JP2006194918A - Liquid crystal device and electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal device of an IPS system using two-terminal elements which can suppress disclination. <P>SOLUTION: The element substrate has TFD elements and pixel electrodes. A 1st to 3rd transparent electrode sections are formed between those electrodes as the elements of the pixel electrodes. Accordingly, lateral electrical fields E are generated in parallel with the element substrate to control the orientations of the liquid crystals when the data signals and scanning signals are outputted to the data lines and the scanning lines, respectively. Further, this liquid crystal display has sub-electrode sections at the corners close to the TFD elements. Therefore, the 1st transparent electrode sections and the sub-electrode sections are connected together electrically, and the corner sections can be maintained at the same potential as the pixel electrodes. In this way, when driving the liquid crystals, no tilted electrical fields E are generated at the corners and the disclination can be reduced. Thus it is possible to prevent light from leaking from there. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid crystal device and an electronic apparatus suitable for use in displaying various information.

  Conventional TN (Twisted Nematic) type liquid crystal devices align liquid crystal molecules by enclosing liquid crystal between a pair of substrates and applying an electric field in a direction perpendicular to the substrates by means of transparent electrodes provided on each substrate. To control. On the other hand, in recent years, a method is known in which the direction of the electric field applied to the liquid crystal is a direction substantially parallel to the substrate. This method is called a horizontal electric field method, an IPS (In-Plane Switching) method, etc., and has recently attracted attention because of its excellent viewing angle characteristics.

  As this type of IPS liquid crystal device, for example, one of a pair of substrates is arranged so that a comb-like pixel electrode and a comb-like common electrode mesh with each other, and the other counter substrate has There is known a liquid crystal device in which liquid crystal is sealed between both substrates without forming an electrode (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 5). In the liquid crystal devices disclosed in these patent documents, a three-terminal element, for example, a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) element is used as a switching element, and the TFT element is provided on a gate line.

  In addition, in this type of liquid crystal device, for example, an electric field is generated in a direction in which the electric field generated between the pixel electrode and the common wiring is extinguished, and a discretion is formed in the region between the pixel electrode and the common electrode. A liquid crystal device configured to prevent occurrence of a nation is known (see, for example, Patent Document 6). Also, as this type of liquid crystal device, for example, an auxiliary capacitor is provided, and the upper electrode and the lower electrode of the auxiliary capacitor have different shapes, thereby reducing the occurrence of reverse twist and improving the response speed and increasing the aperture ratio. A liquid crystal device improved is known (see, for example, Patent Document 7).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-23171 JP 2001-330849 A JP 2000-275664 A JP-A-10-221705 JP-A-9-269497 JP 2002-122841 A JP 2000-19558 A

  In the above IPS liquid crystal device, a three-terminal element is applied as a switching element. However, a two-terminal element such as a TFD (Thin Film Diode) element instead of the three-terminal element is used for such a liquid crystal device. It is also possible to apply. In that case, since the two-terminal element is usually arranged in the vicinity of the corner position of the pixel region, a part of the wiring or the like corresponding to the common wiring is cut out in a substantially L shape in the vicinity thereof. Regions (corner portions) are formed. Due to such a notch region, when the liquid crystal is driven, the direction of the electric field is disturbed near the corner portion, and the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules may not be appropriately controlled. Therefore, in the vicinity of the corner portion, disclination (liquid crystal alignment abnormality) may occur and light leakage may occur. In such an IPS liquid crystal device, pixel electrodes and the like are formed in a comb-like shape, and the area thereof is extremely narrow. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a storage capacitor.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, such as a two-terminal element that can suppress the occurrence of disclination near the corner near the two-terminal element and can efficiently provide a storage capacitor. It is an object of the present invention to provide an IPS liquid crystal device and an electronic device using the above.

  In one aspect of the present invention, a liquid crystal device includes a plurality of first electrodes, a two-terminal element connected to the first electrode, a pixel electrode connected to the two-terminal element, and the plurality of first electrodes. A second electrode that crosses the first electrode and extends to face the pixel electrode and generates an electric field between the second electrode and the second electrode. An insulating film is formed on the second electrode, and an auxiliary electrode is formed on the insulating film. The auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode.

  The liquid crystal device includes a plurality of first electrodes, a two-terminal element such as a TFD element connected to the first electrode, a pixel electrode connected to the two-terminal element, and a plurality of first electrodes. And a second electrode extending to face the pixel electrode. In a preferred example, the first electrode can be a data line or a scan line, while the second electrode can correspondingly be a scan line or a data line. In addition, the second electrode has a function of generating a horizontal electric field (that is, a horizontal electric field) with the pixel electrode, and thereby the alignment of the liquid crystal is controlled. In other words, it is possible to configure a horizontal electric field type or IPS type liquid crystal device to which a two-terminal element is applied.

  Further, in this liquid crystal device, the second electrode facing the region where the two-terminal element is disposed is a portion where a step is formed in the second electrode when the second electrode is viewed in plan (hereinafter referred to as the second electrode). For convenience, it is also referred to as a “stepped portion”). For this reason, when the liquid crystal is driven, an oblique electric field is generated in the vicinity of the stepped portion due to the shape of the stepped portion, not a lateral electric field, and the liquid crystal alignment (disclination) or more occurs in the vicinity. May occur.

  In this respect, in this liquid crystal device, the step portion is configured as follows in order to suppress the occurrence of such disclination. That is, in this liquid crystal device, an insulating film is formed on the step portion, that is, on the second electrode facing the region where the two-terminal elements are arranged, and the auxiliary electrode is formed on the insulating film. Further, the auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode. For this reason, in this liquid crystal device, the auxiliary electrode positioned at the stepped portion has the same potential as the pixel electrode when driven. Thus, in this liquid crystal device, when the liquid crystal device is driven, an oblique electric field is not generated in the vicinity of the step portion, and the step portion becomes a region where the liquid crystal is not driven. Therefore, the occurrence of disclination in the vicinity of the step portion can be reduced, and the occurrence of light leakage in the vicinity thereof can be suppressed.

  In this liquid crystal device, a storage capacitor having an insulating film as a dielectric is formed between the step portion and the auxiliary electrode. That is, this liquid crystal device also has an advantage in that a storage capacitor can be efficiently formed at a step portion. As a result, in this liquid crystal device, since the storage capacitance is added to the capacitance of the pixel electrode, the capacitance of the pixel electrode can be substantially increased correspondingly, and the display quality can be prevented from deteriorating.

  In another aspect of the present invention, a liquid crystal device crosses the plurality of first electrodes, a pixel electrode disposed between the first electrodes adjacent to each other, the plurality of first electrodes, and A second electrode that extends so as to face the pixel electrode and generates an electric field with the pixel electrode, and is provided corresponding to an intersection of the first electrode and the second electrode. An insulating film is formed on the second electrode facing a region where the switching element is disposed, and the switching element is connected to the pixel electrode. Is formed with an auxiliary electrode, and the auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode.

  The liquid crystal device includes a plurality of first electrodes, a pixel electrode disposed between adjacent first electrodes, and a plurality of first electrodes that extend so as to intersect with the pixel electrodes. A switching element (for example, a three-terminal element such as a TFT element) provided corresponding to the intersection of the second electrode and the first electrode and the second electrode and connected to the first electrode and the pixel electrode; ,have. In a preferred example, the first electrode can be a data line or a scan line, while the second electrode can correspondingly be a scan line or a data line. In addition, the second electrode has a function of generating a horizontal electric field (that is, a horizontal electric field) with the pixel electrode, and thereby the alignment of the liquid crystal is controlled. That is, it is possible to configure a horizontal electric field type or IPS type liquid crystal device to which a three-terminal element is applied.

  Further, in this liquid crystal device, the second electrode facing the region where the switching element is disposed is a portion where the step is formed in the second electrode (step portion) when the second electrode is viewed in plan view. ). For this reason, when the liquid crystal is driven, an oblique electric field is generated in the vicinity of the stepped portion due to the shape of the stepped portion, not a lateral electric field, and the liquid crystal alignment (disclination) or more occurs in the vicinity. May occur.

  In this respect, in this liquid crystal device, the step portion is configured as follows in order to suppress the occurrence of such disclination. That is, in this liquid crystal device, an insulating film is formed on the step portion, that is, on the second electrode facing the region where the switching element is disposed, and the auxiliary electrode is formed on the insulating film, Further, the auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode. For this reason, in this liquid crystal device, the auxiliary electrode positioned at the stepped portion has the same potential as the pixel electrode when driven. Thus, in this liquid crystal device, when the liquid crystal device is driven, an oblique electric field is not generated in the vicinity of the step portion, and the step portion becomes a region where the liquid crystal is not driven. Therefore, the occurrence of disclination in the vicinity of the step portion can be reduced, and the occurrence of light leakage in the vicinity thereof can be suppressed.

  In this liquid crystal device, a storage capacitor having an insulating film as a dielectric is formed between the step portion and the auxiliary electrode. That is, this liquid crystal device also has an advantage in that a storage capacitor can be efficiently formed at a step portion. As a result, in this liquid crystal device, since the storage capacitance is added to the capacitance of the pixel electrode, the capacitance of the pixel electrode can be substantially increased correspondingly, and the display quality can be prevented from deteriorating.

  In one aspect of the liquid crystal device, the second electrode positioned in the vicinity of the two-terminal element or the switching element has a corner portion that is cut out in a substantially L shape when seen in a plan view. An insulating film is formed at least on the corner portion, and an auxiliary electrode is formed on the insulating film, and the auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode.

  In this aspect, the second electrode positioned in the vicinity of the two-terminal element or the switching element has a corner portion that is cut out in a substantially L shape when seen in a plan view. An insulating film is formed on the corner portion, an auxiliary electrode is formed on the insulating film, and the auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode. For this reason, when the liquid crystal is driven, the auxiliary electrode located at the corner has the same potential as the pixel electrode. Accordingly, when the liquid crystal is driven, an oblique electric field is not generated near the corner portion, and the corner portion becomes a region where the liquid crystal is not driven. Therefore, the occurrence of disclination in the vicinity of the corner portion can be reduced, and the occurrence of light leakage in the vicinity thereof can be suppressed.

  In this embodiment, a storage capacitor having an insulating film as a dielectric is formed between the corner portion and the auxiliary electrode. In other words, this aspect has an advantage in that the holding capacity can be efficiently formed at the corner portion. Thereby, in this aspect, since the storage capacitor is added to the capacitance of the pixel electrode, the capacitance of the pixel electrode can be substantially increased correspondingly, and the display quality can be prevented from deteriorating.

  In a preferred example, at least the corner portion can be formed of tantalum or a material mainly containing tantalum, such as TaW (tantalum tungsten). The auxiliary electrode can be formed of a material mainly containing chromium or molybdenum, such as MoW (molybdenum tungsten). In particular, by forming the auxiliary electrode with a material whose main component is molybdenum, it is possible to reduce the load on the environment.

  In another aspect of the liquid crystal device, the two-terminal element corresponds to a first metal film, an insulating film formed on the first metal film, a part on the insulating film, and at least the corner portion. A second metal film formed at a position where the auxiliary electrode is a part of the second metal film.

  According to this aspect, the two-terminal element includes a first metal film made of, for example, tantalum, an insulating film formed on the first metal film, for example, made of tantalum oxide, a part on the insulating film, and the like. It is formed at least at a position corresponding to the corner portion, and has a second metal film made of, for example, chromium. The auxiliary electrode is formed using a part of the second metal film. As a result, a storage capacitor having an insulating film as a dielectric can be efficiently formed between the auxiliary electrode forming a part of the second metal film and the corner portion.

  In another aspect of the above liquid crystal device, the second electrode extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the first electrode extends, and is a plurality of linear shapes arranged at appropriate intervals. And a plurality of other conductive portions extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the plurality of conductive portions, and the pixel electrode includes a plurality of linear transparent conductive portions, and the transparent conductive portion. Each of the portions is disposed substantially parallel to each of the conductive portions in the plurality of gaps, and is opposed to the one end side of the plurality of conductive portions facing the first electrode and the one end side. The other ends of the plurality of conductive portions are each electrically connected to the other conductive portions, and the other conductive portions electrically connected to the one end sides of the plurality of conductive portions are the corners. An insulating film is formed on the other conductive portion except the corner portion. Rutotomoni, is on the insulating film is formed other auxiliary electrode, the other auxiliary electrode is corresponding the transparent conductive part electrically connected.

  In this aspect, the second electrode includes a plurality of linear conductive portions extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the extending direction of the first electrode and arranged at appropriate intervals, and the plurality of the conductive portions. A plurality of other conductive parts extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the conductive part. Further, the pixel electrode has a plurality of linear transparent conductive portions. Each of the transparent conductive portions is disposed substantially parallel to each of the conductive portions in the plurality of gaps. Thereby, when this liquid crystal device is driven, a lateral electric field is generated between each conductive portion and each corresponding transparent electrode portion, and the alignment of the liquid crystal can be controlled.

  In addition, one end side of the plurality of conductive portions facing the first electrode and the other end side of the plurality of conductive portions facing the one end side are electrically connected to the plurality of other conductive portions, respectively. . For this reason, this 1st electrode forms the wiring which connected each of several electroconductive part (resistor) in parallel. As a result, for example, when the resistance of one conductive portion is R1, and the set number of the plurality of conductive portions is N, in this aspect, the resistance of the first electrode is R1 / (1 / N) The doubled size is (R1) / N. For this reason, the first electrode has a wiring configuration in which a plurality of (R1) / N resistors are connected in series as a whole. Therefore, in this aspect, even when the first electrode is formed of tantalum or the like, the wiring resistance of the first electrode can be reduced. As a result, the so-called lateral crosstalk can be prevented from occurring, and the display quality can be prevented from deteriorating.

In addition, the other conductive portion electrically connected to one end side of the plurality of conductive portions includes a corner portion, and an insulating film is formed on the other conductive portion excluding the corner portion, Another auxiliary electrode is formed on the insulating film, and the other auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the corresponding transparent conductive portion. As a result, another storage capacitor using the insulating film as a dielectric is formed between the other conductive portion except the corner portion and the other auxiliary electrode.
In a preferred example, the other conductive part including the corner part is opposed to each of the auxiliary electrode and the other auxiliary electrode through the insulating film. As a result, a storage capacitor and other storage capacitors each having an insulating film as a dielectric are formed between the other conductive portion including the corner portion, the auxiliary electrode, and the other auxiliary electrode. Therefore, in this liquid crystal device, when the display quality can be sufficiently maintained only with another storage capacitor, the size of the auxiliary electrode and the other auxiliary electrode is maintained while maintaining the size of the other storage capacitor. It becomes possible to change (area) relatively. Therefore, in this case, by removing a part of the other conductive part, the insulating film and the other auxiliary electrode in which the other storage capacitor is formed, and increasing the area of the auxiliary electrode in the corner part by the removed amount, The aperture ratio can be improved while maintaining the size of the other storage capacitor. That is, since the other conductive portion, the insulating film, and a part of the other auxiliary electrode, which are regions that do not contribute to display, are removed, the aperture ratio can be improved accordingly.

  In another aspect of the above liquid crystal device, the substrate facing the substrate on which the plurality of first electrodes, the two-terminal elements or the switching elements, the pixel electrodes, and the second electrodes are formed is the pixel region. The light-shielding layer is located between the pixel regions adjacent to each other in the extending direction of the second electrode. In the layer, the width of the light shielding layer corresponding to the two-terminal element or the switching element and the corner portion is set larger than the width of the light shielding layer corresponding to the other conductive portion excluding the corner portion, At least the two-terminal element or the switching element, the corner portion, and the vicinity of the plurality of other conductive portions are covered with the light shielding layer.

  According to this aspect, the substrate facing the substrate on which the plurality of first electrodes, two-terminal elements or switching elements, the pixel electrode, and the second electrode are formed (hereinafter also referred to as “counter substrate” for convenience) Since a colored layer is provided at a position corresponding to the pixel region, a color display image can be obtained. In addition, the counter substrate has a light shielding layer made of, for example, a black resin, at least at a position partitioning each pixel region. Further, in the light shielding layer positioned between the pixel regions adjacent to each other in the extending direction of the second electrode, the width of the light shielding layer corresponding to the two-terminal element or the switching element and the corner portion is the same as that other than the corner portion. The width of the light-shielding layer corresponding to the conductive portion is set to be larger than that of the light-shielding layer. Thereby, it is possible to prevent light leakage at least near the two-terminal element or the switching element, the corner portion, and the plurality of other conductive portions.

  In addition, an electronic device including the above liquid crystal device as a display portion can be formed.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the present invention is applied to a liquid crystal display device.

[Configuration of liquid crystal display device]
First, the configuration of the liquid crystal display device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a schematic configuration of a liquid crystal display device 100 of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the configuration of electrodes and wirings of the liquid crystal display device 100 is mainly shown as a plan view. Here, the liquid crystal display device 100 of the present invention is an active matrix drive type liquid crystal display device using a TFD (Thin Film Diode) element. Further, the liquid crystal display device 100 is a so-called lateral electric field type liquid crystal such as an IPS type that controls the orientation of liquid crystal molecules by generating an electric field in a direction substantially parallel to the substrate surface on the substrate side on which the electrodes are formed. It is a display device. For this reason, this liquid crystal display device 100 can obtain a high viewing angle. Further, the liquid crystal display device 100 is also a transmissive liquid crystal display device using an illumination device such as a backlight.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along a cutting line A-A ′ passing through the electrode portion 32 x that is an element of one data line 32 in the liquid crystal display device 100 of FIG. 1.

  First, a cross-sectional configuration of the liquid crystal display device 100 will be described with reference to FIG. Thereafter, the configuration of the electrodes and wirings of the element substrate 91 will be described. In the present embodiment, the element substrate 91 constitutes a substrate having electrodes and wiring.

  In FIG. 2, the liquid crystal display device 100 includes an element substrate 91 and a color filter substrate 92 disposed so as to face the element substrate 91 via a frame-shaped seal member 3. The liquid crystal layer 4 is formed by enclosing the aligned liquid crystal. Further, in the liquid crystal display device 100, a spacer (not shown) is sealed between the element substrate 91 and the color filter substrate 92, and the both substrates are defined at a constant interval by the spacer.

  On the inner surface of the lower substrate 1, the first conductive portion 32a, the second conductive portion 32b, the third conductive portion 32c, the fourth conductive portion 32d, and the like, which are elements of the data line 32, are provided for each sub-pixel region SG. One electrode part 32x including it is formed. The first conductive portion 32a and the second conductive portion 32b, the second conductive portion 32b and the third conductive portion 32c, and the third conductive portion 32c and the fourth conductive portion 32d are respectively separated from the lower substrate 1 by a predetermined interval. It is arranged on the inner surface. The data line 32 including the electrode part 32x is formed of tantalum or the like. Although an insulating film is formed on the surface of the data line 32, the insulating film is not shown in FIG. 2 for convenience. A TFD element 21 as an example of a two-terminal element is formed on the inner surface of the lower substrate 1 corresponding to the vicinity of the corner position of each sub-pixel region SG. Further, on the inner surface of the lower substrate 1, between the first conductive portion 32 a and the second conductive portion 32 b, between the second conductive portion 32 b and the third conductive portion 32 c, and between the third conductive portion 32 c and the fourth conductive portion. A first transparent electrode portion 10a, a second transparent electrode portion 10b, and a third transparent electrode portion 10c, which are elements of the pixel electrode 10, are formed between 32d. One pixel electrode 10 is constituted by the first transparent electrode portion 10a, the second transparent electrode portion 10b, and the third transparent electrode portion 10c. In addition, scanning lines 31 (also referred to as “wiring” or “leading wiring”) are formed on the left and right peripheral edge portions on the inner surface of the lower substrate 1. The scanning line 31 is formed of chrome. An alignment film 17 is formed on the inner surfaces of the lower substrate 1, the data line 32, the TFD element 21, the pixel electrode 10 and the scanning line 31.

  On the other hand, on the inner surface of the upper substrate 2, colored layers 6R, 6G, and 6B made of one of the three colors R, G, and B are formed for each sub-pixel region SG. The colored layers 6R, 6G, and 6B are opposed to the electrode portion 32x and the pixel electrode 10 in the sub-pixel region SG, respectively. A color filter is constituted by the colored layers 6R, 6G, and 6B. A pixel region G indicates a region for one color pixel composed of R, G, and B sub-pixels. In the following description, when a colored layer is specified regardless of color, it is simply referred to as “colored layer 6”, and when a colored layer is specified by distinguishing colors, it is described as “colored layer 6R”.

  Further, light between one sub-pixel region SG and the other sub-pixel region SG is formed between the sub-pixel regions SG and on the inner surface of the upper substrate 2 corresponding to the TFD element 21 with the adjacent sub-pixel regions SG being separated. A black light-shielding layer BM is formed to prevent the contamination. The black light shielding layer BM is preferably made of a black resin material, for example, a black pigment dispersed in a resin. In the present invention, instead of this, an overlapping light shielding layer (not shown) formed by overlapping R, G, and B colored layers may be used.

  An overcoat layer 18 made of acrylic resin or the like is formed on the inner surfaces of the colored layer 6 and the black light shielding layer BM. The overcoat layer 18 has a function of protecting the colored layer 6 and the like from corrosion and contamination due to chemicals and the like used during the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal display device 100.

  A polarizing plate 14 is disposed on the outer surface of the lower substrate 1, while a polarizing plate 12 is disposed on the outer surface of the upper substrate 2. A backlight 15 as an illumination device is disposed below the polarizing plate 14. The backlight 15 is preferably a point light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or a combination of a linear light source such as a cold cathode fluorescent tube and a light guide plate.

  Now, when transmissive display is performed in the liquid crystal display device 100 of the present embodiment, the illumination light emitted from the backlight 15 travels along the path T shown in FIG. 2, and passes through the pixel electrode 10 and the colored layer 6 and the like. Pass through to the observer. In this case, the illumination light has a predetermined hue and brightness by passing through the colored layer 6. Thus, a desired color display image is visually recognized by the observer.

(Element substrate electrode and wiring configuration)
Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, the configuration of the electrodes and wirings of the element substrate 91 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the configuration of electrodes and wirings of the element substrate 91 when the element substrate 91 is observed from the front direction (that is, the upper side in FIG. 2). In FIG. 3, other elements other than the electrodes and wiring are not shown for convenience of explanation.

  In FIG. 1, a region near a scanning line 31b adjacent to each other at an appropriate interval in the vertical direction on the paper and a data line 32 extending in the vertical direction on the paper are the minimum display unit. A sub-pixel region SG is configured. An area in which a plurality of sub-pixel areas SG are arranged in a matrix in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction in the drawing is an effective display area V (area surrounded by a two-dot chain line). In the effective display area V, images such as letters, numbers, and figures are displayed. 1 and 3, a region defined by the outer periphery of the liquid crystal display device 100 and the effective display region V is a frame region 38 that does not contribute to image display.

  The element substrate 91 includes a TFD element 21, a plurality of pixel electrodes 10, a plurality of scanning lines 31, a plurality of data lines 32, a Y driver IC 33, an X driver IC 34, a plurality of external connection terminals 35, and the like.

  On the projecting region 36 of the element substrate 91, a Y driver IC 33 and an X driver IC 34 are mounted via, for example, an ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film). In FIG. 3, the direction from the side 91a on the projecting region 36 side of the element substrate 91 to the opposite side 91c is defined as the Y direction, and the direction from the side 91d toward the side 91b is defined as the X direction.

  A plurality of external connection terminals 35 are formed on the overhang region 36. Each input terminal (not shown) of the Y driver IC 33 and the X driver IC 34 is connected to the plurality of external connection terminals 35 through conductive bumps. The external connection terminal 35 is connected to a wiring board (not shown) such as a flexible printed board via ACF or solder. Thereby, for example, signals and power are supplied to the liquid crystal display device 100 from an electronic device such as a mobile phone or an information terminal.

  The output terminal (not shown) of the Y driver IC 33 is connected to the plurality of scanning lines 31 through conductive bumps. The Y driver IC 33 is responsible for driving the plurality of scanning lines 31. That is, the Y driver IC 33 sequentially selects one scanning line 31 at a time in one vertical scanning period, and a scanning signal of the selected voltage is supplied to the selected scanning line 31 while the other scanning lines 31 A scanning signal having a non-select voltage is supplied to the non-selected scanning line 31.

  The output terminal (not shown) of the X driver IC 34 is connected to the plurality of data lines 32 through conductive bumps. The X driver IC 34 is responsible for driving the plurality of data lines 32. That is, the X driver IC 34 supplies a data signal corresponding to the display content to the pixel electrode 10 corresponding to the scanning line 31 selected by the Y driver IC 33 via the corresponding data line 32.

  The plurality of data lines 32 are formed in the Y direction from the overhanging area 36 to the effective display area V, and the data lines 32 are formed at regular intervals. Each data line 32 has one electrode portion 32x for each sub-pixel region SG.

  The plurality of scanning lines 31 includes a main line portion 31a and a bent portion 31b that bends at substantially right angles to the main line portion 31a. Each main line portion 31 a is formed in the Y direction from the projecting region 36 in the frame region 38. On the other hand, each bent portion 31b is formed from the frame region 38 to the effective display region V alternately between the left side and the right side as shown in the figure. In addition, each bent portion 31 b is electrically connected to each corresponding TFD element 21 at an appropriate interval, and each TFD element 21 is electrically connected to each corresponding pixel electrode 10. . FIG. 1 shows a state in which the element substrate 91 and the color filter substrate 92 described above are bonded together via the seal member 3.

  In the liquid crystal display device 100, when a scanning signal is output from the Y driver IC 33 to the plurality of scanning lines 31, and a data signal is output from the X driver IC 34 to the plurality of data lines 32, as shown in FIG. A horizontal electric field E is generated between the electrode portion 32x of 32 and the pixel electrode 10 in a direction substantially parallel to the substrate surface of the element substrate 91, and the alignment of liquid crystal molecules is controlled to control the display state.

(Configuration of element substrate)
Next, the configuration of the element substrate 91 including the data line 32 that characterizes the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4A is an enlarged partial plan view showing a plurality of electrode portions 32x and the like corresponding to one pixel when the element substrate 91 is observed from the front direction (that is, the upper side in FIG. 2). In FIG. 4A, an insulating film 323 is formed on the surface of the data line 32 and the like, but illustration thereof is omitted for convenience. In FIG. 4A, a region surrounded by an alternate long and short dash line indicates one subpixel region SG. FIG. 4B shows an equivalent circuit corresponding to one electrode portion 32x and the like. Since the liquid crystal display device 100 of the present invention is a high-definition panel, in the equivalent circuit of FIG. 4B, the main line portion 32y, the fifth conductive portion 32e, and the sixth conductive portion 32f, which are elements of the electrode portion 32x. The resistance is ignored, and the first conductive portion 32a, the second conductive portion 32b, the third conductive portion 32c, and the fourth conductive portion 32d, which are elements of the electrode portion 32x, are assumed to have the same resistance (FIG. 7 described later is also omitted). The same). FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along a cutting line BB ′ in FIG. FIG. 6A is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the cutting line X1-X2 in FIG. 4A, and in particular, a partial cross-sectional view near the TFD element 21. FIG. FIG. 6B is a partial cross-sectional view along the cutting line X3-X4 in FIG. 4A, and particularly shows a state in which the pixel electrode 10 and the auxiliary electrode portion 336a are electrically connected. Yes.

  On the lower substrate 1, a plurality of data lines 32, a plurality of scanning lines 31, a plurality of TFD elements 21, a plurality of pixel electrodes 10, and a plurality of auxiliary electrode portions 336a are formed. The auxiliary electrode portion 336a is configured using a part of the second metal film 336 (corresponding to a part surrounded by a broken line region) that is an element of the TFD element 21. In the following description, the elements and configurations described above are omitted or simplified.

  Each data line 32 extends in the Y direction as shown in FIG. An insulating film 323 (not shown) is formed on each data line 32 (Note that FIG. 5 shows a state in which this insulating film 323 is formed on each electrode portion 32x). The insulating film 323 is formed to a thickness of about 1500 to 2000 mm. As shown in FIG. 4A, each data line 32 includes a linear main line portion 32y that connects one electrode portion 32x in the sub-pixel region SG and the electrode portions 32x adjacent to each other in the Y direction. It has. That is, each data line 32 has a structure in which a plurality of electrode portions 32x adjacent to each other in the Y direction are connected by the main line portion 32y. Each electrode portion 32x includes a first conductive portion 32a, a second conductive portion 32b, a third conductive portion 32c, and a fourth conductive portion 32d that are substantially striped extending in the Y direction, and a fifth conductive portion extending in the X direction. A portion 32e and a sixth conductive portion 32f are further provided. Here, the formation region of the sixth conductive portion 32f is a region surrounded by a broken line. The formation region of the fifth conductive portion 32e is a region obtained by combining a region surrounded by an L-shaped solid line portion and a region surrounded by a rectangular broken line portion. In other words, the fifth conductive portion 32e includes an L-shaped first portion 32ea (L-shaped solid line portion) and a linear shape second portion 32eb (rectangular broken line portion). It has the shape which combined. Gaps 40 are formed between the first conductive portion 32a and the second conductive portion 32b, between the second conductive portion 32b and the third conductive portion 32c, and between the third conductive portion 32c and the fourth conductive portion 32d, respectively. ing.

  Here, when attention is paid to one electrode portion 32xx shown in FIG. 4A, one end side of the main line portion 32y located below the electrode portion 32xx is the other one located below the paper surface of the electrode portion 32xx. The other end side of the main line portion 32y is connected to one end side of the fifth conductive portion 32e of the electrode portion 32xx. The other end side of the fifth conductive portion 32e is connected to one end side of the first conductive portion 32a, the second conductive portion 32b, the third conductive portion 32c, and the fourth conductive portion 32d, and each of the first conductive portions. The other end sides of 32a, the second conductive portion 32b, the third conductive portion 32c, and the fourth conductive portion 32d are connected to one end side of the sixth conductive portion 32f. The other end side of the sixth conductive portion 32f is connected to one end side of the main line portion 32y located above the electrode portion 32xx, and the other end side of the main line portion 32y is on the upper side of the electrode portion 32xx. The other electrode part 32x located is connected to one end side of the fifth conductive part 32e.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, each bent portion 31b, which is an element of each scanning line 31, extends in the X direction at an appropriate interval in the Y direction. The above-described electrode portion 32x is formed for each sub-pixel region SG between the adjacent bent portions 31b.

  Each pixel electrode 10 has a first transparent electrode portion 10a, a second transparent electrode portion 10b, and a third transparent electrode portion 10c for each sub-pixel region SG. The 1st transparent electrode part 10a, the 2nd transparent electrode part 10b, and the 3rd transparent electrode part 10c are stripe-like electrodes formed in the Y direction, respectively.

  Specifically, the first transparent electrode portion 10a is formed on the inner surface of the lower substrate 1 at the approximate center in the gap 40 between the first conductive portion 32a and the second conductive portion 32b, and the sixth conductive portion. It is formed from one side of 32 f to the second metal film 336. As described above, since the insulating film 323 is formed on the surfaces of the fifth conductive portion 32e and the sixth conductive portion 32f, which are elements of the electrode portion 32x (the same applies to the electrode portion 32xx), the first transparent electrode portion 10a. And the sixth conductive portion 32f are not electrically connected. Therefore, the first transparent electrode portion 10a is electrically connected to the auxiliary electrode portion 336a that is a part of the second metal film 336. The second transparent electrode portion 10b is formed on the inner surface of the lower substrate 1 at the approximate center in the gap 40 between the second conductive portion 32b and the third conductive portion 32c and from one side of the sixth conductive portion 32f. It is formed over the second metal film 336. Therefore, the second transparent electrode portion 10b is electrically connected to the auxiliary electrode portion 336a that is a part of the second metal film 336. In addition, since the insulating film 323 is interposed between the second transparent electrode portion 10b and the sixth conductive portion 32f, the second transparent electrode portion 10b and the sixth conductive portion 32f are not electrically connected. . The third transparent electrode portion 10c is located on the inner surface of the lower substrate 1 at the approximate center in the gap 40 between the third conductive portion 32c and the fourth conductive portion 32d and from one side of the sixth conductive portion 32f. It is formed over the second metal film 336. For this reason, the third transparent electrode portion 10 c is electrically connected to the auxiliary electrode portion 336 a that is a part of the second metal film 336. In addition, since the insulating film 323 is interposed between the third transparent electrode portion 10c and the sixth conductive portion 32f, the third transparent electrode portion 10c and the sixth conductive portion 32f are not electrically connected. .

  As shown in FIG. 4A, each TFD element 21 is formed in the vicinity of the corner position of each sub-pixel region SG and on the bent portion 31b of each scanning line 31 positioned in the vicinity thereof. In other words, each TFD element 21 is formed in the vicinity of the position where the data line 32 and the bent portion 31b intersect.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the TFD element 21 includes a first TFD element 21a and a second TFD element 21b. The first TFD element 21a and the second TFD element 21b include an island-shaped first metal film 322 made of Ta (tantalum) or the like, and Ta formed by anodizing the surface of the first metal film 322. _An insulating film 323 made of ₂ O ₅ or the like, and second metal films 316 and 336 formed on the surface and spaced apart from each other are included. Among these, the second metal films 316 and 336 are formed by patterning the same conductive film such as chromium, and the bent portion 31 b of the scanning line 31 is used for the former second metal film 316. On the other hand, a part of the latter second metal film 336 is also used as the auxiliary electrode portion 336a. The formation region of the auxiliary electrode portion 336a is a region surrounded by a broken line as shown in FIG. The auxiliary electrode portion 336a has a substantially Z shape when seen in a plan view. The auxiliary electrode portion 336a is formed on the fifth conductive film 32e through the insulating film 323 (not shown), specifically on the L-shaped first portion 32ea and linearly. It is formed on the second portion 32eb.

  Here, among the TFD elements 21, the first TFD element 21 a becomes the second metal film 316 / insulating film 323 / first metal film 322 in order when viewed from the bent portion 31 b side of the scanning line 31. Since the metal / insulator / metal structure is adopted, the current-voltage characteristic is nonlinear in both positive and negative directions. On the other hand, the second TFD element 21b becomes a first metal film 322 / insulating film 323 / second metal film 336 in order when viewed from the bent portion 31b side of the scanning line 31, and the first TFD element 21a. Takes the opposite structure. For this reason, the current-voltage characteristics of the second TFD element 21b are obtained by making the current-voltage characteristics of the first TFD element 21a point-symmetric with respect to the origin. As a result, the TFD element 21 has a shape in which two TFDs are connected in series in opposite directions. Therefore, the current-voltage nonlinear characteristic is symmetric in both positive and negative directions compared to the case of using one element. become.

  As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the auxiliary electrode portion 336a and the fifth conductive portion 32e of the data line 32 face each other with an insulating film 323 interposed therebetween. Therefore, a storage capacitor C1 using the insulating film 323 as a dielectric is formed between the auxiliary electrode portion 336a and the fifth conductive portion 32e. That is, the storage capacitor portion 70 in which the storage capacitor C1 is formed includes a fifth conductive portion 32e made of tantalum, an insulating film 323 formed thereon, and an auxiliary electrode portion made of chromium or the like formed thereon. 336a. Further, each side of the first transparent electrode portion 10a, the second transparent electrode portion 10b, and the third transparent electrode portion 10c is formed on the auxiliary electrode portion 336a. As described above, the first transparent electrode portion 10a, The second transparent electrode portion 10b and the third transparent electrode portion 10c are electrically connected to the auxiliary electrode portion 336a.

  In the element substrate 91 having the above configuration, the scanning signal output from the Y driver IC 33 is output in the order of the main line portion 31a, the bent portion 31b, the TFD element 21, and the pixel electrode 10, as shown in FIGS. At the same time, the data signal output from the X driver IC 34 is output in the order of the main line portion 32y, the electrode portion 32x, and the main line portion 32y, as shown in FIGS. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, a lateral electric field E is generated in a direction substantially parallel to the substrate surface of the element substrate 91 and the like, and the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 4 is controlled.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 7, a description will be given of the specific operational effects of the liquid crystal display device 100 of the present invention compared with the comparative example. Fig.7 (a) is the enlarged plan view which expanded the part of the broken-line area | region E10 in Fig.4 (a). FIG. 7B is an enlarged plan view according to a comparative example corresponding to FIG. In FIG. 7, the straight line L1 extending in the X direction is one side (lower side) of the second portion 32eb of the fifth conductive portion 32e of the present invention and the second portion of the fifth conductive portion 32e according to the comparative example. Since it passes through one side (lower side) of 32eb, the relative positional relationship between the present invention and the comparative example is the same.

  Comparing the comparative example and the present invention, both are mainly different in configuration of the auxiliary electrode portion 336a, and other elements are common. That is, the former auxiliary electrode portion 336a (the portion of the broken line region) is linearly formed on a part of the second portion 32eb of the fifth conductive portion 32e as shown in FIG. 7B (in other words, In contrast, a part of the second portion 32eb is exposed), whereas the latter auxiliary electrode portion 336a is formed in a substantially Z shape as shown in FIG. Accordingly, in the comparative example, when the liquid crystal is driven, the first conductive portion 32a, the first transparent electrode portion 10a, and the first conductive portion 32ea of the fifth conductive portion 32e, as well as the first transparent electrode portion 10a and the second transparent portion. Disclinations (liquid crystal alignment anomalies) between the conductive portion 32b and the first portion 32ea of the fifth conductive portion 32e and between the fifth conductive portion 32e including the second portion 32eb and the second transparent electrode portion 10b. ) And light leakage may occur in the vicinity. The cause of this occurrence will be described below.

  Returning to FIG. 4, when focusing on the electrode portion 32xx, the TFD element 21 is disposed near the corner position of the sub-pixel region SG, in other words, near the position where the main line portion 32y of the data line 32 and the scanning line 31b intersect. Has been. For this reason, the lengths of the first conductive portion 32a and the second conductive portion 32b located on the upper side of the TFD element 21 are shorter than the lengths of the other conductive portions, that is, the third conductive portion 32c and the fourth conductive portion 32d. Is formed. Further, the length of the first transparent electrode portion 10a located on the upper side of the TFD element 21 is shorter than the lengths of the other transparent electrode portions, that is, the second transparent electrode portion 10b and the third transparent electrode portion 10c. . Thus, the portion of the fifth conductive portion 32e located around the TFD element 21 is formed so as to bypass the TFD element 21 and to be cut out in a substantially L shape. This portion corresponds to the L-shaped first portion 32ea that is an element of the fifth conductive portion 32e. Hereinafter, a region corresponding to the L-shaped first portion 32ea is also referred to as a “corner portion”. That is, in the sub-pixel region SG, when the entire pixel electrode 10 and the electrode part 32x are viewed in plan, the electrode part 32x and the like near the TFD element 21 are cut out in a substantially L shape. Is formed.

  Due to the presence of such a notch region, in the comparative example, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the liquid crystal is driven, the horizontal electric field E is not generated near the corner portion, but the oblique electric field E Occurs. Accordingly, in the comparative example, near the corner portion, specifically, between the first conductive portion 32a, the first transparent electrode portion 10a, and the first portion 32ea of the fifth conductive portion 32e, and the first transparent electrode portion. 10a, between the second conductive part 32b and the first part 32ea of the fifth conductive part 32e, and between the first part 32ea and the second part 32eb of the fifth conductive part 32e and the second transparent electrode part 10b. Disclination may occur and light leakage may occur in the vicinity.

  In this regard, in the present invention, in order to suppress the occurrence of such a problem as much as possible, as shown in FIG. 7A, the auxiliary electrode portion 336 a is disposed on the entire fifth conductive portion 32 e, specifically, The second portion 32eb of the fifth conductive portion 32e and the fifth conductive portion 32e facing the region where the TFD element 21 is disposed (a step is formed between the first portion 32ea and the second portion 32eb in the fifth conductive portion 32e). A corner portion serving as a notch region, that is, a position corresponding to the substantially L-shaped first portion 32ea, including a rectangular region E55 surrounded by an alternate long and short dash line), The auxiliary electrode portion 336a and the first transparent electrode portion 10a are electrically connected. As described above, the insulating film 323 (not shown) is formed between the auxiliary electrode portion 336a and the fifth conductive portion 32e. With this configuration, when the liquid crystal display device 100 is driven, the auxiliary electrode portion 336a formed at a position corresponding to the corner portion and the pixel electrode 10 have the same potential. Thereby, when the liquid crystal is driven, the oblique electric field E is not generated near the corner portion, and the corner portion becomes a region where the liquid crystal is not driven. At this time, the lateral electric field E does not occur in the region E56 between the fifth conductive portion 32e and the second transparent electrode portion 10b. Therefore, the region E56 is a region that does not contribute to display. Therefore, near the corner portion, specifically, between the first conductive portion 32a, the first transparent electrode portion 10a, and the first portion 32ea of the fifth conductive portion 32e, and between the first transparent electrode portion 10a and the second conductive portion. Disclination occurs between the portion 32b and the first portion 32ea of the fifth conductive portion 32e, and between the first portion 32ea and the second portion 32eb of the fifth conductive portion 32e and the second transparent electrode portion 10b. Can be reduced, and light leakage can be suppressed in the vicinity thereof. Further, since the fifth conductive portion 32e is completely covered by the auxiliary electrode portion 336a, the potential of the data line 32 and the potential of the auxiliary electrode portion 336a cancel each other in the overlapping region when the liquid crystal is driven. . For this reason, the occurrence of disclination can be reduced in the vicinity of such an area, and the occurrence of light leakage in the vicinity of that area can be suppressed.

  In the present invention and the comparative example, disclination slightly occurs in the vicinity of the broken line area E11 in FIG. However, since the cutout is smaller in the portion than in the corner portion, the disclination that affects the display does not occur in the portion.

  Further, in the present invention, it is possible to efficiently form a storage capacitor by the above configuration. This point will be described in detail. The size of the storage capacitor is proportional to the size of the area of the auxiliary electrode portion 336a from a general capacitance equation. Therefore, when a part of the auxiliary electrode portion 336a is removed, the area is reduced, and the storage capacity is accordingly reduced. In this regard, in the present invention, in the comparative example of FIG. 7B, the auxiliary electrode portion 336a positioned between the straight line L2 and the straight line L3 is removed, and a substantially L-shaped auxiliary portion is added to the corner portion by the removed amount. The electrode portion 336a is formed efficiently (see FIG. 7A). That is, the total area of the auxiliary electrode portion 336a according to the present invention is the same as the total area of the auxiliary electrode portion 336a according to the comparative example. As a result, a new storage capacitor using the insulating film 323 as a dielectric is formed at the corner.

  Further, in the present invention, as can be understood by comparing FIGS. 7A and 7B, the fifth conductive portion 32e positioned between the straight line L2 and the straight line L4 can be obtained by the above configuration. The two portions 32eb and the insulating film 323 formed thereon are also removed to improve the aperture ratio. That is, in the present invention, by removing the second portion 32ea and the like located between the straight line L2 and the straight line L4, one side (upper side) of the second portion 32eb of the fifth conductive portion 32e is located on the straight line L2. It will be. In the comparative example, one side (upper side) of the second portion 32eb of the fifth conductive portion 32e is located on the straight line L4. Therefore, in the present invention, as in the comparative example, the fifth conductive portion 32e and the like located between the straight line L2 and the straight line L4 do not exist, and thus the regions of the second transparent electrode portion 10b and the third transparent electrode portion 10c in that portion. Can be increased. Therefore, the aperture ratio can be improved.

  Moreover, the liquid crystal display device 100 of the present invention has the following functions and effects in addition to the functions and effects described above.

  First, as a comparative example, in an example of an IPS liquid crystal display device having TFT elements, for example, a gate electrode and a data line are formed on an element substrate so as to be substantially orthogonal to each other, and TFTs are formed in a matrix at these intersections. Elements are arranged, and in each sub-pixel region, a comb-like pixel electrode and a comb-like common electrode (common wiring) are arranged to mesh with each other. That is, in such a liquid crystal display device, since TFT elements are applied, it is necessary to provide at least three wirings of a gate line, a data line, and a common electrode (common wiring).

  On the other hand, in the present invention, the TFD element 21 as an example of a two-terminal element is applied to the IPS liquid crystal display device 100, and the data line 32 is between the data line 32 and the pixel electrode 10. And a function corresponding to the comb-like common electrode for generating the transverse electric field E and a function as a signal line. For this reason, in the liquid crystal display device 100 of the present invention, wiring corresponding to the gate line according to the comparative example is unnecessary, and the above-described IPS system can be realized with only the two wirings of the data line 32 and the scanning line 31. Therefore, compared to the comparative example, the area of the pixel electrode 10 can be increased as much as the number of wirings can be reduced, and the aperture ratio can be improved.

  In the liquid crystal display device 100 of the present invention, the area of the pixel electrode 10 can be increased by the above configuration, but the pixel electrode 10 has a shape similar to a comb-teeth shape. Is still smaller than the area of the sub-pixel region SG. Here, in the liquid crystal display device having the TFD element 21, generally, when the capacity of the pixel electrode is reduced, there is a possibility that the display quality is deteriorated due to this. In this regard, in the present invention, a part of the second metal film 336, which is an element of the TFD element 21, is caused to function as the auxiliary electrode portion 336a, and as shown in FIG. Between the fifth conductive portions 32e of the line 32, the storage capacitor C1 having the insulating film 323 as a dielectric is formed. Therefore, in the present invention, since the storage capacitor C1 is added to the capacitance of the pixel electrode 10, it is possible to substantially increase the capacitance of the pixel electrode 10 and to prevent the display quality from deteriorating.

  In the present invention, each data line 32 is formed of tantalum. Here, tantalum generally has a sheet resistance of about 20 to 30 times that of chromium, and the resistance value of tantalum is extremely high. For this reason, the wiring resistance of each data line 32 is high. In addition, according to the present invention, the thick insulating film 323, which is a material having higher resistance, is formed on the surface of each data line 32 formed of tantalum, so that the wiring resistance of each data line 32 is further increased. It is high. Here, when the wiring resistance of each data line 32 becomes high, the time constant (product of the capacitor C and the resistance R) by each data line 32 and the liquid crystal layer 4 becomes high, so-called horizontal crosstalk occurs, and the display quality deteriorates. There is a risk of doing. Note that horizontal crosstalk means that the display level differs on the display image even though the same gray level is displayed in the line where the pixel level is concentrated on a specific gray level and the line where the pixel level is not. That means.

  Therefore, in order to prevent such a display defect from occurring, it is necessary to reduce the time constant CR, and for this purpose, it is necessary to reduce the wiring resistance of each data line 32. As the method, for example, a method of reducing the wiring resistance of each data line 32 by contriving the structure of the electrode part 32x formed for each sub-pixel region SG can be considered.

  For example, if the electrode portions 32x of each data line 32 are formed in a comb-like shape as shown in FIG. FIG. 8A is a partial plan view showing, in an enlarged manner, the vicinity of the comb-shaped electrode portion 32x in one subpixel region SG. In FIG. 8A, the same elements as those of the present invention are denoted by the same reference numerals, the description thereof is omitted, and the elements other than the data line 32 are not illustrated. FIG. 8B shows an equivalent circuit including the electrode portion 32x.

  That is, in this example, the resistance of the electrode part 32x from the terminal Z1 to the terminal Z2 is equal to the resistance R1 of the second conductive part 32b. Therefore, when attention is paid to one data line 32, the data line 32 has one second conductive portion 32b (resistor R1) for each sub-pixel region SG. Therefore, it is understood that the data line 32 in this example has a wiring configuration in which a plurality of second conductive portions 32b (resistors R1) are connected in series, and the wiring resistance is extremely high.

  Therefore, in the present invention, based on such a result, in order to reduce the wiring resistance of each data line 32, the electrode part 32x is configured as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 4A, the electrode portion 32x of the present invention includes a first conductive portion 32a, a second conductive portion 32b, a third conductive portion 32c, and a fourth conductive portion 32d extending in the Y direction. One end side is connected to each of the fifth conductive portions 32e extending in the X direction, and the other end side (one end) of the first conductive portion 32a, the second conductive portion 32b, the third conductive portion 32c, and the fourth conductive portion 32d. The opposite side) is connected to the sixth conductive portion 32f extending in the X direction. Therefore, the electrode part 32x of the present invention includes a first conductive part 32a (resistor R1), a second conductive part 32b (resistor R1), a third conductive part 32c (resistor R1), and a fourth conductive part 32d (resistor R1). Are connected in parallel.

  As a result, in the present invention, the resistance of the electrode portion 32x from the terminal Z1 to the terminal Z2 is a magnitude obtained by multiplying R1 by (1/4), that is, (R1) / 4. Therefore, when attention is paid to one data line 32, the data line 32 has a resistor of (R1) / 4 for each sub-pixel region SG. Therefore, the data line 32 as a whole has a wiring configuration in which a plurality of (R1) / 4 resistors are connected in series. Therefore, in the present invention, the wiring resistance of each data line 32 can be reduced regardless of whether the data line 32 is formed of tantalum or a thick insulating film 323 is formed on the surface thereof. Therefore, in the present invention, it is possible to prevent so-called lateral crosstalk and to prevent display quality from deteriorating.

  In the present invention, each TFD element 21 is formed in the vicinity of the corner position of each sub-pixel region SG and on the bent portion 31b of each scanning line 31 in the vicinity thereof. As a result, the region of the TFD element 21 can be narrowed, and the aperture ratio can be improved accordingly.

[Method of manufacturing liquid crystal display device]
Next, with reference to FIG. 9 thru | or FIG. 12, etc., the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device 100 of this invention is demonstrated. In the following, please refer to the above-mentioned appropriate drawings as necessary. FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of a manufacturing method of the liquid crystal display device 100.

  First, the color filter substrate 92 shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 is manufactured by a known method (step S1).

  Next, the element substrate 91 is manufactured (step S2). FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing an element substrate corresponding to step S2 in FIG. 11 and 12 are partial plan views corresponding to steps P1 to P13 in FIG. 9, respectively. In FIGS. 11 and 12, the area surrounded by the alternate long and short dash line indicates one sub-pixel area SG.

  A method for manufacturing the element substrate 91 will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 11A, a tantalum film is formed on the lower substrate 1 made of a material such as glass or plastic (process P1), and the tantalum film is etched by a photolithography technique. Patterning into the shape shown in the figure (process P2). Thereby, a tantalum film 350 patterned in a predetermined shape is formed. Thereby, the main line portion 32y, the electrode portion 32x, and the like are formed. Here, the first conductive portion 32a, the second conductive portion 32b, the third conductive portion 32c, the fourth conductive portion 32d, the fifth conductive portion 32e, and the sixth conductive portion 32f, which are elements of the electrode portion 32x, It is formed in the pixel region SG. Further, gaps 40 are formed between the first conductive portion 32a and the second conductive portion 32b, between the second conductive portion 32b and the third conductive portion 32c, and between the third conductive portion 32c and the fourth conductive portion 32d, respectively. Is done. The main line portion 32y is formed between the electrode portions 32x adjacent to each other in the Y direction.

Next, the first anodic oxidation is performed (process P3). Specifically, in FIG. 11A, an insulating film (not shown) made of a Ta ₂ O ₅ film is formed in a thin film on a tantalum film 350 patterned into a predetermined shape by an anodic oxidation method.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 11B, the first separation patterning of the tantalum film 350 is performed (step P4). Specifically, the tantalum film 350 existing in the region where the first metal film 322 that is an element of the TFD element 21 is to be formed is formed in an island shape. Thereby, an island-shaped first metal film 322 having an insulating film formed on the surface is formed.

Next, the second anodic oxidation is performed (process P5). Specifically, in FIG. 11B, an insulating film made of a Ta ₂ O ₅ film is further formed at a predetermined thickness on the tantalum film 350 having an insulating film formed on the surface by an anodic oxidation method. Form. In this process P5, the insulating film is not formed on the island-shaped first metal film 322 having the insulating film formed on the surface. As a result, an insulating film 323 is formed on the tantalum film 350. In a suitable example, the thickness of the insulating film 323 can be about 1500 to 2000 mm.

  Next, in FIG. 11B, the annealing process A is performed on the insulating film 323 and the like covering the tantalum film 350 (process P6). Thus, the insulating film 323 can be a dense film.

  Next, in FIG. 11B, the second separation patterning of the tantalum film 350 is performed (process P7). As a result, the excess tantalum film 350 used for anodic oxidation is removed, and the data line 32 having the insulating film 323 (not shown, see FIG. 5) formed on the surface is formed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 12A, a chromium film (not shown) is formed on the lower substrate 1 and on the first metal film 322 and the data line 32 having an insulating film formed on the surface ( Step P8), followed by patterning the chromium film (Step P9). Thereby, the main line portion 31a (not shown, see FIGS. 1 and 3) and the scanning line 31 having the bent portion 31b are formed. As a result, the second metal film 316 forming a part of the scanning line 31 and the auxiliary electrode portion 336a corresponding to a part of the second metal film 336 are formed, respectively, and the first TFD element 21a and the second TFD element 21a are formed. The TFD element 21 including the TFD element 21b is formed. At this time, the auxiliary electrode part 336a is formed at a position corresponding to each of a part of the second part 32eb and the first part 32ea of the fifth conductive part 32e via an insulating film 323 (not shown). Therefore, the storage capacitor portion 70 including the fifth conductive portion 32e, the insulating film 323, and the auxiliary electrode portion 336a is formed in that portion.

  Next, the pixel electrode 10 is formed (process P10). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12B, the lower substrate 1 and the fifth conductive portion 32e corresponding to the approximate center of the gap 40 between the first conductive portion 32a and the second conductive portion 32b. The first transparent electrode portion 10a is formed in a stripe shape on the auxiliary electrode portion 336a corresponding to the one portion 32ea. Thereby, the 1st transparent electrode part 10a and the 2nd metal film 336 are electrically connected. Further, stripes are formed on the lower substrate 1 corresponding to the approximate center of the gap 40 between the second conductive portion 32b and the third conductive portion 32c and on the auxiliary electrode portion 336a corresponding to the second portion 32eb of the fifth conductive portion 32e. The 2nd transparent electrode part 10b is formed in a shape. Thereby, the 2nd transparent electrode part 10b and the 2nd metal film 336 are electrically connected. Further, stripes are formed on the lower substrate 1 corresponding to the approximate center of the gap 40 between the third conductive portion 32c and the fourth conductive portion 32d and on the auxiliary electrode portion 336a corresponding to the second portion 32eb of the fifth conductive portion 32e. The 3rd transparent electrode part 10c is formed in a shape. Thereby, the 3rd transparent electrode part 10c and the 2nd metal film 336 are electrically connected.

  Next, in FIG. 12B, the annealing process B is executed (process P11). The annealing process B (heat treatment B) is performed in order to make the characteristics of the TFD element 21 constant characteristics determined by specifications. Next, in FIG. 12B, the alignment film 17 is formed on the lower substrate 1, the data line 32 having the insulating film 323 formed on the surface, the TFD element 21, the scanning line 31, and the pixel electrode 10 ( Step P12). Next, in FIG. 12B, other components, specifically, a polarizing plate 14 and a backlight 15 (not shown) are attached (process P13). Thus, the element substrate 91 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is manufactured.

  Returning to FIG. 9, the element substrate 91 and the color filter substrate 92 are bonded together via a spacer and a seal member 3 (not shown), and liquid crystal is injected into the inside through an opening (not shown) formed between the two substrates. Then, the opening is sealed (step S3). Next, by mounting other components (step S4), the liquid crystal display device 100 of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is manufactured. The liquid crystal display device 100 manufactured in this way can obtain the above-described effects of the present invention.

[Modification]
In the above embodiment, on the color filter substrate 92 side, the black light-shielding layer BM is formed at least between the sub-pixel regions SG and at a position corresponding to the TFD element 21 to prevent light leakage near that position. I tried to do it. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 13, the black light shielding layer BM may be formed so as to have a dumpling-like portion according to the design specifications. This point will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 4A, and also shows the upper substrate 2 and the black light shielding layer BM. In FIG. 13, the black light shielding layer BM corresponds to a portion indicated by a thick solid line. In the following description, the Y direction in FIG. 12 is described as the width direction of the black light shielding layer BM.

  Since light leakage is most likely to occur around the TFD element 21 due to its configuration, in the present invention, the width of the black light shielding layer BM corresponding to the vicinity thereof is set to the maximum width D4, and other portions, that is, the fifth conductive portion 32e. It is also possible to set the width of the black light-shielding layer BM in the vicinity of the second portion 32eb and in the vicinity thereof and in the vicinity of the sixth conductive portion 32f facing the second portion 32eb to the minimum width D5. In other words, in this example, in order to completely cover the periphery of the TFD element 21 with the black light-shielding layer BM, a margin D3 is provided from one side (upper side) of the first portion 32ea of the fifth conductive portion 32e to the upper side of the drawing, and the electrode The maximum width D4 is set by taking a margin D3 from one side (lower side) of the sixth conductive portion 32f of the other electrode portion 32x adjacent to the portion 32x to the lower side of the drawing surface. The sixth conductive portion of the other electrode portion 32x that takes a predetermined margin from the one side (upper side) of the second portion 32eb of the fifth conductive portion 32e to the upper side of the drawing and is adjacent to the electrode portion 32x on the lower side of the drawing. The minimum width D5 is set by taking a predetermined margin from one side (lower side) of 32f to the lower side of the drawing.

  As an example of the design value, a distance D1 from one side (upper side) of the second part 32eb of the fifth conductive part 32e to one side (upper side) of the first part 32ea of the fifth conductive part 32e is set to about 7 to 8 μm. And from one side (upper side) of the sixth conductive portion 32f located on the lower side of the second portion 32eb to the one side (upper side) of the sixth conductive portion 32f located on the lower side of the first portion 32ea. When the distance D2 is set to about 2 to 3 μm, the maximum width D4 of the black light shielding layer BM can be set to about 30 μm, and the minimum width D5 of the black light shielding layer BM can be set to about 20 μm. . Thereby, it is possible to reliably prevent light leakage from occurring in the vicinity of the corner portion, the TFD element 21, the fifth conductive portion 32e, and the sixth conductive portion 32f.

  In the above embodiment, for each sub-pixel region SG, the conductive portions that are substantially parallel to the pixel electrode 10, that is, the first conductive portion 32a, the second conductive portion 32b, the third conductive portion 32c, and the fourth conductive portion 32d are provided. Three pixel electrodes, that is, a first transparent electrode portion 10a, a second transparent electrode portion 10b, and a third transparent electrode portion 10c are provided. In addition to these, in the present invention, the number of settings can be changed as appropriate according to design specifications and the like.

  In the above embodiment, the pixel electrode 10 is configured by a plurality of transparent electrode portions, that is, the first transparent electrode portion 10a, the second transparent electrode portion 10b, and the third transparent electrode portion 10c. The present invention is not limited to this, and the pixel electrode 10 may be formed in a comb-like shape, and the one comb-like pixel electrode may be formed for each sub-pixel region SG.

  In the above embodiment, the data line 32 is formed of tantalum. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and in the present invention, the data line 32 is formed of a material containing tantalum as a main component, for example, TaW (tantalum tungsten). You may make it form with materials, such as. In the above embodiment, the second metal film 336 of the TFD element 21 including the auxiliary electrode portion 336a is formed of chromium. Here, chromium has recently been recognized by the public as a material that has an impact on the environment. Therefore, in the present invention, instead of this, the second metal film 336 of the TFD element 21 including at least the auxiliary electrode portion 336a is formed of a material capable of reducing the environmental load, for example, MoW (molybdenum tungsten). You may make it do. Accordingly, in FIG. 5, the storage capacitor portion 70 is configured by, for example, a fifth conductive portion 32e made of TaW, an insulating film 323 formed thereon, and an auxiliary electrode portion 336a formed thereon and made of MoW. You can also

  In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a transmissive liquid crystal display device. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to a reflective or transflective liquid crystal display device. It is.

  In the above embodiment, a two-terminal element such as the TFD element 21 is applied to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a three-terminal element such as a TFT element may be applied to the present invention.

[Electronics]
Next, an embodiment in which the liquid crystal display device 100 according to the present invention is 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 device 100 and a control unit 410 that controls the liquid crystal display device 100. Here, the liquid crystal display device 100 is conceptually divided into a panel structure 403 and a drive circuit 402 composed of a semiconductor IC or the like. Further, the control means 410 includes a display information output source 411, a display information processing circuit 412, a power supply circuit 413, and a timing generator 414.

  The display information output source 411 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 412 in the form of an image signal of a predetermined format based on various clock signals generated by the timing generator 414.

  The display information processing circuit 412 includes various well-known circuits such as a serial-parallel conversion circuit, an amplification / inversion circuit, a rotation circuit, a gamma correction circuit, and a clamp circuit, and executes processing of input display information to obtain image information. Are supplied to the drive circuit 402 together with the clock signal CLK. The driving circuit 402 includes a scanning line driving circuit, a data line driving circuit, and an inspection circuit. The power supply circuit 413 supplies a predetermined voltage to each of the above-described components.

  Next, specific examples of electronic devices to which the liquid crystal display device 100 according to the present invention can be applied will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, an example in which the liquid crystal display device 100 according to the present invention is applied to a display unit of a portable personal computer (so-called notebook personal 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 device 100 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 cellular phone 720 includes a plurality of operation buttons 721, a reception port 722, a transmission port 723, and a display unit 724 to which the liquid crystal display device 100 according to the present invention is applied.

  Note that, as an electronic device to which the liquid crystal display device 100 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. Type / monitor direct-view type video tape recorder, car navigation device, pager, electronic notebook, calculator, word processor, workstation, videophone, POS terminal, digital still camera, etc.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a configuration of electrodes and wirings of the liquid crystal display device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal display device taken along a cutting line A-A ′ in FIG. 1. The top view which shows the structure of the electrode of the element substrate of this invention, wiring, etc. FIG. FIG. 4 is a partial plan view showing a layout of pixel electrodes and the like for one pixel in an element substrate and a block diagram showing an equivalent circuit including an electrode portion of a data line. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the element substrate along a cutting line B-B ′ in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the TFD element and the like along the cutting line X1-X2 in FIG. The partial top view which expanded the area | region E10 of FIG. 4, and the partial top view which concerns on the comparative example corresponding to it. The fragmentary top view corresponding to the electrode part etc. of the data line which concerns on a comparative example, and the block diagram which shows the equivalent circuit containing the said electrode part. 3 is a flowchart showing a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display device of the present invention. The flowchart which shows the manufacturing method of the element substrate of this invention. The top view corresponding to each manufacturing process of the element substrate in FIG. The top view corresponding to each manufacturing process of the element substrate in FIG. The top view which shows the other example etc. of black light shielding layer BM. 1 is a circuit block diagram of an electronic apparatus to which a liquid crystal display device of the present invention is applied. 6 shows examples of electronic devices to which the liquid crystal display device of the present invention is applied.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lower substrate, 2 Upper substrate, 3 Sealing member, 6 Colored layer, 10 Pixel electrode, 17 Alignment film, 18 Overcoat layer, 21 TFD element, 32 Data line, 32x electrode part, 32y Main line part, 31 Scan line, 70 holding capacity unit, 91 element substrate, 92 color filter substrate, 100 liquid crystal display device

Claims (9)

A plurality of first electrodes;
A two-terminal element connected to the first electrode;
A pixel electrode connected to the two-terminal element;
A second electrode that intersects the plurality of first electrodes and extends to face the pixel electrode, and generates an electric field with the pixel electrode;
An insulating film is formed on the second electrode facing the region where the two-terminal element is disposed, and an auxiliary electrode is formed on the insulating film. The auxiliary electrode is the pixel electrode. A liquid crystal device characterized by being electrically connected to the liquid crystal device. A plurality of first electrodes;
A pixel electrode disposed between the first electrodes adjacent to each other;
A second electrode that intersects the plurality of first electrodes and extends to face the pixel electrode, and generates an electric field with the pixel electrode;
A switching element provided corresponding to the intersection of the first electrode and the second electrode and connected to the first electrode and the pixel electrode,
An insulating film is formed on the second electrode facing the region where the switching element is disposed, and an auxiliary electrode is formed on the insulating film. The auxiliary electrode is formed on the pixel electrode. A liquid crystal device which is electrically connected.   The second electrode positioned in the vicinity of the two-terminal element or the switching element has a corner portion cut out in a substantially L shape when seen in a plan view, and an insulating film is formed on at least the corner portion. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein an auxiliary electrode is formed on the insulating film, and the auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode.   4. The corner portion is made of tantalum or a material mainly containing tantalum, and the auxiliary electrode is made of a material mainly containing chromium or molybdenum. The liquid crystal device described. The two-terminal element includes a first metal film, an insulating film formed on the first metal film, a part on the insulating film, and a second metal film formed at a position corresponding to at least the corner portion. And
The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary electrode is a part of the second metal film. The second electrode includes a plurality of linear conductive parts extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to a direction in which the first electrode extends and arranged at appropriate intervals, and the plurality of conductive parts And a plurality of other conductive portions extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to the pixel electrode, the pixel electrode has a plurality of linear transparent conductive portions,
Each of the transparent conductive portions is disposed substantially parallel to each of the conductive portions in the plurality of gaps, and is disposed on one end side and the one end side of the plurality of conductive portions facing the first electrode. The other ends of the plurality of conductive portions facing each other are electrically connected to the plurality of other conductive portions, respectively.
The other conductive portion electrically connected to one end side of the plurality of conductive portions includes the corner portion, and an insulating film is formed on the other conductive portion excluding the corner portion, and the Another auxiliary electrode is formed on the insulating film,
The liquid crystal device according to claim 3, wherein the other auxiliary electrode is electrically connected to the corresponding transparent conductive portion.   The liquid crystal device according to claim 6, wherein the other conductive portion including the corner portion faces each of the auxiliary electrode and the other auxiliary electrode through the insulating film. The substrate facing the substrate on which the plurality of first electrodes, the two-terminal element or the switching element, the pixel electrode, and the second electrode are formed includes a colored layer at a position corresponding to the pixel region, A light shielding layer at a position partitioning each of the pixel regions;
In the light-shielding layer located between the pixel regions adjacent to each other in the extending direction of the second electrode, the width of the light-shielding layer corresponding to the two-terminal element or the switching element and the corner portion is the corner. Is set larger than the width of the light shielding layer corresponding to the other conductive portion excluding the portion,
The liquid crystal device according to claim 6, wherein at least the two-terminal element or the switching element, the corner portion, and the vicinity of the plurality of other conductive portions are covered with the light shielding layer.   An electronic apparatus comprising the liquid crystal device according to claim 1 as a display unit.

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