초록 ▼

A liquid crystal display (LCD) device is divided into an active region and a liquid crystal margin region. The LCD includes a thin film transistor substrate that includes gate and data lines crossing each other to define pixel regions, and thin film transistors in the active region. A color filter s

A liquid crystal display (LCD) device is divided into an active region and a liquid crystal margin region. The LCD includes a thin film transistor substrate that includes gate and data lines crossing each other to define pixel regions, and thin film transistors in the active region. A color filter substrate has column spacers in the active region that contact a portion corresponding to a region of the thin film transistor and the gate or data lines. The column spacers contacting the thin film transistor region provide an elastic gap between the substrates. The column spacers in the gate/data line region are separated from the color filter substrate. Other column spacers are formed in the liquid crystal margin region in a honeycomb arrangement. A liquid crystal layer is disposed between the thin film transistor and color filter substrates.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A liquid crystal display (LCD) device having an active region and a liquid crystal margin region, the LCD device comprising: a first substrate having a thin film transistor array in the active region, the thin film transistor array including thin film transistors and gate and

What is claimed is: 1. A liquid crystal display (LCD) device having an active region and a liquid crystal margin region, the LCD device comprising: a first substrate having a thin film transistor array in the active region, the thin film transistor array including thin film transistors and gate and data lines crossing each other to define pixel regions; a second substrate having a first column spacer in the active region at a portion corresponding to a channel region of one of the thin film transistors, and a plurality of second column spacers disposed in the liquid crystal margin region, wherein the second column spacers are arranged in a honeycomb shape; a third column spacer disposed on the second substrate and being separated from an upper surface of the first substrate having the thin film transistor array at a portion corresponding to the gate line or the data line in the active region, wherein the first, second and third column spacers have the same height; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates; and a sealant disposed at an outer rim of the liquid crystal margin region, to bond the first and second substrates, thereby filling the liquid crystal layer therein, wherein the liquid crystal margin region is defined between the active region and the sealant, wherein the liquid crystal margin region is disposed around the active region. 2. The LCD device of claim 1, wherein the first column spacer provides an elastic gap between the first and second substrates and contacts the first substrate. 3. The LCD device of claim 2, wherein the elastic gap is about 0.2 μm to 0.6 μm. 4. The LCD device of claim 1, wherein the second column spacers are squares, and the adjacent second column spacers are arranged in a square. 5. The LCD device of claim 1, wherein the thin film transistors are “U”-channel thin film transistors that contain gate electrodes extending from the gate lines, “U”-shaped source electrodes, and drain electrodes extending between the source electrodes. 6. The LCD device of claim 1, wherein first column spacers are disposed along a diagonal direction with respect to the gate or data lines. 7. A liquid crystal display (LCD) device comprising: first and second substrates facing each other, each substrate including an active region and a liquid crystal margin region; a plurality of gate and data lines crossing each other on the first substrate to define a plurality of pixel regions in the active region; a plurality of thin film transistors disposed at crossing points of the gate and data lines; a plurality of pixel electrodes and common electrodes disposed on the first substrate in the pixel regions; a black matrix layer disposed on the second substrate at portions other than the pixel regions in the active region; a color filter layer disposed on the second substrate corresponding to the pixel regions in the active region; an overcoat layer disposed on the second substrate in the active region; a plurality of first column spacers disposed on the overcoat layer corresponding to a channel region of one of the thin film transistors in the active region; a plurality of second column spacers disposed on the second substrate corresponding to the liquid crystal margin region, wherein the second column spacers are arranged in a honeycomb shape; a plurality of third column spacers disposed on the overcoat layer and separated from an upper surface of the first substrate having the gate line and the data line in a portion corresponding to the gate line or the data line in the active region, wherein the first, second and third column spacers have the same height; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates; and a sealant disposed at an outer rim of the liquid crystal margin region, to bond the first and second substrates, thereby filling the liquid crystal layer therein, wherein the liquid crystal margin region is defined between the active region and the sealant, wherein the liquid crystal margin region is disposed around the active region. 8. The LCD device of claim 7, wherein the first column spacer provides an elastic gap between the first and second substrates and contacts the first substrate. 9. The LCD device of claim 7, wherein the second column spacers are squares, and adjacent second column spacers are arranged in a square. 10. The LCD device of claim 7, wherein first column spacers are disposed along a diagonal direction with respect to the gate or data lines. 11. A liquid crystal display (LCD) device comprising: first and second substrates facing each other, each substrate including an active region and a liquid crystal margin region; a plurality of gate and data lines crossing each other on the first substrate to define a plurality of pixel regions in the active region; a plurality of thin film transistors disposed at crossing points of the gate and data lines; a plurality of pixel electrodes disposed on the first substrate in the pixel regions; a black matrix layer disposed on the second substrate at portions other than the pixel regions in the active region; a color filter layer disposed on the second substrate corresponding to the pixel regions in the active region; a common electrode disposed on the second substrate in the active region; a plurality of first column spacers disposed on the common electrode of the second substrate corresponding to a channel region of one of the thin film transistors in the active region; a plurality of second column spacers disposed on the second substrate corresponding to the liquid crystal margin region, wherein the second column spacers are arranged in a honeycomb shape; a plurality of third column spacers disposed on the second substrate, and being separated from an upper surface of the first substrate having the gate line and the data line at a portion corresponding to the gate line or the data line in the active region, wherein the first, second and third column spacers have the same height; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates; and a sealant disposed at an outer rim of the liquid crystal margin region, to bond the first and second substrates, thereby filling the liquid crystal layer therein, wherein the liquid crystal margin region is defined between the active region and the sealant, wherein the liquid crystal margin region is disposed around the active region. 12. A liquid crystal display (LCD) device having an active region and a liquid crystal margin region, the LCD device comprising: a first substrate having a thin film transistor array in the active region, the thin film transistor array including a plurality of gate and data lines crossing each other to define a plurality of pixel regions and thin film transistors; a second substrate having a first column spacer contacting a portion corresponding to the thin film transistors in the active region, and a plurality of second column spacers disposed in the liquid crystal margin region, wherein the second column spacers are arranged in a honeycomb shape; a third column spacer disposed on the second substrate, and being separated from an upper surface of the first substrate having the thin film transistor array in a portion corresponding to the gate line or the data line in the active region, wherein the first, second and third column spacers have the same height; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates; and a sealant disposed at an outer rim of the liquid crystal margin region, to bond the first and second substrates, thereby filling the liquid crystal layer therein, wherein the liquid crystal margin region is defined between the active region and the sealant, wherein the liquid crystal margin region is disposed around the active region. 13. The LCD device of claim 12, wherein the first column spacers provide an elastic gap between the first and second substrates and contact the first substrate. 14. The LCD device of claim 12, wherein the second column spacers are squares, and adjacent second column spacers are arranged in a square. 15. A method for fabricating an LCD device, the method comprising: preparing first and second substrates, each substrate having an active region and a liquid crystal margin region, wherein the liquid crystal margin region is formed around the active region; forming a thin film transistor array including a plurality of gate and data lines and thin film transistors on the active region of the first substrate, the gate and data lines crossing each other to define a plurality of pixel regions; forming a first column spacer in contact with a portion of the first substrate corresponding to a channel region of one of the thin film transistors in the active region, and a plurality of second column spacers disposed in the liquid crystal margin region, wherein the second column spacers are arranged in a honeycomb shape; forming a third column spacer on the second substrate, the third column spacer separated from an upper surface of the first substrate having the gate line and data line at a portion corresponding to the gate line or the data line in the active region, wherein the first, second, and third column spacers have the same height; forming a sealant at an outer rim of the liquid crystal margin region, wherein the liquid crystal margin region is defined between the active region and the sealant; disposing a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates; and bonding the first and second substrates, thereby filling the liquid crystal layer therein. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising bonding the first and second substrates to each other such that the first column spacer provides an elastic gap between the first and second substrates. 17. The method of claim 15 wherein the second column spacers are squares, and adjacent second column spacers are arranged in a square. 18. The method of claim 15 wherein the second column spacers are disposed by an exposure and development process using a mask having a plurality of transmission and blocking regions. 19. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming first column spacers disposed along a diagonal direction with respect to the gate or data lines. 20. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming an alignment layer on facing surfaces of the first and second substrates. 21. A display device containing an active region and a margin region, the display device comprising: a first substrate a second substrate opposing the first substrate; first spacers disposed in the active region that are disposed on one of the first and second substrates, at least some of the first spacers contacting both the first and second substrates; second spacers disposed in the margin region, the first spacers disposed in a position relative to their respective pixel unit different from a position of the second spacers relative to their respective unit pixel, wherein the second column spacers are arranged in a honeycomb shape; third spacers disposed on the second substrate, and being separated from an upper surface of the first substrate having the gate line and the data line at a portion corresponding to the gate line or the data line in the active region, wherein the first, second, and third spacers have the same height; and a sealant disposed at an outer rim of the liquid crystal margin region, to bond the first and second substrates, wherein the liquid crystal margin region is defined between the active region and the sealant, wherein the liquid crystal margin region is disposed around the active region.