein the liquid crystal layer has a cell gap condition for allowing the liquid crystal layer to have a phase retardation of about λ/2 in the transmissive region and a phase retardation of about λ/4 in the reflective region.

5. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein the liquid crystal layer has an optical axis of about 45° relative to a transmission axis of the second polarizing plate in a white state.

6. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 5, wherein the liquid crystal layer has an optical axis of about 0° or about 90° relative to a transmission axis of the second polarizing plate in a black state.

7. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 5, wherein the retardation layer has an optical axis of about 24° and the liquid crystal layer has an optical axis of about 90° relative to a transmission axis of the second polarizing plate, respectively, in a black state.

8. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal layer has a retardation value corresponding to a range of about 137˜320 nm.

9. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 8, wherein the retardation layer has a retardation value corresponding to a range of about 137˜300 nm.

10. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the reflective plate is arranged on a same layer as the data line.

11. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising: a common line on a same layer as the gate line and connected to the common electrode.

12. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the common electrode is arranged on a same layer as the gate line.

13. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the common electrode is arranged on a same layer as the pixel electrode.

14. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising: a color filter layer and an overcoat layer arranged on the upper substrate including the retardation layer.

15. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 14, wherein the color filter layer and the overcoat layer, which are arranged on the upper substrate to correspond to the transmissive region and the reflective region, have a relatively larger thickness in the transmissive region to compensate for a thickness of the retardation layer in the reflective region.

16. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 14, wherein the overcoat layer has a flattened surface in both the reflective region and the transmissive region.

17. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the retardation layer has a thickness of about 1˜2 μm.

18. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising: a first orientation film and a second orientation film at inner surfaces of the lower substrate and the upper substrate, respectively, to determine an orientation of the liquid crystal layer.

19. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 18, wherein the first orientation film is arranged throughout a surface of the lower substrate including the gate line, data line, thin film transistor, pixel electrode, common electrode, and reflective plate.

20. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 18, wherein the second orientation film is arranged throughout a surface of the upper substrate including the retardation layer.

21. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the retardation layer includes reactive mesogen (RM).

22. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 21, further comprising: a third orientation film arranged on the retardation layer.

23. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the retardation layer is formed by a deposition method.

24. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the retardation layer is formed by a coating method.

25. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a block defined by the common electrode and the pixel electrode is the reflective region or transmissive region.

26. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer in both the reflective region and the transmissive region have a same orientation as each other.

27. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 26, wherein a distance between the common electrode and the pixel electrode is regulated such that the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer in both the reflective region and the transmissive region are rotated by an angle of about 45° under the maximum reflectance and maximum transmission conditions.

28. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a polarizing axis of the first polarizing plate is aligned orthogonal to a polarizing axis of the second polarizing plate, andthe liquid crystal layer is initially oriented so that an optical axis thereof coincides with a transmission axis of any one of the first and second polarizing plates.

29. A liquid crystal display device comprising: a lower substrate and an upper substrate which face each other;a gate line and a data line on the lower substrate such that the gate line and the data line cross each other to define a pixel region that is divided into a transmissive region and a reflective region;a thin film transistor arranged at a crossing of the gate line and the data line;a reflective plate in the reflective region;a pixel electrode and a common electrode arranged in an alternating pattern at the pixel region;a retardation layer arranged to correspond to the reflective region;a liquid crystal layer between the upper substrate and the lower substrate; anda first polarizing plate and a second polarizing plate at the lower substrate and the upper substrate, respectively.

30. A method of making an in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device comprising: providing a lower substrate and an upper substrate which face each other;forming a gate line and a data line on the lower substrate such that the gate line and the data line cross each other to define a pixel region that is divided into a transmissive region and a reflective region;forming a thin film transistor at a crossing of the gate line and the data line;forming a reflective plate in the reflective region;forming a pixel electrode and a common electrode in an alternating pattern at the pixel region;forming a retardation layer on the upper substrate corresponding to the reflective region;forming a liquid crystal layer between the upper substrate and the lower substrate; andforming a first polarizing plate and a second polarizing plate at outer surfaces of the lower substrate and the upper substrate, respectively.