Liquid crystal display

Abstract

A liquid crystal display is provided that includes: a first substrate; a second substrate facing the first substrate; a switching element disposed on the first substrate; a pixel electrode connected to the switching element; a common electrode disposed on the second substrate; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; an alignment layer disposed on at least one of the pixel electrode and the common electrode; and alignment aids in at least one of the liquid crystal layer and the alignment layer. The pixel electrode includes a first cutout, the common electrode includes a second cutout, and the first cutout and the second cutout are alternately arranged.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A liquid crystal display comprising:
 a first substrate;   a second substrate facing the first substrate;   a switching element disposed on the first substrate;   a passivation layer disposed on the switching element;   a pixel electrode disposed on the passivation layer and comprising corrugations;   a common electrode disposed on the second substrate;   a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and comprising liquid crystal molecules;   an alignment layer disposed on at least one of the pixel electrode and the common electrode; and   alignment aids disposed in at least one of the liquid crystal layer and the alignment layer.   
     
     
         2 . The liquid crystal display of  claim 1 , wherein the pixel electrode comprises sub-branches corresponding to convex portions of the corrugations. 
     
     
         3 . The liquid crystal display of  claim 2 , wherein the pixel electrode comprises sub-regions and the sub-branches in different ones of the sub-regions extend in different directions. 
     
     
         4 . The liquid crystal display of  claim 3 , further comprising a planarization layer disposed on the pixel electrode. 
     
     
         5 . The liquid crystal display of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the pixel electrode further comprises a stem forming a boundary between the sub-regions; and   a plurality of the sub-branches extend in different directions from opposing sides of the stem.   
     
     
         6 . The liquid crystal display of  claim 5 , wherein the alignment aids are aligned while forming a pretilt in the length direction of the sub-branches. 
     
     
         7 . The liquid crystal display of  claim 6 , wherein the common electrode is one plate. 
     
     
         8 . The liquid crystal display of  claim 1 , wherein the alignment layer comprises the alignment aids. 
     
     
         9 . The liquid crystal display of  claim 8 , wherein the alignment layer comprises main chains and side chains comprising the alignment aids. 
     
     
         10 . The liquid crystal display of  claim 9 , wherein the main chains comprise polyimide or polysiloxane. 
     
     
         11 . The liquid crystal display of  claim 10 , wherein the alignment aids comprise at least one of a vinyl group, a meta acryl group, an acryl group, and a cinnamoyl group. 
     
     
         12 . The liquid crystal display of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid crystal molecules have a negative dielectric anisotropy.