JP2004264597A - Liquid crystal display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal display panel with bright display of high definition. <P>SOLUTION: A light shielding layer 15 is disposed in a part of a non-dot region ND in a stripe shape along one direction of a column direction and a row direction of each dot region D, a color filter 14 is so formed that gaps 16 through which a part of a reflection layer 13 can be exposed are formed on the both sides opposed to the the light shielding layer 15 in the inner part of each dot region D and an outflow preventing means 17 preventing outflow of the material for forming a smoothing layer 18 from the gaps 16 along the light shielding layer 15 when the smoothing layer 18 is formed is provided at a part of the non-dot region ND except the light shielding layer 15 formed part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display panel suitable for displaying various information such as characters and figures.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a liquid crystal display device is known as a type of display device that displays various types of information such as characters and figures. As a display portion of such a liquid crystal display device, liquid crystal is sealed between a pair of substrates. A liquid crystal display panel is used. As one type of the liquid crystal display panel, a liquid crystal display panel capable of performing reflection display by reflecting external light incident from the outside by a reflective layer is known. Color display on a liquid crystal display panel is realized by using a color filter called a micro color filter formed by a printing method or an electrodeposition method.
[0003]
As a liquid crystal display panel that performs such a reflective display, in order to realize a bright display, for example, a polarizing plate, a substrate (front substrate), a transparent electrode, an alignment film, a liquid crystal layer, an alignment film, A configuration in which an electrode, a smoothing layer, a color filter, a reflective layer, and a substrate (rear substrate) are arranged in this order has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
[0004]
The color filters of the liquid crystal display panel are provided corresponding to the pixels, and the micro color filters are generally used. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of a conventional color filter. As shown in FIG. 7, a color filter 2 in a conventional liquid crystal panel 1 includes, for example, red (R), green (G), and blue (B) inside each of vertically elongated rectangular dot regions D arranged in a matrix. Is formed by arranging any one of the three colored layers 2R, 2G, and 2B formed of the three colored photosensitive resin materials. As an arrangement pattern of the colored layers 2R, 2G, and 2B, a mosaic arrangement, a triangle arrangement, and the like, including the stripe arrangement shown in FIG. 7, are used. That is, each dot area D has a configuration in which the reflective layer and the color filter 2 are laminated on the substrate in this order. In the color display using the RGB vertical stripes, a total of three dots of one continuous RGB dot, that is, one continuous pixel, which is a minimum display unit, is formed by three colored layers 2R, 2G, and 2B.
[0005]
The outside of each of the dot regions D is a non-dot region ND that is not involved in display, and a light-shielding layer 3 is formed in the non-dot region ND. The light-shielding layer 3 is for improving the contrast of a display image, and is formed in a lattice shape so as to surround the color filters 2 arranged in the respective dot regions D as shown in FIG. I have. The light-shielding layer 3 is formed of a black colored photosensitive resin material having a light absorbing function called a black mask or a black matrix. Further, the light-shielding layer 3 is formed at the same height as the color filter 2 directly on the substrate or via a reflective layer.
[0006]
A smoothing layer (not shown) made of a transparent resin such as an acrylic resin or an epoxy resin is formed so as to cover the color filter 2 and the light shielding layer 3 for the purpose of improving the smoothness of the surface. I have. The surface of the smoothing layer is flattened by forming a reflection layer, a color filter 2 and a light-shielding layer 3 on a substrate, and then applying and solidifying a material for forming the smoothing layer by spin coating. It is generally formed as follows.
[0007]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-207210
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in recent years, the performance of various devices has been constantly improved, and as one of the performance enhancements of the various devices, the liquid crystal display panel has also been required to have higher definition.
[0009]
However, the conventional liquid crystal display panel has a problem that it cannot sufficiently meet the recent demand for higher definition. For example, there is a problem that the luminance is reduced by the color filter itself.
[0010]
The present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display panel with high definition and bright display.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that at least a part of the inside of each dot area arranged in a matrix is formed on one surface of a substrate. A reflective layer, a color filter formed on the reflective layer, a light-shielding layer formed in a non-dot area outside the dot area, and a color filter and a light-shielding layer formed to cover the light-shielding layer. The light-shielding layer is arranged in a part of the non-dot area in a stripe shape along one of a row direction and a column direction of each dot area. The color filter is formed on both sides of the dot region facing the light-shielding layer with a gap that allows a portion of the reflective layer to be exposed, and further includes the non-dot An outflow preventing a material for forming the smoothing layer from flowing out of the gap along the light shielding layer from the gap at the time of forming the smoothing layer in a part of the region other than the light shielding layer forming portion. The point is that a prevention means is provided. By adopting such a configuration, high definition can be easily achieved.
[0012]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the liquid crystal display panel according to the first aspect, the outflow prevention unit is provided at both end portions of the other side in the row direction and the column direction of each of the dot regions. The color filter has one end connected to the light shielding layer and the other end extended to the edge of the color filter facing the light shielding layer. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to reliably prevent a material for forming the smoothing layer from flowing out of the gap along the light shielding layer when the smoothing layer is formed.
[0013]
Further, a feature of the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention according to claim 3 is that, in claim 1 or 2, the outflow prevention means is formed of the same material as the light shielding layer. And by adopting such a configuration, the outflow prevention means and the light shielding layer can be formed simultaneously.
[0014]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.
[0015]
FIGS. 1 to 6 show simplified main parts of an embodiment of the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic front view viewed from the observation side, and FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is disposed on a rear substrate. FIG. 6 is a schematic front view showing a dot area and a non-dot area, and FIG. 6 is a schematic front view showing the configuration of one dot area.
[0016]
The liquid crystal display panel according to the present embodiment exemplifies a liquid crystal display panel which performs reflection display of a color image by reflecting external light incident from the outside by a reflection layer.
[0017]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the liquid crystal display panel 11 of the present embodiment for performing full-color reflective display includes a pair of substrates 12 that are disposed substantially in parallel and disposed to face each other. I have. One of the pair of substrates 12 shown in FIG. 2 is a rear substrate 12R located on the downstream side in the viewing direction opposite to the observation side, and is arranged above FIG. The other substrate which is not used is a front substrate which is a counter substrate located on the observation side. A seal member for bonding the two substrates 12 together to be integrated is provided in a substantially rectangular frame shape around the opposing surfaces of the pair of substrates 12. Liquid crystal is sealed in a portion surrounded by the sealing material, and thereby a liquid crystal layer is formed between the opposing surfaces of the pair of substrates 12. A region where pixels used for displaying information are formed inside the pair of substrates 12 surrounded by the sealant is a display region.
[0018]
The rear substrate 12R is formed of a transparent resin such as transparent glass or polycarbonate into a substantially rectangular flat plate shape, and a reflective layer 13 (FIG. 2) is formed on the inner surface of the rear substrate 12R facing the liquid crystal layer. Is formed. In addition, on the inner surface of the rear substrate 12R facing the liquid crystal layer, as shown in FIG. 5, a large number of substantially vertically rectangular dot regions D (shown by dashed lines in FIG. 5) D related to display are arranged in a matrix. And the outside of each dot area D is a non-dot area ND not involved in display.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 1, inside each of the dot areas D, a plurality of colors constituting a color filter 14 for color display, for example, three colors of red (R), green (G) and blue (B) are provided. One of the three colored layers 14R, 14G, and 14B formed of a colored photosensitive resin material or the like is laminated. The arrangement pattern of the colored layers 14R, 14G, 14B constituting the color filter 14 (14R, 14G, 14B) may be a mosaic arrangement or a triangle arrangement other than the stripe arrangement shown in FIG.
[0020]
The color filter 14 of the present embodiment is formed smaller than the size of the dot region D, as shown in detail in FIG. That is, in the color filter 14 of the present embodiment, the horizontal dimension of the dot area D formed in a vertically long rectangular shape in the row direction shown in the horizontal direction of FIG. The vertical dimension of the area D in the column direction shown in the vertical direction in FIG. 6 is formed shorter than the vertical dimension of the dot area D, and is arranged at the center of the dot area D in the row direction.
[0021]
Therefore, exposed portions 13a of the horizontally long rectangular reflective layer 13 extending in the row direction of the dot region D are formed on both end sides in the column direction of the dot region D.
[0022]
That is, the color filter 14 of the present embodiment is formed on both sides of the dot region D opposite to the light-shielding layer 15 described later, with a gap 16 through which a part of the reflection layer 13 can be exposed.
[0023]
In the non-dot area ND of the present embodiment, the light-shielding layer 15 and the outflow prevention means 17 are formed.
[0024]
The light-shielding layer 15 is for improving the contrast of a display image, and is formed of a black colored photosensitive resin material or the like, and a part of the non-dot area ND, specifically, the row direction of the dot area D. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the dot areas D are arranged in stripes (horizontal stripes) along the row direction which is the horizontal direction in FIG. 1. Note that the light shielding layer 15 may be provided directly on the upper surface of the rear substrate 12R without the interposition of the reflection layer 13.
[0025]
The outflow prevention means 17 is for preventing a material for forming the smoothing layer 18 from flowing out of the gap 16 along the light-shielding layer 15 when the smoothing layer 18 described later is formed, The outflow prevention means 17 of the present embodiment is formed simultaneously with the formation of the light shielding layer 15 using the same black colored photosensitive resin material as that of the light shielding layer 15. Further, the outflow prevention means 17 is formed in a rectangular shape, in this embodiment, a vertically long rectangular shape, and is disposed at each of both left and right sides of each dot area D. In other words, the outflow prevention means 17 of the present embodiment is a part of the non-dot area ND excluding the portion where the light shielding layer 15 is formed, specifically, the other of the row direction and the column direction of the dot area D. As shown in FIG. 1, are arranged in the non-dot area ND along the column direction which is the vertical direction of FIG. One end of the outflow prevention means 17 is connected to the side surface of the light shielding layer 15, and the other end 17 a is disposed so as to extend to near the edge of the color filter 14.
[0026]
Therefore, in the non-dot area ND located between the light shielding layers 15, as shown in FIG. 1, two outflow prevention means 17 facing each other are formed so as to be connected to each light shielding layer 15, and The central portion where the preventing means 17 is not formed is an exposed portion 13b of the reflective layer 13.
[0027]
The position of the tip 17 a of the outflow prevention means 17 may be extended to the edge of the color filter 14 facing the light-shielding layer 15, so that the smoothing layer 18 flowing out along the gap 16 may be disposed. This is important in that the material can be blocked on both left and right sides of the outflow prevention means 17.
[0028]
Further, the color of the outflow prevention means 17 can be selected from any color including transparent. Further, the shape of the outflow prevention means 17 may be a shape other than the rectangular shape.
[0029]
A smoothing layer 18 made of a transparent resin such as an acrylic resin or an epoxy resin is formed so as to cover the color filter 14, the light shielding layer 15, the outflow prevention means 17, and the exposed portions 13a and 13b of the reflective layer 13 (see FIG. 2 to 4). The smoothing layer 18 is formed by forming a reflective layer 13, a color filter 14, a light-shielding layer 15, and an outflow prevention unit 17 on the rear substrate 12R, and then applying a material for forming the smoothing layer 18 by spin coating. The surface is flattened by solidification.
[0030]
The other configuration is the same as that of the above-described conventional liquid crystal display panel, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.
[0031]
Next, the operation of the present embodiment having the above-described configuration will be described.
[0032]
According to the liquid crystal display panel 11 of the present embodiment, the color filters 14 are formed on both sides facing the light-shielding layer 15 inside each dot region D with a gap 16 that allows a part of the reflective layer 13 to be exposed. Therefore, the gap 16 is an exposed portion 13a of the reflection layer 13 which is not covered with the color filter 14 in a portion facing the light shielding layer 15 inside the dot region D. The exposed portion 13a of the reflective layer 13 inside the dot region D can directly reflect the incident light on the reflective layer 13 without passing through the color filter 14 when performing the reflective display, so that the display brightness is improved. be able to. In particular, in the liquid crystal display panel 11 of the present embodiment, the luminance can be easily improved even in a configuration in which the area of the color filter 14 is reduced with the recent increase in definition, which has not been possible in the past.
[0033]
According to the liquid crystal display panel 11 of the present embodiment, since the outflow preventing means 17 is formed in a part of the non-dot area ND, when the smoothing layer 18 is formed by the outflow preventing means 17, Can be prevented from flowing out along the gap 16. Therefore, the depression on the surface of the smoothing layer 18 formed above the gap 16 can be reduced as compared with the case where the outflow prevention means 17 is not provided. By reducing the dents on the surface of the smoothing layer 18, irregularities on the surface of the smoothing layer 18 can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of inconveniences such as a decrease in color and contrast due to a change in Δnd (cell gap), which occurs when the surface of the smoothing layer 18 has large irregularities.
[0034]
Therefore, according to the liquid crystal display panel 11 of the present embodiment, high definition can be easily achieved.
[0035]
Further, according to the liquid crystal display panel 11 of the present embodiment, the outflow prevention means 17 is formed in a rectangular shape, one end is connected to the light shielding layer 15, and the other end is opposed to the light shielding layer 15 of the color filter 14. Since it is arranged so as to extend to the edge, it is possible to reliably prevent the material for forming the smoothing layer 18 from flowing out of the gap 16 along the light shielding layer 15 when the smoothing layer 18 is formed. Can be.
[0036]
Further, according to the liquid crystal display panel 11 of the present embodiment, since the outflow preventing means 17 is formed of the same material as the light shielding layer 15, the outflow preventing means 17 and the light shielding layer 15 can be formed simultaneously. As a result, the number of steps can be reduced as compared with the case where the outflow prevention means 17 is individually molded, and the alignment accuracy when the outflow prevention means 17 is arranged on the rear substrate 12R can be improved.
[0037]
The present invention can be used for a transflective liquid crystal display panel capable of two types of display, transmissive display and reflective display. In this case, a reflective layer may be provided on the inner surface of the rear substrate via a light diffusion layer, and an opening used for transmissive display may be provided in a portion of the reflective layer arranged in the dot area covered by the color filter. Of course, it is important to arrange a backlight unit for use in transmissive display on the rear surface of the rear substrate opposite to the observation side.
[0038]
Further, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be variously modified as needed.
[0039]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the liquid crystal display panel of the first aspect of the present invention, extremely excellent effects such as high definition can be easily achieved.
[0040]
Further, according to the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention according to the second aspect, it is extremely excellent that the material for forming the smoothing layer can be reliably prevented from flowing out of the gap along the light shielding layer. It works.
[0041]
Further, according to the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention according to the third aspect, an extremely excellent effect is obtained such that the outflow prevention means and the light shielding layer can be formed at the same time.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a main part of an embodiment of a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention, which is simplified and viewed from an observation side. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a dot arranged on the rear substrate of the liquid crystal display panel of FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic front view showing an area and a non-dot area. FIG. 6 is a schematic front view showing a configuration of one dot area arranged on a rear substrate of the liquid crystal display panel of FIG. Schematic front view showing the arrangement of color filters and light-shielding layers on the substrate as viewed from the observation side.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Liquid crystal display panel 12 Substrate 12R Rear substrate 13 Reflection layer 13a, 13b Exposure part 14 Color filter 14R, 14G, 14B Coloring layer 15 Light shielding layer 16 Gap 17 Outflow prevention means 17a Tip 18 (of outflow prevention means) Smoothing layer D dot Area ND Non-dot area

Claims (3)

A reflection layer formed on at least a part of each dot region arranged in a matrix on one surface of the substrate; a color filter formed on the reflection layer; and a region outside the dot region. In a liquid crystal display panel having a light shielding layer formed in a non-dot region and a smoothing layer formed so as to cover the color filter and the light shielding layer,
The light shielding layer is arranged in a part of the non-dot area in a stripe shape along one of a row direction and a column direction of the dot area,
The color filters are formed on both sides of the respective dot regions facing the light-shielding layer with a gap capable of exposing a part of the reflection layer,
Further, a material for forming the smoothing layer flows out of the gap at the time of forming the smoothing layer into the part of the non-dot area other than the portion where the light shielding layer is formed, along the light shielding layer. A liquid crystal display panel provided with outflow prevention means for preventing the occurrence of the liquid crystal display panel. The outflow prevention means is disposed at both ends of the other side in the row direction and the column direction of each dot region, one end is connected to the light shielding layer, and the other end is the color filter. 2. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal display panel is arranged so as to extend to an edge facing the light shielding layer. 3. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, wherein the outflow prevention means is formed of the same material as the light shielding layer.

Images