JP2007086410A - Liquid crystal display device and electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal display device capable of highly maintaining the contrast of display by improving a spacer having a light shielding property. <P>SOLUTION: The liquid crystal display device comprises: a pair of substrates 7, 8 holding a liquid crystal layer 12; colored films 41 of a plurality of colors disposed on the substrate 7; a light reflection film 23 disposed in a region which planarly falls on each colored film 41; and the spacer 9 which is arranged between the colored film 41 and other colored film adjoining the colored film 41 and retains a layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer 12. In the liquid crystal display device, the spacer 9 has a light shielding property. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device that controls light using liquid crystal. The present invention also relates to an electronic device configured using the liquid crystal display device.

  Currently, in various electronic devices such as a mobile phone and a portable information terminal, a liquid crystal display device is widely used as a display unit for visually displaying various information related to the electronic device. As such a liquid crystal display device, for example, a structure having a pair of substrates each having an electrode, a liquid crystal layer provided between the substrates, and a light reflecting film that reflects light toward the liquid crystal layer. There is something.

  In such a liquid crystal display device, for example, external light such as sunlight and room light is reflected by a light reflecting film and supplied to the liquid crystal layer, and a voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer is a sub-pixel which is a minimum unit of display. By controlling each, the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules is controlled for each sub-pixel. In this liquid crystal display device, an effective display region is formed by arranging a plurality of subpixels in a matrix in a plane, and images such as characters, numbers, figures, etc. are displayed in the effective display region.

  In the above liquid crystal display device, in order to keep the thickness of the liquid crystal layer constant, a plurality of spacers formed in a columnar shape with, for example, a photosensitive resin may be provided between a pair of substrates. In general, a black matrix that shields light between the sub-pixels is often provided between adjacent sub-pixels. Examples of the black matrix include those formed of a light-shielding metal and those formed by overlapping a plurality of colored films used for color display. Each colored film is provided corresponding to each subpixel.

  As a liquid crystal display device having the above-described configuration, there is conventionally known a structure in which a light-shielding spacer formed of a light-shielding material is provided between a pair of substrates (for example, see Patent Document 1). The light shielding spacer is provided on the switching element.

JP-A-11-337926 (page 9, FIG. 8)

  However, in the liquid crystal display device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the light-shielding spacer provided on the switching element is used only to prevent the switching element from malfunctioning due to light, and between adjacent sub-pixels. It does not prevent light from leaking out (that is, between colored films adjacent to each other). In order to prevent light leakage between the sub-pixels, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, a light-shielding portion formed by overlapping colored films of a plurality of colors is separately provided between the sub-pixels, that is, between the colored films. .

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems. By improving the spacer having a light shielding property, the display contrast can be increased without providing a dedicated light shielding portion between the sub-pixels. It aims to be able to maintain.

  The liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a pair of substrates, a plurality of colored films provided on any one of the pair of substrates, and each of the colored films in plan view. A light reflecting film provided in the overlapping region, and a spacer that keeps the distance between the pair of substrates constant, and the spacer is between the colored film and another colored film adjacent to the colored film. It is arranged and has a light-shielding property.

  In general, a liquid crystal display device is often provided with a light shielding film between subpixels adjacent to each other, apart from a spacer. The light shielding film shields light between adjacent sub-pixels. In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, the spacers are provided between the colored films adjacent to each other, that is, between the sub-pixels adjacent to each other, and the spacers are provided with a light shielding property, so that a dedicated light shielding film is provided separately from the spacers. Even if not, it is possible to block light between adjacent sub-pixels.

  In addition, the spacer is a member that is originally used to keep the distance between the pair of substrates (that is, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer) constant. Therefore, the spacer is often formed at a height that is substantially the same as the thickness of the liquid crystal layer and that contacts the surface of the substrate. In the present invention, the light-shielding spacers are arranged on the opposing surfaces of a pair of substrates without a gap in order to keep the liquid crystal layer constant. Therefore, it is possible to prevent light reflected and scattered by the light reflecting film from leaking from the sub-pixel to other sub-pixels, so that high contrast can be maintained in the display of the liquid crystal display device.

  Next, in the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, the spacer is preferably formed using a black resin. As this black resin, for example, a resin in which a black pigment or carbon is mixed in the resin can be considered. Since such a black resin can surely absorb light incident on the resin, if a spacer is formed using this black resin, the pixels can be reliably shielded from light.

  Next, in the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, it is desirable that the spacer has an OD (Optical Density) value of 5 or more. Here, the OD value is an index indicating the blackness of the material forming the spacer, that is, the light absorption, that is, the light shielding property. In the present invention, if the OD value of the spacer is 5 or more, the spacer can have sufficient performance as a light shielding film. Specifically, since the external light can be absorbed by the spacer, display deterioration (for example, blurring and blurring) due to scattering can be eliminated.

  Next, in the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the spacers are arranged in a strip shape at the boundary between the colored films adjacent to each other. In this way, since the spacers are continuously provided between the adjacent sub-pixels, the light reflected and scattered by the light reflecting film can be more reliably prevented from leaking from one sub-pixel to the other sub-pixels. it can.

  Next, in the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, a plurality of the spacers are selectively provided between the colored film and another colored film adjacent to the colored film, and the spacer is provided on the colored film and the colored film. It is desirable that an intermittent portion in which the spacer does not exist is provided between the spacers arranged on the extension between other adjacent colored films. In a liquid crystal display device, a liquid crystal layer is formed in a gap provided between a pair of substrates, for example, in a so-called cell gap in a state where various elements such as a colored film and a spacer are formed on the inner surfaces of the pair of substrates. It is formed by injecting liquid crystal.

  As described above, the spacer is in contact with the mutually opposing surfaces of the pair of substrates. In addition, the spacer is provided in a band shape between a plurality of adjacent colored films. That is, the cell gap is partitioned into a plurality of rows by the spacer. In the cell gap partitioned in this way, when liquid crystal is injected, the liquid crystal may not spread into the cell gap. In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, an intermittent portion, which is a portion where no spacer exists, can be provided between the spacers selectively disposed on the extension between the adjacent colored films. When injecting, the liquid crystal can move in the cell gap through the intermittent portion. As a result, since the liquid crystal can be spread throughout the cell gap, a liquid crystal layer having a desired layer thickness can be reliably formed.

  Next, in the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, the light reflecting film is provided in an island shape in a region overlapping each of the colored films in a plane, and the intermittent portion is provided in a portion not adjacent to the light reflecting film. It is desirable that Since the intermittent portion is a portion where no spacer is provided, it is conceivable that the light shielding property is impaired in the intermittent portion. In the region where the light reflecting film is provided in the sub-pixel region, the light reflected by the light reflecting film is scattered in multiple directions, so that it is considered that a lot of light is incident on the spacer. On the other hand, since the light is not scattered in the region where the light reflecting film is not provided, it is considered that the amount of light incident on the spacer is smaller than that in the region where the light reflecting film is provided. Therefore, if the intermittent portion of the spacer is provided in a portion that is not adjacent to the edge of the light reflecting film, less light is incident on the intermittent portion than the portion adjacent to the light reflecting film, so that light leaks from the intermittent portion. It can be kept low.

  Next, in the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, it is desirable that a light shielding film is provided at a position overlapping the intermittent portion in a plane. This can more reliably prevent light from leaking from the intermittent portion.

Next, in the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, when the interval between the colored films adjacent to each other is “a” and the width of the spacer is “b”,
a <b
It is desirable that In this way, the portion where the colored film is not provided in plan view is reliably shielded from light by the spacer, so that high contrast can be maintained in the display of the liquid crystal display device.

  Next, an electronic apparatus according to the present invention includes the liquid crystal display device having the above-described configuration. In the liquid crystal display device of the present invention, since the spacer provided without a gap between the pair of substrates has a light shielding property, the scattered light can be reliably shielded by the spacer, and as a result, the display contrast can be maintained high. Therefore, even in an electronic apparatus using the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, high contrast can be maintained in the display.

(First embodiment of liquid crystal display device)
Hereinafter, a liquid crystal device according to the present invention will be described with reference to an embodiment thereof. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In the following description, various structures will be exemplified using drawings, but the structures shown in these drawings may be shown with different dimensions from the actual structures in order to show the characteristic parts in an easy-to-understand manner. There is. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to an active matrix type liquid crystal display device using a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) element which is a three-terminal active element as a switching element.

  FIG. 1 shows a side structure of an embodiment of a liquid crystal display device according to the present invention. 2 is an enlarged view showing one pixel portion in the liquid crystal display device of FIG. 1, in which FIG. 2A is a plan view, and FIG. 2B is a diagram of sub-pixels according to the Z1-Z1 line of FIG. The cross-sectional structure on the short side is shown. FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional structure on the long side of the sub-pixel according to the Z2-Z2 line in FIG. 2A, that is, a portion indicated by an arrow B in FIG.

  In FIG. 1, a liquid crystal display device 1 includes a liquid crystal panel 2 and an illumination device 3 as illumination means attached to the liquid crystal panel 2. Regarding the liquid crystal display device 1, the side on which the arrow A is drawn is the observation side, and the illumination device 3 is disposed on the opposite side to the observation side with respect to the liquid crystal panel 2 and functions as a backlight.

  The liquid crystal panel 2 includes a pair of substrates 7 and 8 that are bonded to each other by a rectangular or square and annular sealing material 6. The substrate 7 is an element substrate on which switching elements are formed. The substrate 8 is a color filter substrate on which a color filter is formed. In the present embodiment, the color filter substrate 8 is disposed on the observation side, and the element substrate 7 is disposed on the back as viewed from the observation side.

  The sealing material 6 forms a gap, so-called cell gap G, between the element substrate 7 and the color filter substrate 8. The sealing material 6 has a liquid crystal inlet (not shown) in a part thereof, and liquid crystal as an electro-optical material is injected between the element substrate 7 and the color filter substrate 8 through the liquid crystal inlet. The injected liquid crystal forms a liquid crystal layer 12 within the cell gap G. The liquid crystal injection port is sealed with resin after the liquid crystal injection is completed. As a method for injecting liquid crystal, a method of supplying liquid crystal droplets in a region surrounded by a continuous annular sealing material 6 having no liquid crystal injection port can be adopted in addition to the method of performing through the liquid crystal injection port as described above.

  The illumination device 3 includes an LED (Light Emitting Diode) 13 as a light source and a light guide body 14. As the light source, in addition to a point light source such as an LED, a linear light source such as a cold cathode tube can be used. The light guide 14 is formed by, for example, a molding process using a light-transmitting resin as a material, the side facing the LED 13 is the light incident surface 14a, and the surface facing the liquid crystal panel 2 is the light emitting surface 14b. is there. A light reflecting layer 16 is provided on the back surface of the light guide body 14 as viewed from the observation side indicated by the arrow A, if necessary. Moreover, the light-diffusion layer 17 is provided in the light-projection surface 14b of the light guide 14 as needed.

  The element substrate 7 includes a first light-transmitting substrate 7a. The first translucent substrate 7a is formed of, for example, translucent glass or translucent plastic. A polarizing plate 18a is attached to the outer surface of the first translucent substrate 7a, for example, by sticking. If necessary, optical elements other than the polarizing plate 18a can be additionally provided. On the other hand, on the inner surface of the first translucent substrate 7a, as shown in FIG. 3 which is an enlarged view of the portion indicated by the arrow B, the source electrode lines 19 as signal lines are arranged in the column direction Y (that is, the left-right direction) ). Similarly, gate electrode lines 21 as signal lines extend in the row direction X (that is, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface). A TFT (Thin Film Transistor) element 31, which is an active element that functions as a switching element, is connected to the source electrode line 19 and the gate electrode line 21.

  An interlayer insulating film 22 as an insulating film is formed on the TFD element 31, the source electrode line 19 and the gate electrode line 21, and a light reflecting film 23 is formed thereon, and a pixel electrode is formed thereon. 24 is formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, a spacer 9 is formed on the interlayer insulating film 22 and between the light reflecting films 23 adjacent to each other. The spacer 9 is a member for maintaining the gap of the cell gap G, and hence the layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer 12 constant. The spacer 9 will be described in detail later. An alignment film 26 a is formed on the pixel electrode 24 and the spacer 9. This alignment film 26a is subjected to an alignment process, for example, a rubbing process, and thereby the initial alignment of liquid crystal molecules in the vicinity of the element substrate 7 is determined.

  The interlayer insulating film 22 is formed, for example, by patterning a resin having translucency, photosensitivity, and insulation, such as an acrylic resin or a polyimide resin, by a photolithography process. The light reflecting film 23 is formed by patterning a light reflecting material such as Al (aluminum) or an Al alloy by a photoetching process. The pixel electrode 24 is formed by patterning a metal oxide such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) with a photo-etching process. The alignment film 26a is formed, for example, by applying polyimide or the like.

  A plurality of light reflecting films 23 and pixel electrodes 24 are formed in a dot matrix as viewed from the direction of arrow A on the element substrate 7 of FIG. The light reflection film 23 and the pixel electrode 24 are provided at positions where the source electrode lines 19 and the gate electrode lines 21 intersect with each other, and are connected to individual TFT elements 31.

  In FIG. 3, a contact hole 25 for electrically connecting the light reflecting film 23 and the TFT element 31 is formed in the interlayer insulating film 22. The contact hole 25 is a hole that penetrates the interlayer insulating film 22 in the thickness direction, and is a position that does not overlap the element body portion of the TFT element 31 in plan view, that is, in plan view, and overlaps the light reflection film 23. Formed in position.

  The TFT element 31 used in this embodiment is an amorphous silicon TFT. The TFT element 31 includes a gate electrode 32, a gate insulating layer 33, a semiconductor layer 34 formed of a-Si (amorphous silicon), a source electrode 35, A drain electrode 36 is provided. The drain electrode 36 has one end connected to the semiconductor layer 34 and the other end connected to the light reflecting film 23 and the pixel electrode 24 through the contact hole 25. The source electrode 35 is formed as a part of the source electrode line 19 extending in the left-right direction (column direction Y) in FIG. The source electrode line 19 functions as a data line for supplying a data signal to the pixel electrode 24. Further, the gate electrode 32 extends from the gate electrode line 21 extending in a direction perpendicular to the source electrode line 19, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 3 (row direction X). The gate electrode line 21 functions as a scanning line for supplying a scanning signal to the pixel electrode 24.

  In this embodiment, by providing the interlayer insulating film 22 under the pixel electrode 24, the layer of the pixel electrode 24 and the layer of the TFT element 31 are separated into different layers. This structure makes it possible to effectively use the surface of the element substrate 7 as compared with the structure in which the pixel electrode 24 and the TFT element 31 are formed in the same layer. For example, the area of the pixel electrode 24, that is, the pixel area can be increased, so that clear display can be performed in the liquid crystal display device 1.

  In FIG. 1, the color filter substrate 8 facing the element substrate 7 includes a second light-transmitting substrate 8 a that is rectangular or square when viewed from the observation side indicated by an arrow A. The second translucent substrate 8a is made of, for example, translucent glass, translucent plastic, or the like. A polarizing plate 18b is attached to the outer surface of the second translucent substrate 8a by, for example, sticking. If necessary, optical elements other than the polarizing plate 18b can be additionally provided.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a colored film 41 is formed on the inner surface of the second light-transmissive substrate 8a, an overcoat layer 43 is formed thereon, and a common electrode 44 is formed thereon, An alignment film 26b is formed thereon. The alignment film 26b is formed, for example, by applying polyimide or the like.

  One of the colored films 41 is formed in a rectangular or square dot shape when viewed from the direction of arrow A. A plurality of the colored films 41 are arranged in a matrix in the vertical direction (row direction X) and the left-right direction (column direction Y) in FIG. Each of these colored films 41 is set to an optical characteristic that allows one of B (blue), G (green), and R (red) to pass, and the colored films 41 of B, G, and R are viewed from the direction of arrow A. When viewed, they are arranged in a predetermined arrangement, for example, a stripe arrangement. The stripe arrangement is an arrangement in which the same colors B, G, and R are arranged in the column direction Y, and B, G, and R are arranged alternately in the row direction X.

  The arrangement of the colored film 41 can be any arrangement other than the stripe arrangement, for example, a mosaic arrangement, a delta arrangement, or the like. Further, the optical characteristics of the colored film 41 are not limited to the three primary colors B, G, and R, but may be a characteristic that allows the three primary colors C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y (yellow) to pass.

  Each of these colored films 41 is independently arranged, and as shown in FIG. 2B, a gap having an interval a is provided between the adjacent colored films 41. As described above, if the gaps are provided between the adjacent colored films 41, the colored films 41 do not overlap each other, so that the surface of the color filter substrate 8 can be easily flattened by the overcoat layer 43. It is also possible not to provide a gap between the colored films 41 adjacent to each other (a = 0).

  In FIG. 3, the overcoat layer 43 formed on the colored film 41 is for planarizing the surface of the colored film 41, and the common electrode 44 is formed on the overcoat layer 43 thus flattened. The The common electrode 44 is formed by patterning a metal oxide such as ITO, for example, by a photoetching process. The alignment film 26b formed on the common electrode 44 is subjected to an alignment process, for example, a rubbing process, whereby the initial alignment of liquid crystal molecules in the vicinity of the color filter substrate 8 is determined.

  In FIG. 1, the common electrode 44 is provided on the entire surface of the color filter substrate 8. On the other hand, the plurality of pixel electrodes 24 provided on the element substrate 7 are arranged in a matrix in the row direction X and the column direction Y as seen in a plan view from the arrow A direction. These pixel electrodes 24 and the common electrode 44 provided on the color filter substrate 8 overlap with each other in a plurality of dot-like regions when viewed in plan from the arrow A direction. Thus, the overlapping region forms a sub-pixel D which is the minimum unit for display. Then, the plurality of sub-pixels D are arranged in a matrix in the row direction X and the column direction Y, thereby forming a rectangular or square effective display region V as viewed from the direction of the arrow A, and in this effective display region V Images such as letters, numbers and figures are displayed.

  In the case of performing color display using the colored film 41 composed of the three colors B, G, and R as in the present embodiment, 3 corresponding to the three colored films 41 corresponding to the three colors B, G, and R. One subpixel D forms one pixel. On the other hand, when performing monochromatic display in black and white or any two colors, one pixel is formed by one sub-pixel D. As shown in FIG. 2A, which is a plan view showing one pixel portion, the sub-pixel D is formed in a rectangular shape.

  In FIG. 3, which is a cross-sectional view taken along line Z2-Z2 in FIG. 2A, the light reflecting film 23 is formed by, for example, a photo etching process. The light reflecting film 23 is provided in a partial region R of the sub-pixel D, and is not provided in the remaining region T. The region T is a part of the rectangular region in the sub-pixel D as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the region R is a remaining region in the sub-pixel D and surrounds the region T in a U shape.

  In each of the sub-pixels D, a region where the light reflecting film 23 exists is a reflective display region R, and a region T where the light reflecting film 23 does not exist is a transmissive display region. In FIG. 3, the external light L0 incident from the observation side indicated by the arrow A is reflected by the light reflecting film 23 in the reflective display region R. On the other hand, the light L1 in FIG. 3 emitted from the light guide 14 of the illumination device 3 in FIG.

  Concave or convex portions are formed on the surface of the interlayer insulating film 22 and corresponding to the reflective display regions R in the individual sub-pixels D to form a concavo-convex pattern. The concave portion or the convex portion forming the concave / convex pattern can be a part of a sphere or a part of a three-dimensional polygon. This concavo-convex pattern is a random (that is, disordered) pattern as viewed from the direction of arrow A. The light reflecting film 23 is formed with a certain film thickness on the interlayer insulating film 22 on which such a concavo-convex pattern is formed, and itself has the same concavo-convex pattern. By forming the uneven pattern on the light reflecting film 23 in this way, the light L0 reflected by the light reflecting film 23 can be not a specular reflection but a light having scattered light or directivity.

  The interlayer insulating film 22 is provided in the reflective display region R and is not provided in the transmissive display region T. For this reason, the layer thickness t0 of the liquid crystal layer 12 in the reflective display region R is thinner than the layer thickness t1 of the liquid crystal layer 12 in the transmissive display region T. Desirably, t0 = t1 / 2. Such adjustment of the layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer 12 is performed in the case of the reflective display in which the light L0 passes through the liquid crystal layer 12 twice in the reflective display region R and the light L1 in the reflective display region T 1 in the liquid crystal layer 12. This is performed in order to obtain a clear display by making the retardation (Δnd) of the liquid crystal layer 12 uniform in the case of transmissive display that passes only once. However, “Δn” indicates the refractive index anisotropy, and “d” indicates the liquid crystal layer thickness.

  Next, in FIG. 1, the first translucent substrate 7 a constituting the element substrate 7 has an overhanging portion 46 that projects to the outside of the color filter substrate 8. A wiring 47 is formed on the surface of the overhanging portion 46 by a photo etching process or the like. A plurality of wires 47 are formed as viewed from the direction of arrow A, and the plurality of wires 47 are arranged in parallel to each other at equal intervals in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface. Further, a plurality of external connection terminals 48 are formed at the side edges of the overhanging portion 46 so as to be arranged in parallel at equal intervals in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface. For example, an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) substrate (not shown) is connected to the side edge of the overhanging portion 46 provided with these external connection terminals 48.

  The plurality of wirings 47 are formed so as to extend in the column direction Y toward a region surrounded by the sealing material 6. Some of these wirings 47 are directly connected to the source electrode line 19 (see FIG. 2A) on the element substrate 7 and function as data lines. Further, another part of the plurality of wirings 47 is formed so as to extend in the column direction Y along the side of the element substrate 7 in the region surrounded by the sealing material 6, and further bent in the row direction X. It is formed to extend. These wirings 47 are directly connected to the gate electrode line 21 (see FIG. 2A) on the element substrate 7 and function as scanning lines.

  A driving IC 49 is mounted on the surface of the overhanging portion 46 of FIG. 1 by COG (Chip On Glass) technology using an ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film) 45. For example, the driving IC 49 transmits a data signal to the source electrode line 19 and transmits a scanning signal to the gate electrode line 21 (see FIG. 3). The driving IC 49 may be formed by one IC chip, or may be formed by a plurality of IC chips as necessary. When the driving IC 49 is constituted by a plurality of IC chips, these IC chips are mounted side by side in the vertical direction (row direction X) in FIG.

  According to the liquid crystal display device 1 configured as described above, in FIG. 1, when the liquid crystal display device 1 is placed in a bright outdoor room or a bright indoor room, it is a reflective type using external light such as sunlight or indoor light. Display is performed. On the other hand, when the liquid crystal display device 1 is placed outside a dark room or in a dark room, a transmissive display is performed using the lighting device 3 as a backlight.

  In the case of performing the reflective display, the external light L0 that has entered the liquid crystal panel 2 through the color filter substrate 8 from the direction of the arrow A on the observation side in FIG. Then, the light is reflected by the light reflection film 23 in the reflective display region R and supplied to the liquid crystal layer 12 again. On the other hand, when the transmissive display is performed, the light source 13 of the illumination device 3 in FIG. The light is emitted from the surface 14b as planar light. The emitted light is supplied to the liquid crystal layer 12 through a region where the light reflection film 23 does not exist in the transmissive display region T as indicated by a symbol L1 in FIG.

  While light is supplied to the liquid crystal layer 12 as described above, a predetermined distance specified by the scanning signal and the data signal is provided between the pixel electrode 24 on the element substrate 7 side and the common electrode 44 on the color filter substrate 8 side. Thus, the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 12 is controlled for each sub-pixel D. As a result, the light supplied to the liquid crystal layer 12 is modulated for each sub-pixel D. When the modulated light passes through the polarizing plate 18b (see FIG. 1) on the color filter substrate 8 side, the passage is permitted or restricted for each sub-pixel D according to the polarization characteristics of the polarizing plate 18b. Images such as letters, numbers, figures and the like are displayed on the surface of the color filter substrate 8 and are visually recognized from the direction of the arrow A.

  In the present embodiment, the spacer 9 in FIGS. 2A and 2B is formed of a light shielding material. Thus, by providing the spacer 9 with a light shielding property, a light shielding film such as a black mask is not provided separately from the spacer 9, and the adjacent sub-pixels D are shielded from light. This will be described below.

  First, the display contrast of the liquid crystal display device will be described. In general, in a liquid crystal display device having a reflective display region, reflected light is scattered by imparting a scattering characteristic to a light reflecting film provided in the reflective display region. In FIG. 2B, if a general columnar transparent photo spacer or spherical transparent spacer is provided without providing the light-shielding spacer 9, the light reflecting film 23 having an uneven pattern. The reflected light L2 scattered on the surface of the subpixel D may leak out from the subpixel D to another adjacent subpixel D. If this happens, “smear” or “blur” may occur in the display of the liquid crystal display device, and the display contrast of the liquid crystal display device may decrease.

  In this regard, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A, the light-shielding spacer 9 is provided between the sub-pixels D adjacent to each other in the row direction X on the element substrate 7, that is, It was arranged in a band shape at the boundary between the colored films 41 adjacent to each other. The display 9 maintains a high display contrast by shielding light between the sub-pixels D adjacent to each other by the spacers 9.

  Hereinafter, the spacer 9 will be described in detail. As described above with reference to FIG. 2B, the spacer 9 is provided to maintain the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 12 constant. In general, a so-called photo spacer formed by photolithography using a photosensitive resin is often used as the spacer. Such a spacer is often formed in a columnar shape at a predetermined position on a substrate, for example.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A, a plurality of spacers 9 are provided between the colored films 41 adjacent to each other in the row direction X. These spacers 9 are provided in a strip shape extending in the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel D (that is, the column direction Y).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the spacer 9 is formed to have substantially the same height as the liquid crystal layer 12, that is, substantially the same height as the cell gap G. Therefore, the spacer 9 is in contact with the surface of the color filter substrate 8. That is, the spacer 9 is provided so that there is no gap between the surface of the color filter substrate 8 and the tip of the spacer 9 at the portion indicated by the arrow E. Note that a slight gap can be provided between the surface of the color filter 8 and the spacer 9 to such an extent that there is no influence on keeping the cell gap G constant.

  Further, the width b in the row direction X of the spacers 9 is set to a dimension (a <b) larger than the interval a between the adjacent colored films 41. If the spacer 9 and the colored film 41 formed in the relationship of a <b in this way are viewed in plan in FIG. 2A, the spacer 9 and the colored film 41 are shown in the hatched region indicated by the arrow F. And overlap.

  Next, the spacer 9 formed in a band shape is selectively provided between the colored films 41 adjacent to each other. That is, an intermittent portion 9a that is a portion where the spacer 9 is not provided is provided between the plurality of spacers 9 provided on the extension between the colored films 41 adjacent to each other. That is, the spacer 9 is intermittently provided in a strip shape. In order to form the liquid crystal layer 12 between the element substrate 7 and the color filter substrate 8, that is, in the cell gap G, as described above, via the liquid crystal injection port provided in a part of the sealant 6. A method of injecting liquid crystal into the cell gap G can be considered. When the liquid crystal layer 12 is formed by this method, it is necessary that the liquid crystal flows in the cell gap G and spreads over the entire cell gap G.

  However, in the liquid crystal display device of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A, the spacers 9 are provided in a strip shape. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the strip-shaped spacer 9 is provided so that the spacer 9 and the surface of the color filter substrate 8 are in contact with each other. That is, the inside of the cell gap G is divided into a plurality of rows by the spacers 9, and the spacers 9 may prevent the liquid crystal from flowing. In this embodiment, in FIG. 2A, by providing the intermittent portion 9a between the adjacent strip-shaped spacers 9, the liquid crystal surely flows in the cell gap G of FIG. 1 through the intermittent portion 9a. I have to. Thereby, the liquid crystal layer 12 can be reliably formed in the cell gap.

  Further, the spacer 9 of this embodiment has a light shielding property. The light shielding property of the spacer 9 is desirably set to substantially the same light shielding performance as a light shielding film such as a black matrix generally used in a liquid crystal display device. This light shielding property can be expressed as an OD value, that is, an optical density value. In the present embodiment, the OD value of the spacer 9 is set to 5 or more. By so doing, the scattered light can be reliably absorbed by the spacer 9. The light shielding property of the spacer 9 can be imparted, for example, by mixing a black pigment, carbon, or the like into the resin forming the spacer 9.

  In general, a conventional liquid crystal display device often has a light shielding film provided between subpixels adjacent to each other, apart from a spacer. The light shielding film shields light between adjacent sub-pixels. On the other hand, in the liquid crystal display device 1 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1, since the spacer 9 has a light shielding property, adjacent subpixels D can be connected to each other without providing a light shielding film separately from the spacer 9. Can be shielded from light. In addition, the light-shielding spacer 9 is disposed without a gap between the element substrate 7 and the color filter substrate 8 in order to keep the liquid crystal layer 12 constant. That is, the spacer 9 is formed at a height that is substantially the same as the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 12 and that is substantially in contact with the surface of the substrate 8. Therefore, the spacer 9 can reliably prevent the light reflected and scattered by the light reflecting film 23 from leaking between the adjacent sub-pixels D. Further, the width b in the row direction X of the spacers 9 is set to be larger than the interval a between the adjacent colored films 41 (a <b). Thereby, in FIG. 2A, the spacer 9 and the colored film 41 overlap each other when seen in a plan view, so that light can be prevented from leaking from between the adjacent colored films 41. For these reasons, high contrast can be maintained in the display of the liquid crystal display device 1.

(Second Embodiment of Liquid Crystal Display Device)
Next, another embodiment of the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to an active matrix liquid crystal device using a TFD (Thin Film Diode) element that is a two-terminal switching element as a switching element. In addition, this embodiment is a liquid crystal device having a configuration in which an element substrate is disposed on the observation side, a color filter substrate is disposed on the opposite side, and a resin layer for adjusting a liquid crystal layer thickness is provided on the color filter substrate. The present invention is applied.

  FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of another embodiment of the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention. 5 is an enlarged view showing one pixel portion in the liquid crystal display device of FIG. 4, in which (a) shows a plan view and (b) shows a sub-section according to the Z3-Z3 line of (a). A cross-sectional structure on the short side of the pixel is shown. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional structure on the longitudinal side of the sub-pixel according to the Z4-Z4 line in FIG. 5A, that is, a portion indicated by an arrow C in FIG.

  In FIG. 4, the same elements as those shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of the elements is omitted. In FIG. 4, the liquid crystal display device 51 according to the present embodiment includes a liquid crystal panel 52 that is an electro-optical panel, and a lighting device 3 attached to the liquid crystal panel 52. Regarding the liquid crystal device 51, the side on which the arrow A is drawn is the observation side, and the illumination device 3 is disposed on the opposite side of the liquid crystal panel 52 from the observation side and functions as a backlight.

  The liquid crystal panel 52 includes a pair of substrates 57 and 58 that are bonded to each other by a rectangular or square and annular sealing material 6 when viewed from the direction of the arrow A. The substrate 57 is an element substrate on which switching elements are formed. The substrate 58 is a color filter substrate on which a color filter is formed. In the present embodiment, the element substrate 57 is disposed on the observation side, and the color filter substrate 58 is disposed on the back as viewed from the observation side. Liquid crystal is sealed in a cell gap G formed between the element substrate 57 and the color filter substrate 58, and the liquid crystal layer 12 is formed by the liquid crystal.

  The element substrate 57 includes a first light-transmitting substrate 57a. The first translucent substrate 57a is made of, for example, translucent glass, translucent plastic, or the like. A polarizing plate 18a is attached to the outer surface of the first translucent substrate 57a, for example, by sticking. If necessary, an optical element other than the polarizing plate 18a, for example, a retardation plate can be additionally provided. On the other hand, data lines 59 are formed on the inner surface of the first light-transmissive substrate 57a so as to extend in the column direction Y as shown in FIG. A TFD (Thin Film Diode) element 61 that is a non-linear resistance element that functions as a switching element is connected to the data line 59. A plurality of data lines 59 are provided in parallel to each other with an interval in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface (that is, the row direction X). A plurality of TFD elements 61 are provided along the data lines 59 at equal intervals.

  A pixel electrode 54 is formed in connection with the TFD element 61. One pixel electrode 54 is formed in a dot shape when viewed from the arrow A direction, and a plurality of pixel electrodes 54 are arranged in a matrix in the row direction X and the column direction Y as viewed from the arrow A direction in FIG. ing. These pixel electrodes 54 are formed, for example, by patterning a metal oxide such as ITO into a predetermined dot shape by a photoetching process.

  In FIG. 6, the TFD element 61 is formed by a pair of TFD elements 61a and 61b electrically connected in series. The first TFD element 61a is formed by stacking a first element electrode 62, an insulating film 63, and a second element electrode 64a in that order. The second TFD element 61b is formed by stacking the first element electrode 62, the insulating film 63, and the second element electrode 64b in that order. The first element electrode 62 is made of, for example, Ta (tantalum) or Ta alloy. As the Ta alloy, for example, TaW (tantalum / tungsten) can be used. The insulating film 63 is formed by, for example, an anodic oxidation process. The second element electrodes 64a and 64b are made of, for example, Cr, molybdenum / tungsten (MoW) alloy.

  The second element electrode 64a in the first TFD element 61a extends from the data line 59 as shown in FIG. The second element electrode 64 b in the second TFD element 61 b is connected to the pixel electrode 54. Considering that a signal is transmitted from the data line 59 to the pixel electrode 54, two TFD elements having opposite polarities in the first TFD element 61a and the second TFD element 61b are connected in series. This structure is sometimes referred to as a back-to-back structure. In this embodiment, the back-to-back structure TFD element is used as described above. However, the TFD element may be formed by a single TFD element.

  In FIG. 6, an alignment film 26a is formed on the first translucent substrate 7a so as to cover the data line 59, the TFD element 61, and the pixel electrode 54 by, for example, applying polyimide or the like by printing or the like. . The alignment film 26a is subjected to a rubbing process to determine the alignment of the liquid crystal layer 12 in the vicinity of the element substrate 57.

  In FIG. 4, the color filter substrate 58 facing the element substrate 57 includes a second light-transmitting substrate 58 a that is rectangular or square when viewed from the observation side indicated by the arrow A. The second translucent substrate 58a is formed of, for example, translucent glass or translucent plastic. A polarizing plate 18b is attached to the outer surface of the second light transmitting substrate 58a by, for example, sticking. If necessary, an optical element other than the polarizing plate 18b, for example, a retardation plate may be additionally provided.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a resin film 71 is formed on the inner surface of the second translucent substrate 58a, and a light reflection film 72 is formed thereon. The resin film 71 is formed, for example, by forming a photosensitive resin into a predetermined pattern by photolithography. The light reflecting film 72 is formed by patterning a light reflecting material such as Al (aluminum), an Al alloy or the like by a photoetching process. A plurality of concave portions or convex portions are formed on the surface of the resin film 71 during the photolithography process, and a concave / convex pattern is formed by these concave portions or convex portions.

  The concave portion or the convex portion forming the concave / convex pattern can be a part of a sphere or a part of a three-dimensional polygon. By providing the light reflecting film 72 having a certain film thickness on the surface of the resin film 71 having the uneven pattern on the surface, the uneven pattern can be imparted to the light reflecting film 72. By providing the light reflecting film 72 with the uneven pattern in this manner, the light reflected by the light reflecting film 72 can be provided with optical characteristics such as scattering and directivity.

  A colored film 74 is formed on the substrate 58 a so as to cover the light reflecting film 72. One colored film 74 is formed in a rectangular dot shape that is long in the column direction Y when viewed from the arrow A direction, and a plurality of colored films 74 are formed in a matrix in the row direction X and the column direction Y when viewed from the arrow A direction. Are listed.

  Further, a resin film 77 is provided as a planarizing film by, for example, photolithography processing on the colored film 74, and a resin film 78 is provided as a layer thickness adjusting film by, for example, photolithography processing on the planarizing film 77. Yes. The planarizing film 77 and the layer thickness adjusting film 78 can be formed of the same photosensitive resin.

  5B, a strip electrode 79 is provided on the layer thickness adjusting film 78 and the flattening film 77, and a light-shielding spacer 9 is provided thereon. The spacers 9 are provided in a strip shape in the column direction Y as shown in FIG. An alignment film 26b is formed on the strip electrode 79 and the spacer 9 by, for example, printing. The alignment film 26b is rubbed to determine the alignment of the liquid crystal layer 12 in the vicinity of the color filter substrate 58. The strip electrode 79 is formed, for example, by patterning ITO into a predetermined strip shape by a photoetching process. One strip-shaped electrode 79 extends in the row direction X (that is, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 6). A plurality of strip electrodes 79 are arranged in parallel to each other at a predetermined interval in the column direction Y (that is, the left-right direction in FIG. 6).

  When the liquid crystal panel 52 is viewed from the direction of the arrow A, the plurality of dot-like pixel electrodes 54 arranged in the row direction X on the element substrate 57 and the strip electrode 79 extending in the row direction X on the color filter substrate 58 are planar. Overlapping. The region where both electrodes overlap in this way constitutes a sub-pixel D which is the minimum unit for display. In FIG. 4, a plurality of sub-pixels D are arranged in a matrix in the row direction X and the column direction Y in the plane, so that an effective display region V is formed. Images such as letters, numbers, figures, etc. are displayed in the effective display area V and are visually recognized by the observer from the direction of arrow A.

  Each of the plurality of colored films 74 is arranged corresponding to one sub-pixel D, and further has an optical characteristic that allows one of B, G, and R to pass therethrough. The colored films 74 of B, G, and R are arranged in a predetermined arrangement, for example, a stripe arrangement as viewed from the direction of the arrow A. Note that the arrangement of the colored film 74 can be any arrangement other than the stripe arrangement, for example, a mosaic arrangement, a delta arrangement, or the like.

  Next, the light reflecting film 72 is provided in a partial region R of the sub-pixel D, and is not provided in the remaining region T. The region T is a part of a rectangular region in the sub-pixel D as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the region R is a remaining region in the sub-pixel D and surrounds the region T in a U shape. A region R where the light reflecting film 72 exists is a reflective display region, and a region T where the light reflecting film 72 does not exist is a transmissive display region. In FIG. 6, the external light L0 incident from the observation side indicated by the arrow A is reflected by the reflective display region R. The reflected light L0 thus obtained has scattering or directivity according to the uneven pattern of the light reflecting film 72. On the other hand, the light L1 in FIG. 6 emitted from the light guide 14 of the illumination device 3 in FIG.

  The layer thickness adjusting film 78 is provided in the reflective display region R and is not provided in the transmissive display region T. For this reason, the layer thickness t0 of the liquid crystal layer 12 in the reflective display region R is thinner than the layer thickness t1 of the liquid crystal layer 12 in the transmissive display region T. Desirably, t0 = t1 / 2. Such adjustment of the layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer 12 is performed in the case of the reflective display in which the light L0 passes through the liquid crystal layer 12 twice in the reflective display region R and the light L1 in the reflective display region T 1 in the liquid crystal layer 12. This is performed in order to obtain a clear display by making the retardation (Δnd) of the liquid crystal layer 12 uniform in the case of transmissive display that passes only once.

  Next, in FIG. 4, the first translucent substrate 57 a that constitutes the element substrate 57 has an overhanging portion 46 that projects outward from the color filter substrate 58. A wiring 47 is formed on the surface of the overhanging portion 46 by a photo etching process or the like. A plurality of wires 47 are formed as viewed from the direction of arrow A, and the plurality of wires 47 are arranged in parallel to each other at equal intervals in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface. Further, a plurality of external connection terminals 48 are formed at the side edges of the overhanging portion 46 so as to be arranged in parallel at equal intervals in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface. For example, an FPC board (not shown) is connected to the side edge of the overhang portion 46 provided with these external connection terminals 48.

  A part of the plurality of wirings 47 extends in the column direction Y toward a region surrounded by the sealing material 6 to form data lines 59. Further, the other part of the plurality of wirings 47 is connected to each strip electrode 79 on the color filter substrate 58 via a conductive material 60 included in the seal material 6.

  A driving IC 49 is mounted on the surface of the overhanging portion 46 by the COG technique using the ACF 45. For example, the driving IC 49 transmits a data signal to the data line 59 and transmits a scanning signal to the strip electrode 79. The driving IC 49 may be formed by one IC chip, or may be formed by a plurality of IC chips as necessary. When the driving IC 49 is constituted by a plurality of IC chips, these IC chips are mounted side by side in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG.

  According to the liquid crystal display device 51 configured as described above, when the liquid crystal display device 51 is placed in a bright outdoor room or a bright indoor room, a reflective display is performed using external light such as sunlight or indoor light. . On the other hand, when the liquid crystal display device 51 is placed outside or in a dark room, a transmissive display is performed using the lighting device 3 as a backlight.

  In the case of performing the reflective display, the external light L0 that has entered the liquid crystal panel 52 through the element substrate 57 from the direction of arrow A on the observation side in FIG. 6 passes through the liquid crystal layer 12 and enters the color filter substrate 58. Then, the light is reflected by the light reflection film 72 in the reflective display region R and supplied to the liquid crystal layer 12 again. On the other hand, when performing the above-described transmissive display, the light source 13 of the illumination device 3 in FIG. 4 is turned on, and the light from the light source 13 is introduced into the light guide 14 from the light incident surface 14a of the light guide 14, and further the light emission. The light is emitted from the surface 14b as planar light. The emitted light is supplied to the liquid crystal layer 12 through the transmissive display region T in which the light reflecting film 72 does not exist, as indicated by reference numeral L1 in FIG.

  While light is supplied to the liquid crystal layer 12 as described above, a predetermined gap specified by the scanning signal and the data signal is provided between the pixel electrode 54 on the element substrate 57 side and the strip electrode 79 on the color filter substrate 58 side. Thus, the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 12 is controlled for each sub-pixel D. As a result, the light supplied to the liquid crystal layer 12 is modulated for each sub-pixel D. When the modulated light passes through the polarizing plate 18a (see FIG. 4) on the element substrate 57 side, the passage is permitted or restricted for each sub-pixel D according to the polarization characteristics of the polarizing plate 18a. Images such as letters, numbers, figures, etc. are displayed on the surface of the element substrate 57, and this is visually recognized from the direction of the arrow A.

  Also in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, the light-shielding spacer 9 is provided in FIG. 5A. In the present embodiment, the spacers 9 are arranged in a band shape on the color filter substrate 58 and between the adjacent sub-pixels D, that is, at the boundary between the colored films 41 adjacent to each other. Since the spacer 9 has a light shielding property, it is possible to shield between adjacent sub-pixels D without providing a light shielding film separately from the spacer 9.

  In addition, the light-shielding spacer 9 is disposed between the element substrate 57 and the color filter substrate 58 without leaving a space therebetween in order to keep the liquid crystal layer 12 constant. That is, the spacer 9 is formed at a height that is substantially the same as the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 12 and that is substantially in contact with the surface of the substrate 57 at the portion indicated by the arrow H. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably prevent light reflected and scattered by the light reflection film 72 from leaking between the adjacent sub-pixels D. Further, the width b in the row direction X of the spacers 9 is set to be larger than the interval a between the adjacent colored films 74 (a <b). Accordingly, in FIG. 5A, the spacer 9 and the colored film 74 overlap each other when seen in a plan view, so that light can be prevented from leaking from between the adjacent colored films 74. For these reasons, high contrast can be maintained in the display of the liquid crystal display device 51.

(Third embodiment of liquid crystal display device)
Next, still another embodiment of the liquid crystal device according to the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the liquid crystal display device according to the present embodiment is generally the same as that shown in FIG. FIG. 7 shows a main part of the liquid crystal display device according to the present embodiment. 7A is an enlarged plan view of one pixel portion in the liquid crystal display device 1 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view according to the Z5-Z5 line of FIG. It is. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A, the light-shielding spacer 9 is provided in a band shape between adjacent sub-pixels D, and a light-shielding film is provided in addition to the spacer 9. There was no configuration. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A, the light shielding film 81 is provided at a position that overlaps the intermittent portion 9a provided between the adjacent strip-shaped spacers 9 in a plane.

  In the following, the present embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the embodiment shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 7A, a light shielding film 81 is provided between the colored films 41 adjacent to each other at a position that overlaps the intermittent portion 9 a between the adjacent strip-shaped spacers 9. The light shielding film 81 is formed on the second light transmitting substrate 8 with a light shielding metal such as Cr (chromium). In addition to Cr, the light shielding film 81 can also be formed using, for example, a resin mixed with a black pigment or carbon, like the spacer 9. As shown in FIG. 7B, the light shielding film 81 is provided between the colored films 41 adjacent to each other, and the thickness thereof is thinner than the colored film 41. Thereby, since the light shielding film 81 does not protrude from the surface of the colored film 41, the surface of the color filter substrate 8 can be surely flattened by the overcoat layer 43.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 2A, no light blocking member is provided in the region where the intermittent portion 9 a between the spacers 9 is provided. The intermittent portion 9a is a very narrow region, and there is almost no possibility of light leaking from the intermittent portion 9a, but it cannot be said that the light shielding property is perfect. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A, since the light shielding film 81 is provided in a region that overlaps the intermittent portion 9a in a plan view, the space between the sub-pixels D adjacent to each other is more sure. Can be shielded from light. By so doing, high contrast can be more reliably maintained in the display of the liquid crystal display device 1 of FIG.

(Modification)
In the third embodiment, the light shielding film 81 is provided for the liquid crystal display device 1 shown in the first embodiment of FIG. 1, that is, the liquid crystal display device 1 using the TFT element 31 that is a three-terminal switching element. explained. Instead, the light shielding film 81 may be provided for the liquid crystal display device 51 shown in the second embodiment of FIG. 4, that is, the liquid crystal display device 51 using the TFD element 61 which is a two-terminal switching element. Also in this case, since the light shielding between the adjacent sub-pixels D can be more reliably performed, high contrast can be more reliably maintained in the display of the liquid crystal display device 51 of FIG.

(4th Embodiment of a liquid crystal display device)
Next, still another embodiment of the liquid crystal device according to the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the liquid crystal display device according to the present embodiment is generally the same as that shown in FIG. FIG. 8 shows a main part of the liquid crystal display device according to this embodiment. FIG. 8A is an enlarged plan view showing one pixel portion in the liquid crystal display device 1 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line Z6-Z6 of FIG. It is. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2A, the reflective display region R is formed in a U shape surrounding the transmissive display region T when viewed in plan. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8A, the reflective display region R and the transmissive display region T are provided so that the sub-pixel D is divided into two in the longitudinal direction (that is, the column direction Y). ing. And the intermittent part 9a which is a part in which the spacer 9 does not exist is provided in the position adjacent to the transmissive display area T.

  In the following, the present embodiment will be described focusing on differences from the embodiment shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 8A, the region where the light reflection film 23 is provided in the region of the sub-pixel D, that is, the rectangular region above the sub-pixel D is the reflective display region R. On the other hand, a region other than the reflective display region R in the sub pixel D region is a transmissive display region T. The strip-shaped spacer 9 provided between the sub-pixels D adjacent to each other has the intermittent portion 9a provided in a portion adjacent to the transmissive display region T. The intermittent portion 9a is not provided in the portion adjacent to the reflective display region R, that is, the portion adjacent to the edge of the light reflecting film 23, and the strip-shaped spacer 9 is continuously provided.

  Since the intermittent portion 9a is a portion where the spacer 9 is not provided, it is conceivable that the light shielding property is impaired in the intermittent portion 9a. In the region where the light reflecting film 23 is provided in the region of the sub-pixel D, the light reflected by the light reflecting film 23 is scattered in multiple directions, so that a large amount of light may enter the spacer 9. On the other hand, since light is not scattered in the region where the light reflecting film 23 is not present, that is, the transmissive display region T, it is considered that the amount of light incident on the spacer 9 is smaller than the region R where the light reflecting film 23 is provided. In the present embodiment, the intermittent portion 9 a provided between the adjacent spacers 9 is provided in a portion not adjacent to the end side of the light reflecting film 23, that is, a portion adjacent to the transmissive display region T. In this way, since the light scattered by the light reflecting film 23 does not reach the intermittent portion 9a provided between the adjacent spacers 9, light can be prevented from leaking from the intermittent portion 9a. As a result, high contrast can be more reliably maintained in the display of the liquid crystal display device 1 of FIG.

(Modification)
The fourth embodiment described above relates to the liquid crystal display device 1 shown in the first embodiment of FIG. 1, that is, the liquid crystal display device 1 using the TFT element 31 that is a three-terminal switching element, as shown in FIG. The reflective display region R and the transmissive display region T are provided so as to divide the pixel D into two in the longitudinal direction (that is, the column direction Y), and the intermittent portion 9a of the spacer 9 is provided at a position adjacent to the transmissive display region T. The provided structure has been described. Instead, regarding the liquid crystal display device 51 shown in the second embodiment of FIG. 4, that is, the liquid crystal display device 51 using the TFD element 61 which is a two-terminal switching element, the sub-pixel D of FIG. The reflective display region R and the transmissive display region T are provided so as to be divided into two in the longitudinal direction (that is, the column direction Y), and the intermittent portion is a portion where the spacer 9 does not exist at a position adjacent to the transmissive display region T. 9a may be provided. Even in this case, since the light scattered by the light reflection film 72 does not reach the intermittent portion 9a, it is possible to prevent light from leaking from the intermittent portion 9a. As a result, high contrast can be more reliably maintained in the display of the liquid crystal display device 51 of FIG.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims.

  For example, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2B, a gap a is provided between the colored films 41 adjacent to each other. Similarly, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B, a gap a is provided between the colored films 74 adjacent to each other. However, it is not necessary to provide a space between the colored films 41 (74) adjacent to each other. That is, a = 0 may be used. However, in this case, it is desirable that the adjacent colored films 41 (74) do not overlap each other.

  In each of the embodiments described above, an amorphous silicon TFT that is a three-terminal element is used as a switching element. However, other three-terminal elements such as a low-temperature polysilicon TFT and a high-temperature polysilicon TFT can also be used. . A two-terminal element can also be used as the switching element. As the two-terminal element, for example, a TFD (Thin Film Diode) element can be used.

(Embodiment of electronic device)
Hereinafter, an electronic device according to the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments. In addition, this embodiment shows an example of this invention and this invention is not limited to this embodiment.

  FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of an electronic apparatus according to the invention. The electronic apparatus shown here includes a liquid crystal display device 101 and a control circuit 100 that controls the liquid crystal display device 101. The control circuit 100 includes a display information output source 104, a display information processing circuit 105, a power supply circuit 106, and a timing generator 107. The liquid crystal display device 101 includes a liquid crystal panel 102 and a drive circuit 103.

  The display information output source 104 includes a memory such as a random access memory (RAM), a storage unit such as various disks, a tuning circuit that tunes and outputs a digital image signal, and various clock signals generated by the timing generator 107. Based on the above, display information such as an image signal in a predetermined format is supplied to the display information processing circuit 105.

  Next, the display information processing circuit 105 includes a number of well-known circuits such as an amplification / inversion circuit, a rotation circuit, a gamma correction circuit, a clamp circuit, and the like, executes processing of input display information, and outputs an image signal. It is supplied to the drive circuit 103 together with the clock signal CLK. Here, the drive circuit 103 is a generic term for an inspection circuit and the like together with a scanning line drive circuit and a data line drive circuit. The power supply circuit 106 supplies a predetermined power supply voltage to each of the above components.

  The liquid crystal display device 101 can be configured using, for example, the liquid crystal display device 1 shown in FIG. 2 or the liquid crystal display device 51 shown in FIG. In the liquid crystal display device 1 in FIG. 2 and the liquid crystal display device 51 in FIG. 5, since the spacer has a light-shielding property, the display contrast can be maintained high even in the presence of scattered light. Therefore, even in an electronic device using the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, high contrast can be maintained in the display.

  FIG. 10 shows a mobile phone which is another embodiment of the electronic apparatus according to the invention. A cellular phone 110 shown here includes a main body 111 and a display body 112 that can be opened and closed. A display device 113 configured by an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal display device is disposed inside the display body portion 112, and various displays relating to telephone communication can be visually recognized on the display body portion 112 on the display screen 114. Operation buttons 115 are arranged on the main body 111.

  An antenna 116 is attached to one end of the display body 112 so as to be extendable and contractible. A speaker (not shown) is arranged inside the receiver unit 117 provided at the upper part of the display body unit 112. Further, a microphone (not shown) is built in the transmitter 118 provided at the lower end of the main body 111. A control unit for controlling the operation of the display device 113 is stored inside the main body unit 111 or the display body unit 112 as a part of the control unit that controls the entire mobile phone or separately from the control unit. The

  The display device 113 can be configured using, for example, the liquid crystal display device 1 shown in FIG. 2 or the liquid crystal display device 51 shown in FIG. In the liquid crystal display device 1 in FIG. 2 and the liquid crystal display device 51 in FIG. 5, since the spacer has a light-shielding property, the display contrast can be maintained high even in the presence of scattered light. Therefore, even in an electronic device using the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, high contrast can be maintained in the display.

(Modification)
In addition to the above-described mobile phones and the like as electronic devices, personal computers, liquid crystal televisions, viewfinder type or monitor direct view type video tape recorders, car navigation devices, pagers, electronic notebooks, calculators, word processors, Examples include workstations, video phones, and POS terminals.

It is side surface sectional drawing which shows one Embodiment of the liquid crystal display device based on this invention. FIG. 1 shows one pixel portion of the liquid crystal display device of FIG. 1, (a) is a plan view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of a row portion according to the Z1-Z1 line of (a). FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow B in FIG. 1, and is therefore a cross-sectional view of a row portion according to the Z2-Z2 line of FIG. It is side surface sectional drawing which shows other embodiment of the liquid crystal display device based on this invention. FIG. 4 shows one pixel portion of the liquid crystal display device of FIG. 4, (a) is a plan view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of a row portion according to the Z3-Z3 line of (a). FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow C, and is therefore a cross-sectional view of a row portion according to the Z4-Z4 line of FIG. FIG. 4 shows one pixel portion of still another embodiment of the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a row partial sectional view taken along line Z5-Z5 in (a). is there. FIG. 5 shows one pixel portion of still another embodiment of the liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a row partial cross-sectional view according to the Z6-Z6 line of (a). is there. It is a block diagram which shows one Embodiment of the electronic device which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows other embodiment of the electronic device which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1,51. Liquid crystal display, 2,52. 2. Liquid crystal panel 5. lighting device; Sealing material,
7, 57. Element substrate, 7a, 57a. A first translucent substrate,
8, 58. Color filter substrate, 8a, 58a. 8. a second translucent substrate; Spacer,
9a. Intermittent part, 12. Liquid crystal layer, 13. LED, 14. Light guide, 16. Light reflection layer,
17. Light diffusion layer, 18a, 18b. Polarizing plate, 19. Source electrode wire,
21. 21. gate electrode line Interlayer insulating film, 23. Light reflecting film,
24, 54. Pixel electrode, 25. Contact holes, 26a, 26b. Alignment film,
31. TFT element, 32. Gate electrode, 33. Gate insulating film, 34. Semiconductor layer,
35. Source electrode, 36. Drain electrode, 41, 74. Colored film,
43. Overcoat layer, 44. Common electrode, 45. ACF, 46. Overhang,
47. Wiring, 48. Terminal for external connection, 49. Driving IC, 59. Data line,
60. Conductive material, 61. TFD element, 61a. A first TFD element;
61b. Second TFD element, 62. First element electrode, 63. Insulation film,
64a, 64b. Second element electrode, 71. Resin film, 72. Light reflecting film,
77. Planarization film, 78. Layer thickness adjusting film, 79. 81 strip electrode; Light shielding film,
100. Control circuit, 101. Liquid crystal display device, 102. LCD panel,
103. Drive circuit, 110. Mobile phone (electronic device), 111. Body part,
112. Display body part, 113. Display device, 114. Display screen,
115. Operation buttons, 116. Antenna, 117. Earpiece, 118. Transmitter D. Sub-pixels, G. Cell gap, L0, L1, L2. Light, R.A. Reflective display area,
T.A. A transmissive display area; Effective display area,

Claims (9)

A liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a pair of substrates;
A plurality of colored films provided on any one of the pair of substrates;
A light reflecting film provided in a region overlapping each of the colored films in a plane;
A spacer that keeps the distance between the pair of substrates constant,
The liquid crystal display device, wherein the spacer is disposed between the colored film and another colored film adjacent to the colored film and has a light shielding property.   2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is formed using a black resin.   3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the spacer has an OD value of 5 or more.   4. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is disposed in a band shape at a boundary between the colored films adjacent to each other. 5.   In the liquid crystal display device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a plurality of the spacers are selectively provided between the colored film and another colored film adjacent to the colored film, A liquid crystal display device, wherein an intermittent portion where no spacer exists is provided between the spacers arranged on an extension between the colored film and another colored film adjacent to the colored film.   6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 5, wherein the light reflecting film is provided in an island shape in a region overlapping with each of the colored films in a plane, and the intermittent portion is provided in a portion not adjacent to the light reflecting film. A liquid crystal display device.   7. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 5, wherein a light shielding film is provided at a position overlapping the intermittent portion in a plane. In the liquid crystal display device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, when the interval between the colored films adjacent to each other is a and the width of the spacer is b,
a <b
A liquid crystal display device characterized by the above. An electronic apparatus comprising the liquid crystal display device according to claim 1.

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