JP2007299014A - Electro-optical apparatus and electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electro-optical apparatus capable of achieving high image quality in an electro-optical apparatus of multi-color display, preferably, capable of achieving the high image quality with ease and at low costs even in a multi-color display in four or more primary colors. <P>SOLUTION: A liquid crystal display apparatus of a multi-color display type includes a light source (light emitting means) 122, and a color filter 115 provided with a plurality of coloring parts 115R, 115G, 115B for selectively transmitting light in part of output light wavelength band of the light source. The liquid crystal display apparatus is characterized by being provided with a color conversion sheet (color conversion means) 130 for converting part of the output light from the light source 122 into light near the transmission wavelength band of at least one color coloring part of the color filter 115 between a back-light 120 provided with the light source 122 and a liquid crystal panel 110 provided with a color filter 115. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an electro-optical device and an electronic apparatus.

  As a liquid crystal display device (electro-optical device) used for a display unit of an electronic apparatus, a transmissive type or a transflective type is often used. In this type of liquid crystal display device, a liquid crystal provided with a color filter is used. A panel provided with a panel and a backlight disposed on the back side of the liquid crystal panel is generally used. In recent years, LED (Light Emitting Diode) light sources are often used from the viewpoints of backlight compactness and low power consumption.

  Furthermore, proposals have been made to increase the light source utilization efficiency of a liquid crystal display device having an LED light source backlight. For example, Patent Document 1 adopts a configuration in which a backlight using a blue LED as a light source and a liquid crystal panel provided with a color conversion layer functioning as a color filter are used, so that light output from the backlight is highly efficient. Discloses a technique for converting to color display light.

JP 2000-258771 A

  By the way, in the field of recent display devices, there is a great demand for higher image quality of display. However, G (green) and R (red) of a backlight using a white LED that has been conventionally known are used. Since the emission peak is small and broad, there is a problem that the color purity of the display light is lowered and the color reproduction range is narrowed. Further, according to the technique described in Patent Document 1, there is an advantage that an energy loss for obtaining colored light can be reduced and a high luminance display can be obtained. However, since the output light from the color conversion layer, which has a lower degree of freedom of color type selection than that of the color filter, is directly used for display, there is a problem that it is not easy to expand the color reproduction range.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and can realize high image quality in an electro-optical device for multicolor display. Preferably, it is easy and low-cost even in multicolor display of four or more primary colors. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electro-optical device capable of realizing high image quality.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes a light emitting unit and a color filter provided with a plurality of colored portions that selectively transmit light in a part of the wavelength range of the output light of the light emitting unit. A color display type electro-optical device, wherein a part of the output light of the light emitting means is converted to light in the vicinity of the transmission wavelength region of at least one colored portion of the color filter between the light emitting means and the color filter. Provided is an electro-optical device provided with color conversion means for conversion.

  According to this configuration, since the light emitted from the light emitting means is incident on the color filter, color conversion is performed by the color conversion layer disposed between the color filter and the light emitting means. The light incident on the colored portion contains a large amount of colored light corresponding to the transmission wavelength region of the colored portion, and the emission peak of the colored light is sharpened. Therefore, since the display light emitted through the colored portion is colored light having a higher color purity than when no color conversion layer is provided, the display image constituted by such color light is brightly colored. High quality display.

Further, in the present invention, the spectral characteristic of the output light of the light emitting means can be matched with the wavelength selection characteristic of the colored portion only by providing the color conversion means, so it is necessary to change the spectral characteristics of the light emitting means itself. There is no. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an electro-optical device that can display high-quality images easily and at low cost.
In this specification, the “electro-optical device” means a light-emitting device that converts an electric energy into an optical energy in addition to an electro-optical effect that changes a light transmittance by changing a refractive index of a substance by an electric field. And so on.

In the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the color conversion unit is provided corresponding to one or a plurality of colored portions and has different wavelength conversion characteristics for each color type of the colored portion.
According to this configuration, since the color conversion means having different wavelength conversion characteristics is provided according to the color type of the colored portion, the wavelength conversion action by the color converting means affects the transmitted light of the colored portions other than the predetermined colored portion. Thus, the color purity of the display light obtained by transmitting through each colored portion can be further increased, and the utilization efficiency of the output light can be increased. As a result, a bright and colorful high-quality display can be obtained.

  In the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, the color filter may include four or more colored portions including red (R), green (G), and blue (B). That is, the electro-optical device of the present invention can be suitably used for a multi-primary color display electro-optical device using a four-color filter, and even in such a configuration, high-quality display can be obtained. As colored portions other than R, G, and B, for example, colored portions such as light blue (C; cyan) and yellow (Y; yellow) can be provided.

  In the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, the color conversion unit has a function of converting a part of the output light of the light-emitting unit into light in the vicinity of the transmission wavelength region of the colored portion of the color type other than the R, G, and B. It is preferable to provide. According to this configuration, it is possible to improve the display image quality of the multi-primary color display electro-optical device having four or more colors without changing the characteristics of the light emitting means itself.

The electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention may include a light modulation unit that modulates the light output from the light emitting unit. That is, it can be configured as an electro-optical device that performs high gradation display by modulating the output light of the light emitting means.
In the electro-optical device having such a configuration, it is preferable that the color conversion unit is provided between the light emitting unit and the light modulation unit. According to this configuration, the display image quality can be improved without changing the configuration of the light modulation means, which is advantageous in terms of manufacturing ease and manufacturing cost.

  In the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, the light modulation unit may be a liquid crystal panel in which a liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between a pair of substrates. According to such a configuration, a liquid crystal display device capable of vivid high-quality display is provided.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the color conversion means is provided on the liquid crystal layer side of the substrate constituting the liquid crystal panel. According to this configuration, the color conversion means can be provided at the time of manufacturing the liquid crystal panel, which enables efficient manufacture and facilitates providing the color conversion means for each display unit (dot) of the liquid crystal panel. .

  In the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, the light emitting unit may be a lighting device including a cold cathode tube, an LED, or an EL element. The present invention can be suitably used for an electro-optical device including the illumination device having the above configuration. Lighting devices that use cold-cathode tubes, LEDs, and EL elements as light sources often produce output light with characteristic spectral characteristics due to their structure and constituent materials. It is difficult to match the characteristics of the output light with the wavelength selection characteristics of the filter. Further, if the light source is changed, the lighting device becomes a dedicated product, so the cost of the lighting device itself cannot be avoided. Therefore, if the present invention is applied so that the color conversion means matches the light emission characteristics of the cold cathode tubes, LEDs, and EL elements with the wavelength selection characteristics of the color filter, a general-purpose product can be used for the lighting device. Therefore, it is possible to realize high image quality without increasing the cost of the lighting device itself.

  In the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, the illumination device includes a light source and a light guide plate that guides light of the light source to the color filter, and the light guide plate includes a function of the color conversion unit. You can also If the light guide plate has a color conversion function in this way, there is no need to provide a separate sheet-like color conversion means, which contributes to a reduction in the thickness of the electro-optical device.

  In the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, the light emitting unit includes a plurality of EL elements that can be driven independently from each other, and the EL elements are arranged corresponding to the colored portions of the color filter. Configuration is also applicable. In other words, the electro-optical device of the present invention can be in the form of an EL display device that performs multicolor display by converting the light of the EL element into colored light by the coloring portion. Also in such an EL display device, a colorful high-quality display can be obtained.

  Next, an electronic apparatus according to the present invention includes the electro-optical device according to the present invention described above. According to this configuration, an electronic apparatus including a display unit capable of displaying a colorful high-quality image is provided.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In each drawing referred to below, in order to make the drawing easy to see, the thickness and size of each component are appropriately changed, or a part thereof is omitted.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram illustrating a liquid crystal display device that is a first embodiment of an electro-optical device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view illustrating one pixel region (3 dots) of the liquid crystal display device. It is.
The liquid crystal display device 100 is an active matrix transmissive color liquid crystal display device, which includes a liquid crystal panel (light modulation means) 110, a backlight (illumination device) 120, and a color conversion sheet (between them). Color conversion means) 130.

  The liquid crystal panel 110 includes a pair of substrates 111 and 112 arranged to face each other, and a liquid crystal layer 114 sandwiched between the substrates 111 and 112 and sealed with a sealing material 113. A color filter 115 is provided on the liquid crystal layer 114 side of the substrate 111 on the front side (upper side in the figure), and a circuit layer 116 is formed on the liquid crystal layer 114 side of the substrate 112 on the back side (lower side in the figure). Yes.

  The substrates 111 and 112 can be formed of glass, quartz, plastic, or the like, and a light-transmitting (transparent) material is used in a transmissive liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal forming the liquid crystal layer 114 is not particularly limited as long as it can form a predetermined alignment state, and typically nematic liquid crystal is used. Also, the initial alignment mode of the liquid crystal is not limited to the TN mode, and a vertical alignment mode can also be applied.

  In the color filter 115, colored portions 115R, 115G, and 115B of three colors (R, G, and B) are periodically arranged in a plane, and although not illustrated, the color filter 115 is provided on the side surface of the liquid crystal layer 114. Are provided with electrodes as means for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal layer. On the other hand, the circuit layer 116 includes at least an electrode for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal layer 114 together with an electrode on the substrate 111 side. In the present embodiment, a TFT (thin film transistor) is provided as a pixel switching element.

  2, a plurality of data lines 116d and a plurality of scanning lines 116g extending in directions intersecting each other are formed on the circuit layer 116 of the liquid crystal panel 110, and these data lines 116d and One rectangular area surrounded by the scanning line 116g is a dot area. The circuit layer 116 in the dot region is provided with a pixel electrode 116e and a TFT 116s, and the pixel electrode 116e is connected to the data line 116d and the scanning line 116g via the TFT 116s. On the other hand, on the substrate 112 in the dot region, one of the colored portions 115R, 115G, and 115B is disposed so as to overlap the pixel electrode 116e of the circuit layer 116 in a plan view. Three dot regions including the pair of colored portions 115R, 115G, and 115B constitute a pixel region of the liquid crystal display device 100.

  The backlight 120 is mainly composed of a light guide plate 121 and a light source (light emitting means) 122 disposed on a side end surface (left end in the drawing) of the light guide plate 121. Then, the light emitted from the light source 122 is introduced into the light guide plate through the side end surface of the light guide plate 121, propagated inside, and emitted from the upper surface of the light guide plate 121 to the liquid crystal panel 110 side. .

  The color conversion sheet 130 is an optical sheet having a function of converting a part of incident light into light of a specific wavelength range and outputting the light. For example, a phosphor or a pigment is mixed into a resin material and formed into a sheet shape. A dielectric half mirror in which dielectric films having different refractive indexes are laminated, or a half mirror using an Al thin film can be used.

In the case of the present embodiment, the light source 122 includes a white LED (light emitting diode) having spectral characteristics as shown in FIG. 3, and the conventionally known blue light emitting chip light is transmitted through a yellow phosphor. To obtain white light. The blue light emitting chip is formed by growing a GaInN-based compound semiconductor crystal on the surface of a substrate such as sapphire (Al ₂ O ₃ ), and includes a clad layer made of n-GaN, p-GaN, and the like. A material having a double heterojunction structure in which a light emitting layer made of InGaN is sandwiched between a clad layer made of and used is preferably used.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the light source 122 having the above configuration has a sharp emission peak in the blue light (420 to 490 nm) region, while in the range of green light (520 to 570 nm) to red light (590 to 630 nm). The emission intensity is smaller than that of blue light, and the distribution of these wavelength regions is gentle. On the other hand, the wavelength selection characteristics of the color filter 115 of the liquid crystal panel 110 are as shown in FIG. 4. If the output light from the backlight 120 is transmitted through the color filter 115 as it is and displayed, the blue light Although a relatively high color purity can be obtained, the emission intensity of green light and red light in the spectral characteristics of display light does not draw a steep peak, and therefore the color purity is inferior.

  Therefore, in the liquid crystal display device 100 of the present embodiment, the color conversion sheet 130 is disposed between the backlight 120 and the liquid crystal panel 110, thereby changing the spectral characteristics of the output light of the backlight 120, and thus the color filter. The wavelength selection characteristic is matched. That is, by transmitting the output light of the backlight 120 to the color conversion sheet 130, as shown in FIG. 5, the illumination light having spectral characteristics showing sharp emission peaks in the wavelength range corresponding to green light and red light is obtained. I am trying to do it. Then, the liquid crystal display device 100 makes illumination light having the spectral characteristics shown in FIG. 5 incident on the liquid crystal panel 110 and performs color display through the color filter 115, whereby all of blue light, green light, and red light are displayed. With this primary color light, good color purity can be obtained, and a colorful display with high image quality can be obtained.

The configuration of the white LED is not limited to the one having the spectral characteristics shown in FIG. 3. For example, a configuration in which red, green, and blue light emitting chips are enclosed in a single LED element, or a red LED, a green LED, and a blue LED. Are used as a set of light emitting means. With these structures, relatively high color purity can be obtained for display light of each color.
However, in the type of light emitting device that obtains white color by combining light emitting chips of multiple colors, the cost must be higher than the method of obtaining white light by combining a single color light emitting chip and a phosphor. When color LEDs are used in combination, there is a problem that color separation is likely to occur within the light guide plate surface. Further, when the light emission characteristics of the light emitting chip and the wavelength selectivity of the color filter do not match, the color filter or It is necessary to adjust the optical characteristics of the light emitting element itself, which further increases the cost.
On the other hand, in the liquid crystal display device of the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain a display with high color purity while using a light emitting means for obtaining white light from a single color light emitting chip, which effectively increases the manufacturing cost. There is an advantage that a high-quality display can be obtained while suppressing.

  When the color conversion sheet 130 that converts the illumination light having the spectral characteristics shown in FIG. 3 into the illumination light having the spectral characteristics shown in FIG. 5, for example, using a fluorescent dye, the blue light is converted into green light. A fluorescent dye for conversion and a fluorescent dye for converting blue light and green light into red light are mixed in a resin material and formed into a translucent sheet. As a resin material constituting the base material of the color conversion sheet 130, polymethyl methacrylate, polyacrylate, polycarbonate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, poly, used for a base material of an optical material such as a color filter. Translucent resins such as vinyl chloride resin, melamine resin, phenol resin, alkyd resin, epoxy resin, polyurethane resin, polyester resin, maleic acid resin, and polyamide resin can be used.

  Examples of fluorescent dyes that convert blue light into green light include 2, 3, 5, 6-1H, 4H-tetrahydro-8-trifluoromethylquinolidino (9, 9a, 1-gh) coumarin (coumarin 153). ), 3- (2′-benzothiazolyl) -7-diethylaminocoumarin (coumarin 6), 3- (2′-benzimidazolyl) -7-N, N-diethylaminocoumarin (coumarin 7), and the like, basic yellow 51 Or one or more of naphthalimide dyes such as Solvent Yellow 11 and Solvent Yellow 116.

  Examples of fluorescent dyes that convert blue light or green light into red light include cyanine dyes such as 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6- (p-dimethylaminostyryl) -4H-pyran (hereinafter referred to as DCM). Pyridine dyes such as 1-ethyl-2- (4- (p-dimethylaminophenyl) -1,3-butadienyl) -pyridinium-perchlorate (hereinafter referred to as pyridine 1), rhodamine dyes such as rhodamine B and rhodamine 6G Alternatively, one or more of oxazine-based compounds can be used.

  The fluorescent dye is preliminarily applied to a binder such as polymethacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, alkyd resin, aromatic sulfonamide resin, urea resin, melamine resin, benzoguanamine resin, and a mixture of these resins. It can also be used in the form of a fluorescent pigment mixed therein.

  The resin material used as the base material of the color conversion sheet 130 and the resin material used as the binder of the fluorescent pigment are preferably those that do not cause quenching or decolorization and do not reduce the fluorescence of the fluorescent dye. For example, a basic resin is suitable because it is generally π-electron rich and electron-donating and hardly interacts with a basic fluorescent dye. Needless to say, the resin material preferably has a good transmittance for visible light.

  In the color conversion sheet 130 according to the present embodiment, the light source 122 exhibits a broad emission intensity distribution in the green to red wavelength region as shown in FIG. Although color conversion characteristics that sharpen the peak are assumed, the color conversion characteristics of the color conversion sheet 130 can of course be changed as appropriate in accordance with the spectral characteristics of the light source. For example, when an element that emits ultraviolet light or violet light is used for the light source 122, the light source 122 further includes a fluorescent dye that converts a part of the output light of the light source 122 into blue light and outputs the light. Examples of fluorescent dyes that convert ultraviolet light or violet light into blue light include stilbene such as 1,4-bis (2-methylstyryl) benzene (Bis-MSB); trans-4,4′-diphenylstilbene (DPS). And a coumarin dye such as 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin (coumarin 4) can be used.

  In the first embodiment described above, the case where the color conversion sheet 130 is disposed on almost the entire side surface (light emission surface) of the liquid crystal panel 110 of the light guide plate 121 has been described as an example. As a configuration in which the color conversion layer that acts over the entire region is provided, a configuration in which the light guide plate 121 of the backlight 120 itself has a color conversion function can be exemplified. In this case, in the manufacturing process of the light guide plate 121, the light guide plate 121 having desired color conversion characteristics can be obtained, for example, by mixing and molding the above-described fluorescent dye into the resin material for forming the light guide plate.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a liquid crystal display device according to a second embodiment of the electro-optical device of the invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of the liquid crystal display device according to the second embodiment. The liquid crystal display device 200 of the present embodiment is an active matrix transmissive color liquid crystal display device similar to that of the first embodiment, and includes a liquid crystal panel (light modulation means) 210 and a backlight (illumination device; light emission means) 120. And the main constituent.
The planar configuration of the pixel region is the same as the planar configuration of the liquid crystal display device 100 shown in FIG. 2, and the same components as those shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. The description will be omitted as appropriate.

In the liquid crystal display device 200 of the present embodiment, the color conversion means that changes the spectral characteristics of the illumination light incident on the color filter 115 corresponds to a predetermined dot region on the substrate inner surface side (liquid crystal layer side) of the liquid crystal panel 200. It is characterized in that it is provided as the color conversion layers 230R and 230G in the area to be processed.
Specifically, the color conversion layers 230R and 230G are provided on a circuit layer 216 formed on the side surface of the liquid crystal layer of the substrate 112. The color conversion layer 230R is provided corresponding to the red dot region having the colored portion 115R, and the color conversion layer 230G is provided corresponding to the green dot region having the colored portion 115G. The blue dot region having the colored portion 115B is not provided with a color conversion layer, and the light incident from the backlight 120 and transmitted through the liquid crystal layer 114 is directly introduced into the colored portion 115B.

  The formation position of the color conversion layers 230R and 230G in the circuit layer 216 of the substrate 112 is a layer between the substrate 112 and the electrode (pixel electrode 116e shown in FIG. 2) included in the circuit layer 216. It can be formed in any layer. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, a color conversion layer may be formed on the surface of the substrate 112, or may be formed in a layer adjacent to the pixel electrode. Alternatively, the color conversion layers 230R and 230G may be provided on the inner surface side (liquid crystal layer side) of the opposite substrate 111. In the case of forming a color conversion layer over the substrate 111 provided with the color filter 115, the color conversion layer is preferably provided between the color filter 115 and the electrode on the substrate 111 side.

  Similar to the color conversion sheet 130 of the previous embodiment, the color conversion layers 230R and 230G can be formed by a resin film made of a resin material containing a fluorescent dye or a half mirror using an inorganic material. In this embodiment, the color conversion layers 230R and 230G are provided according to the color type of the colored portion of the color filter 115, and the color conversion layers 230R and 230G have different color conversion functions. It can be done. By adopting such a configuration, it becomes possible to make illumination light having an optimum spectral characteristic incident on a specific colored portion without affecting the dot areas of other color types, and for each primary color light. Color purity can be increased and high-quality color display can be obtained. In addition, in the green to red dot region provided with the color conversion layer, blue light that is not used for display is converted into each color light. On the other hand, in the blue dot region not provided with the color conversion layer, the blue color obtained by color conversion is converted. Since the light intensity does not decrease, the utilization efficiency of the light source can be improved for each primary color light, and a bright display can be obtained.

In the configuration in which the color conversion layers 230R and 230G are patterned on the inner surface side of the substrate 112 as in the present embodiment, the color conversion layers 230R and 230G are preferably made of an inorganic material. Since the color conversion layer made of an inorganic material is formed using a dielectric half mirror in which a SiO ₂ film and a TiO ₂ film are periodically stacked, or a half mirror using an Al thin film, a known photolithography technique is used. This is because patterning can be performed easily and with high accuracy. In these half mirrors, the wavelength range of transmitted light can be easily changed by adjusting the film thickness of the laminated film or metal film.

  However, as a matter of course, a resin film containing a fluorescent dye can be used as the color conversion layer. In this case, the color conversion layer 230G corresponding to the green dot region includes a fluorescent dye that converts blue light into green light, and the color conversion layer 230R corresponding to the red dot region includes blue light. Or the thing containing the fluorescent pigment | dye which converts green light into red light is used. And, as a resin film substrate, a photosensitive resin to which a photolithography method can be applied, for example, a photo-curing type having a reactive vinyl group such as an acrylic acid type, a methacrylic acid type, a polyvinyl cinnamate type, a cyclized rubber type, etc. By using a resist material, a patternable resin film can be formed. Specifically, for example, a solution is prepared by dissolving or dispersing a fluorescent dye or fluorescent pigment and a binder resin in an appropriate solvent, and a film is formed by a method such as spin coating, roll coating, bar coating, casting, or dipping. To do. And the color conversion layer can be formed in arbitrary positions by patterning by exposing and developing the said resin film obtained after drying.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a liquid crystal display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The liquid crystal display device 300 of the present embodiment is an active matrix transmissive color liquid crystal display device as in the previous embodiment, and includes a liquid crystal panel (light modulation means) 310, a backlight (illumination device; light emission means) 120, and the like. The color conversion sheet (color conversion means) 330 provided between the liquid crystal panel 310 and the backlight 120 is provided.
Note that the planar configuration of the pixel region in the liquid crystal display device of the present embodiment is a configuration in which the planar configuration of the liquid crystal display device 100 shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the same components as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  The liquid crystal panel 310 has a configuration in which a liquid crystal layer 114 is sandwiched between a pair of substrates 111 and 112 and the liquid crystal layer 114 is sealed with a sealant 113. A circuit layer 316 is provided on the liquid crystal layer 114 side of the substrate 112, and a color filter 315 is provided on a side surface of the liquid crystal layer 114 of the substrate 111. As shown in the figure, the color filter 315 is a four-color filter in which four types of colored portions 115R (red), 115G (green), 115B (blue), and 115C (light blue; cyan) are periodically arranged. . In the circuit layer 316, as in the first embodiment, pixel electrodes for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal are arranged in a matrix in a plan view, and the colored portions 115R, Any one of 115G, 115B, and 115C is arranged to face each other, thereby forming a dot region that can be driven independently of each other.

  The color conversion sheet 330 according to the present embodiment configures display light by changing the spectral characteristics of the illumination light supplied from the backlight 120 in accordance with the wavelength selection characteristics of the colored portions of the four-color filter 315. Therefore, the liquid crystal display device provided with the four-color filter is excellent in the color purity of the primary color light and can obtain a high-quality display. .

The wavelength selection characteristics of the four-color filter 315 are as shown in FIG. 8, and the transmittance curve (Cyan) of the light blue colored portion 115C is the peak of the transmittance curve (Blue) of the blue colored portion 115B. And a peak of the transmittance curve (Green) of the green colored portion 115G. On the other hand, the backlight 120 has the spectral characteristics shown in FIG.
As is clear from the comparison between FIG. 3 and FIG. 8, the peak wavelength (about 500 nm) in the transmittance of the colored portion 115C corresponds to a region where the emission intensity is lower than the other wavelength regions in the spectral characteristics of the backlight 120. . Therefore, if the illumination light from the backlight 120 is directly incident on the color filter 315, good color purity cannot be obtained in red light, green light, and light blue light constituting the display light. Cannot obtain sufficient luminance as compared with other color lights.

  Here, FIG. 9 is a spectral characteristic diagram for explaining the color conversion characteristics of the color conversion sheet 330, and the curve indicated by a broken line in FIG. 9 is the emission intensity curve of the backlight 120 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the color conversion sheet 330 has the spectral characteristics of illumination light supplied from the backlight 120 having spectral characteristics having emission intensity peaks at wavelengths of about 500 nm, about 530 nm, and about 630 nm. Convert to light. Therefore, if the color conversion sheet 330 having such color conversion characteristics is provided between the backlight 120 and the liquid crystal panel 310, the wavelength selection characteristics of the colored portions 115R, 115G, 115B, and 115C are substantially the same. Illumination light having a matching emission peak in each wavelength range can be made incident, color purity of display light can be increased, and light blue that is a relatively small wavelength component in illumination light emitted from the backlight 120 Since the emission intensity of light can be increased, a vivid and high-quality color display can be obtained.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the light source 122 of the backlight 120 is a white LED configured to extract the light of the blue light emitting chip through the yellow phosphor has been described, but a blue LED may be used as the light source 122. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a light emission intensity curve (broken line) of illumination light when a blue LED is used as the light source 122 and a light emission intensity curve (solid line) of illumination light after being transmitted through the color conversion sheet 330. . As shown in FIG. 10, even when the light source 122 is a blue LED, the color conversion sheet 330 converts blue light to light blue light (wavelength near 500 nm), green light (wavelength near 530 nm), and red light (wavelength near 630 nm). , And illumination light having sharp emission intensity peaks at the respective wavelengths can be incident on the liquid crystal panel 310. As a result, illumination light matching the wavelength selection characteristics can be made incident on each of the colored portions 115R, 115G, 115B, and 115C, and the display image quality is improved by improving the color purity of the display light. it can.

  In addition, when a blue LED is used for the light source 122, the light emitting chip is a single color, so that the backlight can be provided at a cost equal to or lower than that of the backlight using the white LED having the above structure, and light emission of a plurality of colors is possible. There is no problem of increasing the cost of the backlight and color separation at the light guide plate unlike the configuration using the chip or LED.

The specific configuration of the color conversion sheet 330 can be substantially the same as that of the color conversion sheet 130 according to the first embodiment, but when the color conversion sheet 330 is a resin sheet containing a fluorescent dye, for example, The fluorescent dye includes a fluorescent dye that converts blue light into light blue light. Examples of such fluorescent dyes include 2, 3, 5, 6-1H, 4H-tetrahydro-8-trifluoromethylquinolidino (9, 9a, 1-gh) coumarin (coumarin 153), 3- ( Coumarin dyes such as 2'-benzothiazolyl) -7-diethylaminocoumarin (coumarin 6), 3- (2'-benzimidazolyl) -7-N, N-diethylaminocoumarin (coumarin 7), basic yellow 51, or solvent yellow 11, naphthalimide dyes such as Solvent Yellow 116, or the like.
In addition, when a dielectric half mirror or a metal film half mirror is used for the main part of the color conversion sheet 330, the light of the blue light is selectively transmitted by adjusting the thickness of the dielectric film or metal film constituting the dielectric film mirror 330. And it is sufficient.
Needless to say, the light guide plate 121 of the backlight 120 may be made of a resin material containing a fluorescent dye so that the light guide plate 121 itself has a color conversion function.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The liquid crystal display device 400 of the present embodiment is an active matrix transmissive color liquid crystal display device as in the previous embodiment, and includes a liquid crystal panel (light modulation means) 410, a backlight (illumination device; light emission means) 120, and the like. It is configured with.
Note that the planar configuration of the pixel region in the liquid crystal display device of the present embodiment is a configuration in which the planar configuration of the liquid crystal display device 100 shown in FIG. In FIG. 11, the same components as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  The liquid crystal panel 410 has a configuration in which a liquid crystal layer 114 is sandwiched between a pair of substrates 111 and 112 and the liquid crystal layer 114 is sealed with a sealing material 113. A circuit layer 416 is provided on the liquid crystal layer 114 side of the substrate 112, while a color filter 315 is provided on the side surface of the liquid crystal layer 114 of the substrate 111. Similar to the liquid crystal display device 300 according to the previous embodiment, the color filter 315 has four types of colored portions 115R (red), 115G (green), 115B (blue), and 115C (light blue; cyan) periodically arranged. This is a four-color filter.

  On the lower layer side (substrate 112 side) of the circuit layer 416, a plurality of pixel electrodes (not shown) are arranged in a matrix in a plan view as in the previous embodiment, and in the present embodiment, the plurality of pixel electrodes are arranged. Color conversion layers (color conversion means) 230R, 230G, and 230C are provided corresponding to part of the pixel electrodes. That is, in the liquid crystal panel 410, the color conversion layer 230R is provided corresponding to the red dot region having the colored portion 115R, and the color conversion layer 230G is provided corresponding to the green dot region having the colored portion 115G. A color conversion layer 230C is provided corresponding to the dot region having the portion 115C. The formation positions of the color conversion layers 230R, 230G, and 230C in the circuit layer 416 of the substrate 112 are not limited to the surface of the substrate 112 as in the second embodiment, and the electrodes included in the circuit layer 416 and the substrate 112 Can be formed in any layer.

  The color conversion layers 230R, 230G, and 230C can adopt the same configuration as the color conversion layers 230R, 230G of the second embodiment, and are a resin film made of a resin material containing a fluorescent dye, or a half using an inorganic material. It can be formed by a mirror. In this embodiment, the color conversion layers 230R, 230G, and 230C are provided according to the color type of the colored portion of the color filter 315, and the color conversion layers 230R, 230G, and 230C have different color conversion functions. And can be. By adopting such a configuration, it becomes possible to make illumination light having an optimum spectral characteristic incident on a specific colored portion without affecting the dot areas of other color types, and for each primary color light. Color purity can be increased and high-quality color display can be obtained. In addition, blue light that is not used for display is converted into each color light in light blue, green, and red dot areas provided with a color conversion layer, while color conversion is performed for blue dot areas that are not provided with a color conversion layer. Since the blue light intensity does not decrease due to the above, the light source utilization efficiency can be improved for each primary color light, and a bright display can be obtained.

In the configuration in which the color conversion layers 230R, 230G, and 230C are patterned on the inner surface side of the substrate 112 as in the present embodiment, the color conversion layers 230R, 230G, and 230C are preferably made of an inorganic material. Since the color conversion layer made of an inorganic material is formed using a dielectric half mirror in which a SiO ₂ film and a TiO ₂ film are periodically stacked, or a half mirror using an Al thin film, a known photolithography technique is used. This is because patterning can be performed easily and with high accuracy. In these half mirrors, the wavelength range of transmitted light can be easily changed by adjusting the film thickness of the laminated film or metal film. However, it goes without saying that the color conversion layer may be formed by patterning a resin film containing a fluorescent dye.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Hereinafter, an organic EL device will be described as an embodiment of the electro-optical device of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the organic EL device 00 according to the present embodiment has an element substrate 530 on which an EL element (light emitting means) is formed and three colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue). This is a top emission type full-color organic EL display device in which the counter substrate 540 in which the portions 542R, 542G, and 542B are formed is bonded through an adhesive layer 543. In the organic EL display device 500 of this embodiment, a bank layer 534 for partitioning each pixel is provided on an element substrate 530 provided with an anode (pixel electrode) 533, and the bank layer 534 is partitioned. An organic EL layer formed by laminating a hole injection / transport layer 536 and a light emitting layer 536 containing a white light emitting material is formed in the formed region. In other words, the bank layer 534 is provided with an opening at a position corresponding to each pixel, and the above-described organic EL layer is provided at a position where the anode 533 is exposed in the opening. A cathode (counter electrode) 537 is provided to cover the bank layer 534 and the organic EL layer.

In this embodiment, since a top emission structure that extracts light generated in the organic EL layer from the cathode side is adopted, a co-deposited film of bathocuproine (BCP) and cesium (Cs) is used for the cathode 537, and further conductivity is improved. In order to apply, a structure in which ITO is laminated is employed. The anode 533 includes a highly reflective metal material such as Al or Ag, a translucent material such as Al / ITO, and a highly reflective metal material so that light emitted from the anode 533 side can be extracted from the cathode side. The laminated structure is adopted.
The cathode 537 is disposed so as to cover the exposed surfaces of the bank layer 534 and the organic EL layer (light emitting layer 536), and functions as a common electrode common to each pixel. As the cathode in this case, in addition to this configuration, a metal having a low work function, such as Ca, Mg, Ba, Sr and the like, and Al, Ag, Au, etc. as a protective electrode, were formed to a total thickness of 50 nm or less. Things can be used as well.

  In the element substrate 530, a circuit element portion 531 and an interlayer insulating film 532 are sequentially stacked on a substrate body 530A made of glass, resin, or the like. On the interlayer insulating film 532, the above-described anode 533 is formed. An array is formed corresponding to each pixel. The circuit element portion 531 is provided with various wirings such as a scanning line and a signal line, a storage capacitor (not shown) for holding an image signal, and a circuit such as a TFT 531a as a pixel switching element. Since the top emission structure is adopted in the present embodiment, the substrate body 530A does not necessarily need to be transparent. Therefore, the substrate body 530A can be a translucent substrate such as glass, or a semitransparent or opaque substrate such as a semiconductor substrate.

The organic EL layer has a configuration in which a hole injecting / transporting layer 535 and a white light emitting layer 536 containing a white light emitting material are sequentially stacked from the lower layer side (pixel electrode side).
As a material for forming the hole injection / transport layer 535, polymer materials such as polythiophene, polystyrene sulfonic acid, polypyrrole, polyaniline, and derivatives thereof can be suitably used. As a material for forming the white light-emitting layer 536 (light-emitting material), a high-molecular light emitter or a low-molecular organic light-emitting dye, that is, a light-emitting substance such as various fluorescent substances or phosphorescent substances can be used. Among the conjugated polymers that serve as the light-emitting substance, those containing an arylene vinylene or polyfluorene structure are particularly preferable.

  In the present embodiment, since the bank layer 534 having the opening corresponding to the organic EL layer forming region is provided as described above, the hole injection / transport layer 535 and the white light emitting layer 536 are formed by an inkjet method ( The structure is suitable for formation by a droplet discharge method. Therefore, it is desirable to use a polymer material suitable for the droplet discharge method as the light emitting material, and specifically, a mixture of polydioctylfluorene (PFO) and MEH-PPV at a ratio of 9: 1. Can be illustrated as suitable. In this embodiment, the organic EL layer has a two-layer structure of a hole injection / transport layer and a light emitting layer. However, an electron transport layer, an electron injection layer, or the like may be provided on the white light emitting layer 536. Of course.

The substrate thus configured is sealed with a sealing material 538. The sealing material 538 preferably has a gas barrier property. For example, silicon oxide such as SiO ₂ , silicon nitride such as SiN, or silicon oxynitride such as SiO _x N _y can be suitably used. . More effectively, a resin layer such as acrylic, polyester, or epoxy may be laminated on the inorganic oxide layer. In addition, you may provide a protective film between the cathode 37 and the sealing material 38 as needed.

  In the organic EL display device 500 of this embodiment, color conversion layers (color conversion means) 539R, 539G, and 539B are provided on the sealing material 538 and in a region that overlaps the pixel electrode 533 in a planar manner. It has been. For these color conversion layers 539R, 539G, and 539B, the same configuration as the color conversion layers 230R and 230G according to the second embodiment can be employed. That is, it can be formed by a resin film made of a resin material containing a fluorescent dye or a half mirror using an inorganic material.

  On the other hand, the counter substrate 540 is provided with a color filter 541 on a translucent substrate body 540A made of glass, resin, or the like. In the color filter 541, three types of colored portions 542 R, 542 G, and 542 B of R, G, and B are arranged in a matrix form partitioned by the bank layer 521. The opening of the bank layer 521 (colored portion forming region) is provided at a position overlapping the opening of the bank layer 534 on the element substrate 530 side in a plane. Therefore, the colored portions 542R, 542G, and 542B are disposed so as to overlap each of the color conversion layers 539R, 539G, and 539B of the element substrate 530 and the organic EL layer in a plane.

  Also in the organic EL display device of the present embodiment, the color conversion layers 539R, 539G, and 539B have a function of converting a part of light transmitted through the color conversion layers into color light of a predetermined wavelength, and corresponding coloring portions 542R and 542G. , 542B can be supplied with light having appropriate spectral characteristics. That is, the color conversion layer 539B acts to increase the light emission intensity near the peak wavelength in the transmittance curve of the colored portion 542B, and the color conversion layer 539G emits light near the peak wavelength in the transmittance curve of the colored portion 542G. Acts to increase strength. For example, if the wavelength selection characteristic of the color filter 541 is as shown in FIG. 4, the color conversion layer 539B is configured to cause the colored portion 542B to transmit a part of white light emitted from the organic EL layer to the maximum transmittance. The color conversion layer 539G is configured to convert a part of the white light into light having a wavelength of about 530 nm.

  As described above, the organic EL display device 500 of the present embodiment converts the white light output from the organic EL element serving as the light emitting means into the predetermined color light by the color conversion layers 539R, 539G, and 539B, and the colored portions 542R, 542G, The light is incident on 542B to constitute display light. As a result, the color purity of the color light output from each colored portion is higher than that of a configuration in which no color conversion layer is provided, and thus a colorful display with high image quality can be obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the light emitting layer 536 outputs white light has been described. However, as the light emitting layer 536, a material that emits blue light, violet light, or ultraviolet light can be used. Regardless of which type of light emitting layer is used, the output light is color-converted by the color conversion layer provided in each pixel, so that appropriate color characteristics can be obtained for each colored portion according to the color type. An organic EL display device capable of making the incident light incident and capable of displaying a colorful image with high quality can be configured.

(Electronics)
FIG. 13 is a perspective configuration diagram showing a configuration example of an electronic apparatus according to the present invention.
A video monitor 1200 illustrated in FIG. 13A includes a display unit 1201 including the liquid crystal display device or the organic EL display device of the previous embodiment, a housing 1202, a speaker 1203, and the like. According to this video monitor 1200, colorful high-quality display can be performed by the previous liquid crystal display device or organic EL display device.

  A cellular phone 1300 shown in FIG. 13B includes a display unit 1301 provided with the liquid crystal display device or the organic EL display device of the previous embodiment, an operation unit 1302, a receiver 1303, and a transmitter 1303. Has been. According to the cellular phone 1300, colorful high-quality display can be performed by the previous liquid crystal display device or organic EL display device.

  The electro-optical device of the embodiment is not limited to the video monitor, but an electronic book, a personal computer, a digital still camera, a viewfinder type or a monitor direct-view type video tape recorder, a car navigation device, a pager, an electronic notebook, a calculator, It can be suitably used as an image display means for a word processor, a workstation, a videophone, a POS terminal, a device equipped with a touch panel, etc., and in any electronic device, a colorful high-quality display can be obtained. Yes.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of a liquid crystal display device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the pixel region. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the spectral characteristics of the light source of the backlight. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing wavelength selection characteristics of the color filter. FIG. 5 is a spectral characteristic diagram for explaining the operation of the color conversion layer. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of the liquid crystal display device of the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of the liquid crystal display device of the third embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing wavelength selection characteristics of the color filter. FIG. 9 is a spectral characteristic diagram for explaining the operation of the color conversion layer. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing spectral characteristics when the light source is changed. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of a liquid crystal display device of a fourth embodiment. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of an organic EL display device according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective configuration diagram illustrating a configuration example of an electronic device.

Explanation of symbols

  100, 200, 300, 400 ... liquid crystal display device (electro-optical device), 500 ... organic EL display device (electro-optical device), 110, 210, 310, 410 ... liquid crystal panel (light modulation means), 120 ... backlight ( Lighting device), 130, 330 ... color conversion sheet (color conversion means), 230R, 230G, 230C, 539R, 539G, 539B ... color conversion layer (color conversion means).

Claims (12)

A multicolor display type electro-optical device comprising: a light emitting means; and a color filter including a plurality of colored portions that selectively transmit light in a part of the wavelength range of the output light of the light emitting means,
Between the light emitting means and the color filter, there is provided a color converting means for converting a part of the output light of the light emitting means into light in the vicinity of the transmission wavelength region of the colored portion of at least one color of the color filter. An electro-optical device.   2. The electro-optic according to claim 1, wherein the color conversion means is provided corresponding to one or a plurality of colored portions and has different wavelength conversion characteristics for each color type of the colored portions. apparatus.   The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein the color filter is provided with four or more colored portions including red (R), green (G), and blue (B).   The color conversion unit has a function of converting a part of output light of the light emitting unit into light in the vicinity of a transmission wavelength region of a colored portion of a color type other than the R, G, B. The electro-optical device according to claim 3.   5. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, further comprising: a light modulating unit that modulates light output from the light emitting unit.   6. The electro-optical device according to claim 5, wherein the color converting unit is provided between the light emitting unit and the light modulating unit.   7. The electro-optical device according to claim 5, wherein the light modulation unit is a liquid crystal panel in which a liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between a pair of substrates.   The electro-optical device according to claim 7, wherein the color conversion unit is provided on a liquid crystal layer side of a substrate constituting the liquid crystal panel.   The electro-optical device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the light emitting unit is a lighting device including a cold cathode tube, an LED, or an EL element.   10. The illumination device includes a light source and a light guide plate that guides light of the light source to the color filter, and the light guide plate has a function of the color conversion unit. Electro-optic device. The light emitting means is provided with a plurality of EL elements that can be driven independently of each other,
5. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein each of the EL elements is disposed corresponding to each coloring portion of the color filter.   An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 1.

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