JP2005122150A - Liquid crystal display and its manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal display which shows a displacement amount in a microloading area, raises no gravity unevenness or low-temperature bubbling or the like stated above, has ample tolerance with respect localized loading, and can produce a gap between transparent substrates uniformly. <P>SOLUTION: A liquid crystal display at least has two transparent substrates, a liquid crystal layer enclosed between the two transparent substrates, and columnar spacers formed between the two transparent substrates and keeps the porosity of the two transparent substrates at prescribed porosity. The columnar spacers formed in the effective display region of the liquid crystal display are columnar spacers having different heights. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device that can maintain a uniform cell gap and has excellent display quality.

  In a liquid crystal display device, a display side substrate and a liquid crystal drive side substrate are opposed to each other, and a liquid crystal compound is sealed between them to form a thin liquid crystal layer, and the liquid crystal alignment in the liquid crystal layer is electrically arranged by the liquid crystal drive side substrate. Display is performed by controlling and selectively changing the amount of transmitted or reflected light of the display-side substrate.

  Such a liquid crystal display device has various driving methods such as a static driving method, a simple matrix method, and an active matrix method. Recently, an active matrix method or a simple matrix method is used as a flat display for a personal computer or a portable information terminal. Color liquid crystal display devices using liquid crystal panels are rapidly spreading.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of an active matrix liquid crystal display panel. In the liquid crystal display device 101, a color filter 11 that is a display side substrate and a TFT array substrate 12 that is a liquid crystal drive side substrate are opposed to each other, and a gap portion 13 of about 1 to 10 μm is provided. The structure is filled and the periphery is sealed with a sealing material 14. The color filter 11 has a black matrix layer 16 formed in a predetermined pattern on the transparent substrate 15 to shield the boundary between pixels, and a plurality of colors (usually red (R (R)) to form each pixel. ), Green (G), blue (B) three primary colors) arranged in a predetermined order, a protective film 18 and a transparent electrode film 19 are laminated in this order from the side close to the transparent substrate 15. It has a structure.

  On the other hand, the TFT array substrate 12 has a structure in which TFT elements are arranged on a transparent substrate and a transparent electrode film is provided (not shown). An alignment film 20 is provided on the inner surface side of the color filter 11 and the TFT array substrate 12 facing the color filter 11. A color image is obtained by controlling the light transmittance of the liquid crystal layer behind the pixels colored in the respective colors.

  Here, the thickness of the gap 13, that is, the cell gap (gap distance between the display side substrate and the liquid crystal driving side substrate) is the thickness of the liquid crystal layer itself, and prevents display unevenness such as color unevenness and contrast unevenness and is uniform. In order to provide the color liquid crystal display device with good display performance such as display, high-speed response, high contrast ratio, and wide viewing angle, it is necessary to maintain the cell gap constant and uniform.

  As a method of maintaining the cell gap, a large number of spherical or rod-shaped particles 21 of a certain size made of glass, alumina, plastic, or the like are scattered in the gap 13 as a spacer, and the color filter 11 and the TFT array substrate 12 are bonded together. There is a method of injecting liquid crystal. In this method, the cell gap is determined and maintained by the size of the spacer.

  However, the method of dispersing particles as spacers in the gap portion has various problems such as the spacer distribution being easily biased. As a method for solving the problem of these particulate spacers, as shown in FIG. 8, a cell is formed in an area (non-display area) overlapping with the position where the black matrix layer 16 is formed on the inner surface side of the color filter 11. Forming columnar spacers 22 having a height corresponding to the gap has been performed. The columnar spacer 22 is formed in a black matrix layer forming region by applying a photocurable resin to a uniform thickness on a transparent substrate of a color filter and curing the resulting coating film by pattern exposure by photolithography. It is formed in a non-display area.

  Such a columnar spacer is required to have a property of being easily deformed by a minute load. This is due to the following reason. For example, when the liquid crystal is placed at a low temperature, all the members that make up the liquid crystal display device try to shrink. Among the members that make up the liquid crystal material, the shrinkage rate of the liquid crystal material is the largest, so the gap between the transparent substrates shrinks. Will be. At this time, if the deformation of the columnar spacer cannot follow the narrowing of the gap, a negative pressure is generated inside the liquid crystal display device, and as a result, vacuum bubbles (low temperature foaming) are easily generated in the liquid crystal display device.

  For example, when a liquid crystal display device is used, heat is applied to the liquid crystal display device due to heat generated from the backlight. In this case, all the members constituting the liquid crystal display device try to expand. Even in this case, the liquid crystal material has the largest expansion coefficient among the components, so that the gap between the transparent substrates expands. Will be. At this time, similarly to the above, when the deformation of the columnar spacer cannot follow the spread of the gap, a pressure is generated inside the liquid crystal cell, and as a result, a gap is formed between the transparent substrate and the liquid crystal layer. This is because the liquid crystal material overflows from the gap, and the overflowed liquid crystal material flows down from the liquid crystal cell due to gravity, resulting in unevenness (gravity unevenness).

  On the other hand, the columnar spacer is required to have a small displacement after applying a strong force and then removing the force. This is because when a load is applied to the liquid crystal cell locally, for example, in a pressure resistance test such as a finger press test, if the amount of displacement after the force is removed is large, a display defect may occur. Because there is.

Here, since the above two characteristics are contradictory, it is difficult to form a columnar spacer having the above characteristics, deformation is large with respect to a minute load, and a displacement amount with respect to a strong force is small. It was difficult to form a liquid crystal display device.
In addition, the prior art regarding this invention has not been discovered.

  From the above, the amount of displacement in the micro load region is large, the above-described gravity unevenness and low-temperature foaming do not occur, and it has sufficient resistance against local loads, and is transparent. It is desired to provide a liquid crystal display device capable of manufacturing a gap between substrates constant and a manufacturing method thereof.

The present invention is formed between two transparent substrates, a liquid crystal layer sealed between the two transparent substrates, and the two transparent substrates, and the gap between the two transparent substrates is a predetermined gap. A liquid crystal display device having at least a columnar spacer to be maintained,
The liquid crystal display device is characterized in that the columnar spacers formed in the effective display area of the liquid crystal display device are columnar spacers having different heights.

  According to the present invention, since the columnar spacers having a high height and the columnar spacers having a low height are formed in the effective area of the liquid crystal display device, a high load is applied when a minute load is applied. The load is supported only by the high columnar spacer, and the columnar spacer is likely to be deformed. Thereby, the displacement of the liquid crystal display device can be increased, and for example, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of gravity unevenness, low-temperature foaming, and the like. On the other hand, when a large load is applied to the liquid crystal display device, the load is supported by the columnar spacer having a low height and the columnar spacer having a high height. Has great drag. Therefore, the liquid crystal display device can be sufficiently resistant to a local load, and the gap between the transparent substrates can be manufactured to be constant.

  In the said invention, it is preferable that the height difference of the highest thing and the lowest thing is in the range of 0.02 micrometer-0.5 micrometer among the columnar spacers from which the said height differs. This is because the above characteristics can be imparted to the liquid crystal display device.

  In the invention described above, it is preferable that the columnar spacers having different heights are formed in a larger number as the height is lower. As a result, when a large load is applied to the liquid crystal display device, the resistance against the load can be increased, and the liquid crystal display device having resistance against a local load can be obtained. It is.

  In the present invention, the columnar spacers having different heights are formed of one kind of material, and a difference in height as the columnar spacer is provided depending on the presence or absence of the base or the area of the base. It is preferable. Thereby, the columnar spacers having the plurality of heights can be easily formed, and the liquid crystal display device can be efficiently manufactured.

  Furthermore, in the present invention, it is preferable that the pedestal is formed of at least one layer selected from the group consisting of a colored layer, a light shielding layer, and a protective layer. Since the pedestal is formed of any one of the above layers, the pedestal can be formed at the same time when the above layer is formed, which is preferable from the viewpoint of manufacturing efficiency and cost. Because it can be.

Further, the present invention provides a pedestal forming step of forming a pedestal having a different area of the upper bottom surface on the first transparent substrate,
A columnar spacer forming step of forming a columnar spacer on the first transparent substrate or the pedestal;
A second transparent substrate forming step of forming a second transparent substrate so as to face the first transparent substrate across the columnar spacer;
And a liquid crystal layer forming step of sealing a liquid crystal material between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate.

  According to the present invention, the pedestal forming step forms pedestals having different top and bottom areas. Therefore, in the columnar spacer forming step, columnar spacers having different heights depending on the presence or absence of the pedestal or the area of the top and bottom surfaces of the pedestal. Can be easily formed. As a result, when a minute load is applied to the liquid crystal display device manufactured according to the present invention, the displacement amount of the liquid crystal display device can be increased, and when a local load is applied. It is possible to reduce the amount of displacement. Therefore, it is possible to provide a liquid crystal display device that is free from the occurrence of gravity unevenness and low-temperature foaming and that has sufficient resistance against local loads.

  According to the present invention, since the columnar spacers having a high height and the columnar spacers having a low height are formed in the effective area of the liquid crystal display device, a high load is applied when a minute load is applied. The load is supported only by the high columnar spacer, and the columnar spacer is likely to be deformed. Thereby, the displacement of the liquid crystal display device can be increased, and for example, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of gravity unevenness, low-temperature foaming, and the like. On the other hand, when a large load is applied to the liquid crystal display device, the load is supported by the columnar spacer having a low height and the columnar spacer having a high height. Has great drag. Therefore, the liquid crystal display device can be sufficiently resistant to a local load, and the gap between the transparent substrates can be manufactured to be constant.

  The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device that maintains a uniform cell gap and has excellent display quality, and a method for manufacturing the same. Hereinafter, the liquid crystal display device of the present invention and the manufacturing method thereof will be described separately.

A. Liquid Crystal Display Device First, the liquid crystal display device of the present invention will be described. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes two transparent substrates, a liquid crystal layer sealed between the two transparent substrates, and a gap formed between the two transparent substrates, the gap between the two transparent substrates. A liquid crystal display device having at least columnar spacers that maintain a predetermined gap,
The columnar spacers formed in the effective display area of the liquid crystal display device are columnar spacers having different heights.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal display device substrate of the present invention has two transparent substrates 1, a liquid crystal layer 2 sealed between the transparent substrates 1, and the transparent substrate 1 in order to keep it constant. The columnar spacer 3 is formed so as to have a high height 3t and a low height 3s. The columnar spacers having different heights are not limited to two types of heights, and may be formed to have a plurality of types of heights as described later.

According to the present invention, when a minute load is applied to the liquid crystal display device, for example, as shown in FIG. 2A, the load is applied only to the columnar spacer 3t having a high height. Therefore, since the resistance against the load is small, the columnar spacer 3t is easily deformed, and the displacement amount of the liquid crystal display device can be increased. On the other hand, when a large load is applied to the liquid crystal display device, for example, as shown in FIG. 2B, the load is supported by the columnar spacer 3t having a high height and the columnar spacer 3s having a low height. Therefore, the load applied to the liquid crystal display device is dispersed, and it is difficult for the liquid crystal display device to be displaced downward from the columnar spacer having a low height, and further displacement of the liquid crystal display device can be reduced.
As a result, the liquid crystal display device of the present invention can be made free from low temperature foaming, gravity unevenness and the like, and even when a local load is applied, it is a high-quality liquid crystal that is not deformed. It can be a display device.
Hereinafter, each structure of the liquid crystal display device of this invention is demonstrated.

1. Columnar Spacer First, the columnar spacer used in the liquid crystal display device of the present invention will be described. The columnar spacer used in the liquid crystal display device of the present invention is provided in an effective display area of the liquid crystal display device in order to keep a gap between two transparent substrates described later, and has a plurality of types of heights. Is formed. The effective display area is an area used as a display unit of a liquid crystal display device.

  Here, the kind of height of the columnar spacer is appropriately selected according to the kind and size of the liquid crystal display device, but usually two or more kinds, preferably two to ten kinds are preferably formed.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the number of the plurality of types of columnar spacers is larger as the height is lower. As a result, when a minute load is applied to the liquid crystal display device, the load is supported by a small number of columnar spacers, and the columnar spacers can be easily deformed. On the other hand, when a large load is applied to the liquid crystal display device, the more the load is applied, the greater the resistance against the load, and the displacement of the columnar spacer can be reduced. Therefore, when the load is small, the displacement of the liquid crystal display device is large, and when the load is large, the displacement of the liquid crystal display device can be small.

Here, the number of the columnar spacers to be formed is appropriately selected depending on the type of the liquid crystal display device and the like, but usually 8 / mm ² to 50 / mm in the effective display area of the liquid crystal display device. It is preferable to be within the range of ² .

  Further, the height of the columnar spacer formed in the present invention is appropriately selected depending on the type of the liquid crystal display device and the like, and the height is not particularly limited. In the present invention, the difference between the height of the columnar spacer having the highest height and the height of the columnar spacer having the lowest height is in the range of 0.02 μm to 0.5 μm, particularly in the range of 0.05 μm to 0.35 μm. It is preferable to be within.

As for the columnar spacers as described above, the columnar spacers having different heights may be formed in the effective display area (hereinafter referred to as the first mode), a transparent substrate described later, and the like. A height difference as a columnar spacer may be provided by forming a pedestal on the substrate and forming a columnar spacer on the pedestal (hereinafter referred to as a second mode).
Hereinafter, each aspect will be described separately.

(1) First Aspect First, a first aspect of the columnar spacer used in the liquid crystal display device of the present invention will be described. The first embodiment of the columnar spacer used in the liquid crystal display device of the present invention is a case where the columnar spacer 3 itself having a different height is formed in the effective display area as shown in FIG. is there.

  The columnar spacers may all be formed from the same material, or may be formed from different materials depending on the height.

  When the columnar spacers are all made of the same material, the amount of deformation of the columnar spacer with respect to the load is determined by the difference in height of the columnar spacers.

  On the other hand, when the columnar spacers having different heights are formed of two or more kinds of materials, the displacement with respect to the load depends on the difference in height of the columnar spacers and the rigidity of the materials. The amount will be determined. In this case, it is preferable that the columnar spacer having a higher height is formed of a material having lower rigidity. As a result, when a relatively small load is applied, the load is supported by the columnar spacer having low rigidity, so that the columnar spacer can be easily deformed by the force. , Gravity unevenness and the like can be prevented. In addition, when a large load is applied to the liquid crystal display device, the load is supported even by a highly rigid material, and the load is applied to a large number of columnar spacers. This is because the displacement can be made small.

  In this case, for example, a single layer or a plurality of layers of colored layers formed of a highly rigid material may be used as a low spacer, and a high spacer may be formed from a protective layer. Further, when it is desired to increase the rigidity difference, a columnar spacer forming material having a low rigidity may be separately prepared, and thereby a spacer having a high height may be formed.

  Specifically, as the rigidity of the material having high rigidity, it is preferable that the maximum deformation amount under a load of 80 mN is in the range of 0.1 μm to 1.0 μm. Further, as a material having low rigidity, it is preferable that the maximum deformation amount at a load of 80 mN is in a range of 0.5 μm to 2.0 μm. As a method for measuring the rigidity of the columnar spacer, a Fischer scope H-100 manufactured by Fischer Instruments Co., Ltd. (the indenter having a 100 μm × 100 μm plane is used by polishing the head of a Vickers indenter (quadrangular pyramid shape)) is used. The following method can be used. First, a load is applied up to 80 mN using the indenter at a load application speed of 22 mPa / sec in the axial direction of the columnar spacer with respect to the upper and bottom surfaces of the columnar spacer. Next, the load of 80 mN is applied for 5 seconds. Thereafter, the load is removed at a load removal speed of 22 mPa / sec until it reaches 0 mN, and the load is removed (0 mN state) and held for 5 seconds. The amount of deformation of the columnar spacer in this series of steps is measured, and the value when the columnar spacer is deformed to the maximum is taken as the maximum amount of deformation.

  Here, the shape of the columnar spacer is not particularly limited as long as the gap between the transparent substrates can be kept constant. For example, a columnar or prismatic shape, or a top portion is cut. A conical shape or a pyramid shape can be used. Further, the shape of the columnar spacer having a high height and the columnar spacer having a low height may be the same, but in this embodiment, for example, as shown in FIG. It is preferable that the upper bottom surface (portion indicated by a in FIG. 3) is formed to have a small area. Thereby, when a minute load is applied to the liquid crystal display device, the load applied to the upper and bottom surfaces of the columnar spacer having a high height is increased, and the deformation of the columnar spacer can be increased. In addition, when a large load is applied to the liquid crystal display device, the load is supported by the wide upper and bottom surfaces of the columnar spacer having a low height, and since the load is dispersed, the columnar spacer having a low height is deformed. It can be reduced.

  Here, the material used for the columnar spacer of this embodiment is not particularly limited as long as it has the above-described characteristics in any of the above cases, and an example thereof is as follows. Can be mentioned. In addition, when the columnar spacer is formed of two or more kinds of materials, two or more kinds of materials are appropriately selected from the following materials and used.

  The columnar spacers as described above can usually be formed using a photocurable resin composition. As the photocurable resin composition, a composition containing at least a polyfunctional acrylate monomer, a polymer and a photopolymerization initiator is preferably used.

  As a polyfunctional acrylate monomer blended in the photocurable resin composition, a compound having two or more ethylenically unsaturated bond-containing groups such as an acryl group and a methacryl group is used. Specifically, ethylene glycol (meth) Acrylate, diethylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, propylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, dipropylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, polyethylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, polypropylene glycol di (meth) acrylate, hexane di (meth) acrylate, neopentyl Glycol di (meth) acrylate, glycerin di (meth) acrylate, glycerin tri (meth) acrylate, trimethylolpropane tri (meth) acrylate, 1,4-butanediol diacrylate, Data erythritol (meth) acrylate, pentaerythritol tri (meth) acrylate, pentaerythritol tetra (meth) acrylate, dipentaerythritol hexa (meth) acrylate can be exemplified dipentaerythritol penta (meth) acrylate.

  You may use a polyfunctional acrylate monomer in combination of 2 or more types. In addition, in this aspect, (meth) acryl means that it is either acryl or methacryl, and (meth) acrylate means that it is either an acrylate group or a methacrylate.

  In this embodiment, the content of such a polyfunctional acrylate monomer is preferably 50% by weight or more based on the total solid content of the photocurable resin composition. Here, the total solid content is the total amount of all components other than the solvent, and includes liquid monomer components.

  The polyfunctional acrylate monomer preferably includes a monomer having a trifunctional or higher ethylenic unsaturated bond, and the content thereof preferably accounts for about 30 to 95% by weight of the amount of the polyfunctional acrylate monomer used.

  When the content of the polyfunctional acrylate monomer in the photocurable resin composition is increased, the columnar spacer having the above-described physical properties can be formed in a wide temperature range. However, on the other hand, it becomes difficult to obtain good developability, and the inconvenience that the accuracy of the pattern edge shape is lowered and the target shape cannot be obtained easily occurs. The reason for this is that if a large amount of polyfunctional acrylate monomer is added to the photocurable resin composition, the crosslink density after curing becomes very high, so the hardness can be increased, but the solubility during development is too low. This is presumed to be disadvantageous in obtaining good developability.

  In order to solve such inconvenience, among trifunctional or higher polyfunctional acrylate monomers, those having one or more acidic groups and three or more ethylenically unsaturated bonds in one molecule (hereinafter referred to as “3 It is preferable to use a "functional or more acidic polyfunctional acrylate monomer".

  The trifunctional or higher acidic polyfunctional acrylate monomer has a role of improving the crosslinking density of the resin composition and a role of improving alkali developability. Therefore, when the columnar spacer is formed using the resin composition containing the acidic polyfunctional acrylate monomer, the edge shape of the columnar spacer is good, and the columnar spacer having a desired shape is easily formed. Furthermore, it has an excellent elastic deformation rate at room temperature, has a sufficient hardness that makes it difficult to be plastically deformed especially when the liquid crystal panel is subjected to cell pressure bonding and subsequent handling, and is flexible enough to follow the thermal contraction and expansion of the liquid crystal. Columnar spacers can be formed.

  The acidic group of the acidic polyfunctional acrylate monomer only needs to be capable of alkali development, and examples thereof include a carboxyl group, a sulfonic acid group, and a phosphoric acid group. To carboxyl group.

  As the above-described trifunctional or higher functional polyfunctional acrylate monomer, (1) a polyfunctional (meth) acrylate having a carboxyl group introduced by modifying a hydroxyl group-containing polyfunctional (meth) acrylate with a dibasic acid anhydride, Alternatively, (2) a polyfunctional (meth) acrylate having a sulfonic acid group introduced by modifying an aromatic polyfunctional (meth) acrylate with concentrated sulfuric acid or fuming sulfuric acid can be used.

  As the trifunctional or higher functional polyfunctional acrylate monomer, those represented by the following general formulas (1) and (2) are preferable.

(In Formula (1), n is 0-14 and m is 1-8. In Formula (2), R is the same as Formula (1), n is 0-14, p is 1 to 8 and q is 1 to 8. A plurality of R, T, and G present in one molecule may be the same or different.

  Specific examples of the acidic polyfunctional acrylate monomer represented by formulas (1) and (2) include, for example, TO-756, which is a carboxyl group-containing trifunctional acrylate manufactured by Toagosei Co., Ltd., and a carboxyl group-containing pentafunctional group. Examples thereof include TO-1382 which is an acrylate.

  Polymers blended in the photocurable resin composition include ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-vinyl chloride copolymer, ethylene-vinyl copolymer, polystyrene, acrylonitrile-styrene copolymer, ABS resin, poly Methacrylic acid resin, ethylene-methacrylic acid resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, chlorinated vinyl chloride, polyvinyl alcohol, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 12, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, Polycarbonate, polyvinyl acetal, polyether ether ketone, polyether sulfone, polyphenylene sulfide, polyarylate, polyvinyl butyral, epoxy resin, phenoxy resin, polyimid Resin, polyamideimide resin, polyamic acid resin, polyether imide resin, can be exemplified phenol resin, urea resin and the like.

  Furthermore, as the polymer, polymerizable monomers such as methyl (meth) acrylate, ethyl (meth) acrylate, n-propyl (meth) acrylate, isopropyl (meth) acrylate, sec-butyl (meth) acrylate, isobutyl (meth) acrylate , Tert-butyl (meth) acrylate, n-pentyl (meth) acrylate, n-hexyl (meth) acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl (meth) acrylate, n-octyl (meth) acrylate, n-decyl (meth) acrylate, styrene , Α-methylstyrene, N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, glycidyl (meth) acrylate and a dimer of (meth) acrylic acid and acrylic acid (for example, Toagosei Chemical Co., Ltd.) M-5600), itaconic acid, ku Tonsan, maleic acid, fumaric acid, vinyl acetate, polymers or copolymers comprising one or more selected from among these anhydrides can also be exemplified. Moreover, although the polymer etc. which added the ethylenically unsaturated compound which has a glycidyl group or a hydroxyl group to said copolymer can be illustrated, it is not limited to these.

  Among the above-exemplified polymers, a polymer containing an ethylenically unsaturated bond is particularly preferably used because it forms a cross-linked bond with the monomer and provides excellent strength.

  The content of such a polymer is preferably 10 to 40% by weight with respect to the total solid content of the photocurable resin composition.

  As the photopolymerization initiator compounded in the photocurable resin composition, a photoradical polymerization initiator that can be activated by ultraviolet rays, ionizing radiation, visible light, or other wavelengths, particularly energy beams of 365 nm or less is used. be able to. Specific examples of such a photopolymerization initiator include benzophenone, methyl o-benzoylbenzoate, 4,4-bis (dimethylamine) benzophenone, 4,4-bis (diethylamine) benzophenone, α-amino acetophenone, 4,4-dichlorobenzophenone, 4-benzoyl-4-methyldiphenyl ketone, dibenzyl ketone, fluorenone, 2,2-diethoxyacetophenone, 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone, 2-hydroxy-2-methylpro Piophenone, p-tert-butyldichloroacetophenone, thioxanthone, 2-methylthioxanthone, 2-chlorothioxanthone, 2-isopropylthioxanthone, diethylthioxanthone, benzyldimethyl ketal, benzylmethoxyethyl acetal, Nzoin methyl ether, benzoin butyl ether, anthraquinone, 2-tert-butylanthraquinone, 2-amylanthraquinone, β-chloroanthraquinone, anthrone, benzanthrone, dibenzsuberone, methyleneanthrone, 4-azidobenzylacetophenone, 2,6-bis ( p-azidobenzylidene) cyclohexane, 2,6-bis (p-azidobenzylidene) -4-methylcyclohexanone, 2-phenyl-1,2-butadion-2- (o-methoxycarbonyl) oxime, 1-phenyl-propanedione 2- (o-ethoxycarbonyl) oxime, 1,3-diphenyl-propanetrione-2- (o-ethoxycarbonyl) oxime, 1-phenyl-3-ethoxy-propanetrione-2- (o-benzoyl) Oxime, Michler's ketone, 2-methyl-1 [4- (methylthio) phenyl] -2-morpholinopropan-1-one, 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1- (4-morpholinophenyl) -butanone, naphthalene Sulfonyl chloride, quinoline sulfonyl chloride, n-phenylthioacridone, 4,4-azobisisobutyronitrile, diphenyl disulfide, benzthiazole disulfide, triphenylphosphine, camphorquinone, Adeka N1717, carbon tetrabromide, tri Examples include combinations of photoreducing dyes such as bromophenyl sulfone, benzoin peroxide, eosin, and methylene blue with reducing agents such as ascorbic acid and triethanolamine. In this embodiment, these photopolymerization initiators can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

  The content of such a photopolymerization initiator is preferably 2 to 20% by weight with respect to the total solid content of the photocurable resin composition.

  The photocurable resin composition may contain components other than the polyfunctional acrylate monomer, the polymer, and the photopolymerization initiator as necessary. For example, an epoxy resin may be added to the photocurable resin composition for the purpose of improving heat resistance, adhesion, and chemical resistance (particularly alkali resistance). Examples of the epoxy resin that can be used include a product name Epicoat series manufactured by Mitsubishi Yuka Shell Co., Ltd., a product name Celoxide series manufactured by Daicel Corporation, and a product name Eporide Series manufactured by the same company. The epoxy resin further includes bisphenol-A type epoxy resin, bisphenol-F type epoxy resin, bisphenol-S type epoxy resin, novolac type epoxy resin, polycarboxylic acid glycidyl ester, polyol glycidyl ester, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic epoxy. Examples thereof include resins, amine epoxy resins, triphenolmethane type epoxy resins, dihydroxybenzene type epoxy resins, and copolymerized epoxy compounds of glycidyl (meth) acrylate and monomers capable of radical polymerization. In this embodiment, these epoxy resins can be used alone or in combination of two or more.

  The content of such an epoxy resin is preferably 0 to 10% by weight with respect to the total solid content of the photocurable resin composition.

  The photo-curable resin composition is usually mixed with a solvent in order to dissolve and disperse the solid content and adjust the application suitability such as spin coating. As the solvent, it is preferable to use a solvent having a relatively high boiling point so that the solubility or dispersibility of the monomer, polymer, photopolymerization initiator and other compounding components is good and the spin coating property is good. Using these solvents, the solid content concentration is usually adjusted to 5 to 50% by weight.

  In order to prepare the curable resin composition, a polyfunctional acrylate monomer, a polymer, a photopolymerization initiator, and other components as necessary are added to an appropriate solvent, and a paint shaker, a bead mill, a sand grind mill, a ball mill , An attritor mill, a two-roll mill, a three-roll mill, etc., may be dissolved and dispersed.

  The method for producing the columnar spacers in this embodiment is not particularly limited, and is usually a production method used in this field, specifically, applying the above composition by a spin coater, patterning by a photolithography method, and curing. It is manufactured by the method etc. which manufacture by.

(2) Second Aspect Next, a second aspect of the columnar spacer used in the liquid crystal display device of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment of the columnar spacer used in the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, a pedestal is formed on a transparent substrate or the like, and the columnar spacer is formed on the pedestal, whereby the presence or absence of the pedestal, the area of the pedestal Alternatively, the height as the columnar spacer is different depending on the height of the pedestal or the like. Here, the columnar spacer may be formed by using two or more kinds of materials in accordance with the height, but it is formed by using one kind of material in terms of manufacturing efficiency and cost. From the aspect, it is preferable.

  In this aspect, the shape of the pedestal is not particularly limited as long as the height of the columnar spacer can be made different. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, by forming a pedestal 4 having a different height on the transparent substrate 1 and forming a columnar spacer 3 on the pedestal 4, the presence or absence of the pedestal, the height of the pedestal, etc. The heights of the columnar spacers 3 may be different. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the pedestal 4 having the same height and different top and bottom surfaces (indicated by a in the figure) is formed. The columnar spacer 3 may be formed on the columnar spacer 3 to adjust the height of the columnar spacer 3.

  When pedestals with different top and bottom areas are formed, when a coating solution for forming columnar spacers is applied on the pedestal by, for example, spin coating, the coating solution is applied at different heights depending on the area of the pedestal. It will be. Thus, after the coating liquid is cured, columnar spacers having different heights can be formed by forming the target shape by a photolithography method or the like. At this time, a columnar spacer having a high height can be formed on a pedestal having a large area, and a columnar spacer having a low height can be formed on a pedestal having a small area. According to this method, it is possible to easily form columnar spacers having different heights by adjusting the area of the upper bottom surface of the pedestal, and it is easy to adjust the height of the columnar spacers. Have

  Here, the type of the pedestal is not particularly limited as long as the height of the columnar spacer can be adjusted. Among them, a colored layer and a light shielding layer used in a liquid crystal display device are particularly limited. And at least one layer selected from the group consisting of a protective layer. Thereby, when the colored layer or the like is formed, a pedestal can be formed at the same time, and a liquid crystal display device can be efficiently formed. Here, when the colored layer is used as a pedestal, for example, a pedestal composed of a blue colored layer, a pedestal composed of a blue colored layer and a green colored layer, a blue colored layer, a green colored layer, and a red color A columnar spacer having a plurality of heights can be formed by using a pedestal made of a colored layer.

  Further, the hardness of the pedestal may be appropriately selected according to the height of the target columnar spacer. For example, a single layer or multiple layers of colored layers formed of a material with high hardness is used as a pedestal for a columnar spacer with a low height, and a protective layer formed with a material with a low hardness is used for a columnar spacer with a high height. It can be a pedestal or the like. Thereby, even when the columnar spacer is formed from one type of material, it is possible to further adjust the load applied to the liquid crystal display device and the displacement amount of the liquid crystal display device.

  In addition, since the material etc. of the columnar spacer used for this aspect are the same as that of what was demonstrated in the 1st aspect mentioned above, description here is abbreviate | omitted. In addition, since the pedestal can use materials, formation methods, and the like that are generally used for the respective layers, description thereof is omitted here.

2. Next, the liquid crystal layer used in the present invention will be described. The liquid crystal layer used in the present invention is sealed between two transparent substrates described later, and the liquid crystal display device can be displayed by adjusting the light transmittance of the liquid crystal layer. It is possible. In the present invention, a liquid crystal layer used in a general liquid crystal display device can be used as the liquid crystal layer, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted here.

3. Transparent substrate Next, the transparent substrate used in the present invention will be described. The transparent substrate used in the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it is used for a liquid crystal display device, and is not transparent, such as quartz glass, Pyrex (registered trademark) glass, or synthetic quartz plate. A transparent material having flexibility such as a rigid material or a transparent resin film or an optical resin plate can be used. In addition, although two transparent substrates are used in the liquid crystal display device, one of the two transparent substrates is usually used as a display side substrate, and the other is used as a liquid crystal driving side substrate. It will be.

4). Next, the liquid crystal display device of the present invention will be described. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it has the above-described transparent substrate, liquid crystal layer, and columnar spacer.

  Particularly in the present invention, when a load is applied to the effective display area of the two transparent substrates in a direction in which the gap between the two transparent substrates is narrowed by a predetermined measurement method, the load is 80 mN to 400 mN. The amount of displacement in the range of 0.1 μm to 0.8 μm, particularly in the range of 0.2 μm to 0.4 μm, and the amount of displacement between the loads 600 mN to 950 mN is in the range of 0.05 μm to 0.5 μm. In particular, it is preferably in the range of 0.05 μm to 0.3 μm.

  Since the load applied to the liquid crystal display device and the displacement amount have the above relationship, when a relatively small load is applied to the liquid crystal display device, the displacement amount of the liquid crystal display device can be increased. When a relatively large load is applied, it can be resistant to the force, i.e., not more than a certain amount. This is because it is possible to prevent low-temperature foaming, gravity unevenness and the like from occurring. Furthermore, when a strong load is applied to the liquid crystal display device and then the load is removed, the displacement of the liquid crystal display device can be reduced.

  The amount of displacement is as follows. A metal piece of 2 mmφ is brought into contact with any transparent substrate, and the following indenter is applied at a load load speed of 2.22 mN / sec in the axial direction of the columnar spacer under the condition of 23 ° C. from above. Used, the amount of deformation of the columnar spacer when a load is applied from 80 mN to 400 mN is measured. By calculating the difference between the maximum deformation amount and the minimum deformation amount of the columnar spacer within this range, the displacement amount within the above range can be obtained. The displacement amount between 600 mN and 950 mN can be obtained similarly. As the indenter, Fischer Scope H-100 manufactured by Fischer Instruments Inc. (using an indenter having a plane of 100 μm × 100 μm by polishing the head of a Vickers indenter (square pyramid shape)) can be used.

  In the present invention, such a columnar spacer may be formed on the display side substrate or may be formed on the liquid crystal driving side substrate. The liquid crystal display device of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably a color liquid crystal display device.

  In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, various functional layers such as a colored layer, a protective layer, and a light-shielding layer may be formed in addition to the transparent substrate, the liquid crystal layer, and the columnar spacer. These functional layers are appropriately selected and formed according to the type of substrate on which the columnar spacers are formed. The various functional layers may be formed on a transparent substrate and columnar spacers may be formed thereon, or may be formed on columnar spacers.

B. Next, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device of the present invention will be described. The manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a pedestal forming step of forming pedestals having different top and bottom areas on the first transparent substrate,
A columnar spacer forming step of forming a columnar spacer on the first transparent substrate or the pedestal;
A second transparent substrate forming step of forming a second transparent substrate so as to face the first transparent substrate across the columnar spacer;
A liquid crystal layer forming step of enclosing a liquid crystal material between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device of the present invention is as follows. First, a pedestal 4 having different areas of the upper bottom surface (indicated by a) is formed on the first transparent substrate 1 by, for example, photolithography. A base forming step to be formed (FIG. 6A) is performed. Next, a columnar spacer process for forming the columnar spacer 3 on the pedestal 4 or the first transparent substrate 1 is performed (FIG. 6B). At this time, for example, when the coating liquid for forming the columnar spacer 3 is applied by a spin coating method or the like, the height of the applied coating liquid varies depending on the presence or absence of the base 4 and the area of the base 4. Thereby, the columnar spacers 3 having different heights can be formed by curing the coating liquid to have a desired shape by, for example, a photolithography method.
Subsequently, a second transparent substrate forming step (FIG. 6C) is performed to form a second transparent substrate 1 ′ so as to face the first transparent substrate 1 with the columnar spacer 3 interposed therebetween. A liquid crystal display device is formed by performing a liquid crystal layer forming step (FIG. 6D) of forming a liquid crystal layer 2 by enclosing a liquid crystal material between the transparent substrate 1 and the second transparent substrate 1 ′.

  The liquid crystal display device manufactured according to the present invention has columnar spacers having different heights depending on the area of the pedestal and the like. As a result, when a minute load is applied to the manufactured liquid crystal display device, the load is supported only by the columnar spacer having a high height, and the columnar spacer is greatly deformed. Accordingly, the amount of displacement of the liquid crystal display device can be increased, and a liquid crystal display device with less occurrence of gravity unevenness, low temperature foaming, or the like can be obtained. On the other hand, when a large load is applied to the liquid crystal display device, the load is supported by the columnar spacers having a high height and the columnar spacers having a low height, so that the amount of displacement of the liquid crystal display device is small. be able to. Thereby, even when a local load is applied, a liquid crystal display device having sufficient resistance can be obtained.

  In addition, since the height of the columnar spacer can be easily adjusted by the area of the upper and lower surfaces of the pedestal, the relationship between the load applied to the liquid crystal display device and the displacement amount of the liquid crystal display device is finely adjusted. It also has the advantage that it can be done.

  Hereinafter, each process will be described separately. In addition, the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes other steps as appropriate according to the target liquid crystal display device such as a step of forming a color filter and a step of forming an alignment film, in addition to the following steps. You may have.

1. First, the pedestal forming process of the liquid crystal display device of the present invention will be described. The pedestal forming step of the liquid crystal display device of the present invention is a step of forming pedestals having the same height and different top and bottom areas on the first transparent substrate, and such a pedestal can be formed. In particular, the formation method and the like are not limited. For example, a photosensitive resin is used as a material for the pedestal, and after the photosensitive resin is applied on the first transparent substrate, the upper bottom surface is formed so as to have a target area by using a photolithography method or the like. Is mentioned.

  In addition, the type of the pedestal is not particularly limited as long as the pedestal can be formed by adjusting the area of the upper bottom surface, but among them, a colored layer, a light-shielding layer, And at least one layer selected from the group consisting of a protective layer. Thereby, when forming each said layer, it becomes possible to form a base simultaneously, and it is preferable from surfaces, such as manufacturing efficiency.

  Here, the film thickness of the pedestal is appropriately selected depending on the type and size of the liquid crystal display device to be manufactured, but is preferably about 1 μm to 5 μm.

  The first transparent substrate and the base material used in this step can be the same as those described in the above-mentioned “A. Liquid crystal display device”. Is omitted.

2. Columnar spacer formation process Next, the columnar spacer formation process in the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device of this invention is demonstrated. The columnar spacer forming step in the method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device of the present invention is a step of forming columnar spacers on the first transparent substrate or on the pedestal formed in the above step.

  A method for forming the columnar spacer is not particularly limited as long as the columnar spacers having different heights can be formed depending on the presence or absence of the pedestal or the area of the pedestal. For example, a coating liquid for forming columnar spacers is applied by spin coating or the like so as to cover the first transparent substrate and the pedestal, and then cured to a desired shape by photolithography or the like. The method of forming etc. are mentioned. Here, when the coating liquid is applied onto a pedestal having a different area of the upper bottom surface as described above, a high columnar spacer can be formed on the pedestal having a large area of the upper bottom surface. In addition, a columnar spacer having a low height can be formed on a pedestal having a small area on the upper bottom surface.

  The height of the columnar spacer is determined by the area of the upper and lower surfaces of the pedestal and varies depending on the type and size of the liquid crystal display device to be manufactured, the presence or absence of the pedestal, etc. It is preferable to be about 5 μm to 6.5 μm.

  Note that the material, number density, and the like of the columnar spacers used in this step are the same as those in the above-described “A. Liquid crystal display device”, and thus description thereof is omitted here.

3. Second Transparent Substrate Forming Step Next, the second transparent substrate forming step of the liquid crystal display device manufacturing method of the present invention will be described. The second transparent substrate forming step in the present invention is a step of forming the second transparent substrate so as to face the first transparent substrate with the columnar spacer formed by the above steps interposed therebetween.

  This step is not particularly limited as long as the second transparent substrate can be formed at the above position, and a method generally used in a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device can be used. Explanation here is omitted. Further, normally, one of the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate is used as a display side substrate, and the other is used as a liquid crystal driving side substrate.

4). Liquid Crystal Layer Forming Step Next, after completion of the second transparent substrate forming step, a liquid crystal layer forming step is performed. The liquid crystal layer forming step in the present invention is a step of encapsulating a liquid crystal material between the second transparent substrate formed by the second transparent substrate forming step and the first transparent substrate to form a liquid crystal layer. Since the sealing method and the like can be a method generally used in a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, description thereof is omitted here.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The above-described embodiment is an exemplification, and the present invention has substantially the same configuration as the technical idea described in the claims of the present invention, and any device that exhibits the same function and effect is the present invention. It is included in the technical scope of the invention.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples.

<Example 1>
(Adjustment of curable resin composition)
The polymerization tank is charged with 63 parts by weight of methyl methacrylate (MMA), 12 parts by weight of acrylic acid (AA), 6 parts by weight of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and 88 parts by weight of diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (DMDG). After stirring and dissolving, 7 parts by weight of 2,2′-azobis (2-methylbutyronitrile) was added and dissolved uniformly. Then, it stirred at 85 degreeC under nitrogen stream for 2 hours, and also was made to react at 100 degreeC for 1 hour. 7 parts by weight of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), 0.4 parts by weight of triethylamine, and 0.2 parts by weight of hydroquinone were further added to the resulting solution, and the mixture was stirred at 100 ° C. for 5 hours to obtain a copolymer resin solution. (Solid content 50%) was obtained.

Next, the following materials were stirred and mixed at room temperature to obtain a curable resin composition.
-Copolymer resin solution (solid content: 50%): 16 parts by weight-Dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate (Sartomer, SR399): 24 parts by weight- Orthocresol novolac type epoxy resin (Epika Shell Epoxy, Epicoat 180S70) : 4 parts by weight-2-methyl-1- (4-methylthiophenyl) -2-morpholinopropan-1-one: 4 parts by weight-Diethylene glycol dimethyl ether: 52 parts by weight

(Formation of black matrix)
First, the following components were mixed and sufficiently dispersed in a sand mill to prepare a black pigment dispersion.
-Black pigment: 23 parts by weight-Polymer dispersant (Disperbyk 111 manufactured by Big Chemie Japan Co., Ltd.): 2 parts by weight-Solvent (diethylene glycol dimethyl ether): 75 parts by weight Next, the following components are mixed sufficiently to block light A layer composition was obtained.
-Black pigment dispersion: 61 parts by weight-Curable resin composition: 20 parts by weight-Diethylene glycol dimethyl ether: 30 parts by weight

  Then, the light shielding layer composition is applied on a 1.1 mm thick glass substrate (AN material manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.) with a spin coater and dried at 100 ° C. for 3 minutes to form a light shielding layer having a thickness of about 1 μm. did. The light-shielding layer is exposed to a light-shielding pattern with an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp, developed with a 0.05% aqueous potassium hydroxide solution, and then subjected to heat treatment by leaving the substrate in an atmosphere at 180 ° C. for 30 minutes. A black matrix was formed in a region where a light shielding portion should be formed.

(Formation of colored layer and pedestal)
On the substrate on which the black matrix was formed as described above, a red curable resin composition having the following composition was applied by spin coating (application thickness: 1.5 μm), and then dried in an oven at 70 ° C. for 30 minutes. .
Next, a photomask is arranged at a distance of 100 μm from the coating film of the red curable resin composition, and a proximity aligner is used only in a region corresponding to a colored layer and a pedestal forming region using a 2.0 kW ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp. Ultraviolet rays were irradiated for 10 seconds. Subsequently, it was immersed in 0.05 wt% potassium hydroxide aqueous solution (liquid temperature 23 degreeC) for 1 minute, and alkali development was carried out, and only the uncured part of the coating film of a red curable resin composition was removed. Thereafter, a predetermined number of relief patterns of 20 μm × 20 μm are formed in the region where the red pixel is to be formed by leaving the substrate in an atmosphere of 180 ° C. for 30 minutes and where the columnar spacer is to be formed as a pedestal. It formed so that it might become a density.

Next, using the green curable resin composition having the following composition, a green relief pattern was formed in a region where a green pixel was to be formed in the same process as the red relief pattern formation except that the pedestal was not formed. .
Furthermore, using the blue curable resin composition of the following composition, except that the pedestal is not formed, a blue relief pattern is formed in a region where a blue pixel is to be formed in the same process as the red relief pattern formation, A colored layer composed of three colors of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) was formed.

a. Composition of red curable resin composition C.I. I. Pigment Red 177: 10 parts by weight-Polysulfonic acid type polymer dispersant: 3 parts by weight-Curable resin composition: 5 parts by weight-3-methoxybutyl acetate: 82 parts by weight

b. Composition of green curable resin composition C.I. I. Pigment Green 36: 10 parts by weight-Polysulfonic acid type polymer dispersant: 3 parts by weight-Curable resin composition: 5 parts by weight--3-methoxybutyl acetate: 82 parts by weight

c. Composition of blue curable resin composition C.I. I. Pigment Blue 15: 6: 10 parts by weight-Polysulfonic acid type polymer dispersant: 3 parts by weight-Curable resin composition: 5 parts by weight--3-methoxybutyl acetate: 82 parts by weight

(Formation of protective film)
On the substrate on which the colored layer was formed as described above, the curable resin composition was applied and dried by a spin coating method to form a coating film having a dry film thickness of 2 μm.
A photomask is placed at a distance of 100 μm from the coating film of the curable resin composition, and only a region corresponding to the colored layer forming region is irradiated for 10 seconds by a proximity aligner using a 2.0 kW ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp. did. Subsequently, it was immersed in 0.05 wt% potassium hydroxide aqueous solution (liquid temperature 23 degreeC) for 1 minute, and alkali image development was carried out, and only the uncured part of the coating film of curable resin composition was removed. Thereafter, the substrate was left to stand in an atmosphere of 200 ° C. for 30 minutes to perform heat treatment to form a protective film.

(Spacer formation)
On the substrate on which the colored layer and the pedestal were formed as described above, the curable resin composition was applied by a spin coating method and dried to form a coating film.
Place a photomask at a distance of 100 μm from the coating film of the curable resin composition and use a 2.0 kW ultra high pressure mercury lamp by a proximity aligner to irradiate only the spacer formation region on the black matrix with ultraviolet rays for 10 seconds. did. Subsequently, it was immersed in 0.05 wt% potassium hydroxide aqueous solution (liquid temperature 23 degreeC) for 1 minute, and alkali image development was carried out, and only the uncured part of the coating film of curable resin composition was removed. Thereafter, the substrate was left to stand in an atmosphere of 200 ° C. for 30 minutes to perform heat treatment, and a fixed spacer having an upper end area of 100 μm ² and a height of 3.68 μm was formed to have a predetermined number density. The number density of the columnar spacers at each height is shown in Table 1. Here, the height of the spacer formed on the pedestal was 3.81 μm together with the height of the pedestal.

(Production of liquid crystal display device)
On the surface including the fixed spacer of the color filter obtained as described above, a transparent electrode film was formed by a DC magnetron sputtering method using argon and oxygen as a discharge gas at a substrate temperature of 200 ° C. and using ITO as a target. Thereafter, an alignment film made of polyimide was further formed on the transparent electrode film.
Next, a required amount of TN liquid crystal is dropped on the glass substrate on which the TFT is formed, the above color filters are overlaid, and a UV curable resin is used as a sealing material, and a pressure of 0.3 kgf / cm ² is applied at room temperature to 400 mJ / The liquid crystal display device of the present invention was manufactured by bonding and assembling cells by exposing with a dose of cm ² .

<Example 2>
A liquid crystal display device was produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that when forming the green pattern, a relief pattern of 15 μm × 15 μm was formed on the pedestal formed simultaneously with the red pattern so as to have a predetermined number density. . The height of the columnar spacer without the pedestal was 3.79 μm, the height of the columnar spacer having the pedestal of only red color was 3.94 μm, and the height of the columnar spacer having the red and green pedestals was 4.01 μm.

<Example 3>
The liquid crystal display is the same as in Example 1 except that the pedestal is not formed when the red pattern, the green pattern, and the blue pattern are formed, and the columnar spacers are formed to have heights of 3.35 μm and 3.11 μm. A device was formed. The number density of the columnar spacers at each height is shown in Table 1.

<Example 4>
The liquid crystal display is the same as in Example 1 except that the pedestal is not formed when the red pattern, the green pattern, and the blue pattern are formed, and the columnar spacers are formed to have a height of 4.21 μm and 4.02 μm. A device was formed. The number density of the columnar spacers at each height is shown in Table 1.

<Comparative example>
A liquid crystal display device was formed in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the pedestal was not formed when the red pattern, the green pattern, and the blue pattern were formed, and the columnar spacer was formed to have a height of 4.11 μm. . The number density of the columnar spacers at each height is shown in Table 1.

<Evaluation>
Table 1 shows the results of evaluating the liquid crystal display device prepared by the above method by the following method. In Examples 1 to 3, good results were obtained for both the finger pressing test and the low-temperature foaming test. As for Example 4, the result of the low-temperature foaming test was slightly inferior to that of Example 1 to Example 3 due to the relationship between the height of the columnar spacer and the number density, but the height of the columnar spacer is one. Better results were obtained than in the comparative example.

(Finger press test)
A part of the display surface of the liquid crystal display device was strongly pressed with a finger, and display unevenness before and after the pressing was visually evaluated.

(Low temperature foaming test)
The liquid crystal display device was stored at −40 ° C. for 20 hours, and then display unevenness when returned to room temperature was visually evaluated.

It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the liquid crystal display device of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the liquid crystal display device of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of the liquid crystal display device of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of the liquid crystal display device of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the other example of the liquid crystal display device of this invention. It is process drawing which shows an example of the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the conventional liquid crystal display device. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows an example of the conventional liquid crystal display device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Transparent substrate 2 ... Liquid crystal layer 3 ... Columnar spacer

Claims (6)

Two transparent substrates, a liquid crystal layer sealed between the two transparent substrates, and a columnar spacer formed between the two transparent substrates and maintaining a predetermined gap between the two transparent substrates. A liquid crystal display device having at least
The liquid crystal display device, wherein the columnar spacers formed in an effective display area of the liquid crystal display device are columnar spacers having different heights.   2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a height difference between the highest and the lowest columnar spacers having different heights is in a range of 0.02 μm to 0.5 μm. .   3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the number of the columnar spacers having different heights is larger as the height is lower.   The columnar spacers having different heights are formed of one kind of material, and are provided with a difference in height as a columnar spacer depending on the presence or absence of a pedestal or the area of the pedestal. The liquid crystal display device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein the pedestal is formed of at least one kind of layer selected from the group consisting of a colored layer, a light shielding layer, and a protective layer. A pedestal forming step of forming a pedestal having different top and bottom areas on the first transparent substrate;
A columnar spacer forming step of forming a columnar spacer on the first transparent substrate or the pedestal;
A second transparent substrate forming step of forming a second transparent substrate so as to face the first transparent substrate across the columnar spacer;
A liquid crystal layer forming step of enclosing a liquid crystal material between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate.

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