JP2005258328A - Liquid crystal display - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem, wherein injection resistance increases because of a light-shielding part formed near a liquid crystal injection hole and an injection time becomes long during liquid crystal injection, when the light-shielding part made of resin is provided at the peripheral edge part of a display area. <P>SOLUTION: A liquid crystal display device is equipped with an array substrate 1 which has a display area R1, a counter substrate 2, the light-shielding part 20 formed at the peripheral edge of the display area, a seal material 40 which has the liquid crystal injection hole, and a liquid crystal layer 3. At least the sealing material 40 and light-shielding part 20 nearby the liquid crystal injection hole are arranged with a gap between them on the same plane. The gap is longer than the liquid crystal injection hole, along the length of the liquid crystal injection hole. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device.

  In general, a liquid crystal display element is configured such that an array substrate and a counter substrate are arranged to face each other with a predetermined gap, and a liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between these two substrates. The array substrate and the counter substrate each have a display area located at the center. The peripheral portions of these two substrates are bonded together by a sealing material, and a liquid crystal sealing opening is formed in a part of the sealing material. The liquid crystal layer is formed by injecting liquid crystal from a liquid crystal inlet and then sealing the liquid crystal inlet with a sealing material.

  Between the two substrates, in order to keep the gap between the substrates constant, a spherical spacer having a uniform particle diameter or a columnar spacer made of a resin formed using a photolithography method is disposed as the spacer. . A backlight is disposed on the outer surface side of the array substrate.

  When color display is performed using the liquid crystal display device configured as described above, red, green, and blue colored layers are disposed in the display area of the array substrate or the counter substrate. Further, in order to prevent light leakage from the backlight, a frame-shaped light shielding portion is formed along the peripheral edge portion of the display area. The light shielding portion is formed using a metal film such as Cr or MoW or a resin.

When the red, green, and blue colored layers are formed on the array substrate side, columnar spacers and light shielding portions are also formed on the array substrate side (see, for example, Patent Document 1). At this time, it is possible to reduce the number of manufacturing steps by simultaneously forming the columnar spacer and the light-shielding portion with the same material, for example, with a black resist. By forming the columnar spacers on the red, green, and blue colored layers, a desired cell gap can be obtained.
JP 2002-214593 A

As described above, when the light-shielding portion made of resin is provided at the peripheral portion of the display area, the injection resistance is increased by the light-shielding portion formed near the liquid crystal injection port during the liquid crystal injection, and the injection time is increased.
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a liquid crystal display device having excellent display quality.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a liquid crystal display device according to an aspect of the present invention includes an array substrate having a display area, a counter substrate disposed opposite to the array substrate with a predetermined gap therebetween, and the display area. A light-shielding part made of resin formed on the peripheral part, a sealing material formed on the outer periphery from the light-shielding part, having a liquid crystal injection port, and arranged in a region surrounded by the array substrate, the counter substrate, and the sealing material A liquid crystal layer, and at least the sealing material in the vicinity of the liquid crystal injection port and the light shielding portion are arranged with a gap in a plane, and the length of the gap in the length direction of the liquid crystal injection port Is longer than the length of the liquid crystal injection hole.

  According to the present invention, a liquid crystal display device having excellent display quality can be provided.

Hereinafter, a liquid crystal display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the liquid crystal display device is sandwiched between an array substrate 1, a counter substrate 2 disposed opposite to the array substrate with a predetermined gap, and the array substrate and the counter substrate. And a liquid crystal layer 3. The array substrate 1 and the counter substrate 2 have a rectangular display region R1 positioned at the center and a frame-shaped non-display region R2 positioned along the periphery of the display region.

  The array substrate 1 includes a glass substrate 10 as a transparent insulating substrate. On the glass substrate 10, a plurality of signal lines (not shown), scanning lines intersecting with the signal lines, and auxiliary capacitance lines parallel to the scanning lines are provided. For example, a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as TFT) 11 is provided as a switching element at each intersection of the signal line and the scanning line. An insulating film 12 is formed on the glass substrate 10 and the TFT 11. In addition, a contact electrode is formed in a through hole (not shown) formed in the insulating film 12 overlapping each TFT 11, and this contact electrode is connected to the TFT.

  In the display region R1, on the insulating film 12, a red colored layer 13R, a green colored layer 13G, and a blue colored layer 13B are alternately arranged to form a color filter. More specifically, the colored layers 13R, 13G, and 13B are each formed in a stripe shape, and these peripheral portions are disposed so as to overlap the signal lines. Here, the color filter includes an opposite colored layer described later in addition to the colored layers 13R, 13G, and 13B.

  A plurality of pixel electrodes 15 formed of a transparent conductive film such as ITO (indium tin oxide) are provided on the colored layers 13R, 13G, and 13B. Each pixel electrode 15 is connected to a corresponding TFT 11 through an insulating film 12 and a through hole 14 formed in each colored layer. More specifically, the pixel electrode 15 is connected to the TFT 11 via the contact electrode described above. A plurality of columnar spacers 16 are disposed on the pixel electrode 15. An alignment film 17 is formed on the colored layers 13R, 13G, and 13B and the pixel electrode 15.

  On the other hand, in the non-display region R2, a rectangular frame-shaped light shielding portion 20 is formed on the insulating film 12, and this light shielding portion is provided along the entire periphery of the colored layer peripheral portion of the display region R1. Here, in the non-display region R2, the counter colored layer 22 is also disposed on the insulating film 12, and the light shielding portion 20 and the counter colored layer are used to shield light leaking from the peripheral portion of the display region R1 or the inside of the bezel 60 described later. Has contributed.

  The counter substrate 2 includes a glass substrate 30 as a transparent insulating substrate. On the glass substrate 30, a counter electrode 31 formed of a transparent conductive film such as ITO is formed. An alignment film 32 is formed on the counter electrode 31 in the display region R1.

  The array substrate 1 and the counter substrate 2 are joined to each other by, for example, a thermosetting sealing material 40 disposed on the peripheral edge of both substrates, and are arranged to face each other with a predetermined gap held by a plurality of columnar spacers 16. Yes. A liquid crystal layer 3 is formed in a region surrounded by the array substrate 1, the counter substrate 2, and the sealing material 40. A liquid crystal injection port 41 is provided in a part of the sealing material 40, and the liquid crystal injection port 41 is sealed with a sealing material (not shown).

Next, the light shielding part 20 and the counter colored layer 22 will be described in detail.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the light-shielding portion 20 has a narrow width portion 21 that is narrower than the other portions. The narrow width portion faces the liquid crystal injection port 41 and the display region R1. It is provided along the peripheral edge. The narrow width portion 21 has a first narrow width portion 21a facing the sealing material 40 and a second narrow width portion 21b facing the liquid crystal injection port 41, and its length L1 is, for example, 4 cm. is there. The length L2 of the liquid crystal injection port 41 is 2 cm, for example.

  The first narrow portion 21a and the sealing material 40 are arranged with a gap G in a plane, and the width W1 of the gap G between the first narrow portion and the sealing material is, for example, 5 mm. The first narrow portion 21a has a width W2, and the second narrow portion 21b has a width W3. The width of the first narrow portion is wider than the width of the second narrow portion. From the above, in the length direction of the liquid crystal injection port 41, the length L1 of the narrow width portion 21 (gap G) exceeds the length L2 of the liquid crystal injection port.

  The counter coloring layer 22 is provided along the periphery of the narrow portion 21 and is disposed between the liquid crystal injection port 41 and the second narrow portion 21b. Furthermore, the opposed colored layer 22 has a width W4, protrudes from the narrow width portion 21 toward the liquid crystal injection port 41, and is disposed with a gap in the sealing material 40. Further, the opposed colored layer 22 is also opposed to the second narrow portion 21b. In this embodiment, the width W4 of the counter colored layer 22 is wider than the width W3 of the second narrow portion 21b. The counter colored layer 22 is thinner than the narrow width portion 21.

  A polarizing plate 51 is disposed on the outer surface of the array substrate 1. A polarizing plate 52 is disposed on the outer surface of the counter substrate 2. A frame-like bezel 60 is disposed on the outer surface side of the counter substrate 2 and outside the display region R1. The inner peripheral edge of the bezel 60 is positioned so as to pass over the region where the counter coloring layer 22 is disposed. The array substrate 1 and the counter substrate 2 are held, and a housing cover (not shown) is disposed opposite to the peripheral portions of both the substrates. A backlight 70 is disposed on the outer surface side of the array substrate 1. The backlight 70 has a light guide plate 71 disposed to face the array substrate 1, a light source 72 disposed to face one side edge of the light guide plate, and a reflection plate 73.

Next, a more detailed configuration of the liquid crystal display device will be described together with its manufacturing method.
First, on the prepared glass substrate 10, the TFT 11, the signal line, the scanning line, the auxiliary capacitance line, and the like are formed by a normal manufacturing process such as repeated film formation and patterning. Next, after an insulating film 12 is formed on the entire surface of the glass substrate 10, a through hole is formed in a part of the insulating film overlapping each TFT 11. Next, a contact electrode connected to the TFT 11 via each through hole is formed on the insulating film 12.

Subsequently, an ultraviolet curable acrylic red resist solution (hereinafter referred to as a red resist) is applied to the entire surface of the insulating film 12 including the contact wiring by, for example, a spinner. Next, after the red resist is pre-baked at about 90 ° C. for about 5 minutes, a pattern is exposed on the red resist using a specific photomask. At the time of exposure, the red resist is irradiated with ultraviolet rays with an exposure amount of 150 mJ / cm ² . Further, the photomask used here has a stripe shape pattern corresponding to a portion to be colored in red and a circular shape pattern having a diameter of 15 μm, for example, corresponding to a portion where the through hole 14 is to be formed.

  Next, the exposed red resist is developed with an aqueous solution of about 0.1% by weight of TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydride) for 60 seconds, and further washed with water. Thereafter, post-baking is performed at about 200 ° C. for 1 hour to form a red colored layer 13R having through-holes 14. In this way, the colored layer 13R is formed in the display region R1 by using the photolithography method.

  Thereafter, similarly to the colored layer 13R, the colored layer 13G and the colored layer 13B are sequentially formed in the display region R1 by using a photolithography method. Here, when forming the colored layer 13B, the colored layer is formed to face the liquid crystal injection port formed in the non-display region R2 and with a specific gap in the display region R1. In this embodiment, the colored layer 13B in the non-display area R2 is formed in a rectangular shape.

  Subsequently, ITO is deposited on the colored layers 13R, 13G, and 13B by, for example, a sputtering method. The deposited ITO is patterned to form a plurality of pixel electrodes 15 that overlap the colored layers and are connected to the through holes 14.

  After the pixel electrode 15 is formed, a black resist, for example, is applied as a light-shielding material on the insulating film 12, the colored layers 13R, 13G, and 13B, and the pixel electrode 15 with a spinner. Thereafter, the black resist is dried.

  Next, a photomask is placed opposite to the black resist applied on the array substrate 1, and ultraviolet rays are irradiated through the photomask to expose the black resist. Here, the photomask has a pattern facing the region where the columnar spacer 16 and the light shielding portion 20 are formed.

Subsequently, the exposed black resist is developed and baked. Thereby, the columnar spacer 16 and the light shielding part 20 are simultaneously formed of the same material. Moreover, the columnar spacer 16 and the light shielding part 20 are formed at the same height.
Next, after an alignment film material made of, for example, polyimide is applied on the array substrate 1 overlapping the display region R1, an alignment film 17 is formed by performing an alignment process (rubbing).

  On the other hand, in the manufacturing method of the counter substrate 2, first, the glass substrate 30 is prepared. The counter electrode 31 is formed on the glass substrate 30 by depositing ITO with a film thickness of 100 nm, for example, by sputtering. Subsequently, an alignment film material made of, for example, polyimide is applied on the counter substrate 2 overlapping the display region R1, and then an alignment process (rubbing) is performed to form the alignment film 32.

  The array substrate 1 and the counter substrate 2 formed as described above are arranged to face each other with a predetermined gap held by a plurality of columnar spacers 16, and both substrates are bonded together by a sealing material 40 arranged at the peripheral edge thereof. Then, for example, a nematic liquid crystal material to which a chiral material is added is injected between both substrates through a liquid crystal injection port 41 formed in the sealing material 40.

  Thereafter, the liquid crystal inlet is sealed with a sealing material such as an ultraviolet curable resin. Here, the injection time was shortened by about 20% compared to the case where no gap was provided between the sealing material and the light shielding portion in the vicinity of the liquid crystal injection port 41. Thereby, the liquid crystal is sealed in the region surrounded by the array substrate 1, the counter substrate 2, and the sealing material 40, and the liquid crystal layer 3 is formed.

  Next, polarizing plates 51 and 52 are sequentially attached to the outer surfaces of the array substrate 1 and the counter substrate 2, and further, a backlight 70 and a bezel 60 are attached. Thereby, a liquid crystal display device is completed.

  According to the liquid crystal display device and the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device according to the first embodiment configured as described above, the light shielding portion 20 has the narrow width portion 21, and the narrow width portion 21 is a sealing material. 40 is provided with a gap G, and its length exceeds the length of the liquid crystal injection port 41. As a result, even when the gap between the liquid crystal layer 3 in the region overlapping with the narrow width portion 21 is narrowed, the liquid crystal is spread and injected into the gap G between the narrow width portion and the sealing material 40 at the time of liquid crystal injection. For this reason, the injection resistance at the time of liquid crystal injection can be suppressed, and the injection time can be shortened.

  The opposed colored layer 22 protrudes from the narrow width portion 21 toward the liquid crystal injection port 41 and is disposed with a gap in the sealing material 40. Further, the counter colored layer 22 is thinner than the narrow width portion 21. For this reason, the opposing colored layer 22 can suppress the injection resistance at the time of liquid crystal injection. Thereby, for the purpose of narrowing the frame, even when the inner peripheral edge of the bezel 60 is disposed so as to pass over the region where the counter colored layer 22 is disposed, the backlight light can be well shielded.

  Since the narrow portion 21 is made of a black resist, the backlight can be further shielded. Since the counter colored layer 22 is composed of a blue colored layer, when the colored layer 13B is formed in the display region R1, it can be formed without increasing the number of manufacturing steps if the counter colored layer is formed at the same time.

Next explained is a liquid crystal display device and a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal display device according to the second embodiment of the invention.
As shown in FIG. 5, the light-shielding portion 20 has a narrow width portion 21, and this narrow width portion is provided along the entire length of one side edge of the display region R <b> 1 that faces the liquid crystal injection port 41. Further, the narrow width portion 21 is disposed with a gap G between the sealing material 40 and the entire side. For this reason, the gap G is provided along the entire length of one side where the liquid crystal injection port 41 is formed. The width of the gap G between the narrow portion 21 and the sealing material 40 is, for example, 5 mm. Needless to say, the length of the gap G exceeds the length of the liquid crystal injection port 41.

An opposing colored layer (not shown) is disposed between the narrow width portion and the liquid crystal injection port 41 while being provided along the periphery of the narrow width portion 21. In this embodiment, the width of the opposed colored layer is wider than the width of the narrow portion 21. The counter colored layer 22 is thinner than the narrow width portion 21. The inner peripheral edge of the bezel is positioned so as to pass over the region where the opposed colored layer is disposed.
Here, the injection time when the liquid crystal is injected into the region surrounded by the array substrate 1, the counter substrate, and the sealing material 40 is compared with that in which the light shielding portion 20 is not narrowed near the liquid crystal injection port 41. It was shortened by about 30%.

  According to the liquid crystal display device and the method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display device according to the second embodiment configured as described above, the light shielding portion 20 has the narrow width portion 21, and the narrow width portion 21 is a sealing material. 40 is provided with a gap G, and its length exceeds the length of the liquid crystal injection port 41. As a result, even when the gap between the liquid crystal layer 3 in the region overlapping with the narrow width portion 21 is narrowed, the liquid crystal is spread and injected into the gap G between the narrow width portion and the sealing material 40 at the time of liquid crystal injection. Further, the gap G is provided along the entire length of one side of the display region R1 facing the liquid crystal injection port 41. Therefore, at the time of liquid crystal injection, the liquid crystal is spread and injected into the gap G on all sides of the display region R1. Thereby, the injection resistance at the time of liquid crystal injection can be further suppressed, and the injection time can be further shortened.

Next explained is a liquid crystal display device and a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal display device according to a third embodiment of the invention.
As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the liquid crystal display device is configured in the same manner as the above-described second embodiment and manufactured in the same manner. However, in this embodiment, the color filter includes the colored layers 13R, 13G, and 13B and the counter colored layer 22 as well as the gap colored layer 23. The gap coloring layer 23 is disposed in the gap G between the narrow width portion 21 and the sealing material 40. The counter colored layer 22 and the gap colored layer 23 are integrally formed and are thinner than the narrow width portion 21. The counter colored layer 22 and the gap colored layer 23 are composed of a blue colored layer.

  The inner periphery of the bezel is positioned so as to pass over the region where the gap coloring layer 23 is disposed. Here, the injection time when the liquid crystal is injected into the region surrounded by the array substrate 1, the counter substrate, and the sealing material 40 has a gap G between the sealing material and the light shielding portion 20 in the vicinity of the liquid crystal injection port 41. It was shortened by about 15% compared to the case without.

  According to the liquid crystal display device and the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device of the third embodiment configured as described above, the light shielding portion 20 has the narrow portion 21, and between the narrow portion 21 and the sealing material 40. The gap coloring layer 23 is disposed in the gap G. As a result, even when the gap between the liquid crystal layer 3 in the region overlapping with the narrow width portion 21 is narrowed, the liquid crystal is spread and injected into the gap G between the narrow width portion 21 and the sealing material 40 at the time of liquid crystal injection.

  Further, the counter colored layer 22 and the gap colored layer 23 are thinner than the narrow width portion 21. Thereby, the injection resistance at the time of liquid crystal injection can be further suppressed, and the injection time can be further shortened.

  In this embodiment, since the gap coloring layer 23 is disposed in the gap G between the narrow width portion 21 and the sealing material 40, the effect of shortening the injection time is somewhat reduced. However, since the backlight light transmitted through the non-display region R2 can be reduced, it is possible to reduce the risk of leakage of reflected light in the bezel or the housing cover. From the above, for the purpose of narrowing the frame, even when the inner periphery of the bezel is positioned so as to pass over the region R3 that overlaps the gap coloring layer 23, the backlight can be well shielded. it can.

  Since the counter colored layer 22 and the gap colored layer 23 are composed of a blue colored layer, when the colored layer 13B is formed in the display region R1, if the counter colored layer and the gap colored layer are also formed at the same time, the manufacturing process is increased. It can form without doing.

In the second and third embodiments described above, the other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment described above, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof is omitted.
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified within the scope of the present invention. For example, in order to form the gap G between the sealing material 40 and the light shielding part 20, the light shielding part is the narrow width part 21, but the light shielding part may have the same width as the other sides. The counter colored layer 22 and the gap colored layer 23 have the lowest transmittance and the best appearance when the blue colored layer in the display region R1 is used. The counter colored layer 22 is preferably a blue colored layer having an excellent light shielding function, but is not limited thereto, and may be formed of a red colored layer or a green colored layer.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The top view of the liquid crystal display device shown in FIG. The top view which expanded and showed a part of array board | substrate shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an AA cross-sectional view of the array substrate shown in FIG. 3. The top view of the liquid crystal display device which concerns on the 2nd and 3rd embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view showing a part of an array substrate according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 5. BB sectional drawing of the array substrate shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Array substrate, 2 ... Counter substrate, 3 ... Liquid crystal layer, 13 ... Color filter, 13R, 13G, 13B ... Colored layer, 20 ... Light-shielding part, 21 ... Narrow part, 21a ... First narrow part, 21b ... 2nd narrow part, 22 ... counter coloring layer, 23 ... gap coloring part, 40 ... sealing material, 41 ... liquid crystal injection port, 60 ... bezel, G ... gap, R1 ... display area.

Claims (10)

An array substrate having a display area; a counter substrate disposed opposite to the array substrate with a predetermined gap; a light shielding portion formed of a resin formed at a peripheral edge of the display region; and an outer periphery from the light shielding portion A sealing material having a liquid crystal injection port, and a liquid crystal layer disposed in a region surrounded by the array substrate, the counter substrate, and the sealing material,
At least the sealing material in the vicinity of the liquid crystal injection port and the light shielding portion are arranged with a gap in a plane, and the length of the gap is the length of the liquid crystal injection port in the length direction of the liquid crystal injection port. A liquid crystal display device characterized by having a length longer than that.   The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the display area is rectangular, and the gap is provided along the entire length of one side where the liquid crystal injection port is formed. A color filter provided on the array substrate;
The color filter includes a plurality of colored layers formed in a display region, and a gap colored layer disposed in the gap,
The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the gap coloring layer is thinner than the light shielding portion. A color filter provided on the array substrate;
The color filter includes a plurality of colored layers formed in the display region, and an opposing colored layer disposed between the liquid crystal injection port and the light shielding portion,
The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the counter coloring layer protrudes from the light shielding portion toward the liquid crystal injection port and has a thickness smaller than that of the light shielding portion. A color filter provided on the array substrate;
The color filter includes a plurality of colored layers formed in a display region, a gap colored layer disposed in the gap, and an opposing colored layer disposed between the liquid crystal injection port and the light shielding portion. ,
The opposed colored layer protrudes from the light shielding portion toward the liquid crystal inlet,
The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the gap colored layer and the counter colored layer are integrally formed and have a thickness smaller than that of the light shielding portion. The outer surface side of the counter substrate and a frame-shaped bezel disposed outside the display area;
5. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein an inner peripheral edge of the bezel passes over a region where the opposed colored layer is disposed. The outer surface side of the counter substrate and a frame-shaped bezel disposed outside the display area;
6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 3, wherein an inner peripheral edge of the bezel passes over a region where the gap coloring layer is disposed. A plurality of columnar spacers disposed to overlap the colored layer;
6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 3, wherein each of the columnar spacers is formed of the same material as that of the light shielding portion.   The liquid crystal display device according to claim 3, wherein the light shielding portion is made of a black resist, and the gap colored layer is made of a blue colored layer.   6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein the light shielding portion is made of a black resist, and the counter colored layer is made of a blue colored layer.

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