JP2005331961A - Liquid crystal display, manufacturing method of liquid crystal display, and electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a color filter substrate wherein tapers having a plurality of angles are provided in the same layer and enhancement of contrast, color reproducibility and patterning properties can be attained, to provide its manufacturing method, and to provide an electrooptical device and an electronic device using the color filter substrate. <P>SOLUTION: In the substrate for the electrooptical device having a substrate and a first resin layer provided on the substrate, the tapers of the first resin layer are formed so as to have the plurality of different angles. In the case of a transflective liquid crystal display of a multi-gap type, the gradient of the taper of an overcoat film formed on a color filter is made large in a display pixel region to enhance contrast and is made small in an electrode wiring drawn-around part to prevent wiring disconnection and the like. In the case of the substrate for the liquid crystal display having alignment controlling protrusions, shapes of the alignment controlling protrusions formed in every color pixel region of red, green and blue are optimized to enhance characteristics of display colors. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device and a method for manufacturing the same. The present invention also relates to an electronic apparatus including the liquid crystal display device.

  In recent years, liquid crystal display devices are mounted on electronic devices such as mobile phones and portable personal computers, and in particular, transflective liquid crystal display devices that can display images in both transmissive display mode and reflective display mode are Widely used.

  The transflective liquid crystal display device includes: a first substrate on which a first transparent electrode is formed; and a second substrate on which a second transparent electrode is formed on a side facing the first substrate, It is mainly composed of a TN (twisted nematic) mode liquid crystal layer. On the first substrate, a light reflecting film constituting a reflective display area is formed in a pixel area where the first transparent electrode and the second transparent electrode are opposed to each other, and an opening provided in the light reflecting film is formed. The corresponding area is a transmissive display area. A polarizing plate, a phase difference plate, and the like are disposed outside each of the first substrate and the second substrate. Further, a backlight unit for transmissive display is disposed on the outer side of the polarizing plate on the first substrate side where the light reflecting film is formed.

  In the transflective liquid crystal display device, light incident on the transmissive display area out of light emitted from the backlight unit is incident on the liquid crystal layer from the first substrate side and is modulated by the liquid crystal layer. The light is emitted as transmissive display light from the second substrate side to display an image (transmissive display mode).

  Of the external light incident from the second substrate side, the light incident on the reflective display region passes through the liquid crystal layer, reaches the light reflecting film, is reflected by the light reflecting film, and passes again through the liquid crystal layer to the second. An image is displayed by being emitted as reflected display light from the substrate side (reflective display mode).

  Here, since the reflective display color filter and the transmissive display color filter are formed on each of the reflective display region and the transmissive display region on the first substrate, both in the transmissive display mode and the reflective display mode. Color display is possible.

  As described above, when light modulation is performed by the liquid crystal layer, the change in the polarization state is based on a function of the product of the refractive index difference Δn and the liquid crystal layer thickness d (retardation: Δn · d). If so, a display with good visibility can be performed. However, in the transflective liquid crystal display device, the transmissive display light passes through the liquid crystal layer and is emitted only once, whereas the reflective display light passes through the liquid crystal layer twice. For this reason, it is difficult to optimize retardation for both transmissive display light and reflective display light at the same time. That is, if the layer thickness d of the liquid crystal is set so that the visibility of the liquid crystal display device is improved in the reflective display mode, the display in the transmissive display mode is sacrificed. Conversely, if the layer thickness d of the liquid crystal is set so that the visibility is improved in the transmissive display mode, the display in the reflective display mode is sacrificed.

  In view of the above problems, a transflective liquid crystal display device having a structure in which the liquid crystal layer thickness in the reflective display region is smaller than the layer thickness in the transmissive display region is disclosed. Such a liquid crystal display device is called a multi-gap type.

  The multi-gap type transflective liquid crystal display device is realized by forming an overcoat layer on the reflective display color filter in order to adjust the reflective display region, more specifically, the liquid crystal layer thickness d. it can. At this time, no overcoat layer is formed on the color filter for transmissive display. In short, in the transmissive display area, the layer thickness d of the liquid crystal is increased by the amount that the overcoat layer is not disposed as compared with the reflective display area, so that both the transmissive display light and the reflective display light are retarded. Therefore, it is possible to display an image with high visibility in both the transmissive display mode and the reflective display mode (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-242226

  In the multi-gap type transflective liquid crystal display device, the liquid crystal layer thickness d in the reflective display region and the transmissive display region is optimized by forming an overcoat film on the substrate.

  However, as described above, the multi-gap type transflective liquid crystal display device overcoats the lower layer portion of the pixel electrode (transparent electrode) in order to adjust the layer thickness d of the liquid crystal in the transmissive display area and the reflective display area. A film is formed. That is, since the overcoat layer is formed on the reflective display color filter in the reflective display region, the pixel electrode (transparent electrode) is formed on the overcoat layer. Since no overcoat layer is formed in the transmissive display region, the pixel electrode (transparent electrode) on the transmissive display color filter is formed without an overcoat film. Even when the overcoat film is formed in the transmissive display region, the overcoat film having a considerably smaller thickness than the reflective display region is formed. Then, due to the change in the thickness of the overcoat layer, a taper is formed on the overcoat film in the display region.

  Generally, the taper of the overcoat film in the display region of the multi-gap type transflective liquid crystal display device has a large gradient from the surface of the overcoat film on the reflective display region in order to improve contrast. Taper is required. This is because the layer thickness d of the liquid crystal located on the taper portion of the overcoat film, that is, the inclined surface, greatly affects the contrast of the liquid crystal display device.

  As described above, the optical design of the multi-gap type transflective liquid crystal display device is performed by examining the optimum retardation value. That is, since the layer thickness d of the liquid crystal is greatly related to the retardation value, the respective optimum values are obtained in the reflective display area and the transmissive display area, and the panel design is performed. Therefore, it is necessary to pattern the overcoat film so that the taper of the overcoat film has a large gradient and the deviation from the optimum value regarding the layer thickness d of the liquid crystal is minimized.

  However, in general, a liquid crystal display device often has a transparent electrode disposed on an overcoat film. The transparent electrode is formed on both the reflective display area and the transmissive display area, and is continuously formed over other adjacent dot areas. That is, the transparent electrode serves as an electrode wiring for driving liquid crystal molecules.

  Here, if the taper gradient of the overcoat film is large, forming the transparent electrode by sputtering or the like makes it difficult to form the transparent electrode because the taper surface is so inclined that the transparent electrode has the above gradient. There is a possibility of disconnection at a large taper portion. This becomes a problem particularly in the electrode wiring routing portion of the taper portion of the overcoat film formed outside the display region. On the substrate for the liquid crystal display device, in order to electrically connect the transparent electrode corresponding to the display pixel portion and the driving IC, an electrode wiring routing portion is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the substrate. When a disconnection failure occurs, a signal is not transmitted to the entire scanning line for one line, resulting in a display failure.

  Therefore, in the transflective liquid crystal display device, the overcoat film has at least two types of taper including a taper having a large gradient and a taper having a smaller gradient for the purpose of improving contrast and patternability. It is preferable to have.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is provided with a taper having a plurality of angles in the same layer, and a color filter substrate capable of improving display quality such as contrast and improving patternability, and An object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing method thereof, and an electro-optical device and an electronic apparatus using the color filter substrate.

  In one aspect of the present invention, a pair of substrates, an electro-optical material sandwiched between the pair of substrates via a sealant, and a resin layer provided on at least one of the pair of substrates In the electro-optical device provided, the taper of the resin layer has a plurality of different angles. The resin layer can be, for example, an overcoat film for adjusting a cell gap (inter-substrate gap) on a substrate used in a multi-gap transflective liquid crystal display device. Moreover, it can also be set as the alignment control protrusion which aligns the liquid crystal molecule of a multiple alignment division type | mold vertical alignment mode liquid crystal display device. When the overcoat film has a plurality of different angles, it is possible to reduce electrode wiring breakage and improve contrast. In addition, since the alignment control protrusion has a plurality of different angles, the color characteristics of the liquid crystal display device can be improved.

  According to the electro-optical device, the resin layer is preferably a transparent resin layer. For example, an acrylic transparent resin material can be used for the resin layer.

  In one aspect of the electro-optical device, the resin layer is formed in a display region and a peripheral region of the display region, and the taper is formed in the display region and a peripheral region of the display region. The taper gradient formed may be larger than the taper gradient formed in the peripheral region of the display region.

  In another aspect of the electro-optical device, the display area includes a transmissive display area and a reflective display area, and a taper formed in the display area is formed at a boundary portion between the transmissive display area and the reflective display area. It may be formed.

  The taper in the peripheral region of the display region may be formed in a region where the electrode wiring is formed. Thereby, disconnection of the electrode wiring can be prevented.

  In another aspect of the electro-optical device, the taper of the display region is at least a first angle having a base to height ratio of between 4: 1 and 2: 1, and the peripheral region of the display region The taper is preferably a second angle having a base to height ratio of at least between 8: 1 and 4: 1. The resin layer can be, for example, the overcoat film. The first angle may be a taper having a large gradient, and the second angle may be a taper having a small gradient. The taper having a large gradient can be optimized, for example, by providing it in the display region of a transflective liquid crystal display device using a multi-gap method, which leads to an improvement in contrast. In addition, the taper having a small gradient can be prevented from being broken by providing the electrode wiring in a multi-gap transflective liquid crystal display device in the electrode wiring routing region.

  In another aspect of the electro-optical device, a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter may be formed in a display region, and an alignment control protrusion formed of the resin layer may be provided on each color filter. Thereby, the taper of the orientation control protrusion can be optimized for each color of the color filter. In short, the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules can be optimized for each color of the color filter. Therefore, the present invention can improve the color characteristics of the liquid crystal display device that could not be improved only by adjusting the color filter.

  The taper gradient of the resin layer on the red color filter is preferably larger than the taper gradient of the resin layers on the other color filters. Further, the taper gradient of the resin layer on the green color filter is preferably larger than the taper gradient of the resin layer on the blue color filter.

  Preferably, a base layer having a taper for forming electrode wiring is formed in a peripheral region of the display region, and the taper of the base layer is preferably at least smaller than the taper of the resin layer on the red color filter.

  In another aspect of the invention, in the electro-optical device substrate, the electro-optical device substrate including a substrate and a resin layer provided on the substrate, the taper of the resin layer has a plurality of different angles. It is preferable.

  In one aspect of the electro-optical device, the electro-optical device substrate may include an alignment control protrusion that controls the alignment of the electro-optical material. The electro-optical device can be, for example, a multi-alignment dispersion type vertical alignment mode liquid crystal display device.

  In another aspect of the invention, an electronic apparatus can include the electro-optical device.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the method for manufacturing a substrate for an electro-optical device may include a resin layer forming step of forming a resin layer on the substrate so that the taper of the resin layer has a plurality of different angles. preferable. Through the above resin layer formation process, for example, the formation of an overcoat film provided on the substrate of a multi-gap transflective liquid crystal display device or the formation of alignment control protrusions in a multi-alignment dispersion type vertical alignment mode liquid crystal display device can do.

  According to the method for manufacturing a substrate for an electro-optical device, the resin forming step preferably uses a photolithographic mask having a total transmission region, a plurality of intermediate transmission regions, and a light shielding region. By using the photolithography mask, it is possible to irradiate the electro-optical device substrate with various exposure amounts in a single exposure process, so that it is provided on the substrate of the multi-gap transflective liquid crystal display device. The formation of the overcoat film and the formation of the alignment control protrusion of the multi-alignment dispersion type vertical alignment mode liquid crystal display device can be performed efficiently.

  In one aspect of the method for manufacturing a substrate for an electro-optical device, the resin layer forming step uses a photolithography mask having a total transmission region and a light shielding region, and performs patterning by exposing the resin layer a plurality of times. Is preferred. In other words, using the photolithographic mask, the exposure is performed a plurality of times under the optimum conditions of the proximity gap and the exposure amount at the time of each exposure, so that it is provided on the substrate of a multi-gap transflective liquid crystal display device. And an alignment control protrusion of a multi-alignment dispersion type vertical alignment mode liquid crystal display device can be formed. Further, it is possible to change each taper by further studying the proximity gap and exposure amount conditions with the same photolithography mask, leading to cost reduction.

  In another aspect of the method for manufacturing the substrate for an electro-optical device, it is preferable that the resin layer forming step uses a photolithographic mask for diffraction exposure, and performs patterning by performing diffraction exposure on the resin layer. By using the photolithography mask, it is possible to irradiate the electro-optical device substrate with various exposure amounts in a single exposure process, so that it is provided on the substrate of the multi-gap transflective liquid crystal display device. The formation of the overcoat film and the formation of the alignment control protrusion of the multi-alignment dispersion type vertical alignment mode liquid crystal display device can be performed efficiently.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the following embodiment shows one aspect of the present invention and does not limit the present invention, and can be arbitrarily changed within the scope of the present invention. According to the present invention, when forming a layer such as an overcoat film formed on a substrate used in a liquid crystal display device, the end of the shape is not formed with a single taper but with a different taper angle. One feature.

[Halftone mask]
First, a halftone mask used when different tapers are formed in a film such as one overcoat film will be described.

  The halftone mask uses a phase shifter method. The phase shifter method will be described below.

When light passes through a substance, the propagation speed is delayed, and the phase changes accordingly. Therefore, when a transparent thin film is provided on the mask, the phase can be locally changed.
The transparent film is called a phase shifter in the sense that the phase is converted. In this method, a portion (shifter) that changes the phase of light is provided on a mask on which a pattern to be transferred is formed, and the phase is changed without passing through the shifter and the phase changed. It uses light interference and is called a phase shifter system.

  As described above, the halftone mask uses the phase shifter method. The halftone mask allows a part of light to pass through an absorber corresponding to the light shielding portion. The phase of the partially transmitted light and the light that has passed as it is are reversed. For this reason, the light intensity is reduced due to phase inversion, and a photolithography process different from the conventional one can be performed. For example, a case where exposure is performed using a negative resist will be described. In a halftone mask, the photoresist is divided into a region that is irradiated with an exposure amount that completely cures the photoresist (total transmission region) and a region that is irradiated with an exposure amount that causes the photoresist to be in an insufficiently cured state (intermediate transmission region). The light shielding region that does not cure the film can be formed with a single mask. The halftone mask can be formed into a structure having a desired inclination by performing development after performing exposure. That is, in the total transmission region, the thickness of the photoresist is thick, and in the intermediate transmission region, the photoresist is thinned according to the exposure amount. In the light shielding region, the photoresist is completely peeled off, and a desired inclined structure is produced.

  The halftone mask is a mask that can irradiate the substrate with various exposure amounts in one exposure process. In other words, in the present invention, by using the halftone mask, a plurality of different angles can be produced in the same layer on the substrate constituting the liquid crystal display device.

  For example, the halftone mask can satisfactorily form an overcoat film on a color filter in a transflective liquid crystal display panel employing a multi-gap structure. Specifically, the taper of the overcoat film in the active area (display pixel region) has a taper with a large gradient, so that the contrast of the liquid crystal display device can be improved. Further, since the taper of the overcoat film in the electrode wiring routing portion in the peripheral region of the display region has a taper with a small gradient, it is possible to satisfactorily produce an electrode wiring or the like laminated thereon. Therefore, the present invention can produce a transflective liquid crystal display panel with high display quality. This will be described in detail in the first embodiment.

  The halftone mask can adjust the taper of the alignment control protrusions provided on the red, green, and blue color filters in the multiple alignment division type vertical alignment mode liquid crystal display panel. In the vertical alignment mode, the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules can be optimized by adjusting the taper of the alignment control protrusion.

  That is, by adjusting the initial tilt angle (pretilt angle) of the liquid crystal molecules, the steepness of the voltage-transmittance curve can be changed, so that the color filter can improve insufficient color characteristics. Specifically, due to the wavelength dependence of the liquid crystal, the optical characteristics vary depending on the wavelength of light passing through the liquid crystal layer. In other words, the voltage-transmittance curve is different for each color of the color filter. This deviation of the voltage-transmittance curve can be adjusted by optimizing the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules to improve the color reproducibility of the liquid crystal display device. This will be described in detail in the second embodiment.

[First Embodiment]
The present embodiment relates to a color filter substrate provided in a multi-gap transflective liquid crystal display panel. In the color filter substrate, a color filter is disposed on a substrate such as glass or plastic, an overcoat film as a protective film is disposed above the color filter, and a transparent electrode is further disposed above the overcoat film. The arrangement is taken. The taper of the overcoat film has a plurality of different angles, and the angle is characterized by a taper having a large gradient and a taper having a small gradient.

[LCD panel example 1]
The configuration of the liquid crystal display panel having the color filter substrate of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-gap transflective liquid crystal display panel in which a liquid crystal layer thickness is changed to an appropriate value between a transmissive display area and a reflective display area within one dot. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the color filter substrate, FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of a part of the color filter substrate, FIG. 3B is a perspective view of a part of the color filter substrate, and FIG. Shows an enlarged sectional view of a part of the color filter substrate.

  The liquid crystal display panel 100A is configured such that a substrate 1a and a substrate 1b made of glass, a plastic substrate, or the like are bonded to each other through a sealing material 3, and a liquid crystal 4 is sealed inside. Moreover, the phase difference plate 6a and the polarizing plate 5a are sequentially arranged on the outer surface of the substrate 1a, and the phase difference plate 6b and the polarizing plate 5b are sequentially arranged on the outer surface of the substrate 1b. Further, a backlight (not shown) for emitting illumination light when performing transmissive display is disposed below the polarizing plate 5b.

  A color filter substrate 100a according to the present invention is disposed on the substrate 1b. In the color filter substrate 100a, a light reflecting film 8 such as aluminum, aluminum alloy or silver alloy is partially formed on the substrate 1b. The region where the light reflecting film 8 is formed is a region used for reflective display (hereinafter referred to as a reflective display region). In this area, when reflection type display is performed using external light, the external light is reflected by the light reflecting film 8 and is visually recognized by the observer.

  Openings are formed in the light reflecting film 8 at predetermined intervals. That is, the light reflection film 8 is not formed in the opening portion, and the area of the opening becomes a transmissive display area. A region where the light reflecting film 8 is formed, that is, a region other than the opening is a reflective display region.

  In the reflective display area, a color filter for reflective display is formed on the light reflective film 8. On the other hand, in the transmissive display area, a color filter for transmissive display is formed on the area where the light reflecting film 8 is not provided, that is, on the substrate 1b in FIG. In FIG. 1, the chromaticity and transmittance of a color filter are adjusted using the same material and with different film thicknesses to form a reflective display color filter and a transmissive display color filter. That is, since the color filter material is also formed in the opening region of the light reflecting film 8, the thickness of the color filter layer for transmissive display is made larger than the thickness of the color filter for reflective display. It is also possible to individually form a reflective display color filter and a transmissive display color filter and individually adjust display colors during reflective display and transmissive display.

  FIG. 1 shows an example in which the overcoat film 10 is formed on the color filter for reflective display and the overcoat film 10 is not formed on the color filter for transmissive display. As a result, a multi-gap structure capable of adjusting the liquid crystal layer thickness and displaying images with high visibility in both the transmissive display mode and the reflective display mode is configured. If the difference in film thickness between the overcoat film 10 on the reflective display color filter and the overcoat film on the transmissive display color filter is optimized, an overcoat film is formed on the transmissive display color filter. A formed multi-gap structure is also possible.

  The taper of the overcoat film 10 provided on the color filter substrate 100a of the present invention has a plurality of different angles, and the angle has a taper with a large gradient and a taper with a small gradient. The region having a taper with a small gradient is the electrode wiring routing portion in the peripheral region of the display region shown in FIG. 3C, that is, the region X. The taper with the small gradient has a ratio of the base to the height, It is preferably 8: 1 to 4: 1. For example, the angle α of the taper having a small gradient can be set to about 14 °. The region having a taper having a large gradient is a boundary portion between the reflective display region and the transmissive display region in the pixel, that is, the region Y. The taper having the large gradient has a base to height ratio of 4: 1. To 2: 1. The angle β of the taper having a large gradient can be about 26 °. Here, the electrode wiring routing portion refers to a wiring formation region for connecting a wiring connected to an electrode formed in the display region and an IC, a connection terminal, or the like constituting a driving circuit.

  In the color filter substrate 100a of the present invention, it is preferable that the electrode wiring routing portion formed in the peripheral region of the display region, that is, the region X, has a taper with a small gradient. For example, the angle α of the taper having a small gradient can be set to about 14 °. By forming the electrode wiring routing portion (region X) with a taper having a small gradient, the electrode wiring and the like are not cut off, and the transparent electrode 2b can be patterned well. Further, it is preferable that the region Y in the active area which is the display region is tapered with a large gradient. For example, the angle β of the taper having a large gradient can be set to about 26 °. In the present invention, the contrast of the liquid crystal display panel 100A can be improved by making the inside of the active area a taper having a large gradient.

  The taper angle of the overcoat film 10 can be measured by observing with an optical microscope or an electron microscope. Further, as a measuring method other than the above, it can be measured with a step meter or AFM.

  Further, a transparent electrode 2b such as ITO (indium tin oxide) is formed on the overcoat film 10 in the reflective display region. In the transmissive display area, the transparent electrode 2b is formed on the transmissive display color filter. The transparent electrode 2b is formed in a stripe shape in which a plurality of transparent electrodes 2b are arranged in parallel. The transparent electrode 2b extends in a direction orthogonal to the transparent electrode 2a provided on the substrate 1a, and the liquid crystal display panel 100A included in the intersecting region of the transparent electrode 2a and the transparent electrode 2b 1 dot is formed. In one color filter corresponding to one dot, one pixel is constituted by three colors of the red color filter 7a, the green color filter 7b, and the blue color filter 7c. Note that the arrangement of the color filters 7 according to the present invention is not limited to the stripe structure shown in FIG. 2, and can be applied to various arrangements such as a delta arrangement and a diagonal arrangement.

  As described above, the multi-gap color filter substrate 100a of the present invention can provide a high-quality, high-quality transflective liquid crystal display device with improved contrast and reduced wiring breakage.

(Mask example 1)
FIG. 4 shows an example of a mask used for forming an overcoat film in the present embodiment. 4A shows a gradation slit photolithography mask, and FIG. 4B shows a double-sided photolithography mask.

  FIG. 4A shows a gradation slit photolithographic mask 200. The gradation slit photolitho mask is a photolitho mask in which the slit width and the gap pitch between the slits are adjusted. A halftone mask using the same optical density design as the gradation slit photolithography mask 200 may be used.

  The transflective liquid crystal display panel of the first embodiment employs a multi-gap method in which the liquid crystal layer thickness is changed to an appropriate value between the transmissive display area and the reflective display area within one dot. Therefore, the overcoat film 10 is not provided in the transmissive display area in the color filter substrate 100a, and the overcoat film 10 is disposed in the reflective display area. The overcoat film 10 preferably has a thickness of about 2 μm. Further, the taper of the edge portion of the overcoat film 10 within one dot is preferably a taper having a large gradient.

  The liquid crystal layer thickness at the boundary portion (region Y) between the reflective display region and the transmissive display region in the active area of the overcoat film 10 is different from the liquid crystal layer thickness in the transmissive display region and reflective display region having appropriate design values. ing. That is, since the boundary portion (region Y) between the transmissive display region and the reflective display region of the overcoat film 10 is also different in retardation, a large range of the region Y causes a decrease in contrast of the liquid crystal display panel. Therefore, in order to minimize the range of the region Y, the edge portion of the active area of the overcoat film 10 is preferably tapered with a large gradient. The taper angle β having a large gradient can be set to about 26 °, for example.

  In addition, in the electrode wiring routing portion (region X), in order to improve the patterning property of the transparent electrode 2b disposed above the overcoat film 10, the edge portion of the overcoat film 10 is preferably tapered with a small gradient. The taper angle α having a small gradient can be set to about 14 °, for example. By using a taper with a small gradient, the disconnection failure of the transparent electrode can be reduced, and the patterning property of the transparent electrode can be favorably implemented.

  From the above points, for example, if exposure is performed using a negative resist, the gradation slit photolithographic mask 200 shown in FIG. 4A has a totally transmissive area in the reflective display area and a transmissive display area. Can adopt a mask design in which a light shielding region is provided and an intermediate transmission region is provided in an electrode wiring routing portion. In short, in the electrode wiring routing portion (region X), exposure is performed in the intermediate transmission region of the gradation slit photolithography mask 200. In the intermediate transmission region, the overcoat film 10 is in a condition not to irradiate an exposure amount for sufficient curing. That is, the uncured resin material in the intermediate transmission region and the resin material in the light shielding region are peeled off by the development process. Therefore, a gentle taper, that is, a taper with a small gradient can be produced. Further, between the reflective display area and the transmissive display area (area Y), exposure is performed with the entire transmissive area and the light shielding area of the gradation slit photolithography mask 200. In the entire transmission region, since the overcoat film 10 is irradiated with an exposure amount for sufficient curing, only the resin material in the light shielding region is peeled off by the development process. Therefore, a steep taper, that is, a taper with a large gradient can be manufactured.

  FIG. 4B shows a double-sided photolithographic mask 300 using diffracted light. The double-sided photolithographic mask 300 can perform a photolithography process different from the conventional one by utilizing light diffraction. For example, a case where exposure is performed using a negative resist will be described. The double-sided photolithographic mask 300 has a pattern formed on both sides of the substrate. For example, a light diffraction pattern is formed on the upper surface of the photolithographic mask, that is, on the light irradiation side. As described above, in the transflective liquid crystal display device adopting the multi-gap method, the edge portion (region Y) of the overcoat film 10 in the reflective display region and the transmissive display region in the active area is tapered with a large gradient. Is preferred. Further, the edge portion (region X) of the overcoat film 10 in the electrode wiring routing portion is preferably a taper having a small gradient. Accordingly, the double-sided photolithographic mask 300 is provided with a totally transmissive area in the reflective display area, a light-shielding area in the transmissive display area, and an intermediate transmissive area (double-sided pattern area utilizing light diffraction) in the portion where the electrode wiring is routed. Mask design can be adopted. In the intermediate transmission region, the overcoat film 10 is in a condition not to irradiate an exposure amount for sufficient curing. That is, the uncured resin material in the intermediate transmission region and the resin material in the light shielding region are peeled off by the development process. Therefore, a gentle taper, that is, a taper with a small gradient can be produced. In addition, between the reflective display area and the transmissive display area (area Y), exposure is performed with the entire transmissive area and the light shielding area of the double-sided photolithographic mask 300. In the entire transmission region, since the overcoat film 10 is irradiated with an exposure amount for sufficient curing, only the resin material in the light shielding region is peeled off by the development process. Therefore, a steep taper, that is, a taper with a large gradient can be manufactured.

  As described above, the color filter substrate 100a according to the present invention is efficiently manufactured by using a photolithographic mask having a total transmission region, an intermediate transmission region, and a light shielding region, such as the gradation slit photolithographic mask 200 and the double-sided photolithographic mask 300. can do.

(Manufacturing process of multi-gap color filter substrate)
5 and 6 show an example of the manufacturing process of the multi-gap color filter of the present invention.

  First, in step P01 of FIG. 5, the light reflecting film 8 is formed. As the light reflecting film material, for example, an Al (aluminum) film is formed with a uniform thickness of, for example, about 0.2 μm by sputtering or the like. Then, if desired, a desired light reflecting film 8 is produced by performing a photolithography method and an etching process.

  Next, in the process P02, the color filter 7 is formed. A color resist (red) is applied so as to cover the entire surface of the substrate 1b. The color resist (red) is formed to a thickness of, for example, about 2 μm by using an acrylic or epoxy resin material colored with a pigment. Here, the red color filter 7a is formed at a desired position with a negative color resist (red) that is hardened by a photoreaction associated with exposure. Next, a color resist (green) is applied so as to cover the entire surface of the substrate 1b. This color resist (green) is a negative resist, and is formed to a thickness of about 2 μm, for example. Then, the green color filter 7b is formed at a desired position with a negative color resist (green). Further, a color resist (blue) is applied. This color resist (blue) is a negative resist and is formed to a thickness of about 2 μm, for example. Then, a blue color filter 7c is formed at a desired position with a negative color resist (blue).

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2, or FIG. 3, each of the red color filter 7a, the green color filter 7b, and the blue color filter 7c has a stripe arrangement.

  Next, in step P03, the overcoat film 10 is applied. An overcoat film 10 is applied so as to cover the entire surface of the substrate 1b on which the color filter 7 is disposed. The overcoat film 10 is applied to a thickness of, for example, about 2 μm by using a transparent resin material such as acrylic.

  Next, in step P04, the overcoat film 10 is patterned. For example, exposure is performed using a gradation slit photolithography mask 200. At this time, the thickness of the overcoat film 10 on the reflective display region and the transmissive display region is made different to optimize the liquid crystal layer thickness d of the liquid crystal display panel 100A.

  Further, by using the gradation slit photolithography mask 200, it is preferable that the edge portion (region Y) of the overcoat film 10 between the reflective display region and the transmissive display region in the pixel has a taper with a large gradient. The taper having a large gradient preferably has a base to height ratio of 4: 1 to 2: 1. The angle β of the taper having a large gradient can be set to about 26 °. By using a taper having a large gradient, it is possible to minimize retardation shift at the boundary between the reflective display region and the transmissive display region, and to improve the contrast of the transflective liquid crystal display device 100A.

  Further, by using the gradation slit photolithography mask 200, the edge portion (region X) of the overcoat film 10 on the electrode wiring routing portion around the display region can be tapered. The taper having a small gradient preferably has a base to height ratio of 8: 1 to 4: 1. For example, the angle α of the taper having a small gradient can be set to about 14 °. By making the taper with a small gradient, the patternability of the transparent electrode 2b provided above the overcoat film 10 becomes good. Therefore, the wiring breakage (line defect defect) of the transparent electrode of the liquid crystal display panel 100A is reduced, and a good screen display can be provided.

  In step P05, the transparent electrode 2b is formed. Then, the color filter substrate 100a adopting the multi-gap method shown in FIG. 1 is formed.

  Therefore, the overcoat film 10 on the color filter substrate 100a according to the present invention has a taper having a large gradient at the edge portion (region Y) in the active area, and the gradient at the edge portion (region X) of the electrode wiring routing. It is preferable to have a small taper. The present invention provides a transflective liquid crystal display panel employing a multi-gap method with high contrast and few line defect defects, by using the color filter substrate 100a having a taper with a large gradient and a taper with a small gradient. can do.

[Second Embodiment]
The present embodiment relates to a color filter substrate having alignment control protrusions, which is characterized in that a specific layer formed on a substrate for a liquid crystal display device has a different taper. The orientation control protrusion has a plurality of slopes and is disposed on the color filter. The alignment control protrusions located on each dot of the red color filter, the green color filter, and the blue color filter are characterized by a triangular shape (or an elliptical shape) having different taper angles. In the shape of the protrusion on each color filter, the protrusion on the red color filter has a taper with the largest gradient, then the taper of the protrusion on the green color filter becomes slightly smaller, and on the blue color filter It is preferable that the protrusion taper has the smallest angle.

[Vertical alignment mode]
Multi-domain vertical alignment mode-LCD (MVA-LCD) is a multi-alignment vertical alignment mode liquid crystal display (MVA-LCD) in which all liquid crystal molecules are aligned vertically on the alignment film when voltage is applied. In this method, the liquid crystal molecules are tilted when applied to perform display control. Furthermore, the direction in which the liquid crystal molecules are tilted is designed to be different for each adjacent region within one dot, and a configuration in which the orientation of the liquid crystal is divided into a plurality of portions within one dot is employed. The division method is a technique for controlling the alignment of liquid crystal molecules without performing a rubbing process by providing protrusions (alignment control protrusions) for controlling the alignment of liquid crystal molecules on a substrate constituting the liquid crystal panel. . That is, the alignment control protrusions are designed so that the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules is divided into multiples within one dot and the divided areas are equal to each other. The orientation control protrusions are installed on both the color filter side and the array side, and are formed so as to be alternately arranged when formed into cells. Further, an alignment control protrusion may be formed on either one of the substrates.

  As described above, MVA-LCD is a technology that realizes a wide viewing angle of a liquid crystal display device by using a vertical alignment mode and an alignment division type.

  In the present invention, since a plurality of different taper angles can be produced in the same layer, the orientation control protrusion can produce an optimum shape for each of the red color filter, the green color filter, and the blue color filter. . By adjusting the taper shape of the alignment control protrusion for each color, the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules can be optimized. That is, since the steepness of the voltage-transmittance curve can be changed by adjusting the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules, the color filter can improve insufficient color characteristics.

  For example, by reducing the taper of the protrusion of the blue color filter, the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules positioned above it is reduced. Then, by slightly increasing the taper of the protrusion of the green color filter, the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules located above it is slightly increased. Then, by further increasing the taper of the protrusion of the red color filter, the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules positioned above it is further increased. In this way, by optimizing the initial tilt angle on each color filter, the deviation of the voltage-transmittance curve that occurs when the cell gap is the same is adjusted, and the color reproducibility of the liquid crystal display device is improved. It can be improved.

  Therefore, it is preferable to optimize the protrusion shape so that the tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules increases in the order of the blue color filter, the green color filter, and the red color filter.

  That is, the present invention can improve the color of the liquid crystal display panel by optimizing the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules. Therefore, the present invention can provide a multi-alignment dispersion type vertical alignment mode liquid crystal display panel with high image quality.

[LCD panel example 2]
The configuration of the liquid crystal display panel having the color filter substrate of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a multi-alignment dispersion type vertical alignment mode liquid crystal display panel. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the color filter substrate, FIG. 9A is an enlarged view of a part of the color filter substrate, FIG. 3B is a sectional view of a part of the color filter substrate, and FIG. FIG. 3C shows a perspective view of a part of the color filter substrate. Note that the arrangement of the color filters according to the present invention is not limited to the stripe structure shown in FIG. 8, and can be applied to various arrangements such as a delta arrangement and a diagonal arrangement.

  A liquid crystal display panel 100B shown in FIG. 7 is a reflective liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display panel 100B shows, for example, the case where the substrate 1a on which the transparent electrode 2a is formed and the substrate 1b having the alignment control protrusion 11 on the opposite side of the substrate 1a and the color filter 7 being disposed. Specifically, a light reflecting film 8 is provided on the substrate 1b, and an overcoat film 9 is disposed on the light reflecting film 8. On the overcoat film 9, three color filters 7 of a red color filter 7a, a green color filter 7b, and a blue color filter 7c are provided.

  On the color filter 7, each color has protrusions (alignment control protrusions) 11 having a plurality of inclined surfaces for vertical alignment control. In the present invention, the alignment control protrusions 11 positioned on the dots of the red color filter 7a, the green color filter 7b, and the blue color filter 7c can have different tapers. Suitable taper angle values are, for example, about 25 to 35 ° for the red color filter, 15 to 25 ° for the green color filter, and about 9 to 19 ° for the blue color filter.

  When each colored light that has passed through the three colors of the red color filter 7a, the green color filter 7b, and the blue color filter 7c passes through the liquid crystal layer, it is difficult to adjust the color due to the influence of the wavelength dependence of the liquid crystal. is there. However, according to the present invention, by optimizing the shape of the alignment control protrusion 11, the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules can be optimized, and a liquid crystal display device with good color can be provided. Specifically, in the alignment control protrusion 10, the alignment control protrusion 11 a on the red color filter 7 a has a taper with the largest gradient, and then the taper of the alignment control protrusion 11 b on the green color filter 7 b becomes slightly smaller, The taper of the orientation control protrusion 11c on the blue color filter 7c preferably has the smallest angle. That is, the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules on the red color filter 7a is the largest, the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules on the green color filter 7b is slightly smaller, and the initial tilt of the liquid crystal molecules on the blue color filter 7c is small. The corner is the smallest angle. By optimizing the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules, the phenomenon in which the transmittance (or reflectivity) shifts depending on the light wavelength, which occurs due to the wavelength dependence of the liquid crystal, is improved. In short, the deviation of the transmittance (reflectance) -voltage curve, which differs for each color of the color filter, is corrected by the above-mentioned optimization of the initial tilt, the color balance is adjusted, and the white balance of the liquid crystal display device is good. It becomes.

  Therefore, the present invention can improve the color of the liquid crystal display panel by optimizing the taper of the alignment control protrusion 11 of each color filter. Hereinafter, the reason will be described in detail.

  The liquid crystal has wavelength dispersibility, and the birefringence Δn of the liquid crystal varies depending on the wavelength of light. Therefore, the curve when the retardation (Δn · d) is the x axis and the transmittance (or reflectance) is the y axis is slightly shifted depending on the wavelength of the incident light. That is, the transmitted light (reflected light) that has passed through each of the red color filter 7a, the green color filter 7b, and the blue color filter 7c is slightly shifted at each wavelength (each colored light) due to the birefringence Δn of the liquid crystal. End up. However, this phenomenon, in short, the deviation of the transmittance (reflectance) at each wavelength (each colored light) of the transmitted light (reflected light) that has passed through each color filter 7 is the layer thickness d of the liquid crystal on each color filter 7. Can be improved by adjusting each of them. It can also be improved by adjusting the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules on each color filter 7. That is, in the case of the multi-alignment dispersion type vertical alignment mode, by adjusting the shape of the alignment control protrusion 11 formed on each color filter 7, that is, the taper, the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules existing thereabove is adjusted. It can be optimized.

  In the conventional photolithography technique, the pattern edge portions in the same layer have substantially the same angle. Therefore, at the time of patterning the taper of the alignment control protrusion, it is difficult to optimize the individual taper by a single exposure process.

  However, the present invention can have a plurality of different angles in the same layer, that is, the taper of the alignment control protrusion 11 on each color filter 7 can be adjusted. Thus, optimization of the taper of the alignment control protrusion 11 leads to optimization of the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules, and the optical characteristics of the liquid crystal display panel can be improved.

  Here, for example, in a normally black (a liquid crystal display device that displays black when no voltage is applied), the relationship between the retardation of red light, green light, and blue light and the transmittance will be described. The transmittance of red light, green light, and blue light is almost zero in the vicinity of Δn · d = 0.5, but is shifted by red light, green light, and blue light. End up. Accordingly, if the layer thickness d of the liquid crystal is selected so that the transmittance of green light becomes a minimum value, red light and blue light leak, and, for example, the black display as a whole has a purple color. . Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the layer thickness d of the liquid crystal so that the transmittance of each color becomes a minimum value. As another method, it can be improved by using a method of adjusting the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules. That is, the taper of the alignment control protrusion 11 is adjusted so that the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal increases in the order of the blue color filter 7c, the green color filter 7b, and the red color filter 7a, and the liquid crystal display device 100B with good color is obtained. Can be produced.

  The taper angle of the orientation control protrusion 11 can be measured by observing with an optical microscope or an electron microscope. Further, as a measuring method other than the above, it can be measured with a step meter or AFM.

  Further, the transparent electrode 2b is disposed above the orientation control protrusion 11.

  In the liquid crystal display device 100B, the substrate 1a and the substrate 1b on which the alignment control projections 11 of the present invention are disposed are bonded to each other through the sealing material 3, and the liquid crystal 4 is sealed inside the liquid crystal display device 100B. Has been. Moreover, the phase difference plate 6a and the polarizing plate 5a are arrange | positioned in order on the outer surface of the board | substrate 1a.

  In the liquid crystal display device 100B according to the present invention, for example, a switching element such as a TFD (thin film diode) element or a TFT (thin film transistor) element may be provided on the substrate 1a, or the switching element is formed. A configuration in which the light reflecting film 8 is provided on the substrate side is also applicable.

  As described above, the liquid crystal display device 100B includes the color filter substrate provided with the alignment control protrusions 11 having a plurality of different angles. In the present invention, the shape of the alignment control protrusion 11 can be adjusted for each color of the color filter, and the white balance shift due to the influence of the wavelength dependence of the liquid crystal can be improved.

(Mask example 2)
FIG. 10 shows an example mask according to the present invention. FIG. 10A shows a halftone mask, FIG. 10B shows a gradation slit photolithographic mask, and FIG. 10C shows a photolithography using light diffraction and having pores in the intermediate transmission region. A mask (hereinafter referred to as a pore photolithographic mask) is shown.

  FIG. 4A shows a halftone mask 400. As described above, the halftone mask can have a total transmission region, an intermediate transmission region, and a light shielding region. Therefore, the present invention can have a plurality of different angles with respect to the taper angle in the same resin layer by adjusting the optical density of the halftone mask 400.

  The liquid crystal display panel 100B of the second embodiment is a multi-alignment division type vertical alignment mode liquid crystal display device, and by providing the vertical alignment control protrusions 11 in one dot, the alignment control of liquid crystal molecules is performed without using a rubbing process. Can be implemented.

  As described above, the taper of the vertical alignment control protrusion 11 according to the present invention can be adjusted according to each color of the color filter 7. By adjusting the taper of the vertical alignment control protrusion 11, the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules can be optimized. And the white balance of a liquid crystal display panel can be made favorable.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9B, the alignment control protrusion 11a on the red color filter 7a has a taper with the largest gradient, and the taper of the alignment control protrusion 11b on the green color filter 7b becomes slightly smaller. The taper of the orientation control protrusion 11c on the blue color filter 7c preferably has the smallest angle. In other words, the taper of the alignment control protrusion 11a is increased so that the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules on the red color filter 7a is maximized. Next, the taper of the alignment control protrusion 11b is slightly reduced so that the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules on the green color filter 7b is slightly reduced. It is preferable to make the taper of the alignment control protrusion 11c the smallest so that the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules on the blue color filter becomes the smallest. Note that, as in the first embodiment, a base layer having a taper that forms an electrode wiring routing portion in the peripheral region of the display region may be provided. In this case, it is desirable that the taper gradient of the base layer is at least smaller than the taper of the resin layer on the red color filter and smaller than the taper of the resin layer on each of the red, green, and blue color filters.

  In view of the above contents, the optical density design of the halftone mask 400 will be described below. However, although a negative resist is used as the resin material for the orientation control protrusions 11, the present invention can also be manufactured using a positive resist.

  In the region of 400R shown in FIG. 10A, the alignment control protrusion 11a on the red color filter 7a is manufactured, in the region of 400G, the alignment control protrusion 11b on the green color filter 7b is manufactured, and in the region of 400B, An alignment control protrusion 11c on the blue color filter 7c can be produced. Since the cross section of the alignment control protrusion 11 is a protrusion having a triangular shape (or an elliptical shape), a total transmission region or a relatively high transmittance region is used at the apex of the alignment control protrusion, and an intermediate portion is formed between the inclined portions. A light shielding area is used for the transmission area and the planar area.

  As described above, the alignment control protrusion 11 has a taper in which the alignment control protrusion 11a on the red color filter 7a has the largest slope, and the alignment control protrusion 11b on the green color filter 7b has a slight taper. Then, the taper of the orientation control protrusion 11c on the blue color filter 7c has the smallest angle. Therefore, the transmittance of the entire 400R region is designed to be the highest. The transmittance of the entire 400G region is slightly lower, and the transmittance of the entire 400B region is the lowest. That is, since the exposure amounts are reduced in the order of 400R, 400G, and 400B, when the development process is performed, a film thickness corresponding to each exposure amount is formed, and a desired taper angle can be obtained. In short, the alignment control protrusion 11a formed in the 400R region has a taper with the largest angle and a large gradient, and the alignment control protrusion 11c formed in the 400B region has a taper with the smallest angle. be able to.

  FIG. 10B shows a gradation slit photolithographic mask 500. The gradation slit photolithographic mask 500 can have the same optical density design pattern as the halftone mask 400. Therefore, the orientation control protrusion 11a formed in the region of 400R has a taper having the largest angle and a large gradient, and the orientation control protrusion 11c formed in the region of 400B has a taper having the smallest angle. be able to.

  FIG. 10C shows a pore photolithographic mask 600 using diffracted light. A photolithography process different from the conventional one can be performed. For example, a case where exposure is performed using a negative resist will be described. The pore photolithographic mask 600 has pores formed in the intermediate transmission region. In the photolithographic mask 600 having the pores (circular openings), light is diffracted and light is attenuated in the circular openings. That is, the fine hole photolithographic mask 600 can also have an intermediate transmission region, a total transmission region, and a light shielding region, like the halftone mask and the like. For example, the intermediate transmission region can be produced by providing the circular opening pattern at the edge portion of the same resin layer. In short, the pore photolithographic mask 600 can have the same optical density design pattern as the halftone mask 400 and the gradation slit photolithographic mask 500. Therefore, the orientation control protrusion 11a formed in the region of 400R has a taper having the largest angle and a large gradient, and the orientation control protrusion 11c formed in the region of 400B has a taper having the smallest angle. be able to.

  In the present invention, the halftone mask 400, gradation slit mask 500 or fine hole photolithographic mask 600 is used, and the taper at the edge portion of the alignment control projection 11 can be optimized for each color filter.

  For example, the shape of the orientation control protrusion 11 on each color filter 7 can have a triangular shape (elliptical shape). The shape of the alignment control protrusion 11 is such that the protrusion on the red color filter 7a has a taper with the largest gradient, the taper of the protrusion on the green color filter 7b becomes slightly smaller, and the blue color It is preferable that the taper of the protrusion on the filter 7c has the smallest angle, and a desired taper angle can be produced.

(Manufacturing process of color filter substrate for vertical alignment control)
11 and 12 show an example of the manufacturing process of the color filter substrate for vertical alignment control according to the present invention.

  First, in step T01 of FIG. 11, the light reflecting film 8 is formed. As the light reflecting film material, for example, an Al (aluminum) film is formed with a uniform thickness of, for example, about 0.2 μm by sputtering or the like. Then, if necessary, a desired pattern is formed by performing a photolithography method and an etching process.

  Next, in step T02, the insulating film 9 is formed. As the insulating film 9, an inorganic film such as SiO2 may be formed by sputtering or the like, or an organic resin material may be applied by a spinner or the like.

  Next, in step T03, a color filter is formed. A color resist (red) is applied so as to cover the entire surface of the substrate 1b. The color resist (red) is formed to a thickness of, for example, about 2 μm by using an acrylic or epoxy resin material colored with a pigment. Here, the red color filter 7a is formed at a desired position with a negative color resist (red) that is hardened by a photoreaction associated with exposure. Next, a color resist (green) is applied so as to cover the entire surface of the substrate 1b. This color resist (green) is a negative type color resist, and is formed to a thickness of about 2 μm, for example. Then, the green color filter 7b is formed at a desired position with a negative color resist (green). Further, a color resist (blue) is applied. This color resist (blue) is a negative resist, and is formed to a thickness of about 2 μm, for example. Then, a blue color filter 7c is formed at a desired position with a negative color resist (blue).

  As a result, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, each of the red color filter 7a, the green color filter 7b, and the blue color filter 7c has a stripe arrangement.

  Next, in step T04, an orientation control protrusion material is applied. An orientation control protrusion material is applied so as to cover the entire surface of the substrate 1b on which the color filter 7 is disposed. It is preferable to use a transparent resin material such as acrylic as the orientation control protrusion material.

  Next, in step T05, the alignment control protrusion 11 is patterned. Exposure is performed using the halftone mask 400 described above. By using the halftone mask 400, the taper of the alignment control protrusion 11 on the color filter 7 can be set to a desired angle for optimization. That is, the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules can be optimized by individually adjusting the taper angles of the alignment control protrusions 11 provided on the red color filter 7a, the green color filter 7b, and the blue color filter 7c. . In other words, the present invention optimizes the initial tilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules for each color of the color filter 7 to prevent the white balance shift caused by the wavelength dependency of the liquid crystal, thereby changing the color of the liquid crystal display device. Can be improved.

  Then, in step T06, by forming the transparent electrode (ITO) 2b, the color filter substrate 100b that can be employed in the multi-orientation division type vertical alignment mode shown in FIG. 7 is formed.

  Therefore, the color filter substrate 100b for orientation control according to the present invention can provide not only a wide viewing angle liquid crystal display device but also a liquid crystal display device with good color and high image quality.

  A protective film may be provided between the color filter 7 or the alignment control protrusion 11 and the transparent electrode 2b. However, the protective film is preferably a thin film that does not impair the shape of the orientation control protrusion layer.

[Other Embodiments]
The shape of the orientation control protrusion 11 is not limited to this. That is, the alignment state of the liquid crystal molecules may be other than this, and it is desirable that the shape of the alignment control protrusion 11 is selected according to the desired alignment state.

[Method of manufacturing liquid crystal display panel]
Next, a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal display panel 100A shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display panel 100A. The liquid crystal display panel 100B can be manufactured in the same manner as the flowchart shown in FIG. 13 except that the rubbing process can be omitted.

  First, the multi-gap color filter substrate 100a provided with the overcoat film 10 having a plurality of different tapers in the same layer is manufactured by the above-described method (step S1). Further, a transparent conductive film 2b is formed on the red color filter 7a, the green color filter 7b, the blue color filter 7c, and the overcoat film 10 by a sputtering method, and patterned by a photolithography method to form a transparent electrode film 2b. (Step S2).

  The taper of the overcoat film 10 has a plurality of different angles, and this angle has a taper with a large gradient and a taper with a small gradient. The taper having a large gradient is a boundary portion (region Y) between the transmissive display region and the reflective display region in the active area. By using a taper with a large gradient, the contrast of a transflective liquid crystal display device employing a multi-gap method can be improved. Further, the taper having a small gradient is an electrode wiring routing portion (region X). By using a taper with a small gradient, it is difficult for the transparent electrode 2b provided on the overcoat film 10 to be disconnected, and a high-quality liquid crystal display device can be provided.

  Thereafter, an alignment film made of polyimide resin or the like (not shown) is formed on the transparent electrode film 2b (step S3).

  On the other hand, the counter substrate 1a is manufactured (step S4), the transparent electrode film 2a is formed by the same method (step S5), and an alignment film (not shown) is formed on the transparent electrode (step S6).

  And said board | substrate 1a and the board | substrate 1b are bonded together through the sealing material 3, and a panel structure is comprised (process S7). The substrate 1a and the substrate 1b are bonded to each other with a substantially prescribed substrate interval by a spacer (not shown) distributed between the substrates.

  Thereafter, the liquid crystal 4 is injected from an opening (not shown) of the sealing material 3, and the opening of the sealing material is sealed with a sealing material such as an ultraviolet curable resin (step S8). After the main panel structure is completed in this way, a retardation plate, a polarizing plate, etc. are attached to the outer surface of the panel structure as needed by a method such as sticking (step S9), and the multi-gap method shown in FIG. 1 is adopted. A transflective liquid crystal display panel 100A is completed.

[Electronics]
Next, an embodiment in which the liquid crystal display panels 100A and 100B using the color filter substrate according to the present invention are used as a display device of an electronic apparatus will be described.

  FIG. 14 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the overall configuration of the present embodiment. The electronic apparatus shown here includes the liquid crystal display panels 100A and 100B and a control unit 110 that controls the liquid crystal display panels 100A and 100B. Here, the liquid crystal display panels 100A and 100B are conceptually divided into a panel structure 101 and a drive circuit 102 composed of a semiconductor IC or the like. Further, the control unit 110 includes a display information output source 111, a display information processing circuit 112, a power supply circuit 113, and a timing generator 114.

  The display information output source 111 includes a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage unit such as a magnetic recording disk or an optical recording disk, and a tuning circuit that tunes and outputs a digital image signal. The display information is supplied to the display information processing circuit 112 in the form of an image signal of a predetermined format based on various clock signals generated by the timing generator 114.

  The display information processing circuit 112 includes various known circuits such as a serial-parallel conversion circuit, an amplification / inversion circuit, a rotation circuit, a gamma correction circuit, and a clamp circuit, executes processing of input display information, and outputs image information thereof. Are supplied to the drive circuit 102 together with the clock signal CLK. The driving circuit 102 includes a scanning line driving circuit, a data line driving circuit, and an inspection circuit. The power supply circuit 113 supplies a predetermined voltage to each component described above.

  Next, specific examples of electronic devices to which the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention can be applied will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, an example in which the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention is applied to a display unit of a portable personal computer (so-called notebook computer) will be described. FIG. 15A is a perspective view showing the configuration of this personal computer. As shown in the figure, the personal computer 710 includes a main body 712 having a keyboard 711 and a display 713 to which the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention is applied.

  Next, an example in which the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention is applied to a display unit of a mobile phone will be described. FIG. 15B is a perspective view showing the configuration of this mobile phone.

  As shown in the figure, the mobile phone 720 includes a plurality of operation buttons 721, a receiver 722, a transmitter 723, and a display unit 724 to which the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention is applied.

  Note that, as an electronic device to which the liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention can be applied, in addition to the personal computer shown in FIG. 15A and the mobile phone shown in FIG. Monitor direct-view video tape recorders, car navigation devices, pagers, electronic notebooks, calculators, word processors, workstations, videophones, POS terminals, digital still cameras, etc.

[Modification 1]
The electro-optical device of the present invention is not limited to a passive matrix type liquid crystal display panel, but also an active matrix type liquid crystal display panel (for example, a TFT (thin film transistor) or a TFD (thin film diode)) as a switching element. ) Can be applied in the same manner. In addition to liquid crystal display panels, various electro-optical devices such as electroluminescence devices, organic electroluminescence devices, plasma display devices, electrophoretic display devices, field emission displays such as Field Emission Display and Surface-Conduction Electron-Emitter Display The present invention can be similarly applied to an apparatus.

[Modification 2]
In addition to the method using the photolithography mask described above, the present invention uses, as another method, a photolithography mask composed of a normal light-shielding region and a total transmission region to optimize the proximity gap and exposure amount conditions. It can be manufactured by performing multiple exposures. Further, by changing the proximity gap and exposure amount conditions with the same mask, it is possible to further change the taper angle in the same layer, leading to low cost.

  As described above, the electro-optical device of the present invention can improve visibility.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention. The top view of the color filter board | substrate of this invention is shown. (A) An enlarged view of the color filter substrate of the present invention is shown, (b) A perspective view of the color filter of the present invention is shown, (c) A sectional view of the color filter substrate of the present invention is shown. (A) A photolithographic mask example related to the present invention is shown. (B) A photolithographic mask example related to the present invention is shown. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the color filter substrate of this invention. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the color filter substrate of this invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention. The top view of the color filter board | substrate of this invention is shown. (A) An enlarged view of the color filter substrate of the present invention is shown, (b) A sectional view of the color filter substrate of the present invention is shown, (c) A perspective view of the color filter substrate of the present invention is shown. (A) A photolitho mask example related to the present invention is shown, (b) a photolitho mask example related to the present invention is shown, and (c) a photolitho mask example related to the present invention is shown. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the color filter substrate of this invention. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the color filter substrate of this invention. It is a figure which shows the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display panel to which this invention is applied. 1 illustrates a configuration of an electronic device using a liquid crystal display panel to which the present invention is applied. The example of the electronic device provided with the liquid crystal display panel to which this invention is applied is shown.

Explanation of symbols

1a, 1b substrate, 2a, 2b transparent electrode, 4 liquid crystal layer,
7 color filter, 7a red color filter,
7b Green color filter, 7c Green color filter,
8 Light reflecting film, 9 Insulating film,
10 overcoat film, 11 orientation control protrusion,
100A, 100B liquid crystal display panel,
100a, 100b color filter substrate,
200, 300, 400, 500, 600 photolithography mask,

Claims (7)

A pair of substrates, an electrode provided on the pair of substrates, a liquid crystal sandwiched between the pair of substrates,
A liquid crystal display device comprising a pixel region composed of the electrodes and a display region composed of a plurality of the pixel regions,
A red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter are formed in the display region, and each of the color filters has an alignment control protrusion.
2. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the alignment control protrusions have different taper gradients.   2. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein a taper gradient of the alignment control protrusion on the red color filter is larger than a taper gradient of the alignment control protrusion on the other color filter.   8. The electro-optical device according to claim 7, wherein a taper gradient of the alignment control protrusion on the green color filter is larger than a taper gradient of the resin layer on the blue color filter. A pair of substrates, an electrode provided on the pair of substrates, a liquid crystal sandwiched between the pair of substrates,
A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device comprising a pixel region comprising the electrodes and a display region comprising a plurality of the pixel regions,
Forming a red color filter, a green color filter, and a blue color filter in the display area; and forming an alignment control protrusion on each of the color filters,
The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, wherein in the step of forming the alignment control protrusion, the taper gradients of the alignment control protrusions are different from each other.   5. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein in the step of forming the alignment control protrusion, a photolithography mask having a total transmission region, a plurality of intermediate transmission regions, and a light shielding region is used.   5. The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to claim 4, wherein, in the step of forming the alignment control protrusion, patterning is performed by diffracting and exposing the alignment control protrusion using a photolithography mask for diffraction exposure. . An electronic apparatus comprising the liquid crystal display device according to claim 1.

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