JP2003222880A - Liquid crystal display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal display device having excellent uniformity of inter-substrate spacing. <P>SOLUTION: The liquid crystal display device 1 is furnished with color filter layers 18 having first to third color regions 15a to 15c, a plurality of spacers 17 and peripheral edge light shielding layers 16, in which the third color regions 15c are formed backward of the first and second color regions 15a and 15b; each of a plurality of the spacers 17 has a structure successively laminated with an intermediate layer consisting of the same material as the material of the color region 15c on the lowermost layer with at least either of the color regions 15a and 15b as the lowermost layer; and the uppermost layer consisting of the same material as the material of the light shielding layers 16 and the intermediate layers are all spaced from the color regions 15c. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display device including a color filter layer and a peripheral light shielding layer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A liquid crystal display device which is generally used at present has a glass substrate provided with pixel electrodes and a glass substrate provided with a common electrode such that the surfaces provided with these electrodes face each other. And a liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between these glass substrates. In such a liquid crystal display device, a color filter layer is usually provided on one of the facing surfaces of the glass substrates in order to enable color display. This color filter layer has a structure in which a plurality of colored layers having different absorption wavelength regions are juxtaposed on a glass substrate.

Regarding such a liquid crystal display device, it has been proposed to partially overlap a plurality of colored layers constituting a color filter layer and use the overlapped portions as a spacer. According to this method, the spacer can be provided at a desired position with a simplified manufacturing process. Therefore, for example, spacers can be regularly arranged in a non-pixel region that does not directly contribute to display, such as a region between adjacent pixel electrodes.

However, this method still has the following problems. That is, since the color filter layer is required to have high film thickness uniformity,
The material for the colored layer must be capable of achieving good leveling properties. In other words, the colored layer is formed using a low-viscosity material. Therefore, when a plurality of colored layers are partially overlapped to form a laminated structure, the height of the spacer varies due to sagging, and as a result, the uniformity of the substrate gap (cell gap) is impaired. was there.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, in which colored layers constituting a color filter layer are partially overlapped with each other and the overlapped portions are used as spacers. An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display device which is excellent in the uniformity of the substrate spacing while being used.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a first substrate and a second substrate which are opposed to each other, and a first substrate and a second substrate which are arranged side by side. A color filter layer having first to third color regions having different absorption wavelength ranges, and a plurality of spacers interposed between the first and second substrates to keep the distance between the first and second substrates constant. And a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates, the peripheral light-shielding layer being provided on the periphery of the surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate, and the third color region The spacers are formed after the first and second color regions, and each of the plurality of spacers has at least one of the first and second color regions as a lowermost layer, and the third color region and a material on the lowermost layer. Of the same material and the peripheral light shielding layer and the uppermost layer of the same material are sequentially stacked. It has a structure to provide a liquid crystal display device, characterized in that both the intermediate layer is separated from the third color regions.

Further, according to the present invention, the first and second substrates which are opposed to each other and the first and third substrates which are arranged side by side on the surface of the first substrate which faces the second substrate and which have different absorption wavelength ranges from each other.
A color filter layer having a color region, and the first and second
A plurality of spacers interposed between the substrates to keep the distance between the first and second substrates constant, a peripheral light-shielding layer provided on a peripheral edge of a surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate, First
And a liquid crystal layer interposed between the second substrate, and each of the plurality of spacers has at least one of the first and second color regions as a lowermost layer, and the third layer on the lowermost layer.
It has a structure in which an intermediate layer made of the same material as the color region and an uppermost layer made of the same material as the peripheral light shielding layer are sequentially stacked, and the shortest distance between the intermediate layer and the third color region is A liquid crystal display device is provided which is longer than both the shortest distance between a layer and the first color region and the shortest distance between the intermediate layer and the second color region.

In the present invention, the order of formation of the first to third color regions can be observed by observing their sectional structure. For example, the interface between the third color region and the first color region is inclined so that the first color region is partially interposed between the first substrate and the third color region, The interface between the two color regions is the second between the first substrate and the third color region.
When the color regions are inclined so as to partially intervene, it can be determined that the third color regions are formed after forming the first and second color regions.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same constituent members are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically showing a liquid crystal display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The liquid crystal display device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a TN driving type color liquid crystal display device, in which an active matrix substrate 2 and a counter substrate 3 are opposed to each other, and a liquid crystal layer 4 is interposed between the substrates 2 and 3. It has a structure. An adhesive layer 25 is provided on the peripheral portion between the substrates 2 and 3 except for an injection port (not shown) for injecting a liquid crystal material, and the injection port is sealed with a sealant. It has been stopped. In addition, this liquid crystal display device 1
Polarizing plates 5 are attached to both surfaces of the above, and a light source (not shown) is arranged on the back side thereof.

In the liquid crystal display device 1 shown in FIG. 1, the active matrix substrate 2 has a transparent substrate 6 such as a glass substrate. Wiring and a switching element 7 are formed on the transparent substrate 6, and an insulating film 8,
The pixel electrode 10 and the alignment film 11 are sequentially stacked.
On the other hand, the counter substrate 3 is a transparent substrate 13 such as a glass substrate.
have. A color filter layer 18, a peripheral light shielding layer 16 and a columnar spacer 17 are formed on the transparent substrate 13, and a common electrode 20 and an alignment film 21 are sequentially stacked on the color filter layer 18.

The wiring formed on the active matrix substrate 2 is composed of scanning lines and signal lines arranged in a grid on the transparent substrate 6. The switching element 7 is, for example, a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as a TFT) having a semiconductor layer of amorphous silicon or polysilicon.
The switching element 7 is connected to wirings such as a scanning line and a signal line and the pixel electrode 10, and thereby,
It is possible to selectively apply a voltage to a desired pixel electrode 10.

The insulating film 8 can be formed by using, for example, a photosensitive resin. A contact hole is provided in the insulating film 8, and the electrical connection between the switching element 7 and the pixel electrode 10 is made through this contact hole.

The pixel electrode 10 and the common electrode 20 are made of ITO.
It is composed of a transparent conductive material such as. Electrodes 10, 2
0 can be formed by, for example, a sputtering method. The alignment films 11 and 21 can be formed by subjecting a thin film made of a transparent resin such as polyimide to an alignment treatment such as a rubbing treatment.

The peripheral light shielding layer 16 is generally called a frame layer or the like and is formed on the peripheral portion of the screen. The peripheral light-shielding layer can be formed using, for example, a mixture of a black pigment such as carbon fine particles or a black dye and a photosensitive resin.

The color filter layer 18 is composed of a red colored layer 15a, a green colored layer 15b, and a blue colored layer 15c which are provided corresponding to the pixel electrodes 10. The colored layers 15a to 15c can be formed by using a mixture containing a photosensitive resin and a coloring pigment or coloring dye corresponding to each color.

The colored layers 15a to 15c and the light shielding layer 16 are partially overlapped with each other, and their non-laminated portions are the red region, the green region, and the blue region (for example, red, green, and blue) of the color filter layer 18. Stripe pattern) and the peripheral light-shielding layer 16 and the laminated portion thereof is the columnar spacer 17
Are configured.

In the present embodiment, the height variation of the spacer 17 is suppressed by providing the portion of the colored layer 15c which constitutes the intermediate layer of the spacer 17 at a predetermined position. This will be described with reference to FIG.

2 (a-1) to (a-7), (b-1)
To (b-7) and (c-1) to (c-7) are cross-sectional views schematically showing a spacer forming method, respectively.

According to the method shown in FIG. 2, in forming the spacer 17, first, the spacers 17 shown in FIGS.
As shown in -1), a red colored layer 15a is formed on the substrate 6. The colored layer 15a is formed, for example, by the following method. That is, first, a coating liquid containing a photosensitive resin and a red pigment or dye is applied onto the substrate 6 to form a red continuous film. At this time, since there is no large unevenness on the surface of the substrate 6, a continuous film having a uniform thickness can be obtained.
Next, this continuous film is patterned using a photolithography technique so that the striped red region of the color filter layer 18 and the region used as the lowermost layer of the spacer 17 are left. As a result, as shown in FIG.
The red colored layer 15a shown in (b-1) and (c-1) is obtained.

Next, FIGS. 2 (a-2), (b-2), and (c)
As shown in -2), a coating liquid containing a photosensitive resin and a green pigment or dye is applied to the surface of the substrate 6 on which the colored layer 15a is formed to form a green continuous film 15b. Subsequently, the continuous film 15b is patterned by using a photolithography technique so that the striped green region of the color filter layer 18 is left. As a result, FIG.
-3), (b-3), (c-3) green colored layer 1
5b is obtained.

2 (a-4), (b-4),
As shown in (c-4), the colored layers 15 a, 15 of the substrate 6 are
A coating liquid containing a photosensitive resin and a blue pigment or dye is applied to the surface where b is formed to form a blue continuous film 15c. Further, the continuous film 15c is patterned by using a photolithography technique so that the stripe blue region of the color filter layer 18 and the region used as the intermediate layer of the spacer 17 are left. Thereby, the blue colored layer 15c shown in FIGS. 2 (a-5), (b-5), and (c-5) is obtained.

Then, as shown in FIGS. 2 (a-6), (b-6),
As shown in (c-6), the colored layers 15a to 15 of the substrate 6 are formed.
A coating liquid containing a photosensitive resin and a black pigment or dye is applied to the surface having c formed thereon to form a black continuous film 16. Further, the continuous film 16c is patterned using a photolithography technique so that the peripheral light shielding layer and the region used as the uppermost layer of the spacer 17 are left. As a result, FIGS. 2 (a-7), (b-7), (c-
The light shielding layer 16c shown in 7) is obtained. As described above, the spacer 17 having a three-layer structure can be obtained.

In the method described above, when the continuous film 15c is formed, the surface of the substrate 6 has irregularities due to the colored layers 15a and 15b. Therefore, FIGS. 2 (a-4) and (b-
4) and (c-4), the portions of the continuous film 15c located on the colored layers 15a and 15b are lower due to the action of tension and gravity from the portions located on the substrate 6. Partially moves into position and becomes thinner.

Such an effect is obtained by the colored layers 15a and 15b.
Is larger at a position closer to the concave portion formed by. Further, the variation in the film thickness caused by the movement of a part of the continuous film 15c becomes more remarkable as the movement amount increases. Therefore, the variation in the film thickness of the portion of the continuous film 15c located on the colored layers 15a and 15b is caused by the colored layer 15
The larger the distance from the recess formed by a and 15b, the larger the distance.

Therefore, FIGS. 2 (b-5) and 2 (c-5)
As shown in FIG. 7, when the portion used as the intermediate layer of the spacer 17 of the colored layer 15c is adjacent to the recess formed by the colored layers 15a and 15b, the variation in the film thickness of that portion becomes large. That is, the height variation of the spacer 17 becomes large.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2 (a-5), from the concave portions formed by the colored layers 15a and 15b to the colored layer 1
When the portion used as the intermediate layer of the spacer 17 of 5c is separated, the film thickness does not greatly vary in that portion. That is, the variation in the height of the spacers 17 can be sufficiently reduced, and thus the uniformity of the substrate spacing can be improved.

In the present embodiment, the shortest distance between the portion of the colored layer 15c forming the intermediate layer of the spacer 17 and the portion of the color filter layer 18 forming the color region is 5 μm or more. Is preferable, and more preferably 10 μm or more. Similarly, in the present embodiment, the shortest distance between the intermediate layer of the spacer 17 and the portion of the colored layer 15c forming the color region of the color filter layer 18 is the distance between the intermediate layer of the spacer 17 and the colored layer 15a. It is preferable to be longer than both the shortest distance between them and the shortest distance between the intermediate layer of the spacer 17 and the colored layer 15b. The longer the shortest distance between the portion of the colored layer 15c forming the intermediate layer of the spacer 17 and the portion of the color filter layer 18 forming the color region, the more effectively the height variation of the spacer 17 becomes. Can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the intermediate layer of the spacer 17 is preferably provided on or adjacent to the boundary between the colored layers 15a and 15b. In this case, the height variation of the spacers 17 can be suppressed more effectively, and it is also advantageous from the viewpoint of the contrast ratio.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a sectional view schematically showing a liquid crystal display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The liquid crystal display device 1 shown in FIG. 3 includes a color filter layer 18, a peripheral light shielding layer 16,
The liquid crystal display device 1 has substantially the same structure as the liquid crystal display device 1 shown in FIG. 1, except that the spacers 17 are provided not on the counter substrate 3 but on the active matrix substrate 2. When such a structure is adopted, the alignment between the active matrix substrate 2 and the counter substrate 2 is not required to be as highly accurate as the structure shown in FIG. That is, according to this embodiment, in addition to the effects described in the first embodiment, the manufacturing process can be simplified and the aperture ratio and the yield can be improved.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the columnar spacer is formed as the spacer 17, but the spacer 17 may have another shape. For example, the spacer 17 may have a wall shape.

In the first and second embodiments, the liquid crystal display device 1 using the switching element 7 has been described, but a simple matrix drive system may be adopted to perform color dot matrix display. Further, although the TN type liquid crystal display device 1 has been described in the above embodiment, the display system may be an STN type, a GH type, an ECB type, a type using a ferroelectric liquid crystal, or the like.

[0033]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described below.

Example 1 The liquid crystal display device 1 shown in FIG. 1 was manufactured by the following method. In this example,
The spacer 17 was formed by the method described with reference to FIGS. 2 (a-1) to (a-7).

First, the TFT 7 and the wiring were formed on the glass substrate 6 by a usual method. Then, the T of the substrate 6
Apply UV curable resin on the surface where FT7 etc. are formed,
The obtained coating film was patterned by using a photolithography technique to form an insulating film 8 having a contact hole. Then, an ITO film having a thickness of 1500 Å was formed on the insulating film 8 by the sputtering method. The pixel electrode 10 was obtained by patterning this using a photolithography technique and an etching technique. The pixel electrodes 10 were formed so as to be connected to the source electrodes of the TFTs 7 via the contact holes. Further, AL-3046 (manufactured by JSR), which is an alignment film material, is formed on the surface of the substrate 6 on which the pixel electrodes 10 are formed.
Was applied in a thickness of 500Å, and the obtained coating film was rubbed to form an alignment film 11. As described above,
The active matrix substrate 2 is completed.

While the active matrix substrate 2 was produced by the method described above, the counter substrate 3 was produced by the following method. That is, first, an ultraviolet curable acrylic resin resist C in which a red pigment is dispersed on the glass substrate 13
R-2000 (manufactured by Fuji Film Olin Co., Ltd.) was applied using a spinner or the like. A photomask was arranged above the coating film thus formed, and the coating film was irradiated with ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 365 nm through the photomask so that the exposure amount was 100 mJ / cm ² . The photomask used here is formed such that only the portion where the red colored layer 15a is formed is irradiated with ultraviolet rays. After the exposure was completed under the above-mentioned conditions, the coating film was developed for 20 seconds by using a 1% KOH aqueous solution, and further, pre-baked to form the red colored layer 15a.

Next, a UV-curable acrylic resin resist CG-2000 (manufactured by Fuji Film Orin Co.) in which a green pigment is dispersed and a UV-curable acrylic resin resist CB-2000 (Fuji Film Aurin in which a blue pigment is dispersed) are dispersed. (Manufactured by the same company) was used to sequentially form the green colored layer 15b and the blue colored layer 15c by the same method as described for the red colored layer 15a, and then the main baking was performed. As described above, the RGB color filter layer 18
Was formed. In addition, here, the respective color regions forming the RGB color filter layer 18 have a stripe shape and the width thereof is 60 μm. In addition, the coloring layer 15
The shortest distance between the portion of the colored layer 15c formed on the colored layer 15a (the portion forming the intermediate layer of the spacer 17) and the portion of the colored layer 15c forming the color region of the color filter layer 18 is 30 μm. Vertical and horizontal size is 30μm × 30μm
And the thickness was 3 μm.

Next, the surface of the substrate 13 on which the colored layers 15a to 15c are formed has a thickness of 1500Å by a sputtering method.
The ITO film was formed to obtain the common electrode 20. Then, a photosensitive acrylic black resin NN700 (manufactured by JSR Corporation) was applied to the entire surface of the substrate 13 on which the common electrode 20 was formed using a spinner. The coating film thus obtained was dried at 90 ° C. for 10 minutes, a photomask was placed above the coating film, and the coating film was exposed through the photomask at an exposure dose of 3
Ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 365 nm were irradiated so as to have a dose of 00 mJ / cm ² . After completing the exposure under the above conditions, pH1
Develop with an alkaline aqueous solution of 1.5, and
By performing baking at 0 ° C. for 60 minutes, the spacer 17
And the peripheral light shielding layer 16 were simultaneously formed. In addition,
The thickness of the portion forming the uppermost layer of the spacer 17 of the light shielding layer 16 was 2 μm. Further, the height of the spacer 17 obtained by the above-mentioned method from the color filter layer 18 is 4.92.
It was ± 0.20 μm.

After forming the spacers 17 etc. as described above, 500 Å of alignment film material AL-3046 (manufactured by JSR Corporation) is formed on the surface of the substrate 13 on which the common electrode 20 is formed.
Was applied, and the obtained coating film was rubbed to form an alignment film 21. As described above, the counter substrate 3
Was completed.

Next, the adhesive 25 was printed on the peripheral portion of the surface of the counter substrate 3 on which the alignment film 21 was formed so that the injection port was left. Further, an electrode transfer material (not shown) for applying a voltage from the active matrix substrate 2 to the common electrode 20 is provided on the periphery of the adhesive 25 as an electrode transfer electrode (not shown).
Formed on.

After that, the active matrix substrate 2 and the counter substrate 3 are bonded so that the alignment films 11 and 21 face each other and their rubbing directions are orthogonal to each other, and further heated to cure the adhesive 25. This formed a cell. In this cell, as a liquid crystal material, ZLI-
Liquid crystal layer 4 was formed by injecting 4792 (manufactured by MERCK) by a usual method. This injection took about 2 hours. Further, the injection port was sealed with an ultraviolet curable resin, and the polarizing plate 5 was attached to each of the glass substrates 6 and 13.

Liquid crystal display device 1 obtained as described above
Cell gap was 4.85 ± 0.20 μm, which was a very good value. Further, in the liquid crystal display device 1 obtained by the above method, the unevenness in brightness due to the variation in the cell gap was not visually recognized, and high display quality could be realized.

Example 2 The liquid crystal display device 1 shown in FIG. 3 was manufactured by the following method. In addition, also in this embodiment,
The spacer 17 was formed by the method described with reference to FIGS. 2 (a-1) to (a-7).

First, the TFT 7 and the wiring were formed on the glass substrate 6 by a usual method. Then, the T of the substrate 6
Colored layers 15a to 15c were sequentially formed on the surface on which FT7 and the like were formed by the same method as described in Example 1.

Next, on the surface of the substrate 6 on which the colored layers 15a to 15c are formed, a thickness of 1500Å is formed by a sputtering method.
The ITO film of was formed. The pixel electrode 10 was obtained by patterning this using a photolithography technique and an etching technique. These pixel electrodes 10 are
It was formed so as to be connected to the source electrode of the TFT 7 through the contact holes. After that, the peripheral light shielding layer 16 is formed by the same method as described in Example 1,
Further, on the surface of the substrate 6 on which the pixel electrode 10 is formed, an alignment film material AL-3046 (manufactured by JSR Corporation) is applied in a thickness of 500Å, and the obtained coating film is subjected to a rubbing treatment to obtain an alignment film 11 Was formed. The active matrix substrate 2 is completed as described above. The various dimensions were the same as in Example 1.

While the active matrix substrate 2 was produced by the method described above, the counter substrate was produced by the following method. That is, first, the common electrode 20 was obtained by forming an ITO film having a thickness of 1500 Å on the glass substrate 13 by using the sputtering method. Further, on the surface of the substrate 13 on which the common electrode 20 is formed, the alignment film material AL-3 is used.
046 (manufactured by JSR) was applied to a thickness of 500Å, and the obtained coating film was rubbed to form an alignment film 21. The counter substrate 3 was completed as described above.

Next, the adhesive 25 was printed on the peripheral portion of the surface of the counter substrate 3 on which the alignment film 21 was formed so that the injection port was left. Further, an electrode transfer material (not shown) for applying a voltage from the active matrix substrate 2 to the common electrode 20 is provided on the periphery of the adhesive 25 as an electrode transfer electrode (not shown).
Formed on.

After that, the active matrix substrate 2 and the counter substrate 3 are bonded so that the alignment films 11 and 21 face each other and their rubbing directions are orthogonal to each other, and further heated to cure the adhesive 25. This formed a cell. In this cell, as a liquid crystal material, ZLI-
Liquid crystal layer 4 was formed by injecting 4792 (manufactured by MERCK) by a usual method. Further, the injection port is sealed with an ultraviolet curable resin, and the polarizing plate 5 is provided on each of the glass substrates 6 and 13.
Pasted.

The cell gap of the liquid crystal display device 1 shown in FIG. 3 obtained as described above was a very good value of 4.82 ± 0.25 μm. Further, in the liquid crystal display device 1 obtained by the above method, the unevenness in brightness due to the variation in the cell gap was not visually recognized, and high display quality could be realized.

Comparative Example In this comparative example, FIG.
To (b-7), (c-1) to (c-7), the liquid crystal display device is manufactured by the same method as described in Example 1 except that the spacer 17 is formed by the method described above. It was made.

Also in this comparative example, when the height of the spacer 17 was measured before the active matrix substrate 2 and the counter substrate 3 were bonded together, the color filter layer 1 of the spacer 17 was measured.
The height from 8 was 4.78 ± 0.90 μm. The cell gap of the liquid crystal display device 1 obtained by the above method was 4.68 ± 0.70. That is, the height of the spacer 17 and the variation in the cell gap were increased to 3.5 to 4.5 times as compared with the above-described first and second embodiments. Further, in the liquid crystal display device 1 according to this comparative example, the uneven brightness due to the variation in the cell gap was visually recognized.

(Example 3) Colored layer 15a of colored layer 15c
The shortest distance between the portion formed above (the portion forming the intermediate layer of the spacer 17) and the portion forming the color region of the color filter layer 18 of the colored layer 15c is changed within the range of 0 to 30 μm. Then, a plurality of liquid crystal display devices 1 shown in FIG. 1 were manufactured by the same method as described in Example 1. Next, for each of the liquid crystal display devices 1 thus obtained, the height of the spacer 17 from the color filter layer 18 and the cell gap were measured. The results are summarized in the table below and FIGS. 4 and 5. In the table below, the “spacer height” indicates the height of the spacer 17 from the color filter layer 18.

[0053]

[Table 1]

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the influence of the relative position of the intermediate layer of the spacer and the color region of the color filter layer 18 on the height of the spacer 17 and its variation. In the figure, the horizontal axis represents the portion of the colored layer 15c forming the intermediate layer of the spacer 17 and the color filter layer 18 of the colored layer 15c.
Shows the shortest distance to the part that constitutes the color area of
The vertical axis represents the height of the spacer 17 from the color filter layer 18 (effective height) and its variation (3σ). In addition, in the figure, curves 41 and 42 represent data on the effective height of the spacer 17 and its variation, respectively.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the influence of the relative position between the intermediate layer of the spacer and the color region of the color filter layer 18 on the cell gap of the liquid crystal display device 1 and its variation. In the figure, the horizontal axis represents the shortest distance between the portion of the colored layer 15c forming the intermediate layer of the spacer 17 and the portion of the colored layer 15c forming the color region of the color filter layer 18, and the vertical axis indicates The axis indicates the cell gap of the liquid crystal display device 1 and its variation (3σ). Also, in the figure, curve 5
Reference numerals 1 and 52 represent data on the cell gap and its variation, respectively.

As is clear from the above table and FIGS. 4 and 5, by setting the shortest distance to be 5 μm or more,
It was possible to reduce variations in spacer height and cell gap. Further, by setting the above-mentioned shortest distance to 10 μm or more, it is possible to remarkably reduce variations in the height of the spacer and the cell gap, and it is possible to prevent uneven brightness.

[0057]

As described above, according to the present invention, the first of the first to third color regions forming the color filter layer is used.
The spacer intermediate layer is made of the same material as the third color region formed after the second color region, and the spacer intermediate layer and the third color region are separated from each other. With such a structure, it is possible to reduce the variation in the thickness of the intermediate layer of the spacer, and thus to suppress the variation in the distance between the substrates. That is, according to the present invention, by partially overlapping the colored layers constituting the color filter layer,
There is provided a liquid crystal display device which is excellent in the uniformity of the substrate spacing while using the overlapped portion as a spacer.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view schematically showing a liquid crystal display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

2 (a-1) to (a-7), (b-1) to (b-
7) and (c-1) to (c-7) are cross-sectional views schematically showing a spacer forming method.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view schematically showing a liquid crystal display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the influence of the relative position between the intermediate layer of the spacer and the color region of the color filter layer on the height of the spacer and its variation.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the influence of the relative position between the intermediate layer of the spacer and the color region of the color filter layer on the cell gap of the liquid crystal display device and its variation.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Liquid crystal display device 2 ... Active matrix substrate 3 ... Counter substrate 4 ... Liquid crystal layer 5 ... Polarizing plate 6 ... Transparent substrate 7 ... Switching element 8 ... Insulating film 10 ... Pixel electrode 11 ... Alignment film 13 ... Transparent substrate 15a to 15c ... Colored layer 16 ... Edge light-shielding layer 17 ... Spacer 18 ... Color filter layer 20 ... Common electrode 21 ... Alignment film 25 ... Adhesive layer 41, 42, 51, 52 ... Curve

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    F-term (reference) 2H048 BA11 BA45 BA47 BA48 BB02                       BB03 BB07 BB08 BB44                 2H089 LA04 LA09 LA12 LA16 LA19                       LA20 MA03X MA04X NA14                       NA17 NA24 NA32 NA41 NA43                       QA03 QA05 QA11 QA12 QA13                       QA14 TA12 TA13                 2H091 FA02Y FB04 FB13 FC10                       FC26 FC29 FD04 FD14 FD24                       GA08 GA13 GA17 LA03 LA15

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A first and a second substrate, which are opposed to each other, and first to third color regions, which are juxtaposed on a surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate and have different absorption wavelength ranges from each other. A color filter layer; a plurality of spacers interposed between the first and second substrates to keep the distance between the first and second substrates constant; and a surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate. A peripheral light-shielding layer provided on a peripheral edge and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates, wherein the third color region is formed after the first and second color regions. Each of the spacers has a lowermost layer of at least one of the first and second color regions, and an intermediate layer of the same material as that of the third color region and a lowermost layer of the same material as that of the peripheral light shielding layer on the lowermost layer. The intermediate layer has a structure in which an upper layer is sequentially laminated, and each of the intermediate layers has the third color region. A liquid crystal display device characterized by being separated from the area. 2. A first and a second substrate, which are opposed to each other, and first to third color regions, which are juxtaposed on the surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate and have different absorption wavelength ranges from each other. A color filter layer; a plurality of spacers interposed between the first and second substrates to keep the distance between the first and second substrates constant; and a surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate. A peripheral light-shielding layer provided at a peripheral edge and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates, wherein each of the plurality of spacers has at least one of the first and second color regions as a lowermost layer. As the third color region, the intermediate layer having the same material as the third color region and the uppermost layer having the same material as the peripheral light shielding layer are sequentially stacked on the lowermost layer. Is the shortest distance between the intermediate layer and the first color region. A liquid crystal display device comprising longer than any shortest distance between the intermediate layer and the second color region. 3. The shortest distance between the intermediate layer and the third color region is 10 μm or more.
Alternatively, the liquid crystal display device according to claim 2. 4. The intermediate layer includes the first color region and the second color region.
The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal display device is provided on or adjacent to a boundary with the color region. 5. The scan line, the signal line, the switching element, and the pixel electrode are further provided on the surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate, as claimed in claim 1 or 2. Liquid crystal display device.