JP2007094253A - Electrooptical apparatus, electronic device, and manufacturing method of electrooptical apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electrooptical apparatus wherein both sides can be displayed and thickness can be reduced as compared with a conventional one. <P>SOLUTION: The electrooptical apparatus 100 is provided with a light source 132 irradiating at least a part of a first end surface 110a of a first substrate with light and irradiating at least a part of a second end surface 120a of a second substrate with light. The first substrate is provided with a plurality of inclined surfaces 110x for polarization polarizing light made incident on at least the part of the first end surface and emitting the polarized light from a first surface opposed to an electrooptical substance on a second surface opposed to the first surface and emitting light made incident on the first surface from the electrooptical substance side from the second surface. The second substrate has a third surface opposed to the first surface of the first substrate, is provided with a plurality of inclined surfaces 120x for polarization emitting light made incident on at least the part of the second end surface from the third surface on a fourth surface opposed to the third surface and emitting light made incident on the third surface from the electrooptical substance side from the fourth surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electro-optical device, an electronic apparatus, and an electro-optical device manufacturing method, and more particularly to a configuration of an electro-optical device including a light source for enabling display.

  In general, various electronic devices are often equipped with a liquid crystal display or other electro-optical device as a display unit. In particular, in portable electronic devices such as mobile phones and portable computers, an electro-optic material is disposed between a pair of substrates, and a predetermined electric field is applied to the electro-optic material to control and display the light modulation state. What realizes is used.

  For example, in a liquid crystal display device, in general, a pair of substrates are bonded together with a sealing material, and a liquid crystal panel is formed by sealing liquid crystal between the substrates, and a light source and a light guide are led behind or on the front surface of the liquid crystal panel. A backlight or a front light provided with a light plate is disposed, and a desired display is visually recognized using illumination light emitted from the backlight or the front light.

  Further, there is known a device structure in which the thickness of the liquid crystal display device is reduced by configuring such that a part of the functions of the light guide plate is realized by one substrate constituting the liquid crystal panel (for example, , See Patent Document 1 below). In this type of liquid crystal display device, a light guide film is stuck on the outer surface of one substrate constituting the liquid crystal panel, and light incident on one substrate is emitted to the other substrate side by the light guide film. It is configured.

In recent years, a double-sided display type device having a display screen on both the front and back sides of a display unit has appeared, such as a folding mobile phone. In such a double-sided display type electronic device, The two liquid crystal display panels are arranged opposite to each other with the backlight interposed therebetween.
JP 2003-330020 A

  However, in the liquid crystal display device using the light guide film described above, the use of the light guide film increases the thickness as compared with the liquid crystal panel. Since light loss occurs at the interface with the optical film, etc., there is a problem that the light utilization efficiency is also lowered.

  In addition, in the above-mentioned double-sided display type electronic device, it is necessary to arrange two liquid crystal display panels in addition to the need for a separate backlight. There is.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a novel electro-optical device that can be made thinner than the conventional structure and can maintain the light use efficiency. . Another object is to provide a novel electro-optical device that can perform double-sided display and can be thinner than the conventional one.

  In view of such circumstances, the electro-optical device of the present invention is an electro-optical device in which an electro-optical material is sandwiched between a first substrate and a second substrate, and is at least one of the first end surfaces of the first substrate. A light source that irradiates light to at least part of the second end surface of the second substrate, the first substrate deflects light incident on at least part of the first end surface, On the second surface facing the first surface, a plurality of light deflection inclined surfaces that are emitted from the first surface facing the electro-optic material are provided, and light incident on the first surface from the electro-optic material side is provided. The second substrate has a third surface facing the first surface of the first substrate, and the light incident on at least a part of the second end surface is emitted from the second surface. A plurality of inclined surfaces for deflecting light emitted from a fourth surface facing the third surface Together, characterized in that to emit light incident on the third surface from the electro-optical material side from the fourth surface.

  According to this invention, each of the first substrate and the second substrate is used as the light guide by forming the light deflection inclined surfaces on the second surface of the first substrate and the fourth surface of the second substrate, respectively. Therefore, it is possible to perform display based on illumination light applied to the electro-optical material from any one of the substrates without increasing the thickness. Therefore, the thickness can be further reduced by the conventional structure in which the light guide film is adhered to the outer surface of the substrate.

  Further, the light emitted from the light source toward the first end surface of the first substrate is deflected toward the first surface side of the first substrate by the light deflection inclined surface, and the electro-optic material is irradiated from above the first surface. Display performed based on light and light emitted from the light source toward the second end surface of the second substrate are deflected toward the third surface side of the second substrate by the light deflection inclined surface, and electric power is applied from above the third surface. Both the front and back display can be realized because both the display based on the illumination light irradiated to the optical material can be realized, and the bright display can be achieved by using the illumination light from both front and back. Can be realized.

  In the present invention, the light emitted from the light source and incident on the first substrate is transmitted through the electro-optic material and the second substrate to form a display observed from the second substrate side, and is emitted from the light source. Preferably, the light incident on the second substrate is transmitted through the electro-optic material and the first substrate to constitute a display observed from the first substrate side.

  In the present invention, an angle of the light deflection inclined surface provided on the first substrate and the second substrate is an inclination angle greater than a critical angle with respect to light incident in parallel with the second surface or the fourth surface. It is preferable to have. This makes it possible to efficiently guide the light incident on the first end surface and the second end surface to the first surface and the third surface.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of pixels are provided, and the light deflection inclined surface is provided at a position corresponding to the pixel. By providing a plurality of light deflection slopes provided on the first substrate and the second substrate at positions corresponding to the pixels, the planar positional relationship between the light deflection slope and the pixels can be configured to be constant. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of moire fringes caused by uneven illumination intensity of illumination light based on the light deflection slope, and to match, for example, a region with high illumination light intensity based on the light deflection slope within the pixel. Since the illumination light can be efficiently guided into the pixel by a method such as the above, the light use efficiency can be increased.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of pixels are provided, and the plurality of light deflection inclined surfaces are formed in a cycle that coincides with the arrangement cycle of the pixels. According to this, since the plurality of light deflection slopes are formed at a period that coincides with the arrangement period of the plurality of pixels, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of moire fringes due to the formation period of the light deflection slopes. At the same time, for example, it is possible to efficiently guide the illumination light into the pixel by matching a high illumination area of the illumination light based on the light deflecting slope into the pixel, thereby increasing the light use efficiency. be able to.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that an inner surface polarizing layer constituting a polarizer or an analyzer is formed on the first surface of the first substrate and the third surface of the second substrate, respectively. In the case of using an electro-optical material that requires a polarizer or an analyzer such as a TN liquid crystal or an STN liquid crystal, an inner surface polarization layer is formed on the first surface of the first substrate and the third surface of the second substrate, respectively. By forming this, it is possible to realize both displays based on the illumination lights emitted from both substrates.

  In this invention, it is preferable to have a light-diffusion means on at least one part of the said 1st end surface and the said 2nd end surface. According to this, since the light is diffused by the light diffusing means when the light is incident on the first substrate and the second substrate, the uniformity of the illumination light can be improved. In particular, according to the present invention, since a diffusion plate cannot be disposed between the light guide plate and the panel as in the prior art, it is not necessary to form a light diffusion layer in the panel, and manufacturing can be easily performed. Become.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that a light reflection layer is formed on the other end surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate except for at least a part of the first end surface and the second end surface. According to this, since the light incident on the first substrate and the second substrate from the light source can be reflected by the light reflecting layers on the first end surface and the second end surface, the light use efficiency is improved, and the illumination light Illuminance can be increased.

  In the present invention, the light source is preferably a single light emitting element that emits light toward both at least a part of the first end face and at least a part of the second end face. According to this, since it is possible to emit light toward both the first substrate and the second substrate with a single light emitting element, it can be easily configured even if the thickness of the panel is reduced.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that a light shielding portion for shielding light from the light source toward the electro-optical material is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. According to this, light that directly enters the electro-optical material without passing through the first substrate and the second substrate from the light source can be shielded, so that display quality can be improved. Here, when light is emitted toward both the first substrate and the second substrate with a single light source, the amount of light directly directed to the electro-optical material increases, which is particularly effective. In addition, it is preferable that the light shielding portion is formed of a sealing material that bonds the first substrate and the second substrate. That is, by making at least a part of the sealing material light-shielding, the light-shielding portion can be provided without complicating the structure and the manufacturing process.

  In the present invention, the light source may include a first light emitting element disposed to face at least a part of the first end face, and a second light emitting element arranged to face at least a part of the second end face. preferable. According to this, two illumination lights can be controlled independently by providing the light emitting element which radiates | emits light to each of a 1st board | substrate and a 2nd board | substrate.

  In the present invention, the first light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element are driven in a time-sharing manner, the driving state of the electro-optical material during the lighting period of the first light-emitting element, and the second light-emitting element It is preferable to have control means capable of separately controlling the driving state of the electro-optical material during the lighting period. According to this, the display visually recognized from the 1st board | substrate side and the display visually recognized from the 2nd board | substrate side are realizable in a separate aspect.

  Next, an electronic apparatus according to the invention includes any one of the above electro-optical devices as a display unit. Although it does not specifically limit as an electronic device, It is especially desirable that it is portable electronic devices, such as a mobile telephone, a portable computer, and an electronic timepiece.

  Next, the electro-optical device manufacturing method according to the present invention includes a panel forming step of forming an electro-optical panel by disposing an electro-optical material between a first substrate and a second substrate, and then the first substrate. A plurality of light deflecting slopes for deflecting light incident on at least a part of the first end surface of the first substrate on the second surface facing the first surface facing the electro-optic material and emitting the light from the first surface And deflecting light incident on at least a part of the second end surface of the second substrate on the fourth surface of the second substrate facing the third surface of the second substrate facing the electro-optic material, And a light deflection slope forming step of forming a plurality of light deflection slopes emitted from the third surface.

  According to the present invention, by performing the light deflection slope forming step after the panel formation step, the light deflection slope can be formed in accordance with the panel structure, so that a suitable optical structure can be reliably formed. At the same time, the possibility of damaging or contaminating the light deflection slope can be reduced.

  According to another method of manufacturing the electro-optical device of the present invention, light incident on at least a part of the first end surface of the first substrate is deflected on a second surface facing the first surface of the first substrate. A plurality of inclined surfaces for deflecting light emitted from the first surface, and a second surface of the second substrate on a fourth surface of the second substrate facing the third surface of the second substrate facing the electro-optic material. A light deflecting slope forming step of deflecting light incident on at least a part of the end face and emitting a plurality of light deflecting slopes to be emitted from the third face; and the first substrate and the second substrate on the other plate And a panel forming step of forming an electro-optical panel by arranging an electro-optical material between the surfaces so as to face each other.

  Also in the present invention, the panel structure can be formed in conformity with the light deflection inclined surface by performing the panel forming step after the light deflection inclined surface forming step, so that a suitable optical structure can be reliably functioned. .

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the method further includes a step of polishing at least a part of the first end surface and the second end surface. According to this, the incident light rate of the light from the light source to the first substrate and the second substrate can be increased by polishing at least a part of the end surface.

[First Embodiment]
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an electro-optical device 100 of the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the device 100, FIG. 3 is a schematic bottom view of the device 100, and FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a part of the apparatus 100 in an enlarged manner. In the drawings, details such as wiring and element structure are omitted as appropriate.

  The electro-optical device 100 includes a first substrate 110 made of a transparent substrate made of glass, plastic, or the like, and a second substrate 120 made of the same transparent substrate, and the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 are A liquid crystal panel is formed in which liquid crystal 131 which is an electro-optical material is sealed between both substrates, which are bonded to each other at a predetermined interval of about 3 to 10 μm through a sealing material 130.

  Each of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 has a rectangular planar shape, and the first substrate 110 is provided with a substrate protruding portion 110E that extends outward from the outer shape of the second substrate 120. Although not particularly limited in the present invention, in the present embodiment, a plurality of wirings are formed on the inner surface of the first substrate 110 (the plate surface facing the second substrate 120, that is, the first surface), and the wirings are electrically conductive. A switching element (for example, a TFT (thin film transistor) or a TFD (thin film diode)) connected to the switching element and a pixel electrode that is conductively connected to the switching element, and the inner surface of the second substrate 120 (toward the first substrate 110). A color filter in which a plurality of colored layers such as red, blue, and green are arranged, and a transparent protective film is preferably formed thereon, and the color filter. Further, an active matrix display body having a counter electrode disposed on the pixel electrode so as to face the pixel electrode is formed.

  Further, a part of the end surface (first end surface) of the first substrate 110 and a part of the end surface (second end surface) of the second substrate 120 (in the illustrated example, a portion along the left side, hereinafter, simply referred to as “light capturing surface”). The light source 132 having a light emitting surface 132a disposed opposite to the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a is provided adjacent to the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a. The light source 132 includes a light emitting element such as an LED (light emitting diode), an LD (laser diode), or an organic EL, or a cold cathode tube. The light emitting surface 132a of the light source 132 has a thickness direction range from the light capturing surface 110a of the first substrate 110 to the light capturing surface 120a of the second substrate 120, and simultaneously emits light to both the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a. It is comprised so that discharge | release is possible.

  As described above, the integrated light emitting device having the light emitting surface 132a extending over both the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a of both the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 is used as the light source 132, whereby the first substrate 110 and the second substrate are used. Since it is not always necessary to use a light source thinner than the thickness to which 120 is bonded, a light source having a relatively large size with high light utilization efficiency can be used. In other words, since the thickness of the electro-optical panel can be determined regardless of the size of the light source, the thickness of the electro-optical panel can be reduced. Of course, when a light source of a small size is used, the thickness of the electro-optical panel can be reduced. For example, when a chip-shaped LED is used as the light source 132, if the thickness is 0.6 mm, the entire thickness of the electro-optical panel can be 0.6 mm. At present, an LED having a thickness of 0.6 mm or more can be obtained. Therefore, if the entire thickness of the electro-optical panel is 0.6 mm or more, it can be easily configured.

  The light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a are preferably mirror-finished by polishing or the like. As a result, the light incidence efficiency can be improved. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, light diffusion means 110s and 120s each having a prism structure or the like may be provided on the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a. Accordingly, the uniformity of illumination light emitted from the inner surfaces of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 can be improved. In the illustrated example, prism processing is applied to the substantially flat light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a. This prism shape is composed of triangular prism-shaped projections, and two non-parallel inclined surfaces of these projections constitute light diffusing means 110s and 120s that perform a light diffusing action. Here, the prism processing may be performed by directly processing the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 by etching or the like, or the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120. It may be formed by adding other materials (for example, resin materials) on the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a. Other wave shapes may be used.

  The light diffusing means 110s and 120s may be formed by blasting the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a to form a fine concavo-convex structure, or forming a fine microlens structure on the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a. It may be what you did.

  The light source 132 is mounted on a wiring board 133 constituted by a flexible wiring board or the like, and is configured such that electric power is supplied to the light source 132 via a wiring (not shown) in the wiring board 133. The light source 132 and the wiring substrate 133 are surrounded by a reflector 134 having a U-shaped cross section, and the first substrate 110 and the second substrate from the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a out of the light emitted from the light source 132. The light that is not incident on the light 120 is reflected so as to be directed toward the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a.

  It is preferable that the front end of the reflecting plate 134 is in contact with the electro-optical panel (the first substrate 110, the second substrate 120, and the sealing material 130) so that light does not leak from the gap. In addition, this reflecting plate 134 can also be comprised by a part of case body holding an electro-optical panel, for example.

  In the present embodiment, the light emitted from the light emitting surface 132a of the light source 132 is irradiated not only on the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 but also on the sealing material 130. ing. Therefore, in the present embodiment, at least a region facing the light source 132 of the sealing material 130 is made of a light shielding material. For example, a black resin or the like is dispersed in a normal translucent sealing resin, and the light shielding property is secured by the sealing material 130 itself. However, a light shielding material (black resin or the like) may be separately attached to, for example, the outside of the sealing material 130.

  On the surface of the substrate overhanging portion 110E of the first substrate 110, a wiring electrically connected to the pixel electrode, the counter electrode, and the wiring is drawn out, and this is a flexible wiring board mounted on the substrate overhanging portion 110T. The wiring board 135 is conductively connected. The wiring board 135 supplies scanning signals, data signals, and the like to the panel structure from a control circuit (not shown).

  Next, the structure on the inner surface of the first substrate 110 will be described more specifically. On the inner surface of the first substrate 110, a low refractive index layer 111 made of a transparent material having a refractive index lower than that of the first substrate 110, such as magnesium fluoride, is formed. When the low refractive index layer 111 is formed in this way, even if the light incident on the first substrate 110 is light having a slightly large incident angle, the first refractive index layer 111 is reflected at the interface between the first substrate 110 and the low refractive index layer 111. Since the light travels through the substrate 110, the illuminance of the illumination light emitted from the first substrate 110 toward the electro-optic material (liquid crystal) 131 can be made uniform. The low refractive index layer 111 can be formed by an evaporation method or the like.

  An internal polarizing layer 112 is formed on the low refractive index layer 111. The inner surface polarizing layer 112 can be made of a water-soluble lyotropic liquid crystal dye material or a thermotropic polymer liquid crystal material containing a dichroic dye. Further, a wire grid structure can be adopted as the inner polarizing layer 112. This wire grid structure has a large number of parallel conductor lines arranged at a pitch shorter than the wavelength of light. For incident light, the wire grid reflects a polarization component having a polarization plane coinciding with the direction of the parallel conductor lines, and transmits a polarization component having a polarization plane orthogonal to the direction of the parallel conductor lines. In this structure, a / d is preferably about 0.6, where a is the width of the parallel conductor wire and d is the pitch. Further, when the wavelength of light is λ, it is preferable that λ / d ≧ 5. Furthermore, the lower layer of the conductor wire may be composed of a film having a high reflectance, and the upper layer may be composed of a film having a low reflectance. Examples of the highly reflective film include those composed of Ag, Au, Al, and the like, and examples of the low reflectance film include those composed of Cr, Ti. From the viewpoint of low cost or from the viewpoint that the film can be formed by sputtering, it is desirable to use Al as a material.

  An insulating protective film 113 is formed on the inner surface polarizing layer 112, and the insulating protective film 113 covers the inner surface polarizing layer 112. On the insulating protective film 113, a wiring element structure 114 composed of a conductor layer in which the wiring and switching elements are formed, an interlayer insulating film, or the like is formed. Further, a first electrode 115 constituting a pixel electrode made of a transparent conductor such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) is provided on the wiring element structure 114. The first electrode is conductively connected to the switching element. An alignment film 116 made of polyimide resin or the like is formed on the first electrode 115 as necessary.

  On the other hand, a low refractive index layer 121 similar to the above is also formed on the inner surface of the second substrate 120. The low refractive index layer 121 is the same as the low refractive index layer 111, and the function thereof is also the same. An inner polarizing layer 122 similar to the above is formed on the low refractive index layer 121. The inner surface polarizing layer 122 is also formed of the same material as the inner surface polarizing layer 112, and the function thereof is also the same. However, the orientation relationship between the polarization axes of the inner surface polarizing layer 112 and the inner surface polarizing layer 122 is appropriately set depending on the configuration of the liquid crystal 131. For example, in the case of a TN mode liquid crystal panel, the polarization axes of both polarizing layers are typically set to have a crossed Nicols or parallel Nicols relationship, and in the case of an STN mode liquid crystal panel, the polarizations of both polarizing layers are set. The axes are set to be in a relationship having an intermediate angle between them.

  An insulating protective film 123 is formed on the inner surface polarizing layer 122, and the insulating protective film 123 covers the inner surface polarizing layer 122. On the insulating protective film 123, a color filter 124 is formed in which a plurality of colored layers are formed by dispersing coloring materials such as dyes and pigments in a transparent resin substrate such as an acrylic resin. In the color filter 124, a transparent protective film such as an acrylic resin is formed on the colored layer. On the color filter 124, the second electrode 125 constituting the counter electrode is formed. An alignment film 126 made of polyimide resin or the like is formed on the second electrode 125 as necessary.

  A light reflecting layer 136 is formed on the end surfaces of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 excluding the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a. That is, in the case of the illustrated example, end surfaces are provided on each of the four sides of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 that are formed in a rectangular planar shape, and one side that overlaps vertically on the same side of these end surfaces. The light reflecting layer 136 is formed on all of the remaining three side end surface portions excluding the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a which are end surface portions. Specifically, the light reflecting layer 136 is formed by depositing a reflective material such as aluminum or white resin on the end face portion.

  In the present embodiment, light deflection inclined surfaces 110x and 120x are formed on the outer surface (second surface) of the first substrate 110 and the outer surface (fourth surface) of the second substrate 120. These light deflection inclined surfaces 110x and 120x are constituted by a part of inner surfaces of the concave grooves 110d and 120d provided on the outer surface of the substrate. In the case of the illustrated example, the plurality of concave grooves 110d and 120d are formed in a stripe shape as a whole so as to extend in parallel with the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a, respectively.

  In the case of the present embodiment, as part of the inner surfaces of the concave grooves 110d and 120d, a light deflection inclined surface 110x that is inclined obliquely toward the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a toward the inside of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120, 120x is provided, and these light deflection inclined surfaces 110x and 120x transmit internally propagating light propagating from the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a in the opposite direction inside the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120, respectively. The light is totally reflected and emitted from the inner surfaces of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120.

  Further, the light deflection inclined surfaces 110x and 120x transmit the light incident on the inner surfaces of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 from the liquid crystal 131 side, which is an electro-optic material, as it is (although some refraction occurs). The light is emitted from the outer surfaces of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120. That is, with respect to the internally propagating light that is incident from the end faces (light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a) and propagates substantially parallel to the outer surface, the light deflection inclined surfaces 110x and 120x are configured to have an angle greater than the total reflection angle. However, for light that is transmitted in a direction close to the normal direction of the inner surfaces of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 (light that passes through the liquid crystal 131 and contributes to display), a light deflection inclined surface 110x, 120x is configured to be an angle less than the total reflection angle.

  The concave grooves 110d and 120d constituting the light deflection inclined surfaces 110x and 120x are not limited to the stripe shape as shown in the illustrated example. For example, the rectangular concave grooves are formed as the first substrate 110 and the first groove 110d. The two substrates 120 may be distributed on the outer surface. In this way, it is possible to appropriately set the light deflection action such that the density of the light deflection slopes 110x and 120x can be changed according to the distance from the light source 132. The light deflection inclined surfaces 110x and 120x are flat inclined surfaces facing the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a. However, the light deflecting inclined surfaces 110x and 120x are concavely curved or convexly curved on the outer surfaces of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120. A microlens structure (for example, a spherical shape) may be formed, and this optical surface may be used as a light deflection inclined surface.

  Reinforcing films 117 and 127 are formed on the outer surfaces of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120. These reinforcing films 117 and 127 are for compensating for the lack of rigidity of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 due to the formation of the concave grooves 110d and 120d, and are filled in the concave grooves 110d and 120d. It is formed in a continuous state on the outer surface. Further, it is made of a material having optical characteristics that do not impair the optical characteristics of the light deflecting slopes 110x and 120x, for example, a material whose optical refractive index is sufficiently lower than the substrate material, specifically, magnesium fluoride or the like. The reinforcing films 117 and 127 can be formed by a vapor deposition method or the like. The surfaces of the reinforcing films 117 and 127 are preferably configured to be flat as illustrated. If it does in this way, the cleaning process of surfaces, such as washing | cleaning and wiping off, will become easy.

  In the present embodiment described above, by turning on the light source 132, the light emitted from the light source 132 enters the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 from the light capturing surface 110a and the light capturing surface 120a, Are propagated in the direction from the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a toward the other end surface portion. A part of this light is totally reflected by the light deflection slopes 110x and 120x formed on the outer surface, and is emitted from the inner surfaces of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120. The light that is not deflected by the light deflecting slopes 110x and 120x is reflected by the light reflecting layer 136 formed on the end face part, propagates again inside the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120, and finally the light The light is emitted from the inner surface by the deflecting slopes 110x and 120x.

  Illumination light emitted from the inner surfaces of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 passes through the inner deflection layers 112 and 122 to be in a predetermined polarization state, passes through the liquid crystal 131 which is an electro-optic material, and is optically modulated. After passing through the other inner surface polarizing layers 122 and 112, the light is emitted from the outer surfaces of the second substrate 120 and the first substrate 110 and is visually recognized by an observer. Therefore, in the case of the present embodiment, the display can be viewed from the outer surface side of the first substrate 110, and the display can also be viewed from the outer surface side of the second substrate 120.

  In the present embodiment, by using the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 as light guides, it is not necessary to superimpose other light guides, so that the overall thickness can be significantly reduced. In addition, since the light emitted from the light source 132 and directly taken into the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 remains in the panel and is emitted as display light, the light use efficiency can be improved as a whole. .

[Second Embodiment]
Next, an example of the manufacturing process of the first embodiment will be described as a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an outline of the manufacturing process of the electro-optical device 100. In the present embodiment, a plurality of electro-optical panel structures are collectively formed using a large-area mother substrate, and these are divided to constitute individual electro-optical devices. However, by configuring the panel structure using the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 from the beginning, it is also possible to manufacture the electro-optical device without performing the mother substrate dividing step.

  In this embodiment, first, as a process P01, a mother substrate including a plurality of substrate regions corresponding to the first substrate 110 is prepared, and the low refractive index layer 111, the inner surface polarizing layer 112, and the protection are provided on one surface thereof. A film 113, a wiring element structure 114, a first electrode 115, and an alignment film 116 are sequentially formed. On the other hand, as step P11, a mother substrate including a plurality of substrate regions corresponding to the second substrate 120 is prepared. Then, the second electrode 125 and the alignment film 126 are sequentially formed. In addition, the said process P01 and P11 can be performed simultaneously in parallel. Further, a step of forming a spacer fixed on at least one of the mother substrates may be provided.

  Next, in step P02, the sealing material 131 is disposed for each of the substrate regions on any one of the mother substrates (in the illustrated example, the mother substrate corresponding to the first substrate 110). Note that in the case where the step of forming the fixed spacer is not provided, it is preferable to provide a step of mixing the spacer in the sealant 131 or spraying the spacer onto one of the substrates.

  Next, in step P21, the two mother substrates are bonded together with the sealing material 130 so that the inner surfaces thereof face each other. Thereafter, the two mother boards are pressed to make the gap between the boards uniform, and the sealing material 130 is cured to complete a large panel structure.

  Next, in the process P22, the large panel structure is divided so that the opening of the sealing material 130 is exposed. This division can be performed by a scribe / break method or the like. Thereafter, in step P23, liquid crystal is injected into the divided panel structure from the opening. Thereafter, the opening of the sealing material 130 is sealed with a sealing material or the like. Thereafter, in step P24, the panel structure is further divided to form individual electro-optical panels.

  Thereafter, in step P25, a light deflection inclined surface 110x is formed on the outer surface of the first substrate 110 by an etching method or the like. For example, a portion of the first substrate 110 that does not need to be etched is covered with a resist or the like, and an outer surface portion that is not covered with the resist is etched using hydrofluoric acid or the like to form the concave groove 110s. Form. Further, in step P26, a concave groove 120s is formed on the outer surface of the second substrate 120, and a light deflection inclined surface 120x is similarly formed. Steps P25 and P26 can be performed simultaneously.

  In steps 25 and 26, the light deflection slopes 110x and 120x are formed in accordance with the pixel arrangement of the panel structure. For example, the processes P25 and P26 described above are performed in accordance with the position of the pixel G so that the light deflection inclined surfaces 110x and 120x are always in a fixed positional relationship with the pixel G shown in FIG. Actually, the same alignment marks used in the steps P01 and P11 can be used in the steps P25 and P26, or the first electrode, the color filter, etc. formed in the steps P01 and P11 are used as the alignment marks. Steps P25 and P26 can also be performed.

  Here, the light deflection inclined surfaces 110x and 120x are formed so as to match the arrangement mode of the pixels G along the propagation direction of the light emitted from the light source 132 in the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120. It is preferable. In particular, as shown in the illustrated example, it is desirable that one light deflection inclined surface 110x, 120x is always arranged in one pixel G along the propagation direction. In this way, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of moire fringes caused by the relationship between the illuminance distribution of illumination light and the arrangement mode of the pixels G. When the pixels G are arranged in the propagation direction with a constant arrangement cycle, the light deflection inclined surfaces 110x and 120x are also preferably formed in the propagation direction with the same cycle.

  However, the illuminance distribution of the illumination light by the light deflecting slopes 110x and 120x generally does not always have a peak in the normal direction of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120, and is shown by the illustrated arrows D110 and D120. Since there is often a peak in a direction slightly inclined in the propagation direction, the light deflection slope is such that the pixel G (the center portion) exists in the peak direction of the illuminance distribution when viewed from the light deflection slopes 110x and 120x. It is preferable to set the positional relationship between 110x, 120x and the pixel G. If it does in this way, since it becomes possible to use illumination light so that it may become the light which contributes to a display efficiently, the utilization efficiency of light can be improved.

  Next, in the process P27, the light reflecting layer 136 is formed on the end surface portion other than the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a. In this step, the portion other than the end surface portion may be covered with a resist or the like, and the light reflecting layer 136 may be deposited in the shape of the end surface portion by vapor deposition or the like.

  Finally, in process P28, the light source 132, the wiring board 133, the reflecting plate 134, and the wiring board 135 are attached to or mounted on the panel structure to complete the electro-optical device 100.

  In this embodiment, since the light deflection slopes 110x and 120x are formed on the outer surface of the substrate after the panel structure is completed, the possibility of damage or contamination of the outer surface of the substrate can be reduced.

  The polishing process for the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a or the blasting or etching process for forming the light diffusing means can be performed at any timing with the light capturing surfaces 110a and 120a exposed. However, in order to prevent damage and contamination, it is preferable to carry out between steps P27 and P28.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device different from the above will be described as a third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an outline of the manufacturing process of the electro-optical device 100 of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, unlike the second embodiment, a light deflection slope is first formed on a mother substrate, and then a panel structure is formed. In this method, the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 may be used from the beginning for manufacturing.

  In this embodiment, first, in steps Q01 and Q11, the light deflection inclined surfaces 110x and 120x are formed on one surface of the two mother substrates. Next, in steps Q02 and Q12, the same processing as in steps P01 and P11 of the second embodiment is performed on the surface opposite to the surface on which the light deflection inclined surfaces 110x and 120x are formed. Thereafter, a process Q21 similar to the process P21 of the second embodiment, a process Q22 similar to the process P22, a process Q23 similar to the process P23, and a process Q24 similar to the process P24 are performed to complete the panel structure.

  Thereafter, in step Q25, a light reflecting layer is formed in the same manner as in step P27. Finally, in step Q26, a wiring board or the like is connected in the same manner as in step P28.

  In this embodiment, the light deflection slopes 110x and 120x are aligned with the pixel G by forming the inner surface structure in steps Q02 and Q12 with reference to the light deflection slopes 110x and 120x previously formed in steps Q01 and Q11. Can be made.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, another embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this electro-optical device, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, two light sources 132A and 132B are provided in the thickness direction of the apparatus, one light source 132A is disposed opposite to the light capturing surface 110a of the first substrate 110, and the other light source 132B is the light of the second substrate 120. Opposing face 120a is disposed.

  In the present embodiment, since the light source 132A that emits light to the first substrate 110 and the light source 132B that emits light to the second substrate 120 are provided separately, the types, dimensions, arrangement, etc. of the respective light sources 132A and 132B are provided. Can be set independently, and both light sources can be controlled separately. For example, only one of the light sources can be turned on so that only the display on one substrate side can be visually recognized.

  In this embodiment, the light sources 132A and 132B are driven in a time-sharing manner, the voltage application state to the electro-optical material during the lighting period of the light source 132A, and the voltage application state to the electro-optical material during the lighting period of the light source 132B. By providing a control drive circuit capable of separately controlling the display, the display on the first substrate 110 side and the display on the second substrate 120 side can be configured separately. That is, the display contents can be displayed in different modes while realizing both displays simultaneously. For example, the driving voltage for alternately turning on the light source 132A and the light source 132B in such a manner that the other is turned off in one lighting period and realizing the first display image in the lighting period (for example, one frame period) of the light source 132A. And a driving voltage for realizing the second display image is supplied during the lighting period (for example, the next frame period) of the light source 132B. Thereby, the display viewed from the second substrate side becomes the first display image, and the display viewed from the first substrate side becomes the second display image.

[Fifth Embodiment]
Finally, an embodiment of an electronic apparatus in which the electro-optical device 100 of each of the above embodiments is mounted will be described. FIG. 10 shows a mobile phone 300 as an example of the electronic apparatus of the present embodiment. A cellular phone 300 shown here includes an operation unit 301 including a plurality of operation buttons 301a and 301b and a mouthpiece, and a display unit 302 including display screens 302a and 302b and a mouthpiece. The electro-optical device 100 is incorporated in the interior 302.

  The display image formed by the electro-optical device 100 can be viewed on the display screen 302a of the display unit 302. A display screen 302b is also provided on the surface of the display unit 302 opposite to the display screen 302a. These display screens 302 a and 302 b are formed on the front surface and the back surface of the electro-optical device 100. For example, the display screen 302 a is visible by illumination light emitted from the first substrate 110, and the second substrate 120. The display screen 302b can be visually recognized by the illumination light emitted from. In this case, a display control circuit that controls the electro-optical device 100 is provided inside the mobile phone 300. The display control circuit is configured to send an image signal and other input data and a predetermined control signal to the electro-optical device 100 to determine the operation mode.

  Note that the electro-optical device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described illustrated examples, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in each of the above embodiments, an example having a transmissive display structure has been described. However, a reflective layer including a non-formation region is provided on one substrate side, and a light transmission region and a light reflection region are provided in each pixel. By forming the, the display body structure may be configured so that both transmissive display and reflective display are possible when viewed from the second substrate 120 side.

1 is a schematic plan view of a first embodiment. The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of 1st Embodiment. The schematic bottom view of a 1st embodiment. The expanded partial top view of 1st Embodiment. The expanded partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of 1st Embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial perspective view illustrating a shape of a light capturing surface of the substrate according to the first embodiment. The schematic flowchart which shows the manufacturing process of 2nd Embodiment. The schematic flowchart which shows the manufacturing process of 3rd Embodiment. The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of 4th Embodiment. Schematic perspective view (a) and (b) which show an example of an electronic device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Electro-optical device, 110 ... 1st board | substrate, 110a ... Light taking-in surface, 111,121 ... Low refractive index layer, 112, 122 ... Inner surface polarizing layer, 120 ... 2nd board | substrate, 120a ... Light taking-in surface, 132 ... Light source

Claims (16)

An electro-optical device in which an electro-optical material is sandwiched between a first substrate and a second substrate,
A light source that irradiates at least a part of the first end surface of the first substrate and irradiates at least a part of the second end surface of the second substrate;
The first substrate deflects light incident on at least a part of the first end face and emits a plurality of light deflecting slopes facing the first face to be emitted from the first face facing the electro-optic material. And the light incident on the first surface from the electro-optic material side is emitted from the second surface,
The second substrate has a third surface opposed to the first surface of the first substrate, and a plurality of light deflectors for emitting light incident on at least a part of the second end surface from the third surface. An electro-optical device comprising a slope on a fourth surface facing the third surface, and causing light incident on the third surface from the electro-optical material side to be emitted from the fourth surface. The light emitted from the light source and incident on the first substrate is transmitted through the electro-optic material and the second substrate to constitute a display observed from the second substrate side,
The light emitted from the light source and incident on the second substrate passes through the electro-optic material and the first substrate, and constitutes a display observed from the first substrate side. The electro-optical device described.   The angle of the light deflection inclined surface provided on the first substrate and the second substrate has an inclination angle greater than a critical angle with respect to light incident in parallel with the second surface or the fourth surface. The electro-optical device according to claim 1. Having a plurality of pixels,
4. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the light deflection inclined surface is provided at a position corresponding to the pixel. 5. Having a plurality of pixels,
4. The electricity according to claim 1, wherein the pixels are periodically arranged, and a plurality of the light deflecting slopes are formed with a period that coincides with an array period of the pixels. Optical device.   6. A polarizing layer constituting a polarizer or an analyzer is formed on each of the first surface of the first substrate and the third surface of the second substrate, respectively. The electro-optical device according to any one of the above.   The electro-optical device according to claim 1, further comprising a light diffusing unit on at least a part of the first end surface and the second end surface.   2. The light reflecting layer is formed on a portion other than at least a part of the first end surface and the second end surface among end surfaces of the first substrate and the second substrate. The electro-optical device according to claim 1.   9. The light source according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a single light emitting element that emits light toward both at least a part of the first end face and at least a part of the second end face. The electro-optical device according to any one of the above.   10. The light-shielding portion that shields light from the light source toward the electro-optical material is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. 10. Electro-optic device.   The light source includes a first light emitting element disposed to face at least a part of the first end surface and a second light emitting element disposed to face at least a part of the second end surface. Item 11. The electro-optical device according to any one of Items 1 to 8 or 10.   The first light emitting element and the second light emitting element are driven in a time-sharing manner, the driving state of the electro-optical material in the lighting period of the first light emitting element, and the lighting period of the second light emitting element The electro-optical device according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that can separately control a driving state of the electro-optical material.   An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 1 as a display unit. A panel forming step of forming an electro-optic panel by disposing an electro-optic material between the first substrate and the second substrate;
Thereafter, light incident on at least a part of the first end surface of the first substrate is deflected on a second surface of the first substrate facing the first surface of the first substrate facing the electro-optic material, Forming a plurality of light deflection inclined surfaces to be emitted, and on a fourth surface of the second substrate facing the third surface of the second substrate facing the electro-optic material, on at least a part of the second end surface of the second substrate A light-deflecting slope forming step for deflecting incident light and forming a plurality of light-deflecting slopes to be emitted from the third surface;
An electro-optical device manufacturing method comprising: On the second surface facing the first surface of the first substrate, there are a plurality of light deflecting slopes for deflecting light incident on at least a part of the first end surface of the first substrate and emitting the light from the first surface. Forming and deflecting light incident on at least a part of the second end surface of the second substrate on a fourth surface of the second substrate facing the third surface of the second substrate facing the electro-optic material, A light deflection slope forming step for forming a plurality of light deflection slopes to be emitted from the three surfaces;
Thereafter, the first substrate and the second substrate are disposed opposite to each other with the first surface and the third surface facing each other, and an electro-optical material is disposed therebetween to form an electro-optical panel; and
An electro-optical device manufacturing method comprising: 16. The method of manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 14, further comprising a step of polishing at least a part of the first end surface and the second end surface.

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