JP2007322766A - Liquid crystal display device and electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal display device having stabilized display characteristics by improving moisture resistance and to provide a projector equipped with the above liquid crystal display device as a light modulation means. <P>SOLUTION: The liquid crystal display includes a counter substrate 10 and a TFT array substrate 20 disposed opposing to each other at a predetermined distance, a liquid crystal held in a gap 27 formed by the substrates 10, 20, a sealing material 14 disposed between the substrates 10, 20 and having an injection port 24 where the liquid crystal is injected, and an end-sealing material 19 to seal the injection port 24, wherein the counter substrate 20 is formed with an inclined face 25 inclined outward, formed in the periphery in at least a portion corresponding to the injection port 24 of the sealing member 14, and the end-sealing material 19 is applied so as to cover the inclined face 25. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device and an electronic apparatus.

  A liquid crystal display device used as a light modulation means of a projection display device such as a liquid crystal projector is, for example, a sealing material at a peripheral portion between a pair of substrates 70 and 71 like a liquid crystal display device 80 shown in FIG. 72 is disposed, and a liquid crystal layer 73 is sealed at the center thereof. The liquid crystal forming the liquid crystal layer 73 is injected from the injection port 74 of the sealing material 72, and the injection port 74 is sealed by the sealing material 75. An electrode for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer 73 is formed on the opposing surface side of the pair of substrates 70 and 71, and an alignment film 76 (for controlling the alignment of liquid crystal molecules when a non-selection voltage is applied) is formed inside the electrode. An alignment film on the substrate 71 side) is formed (the alignment film on one substrate 70 is not shown). Then, the light source light is modulated based on the change in the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules between when the non-selection voltage is applied and when the selection voltage is applied, so that image light is produced.

  Currently, as the above-described alignment film, the use of an alignment film made of an inorganic material having excellent light resistance and heat resistance is being studied. However, since the inorganic alignment film made of a columnar structure is porous, the conventional sealing method may cause a large gap to be formed at the interface between the sealing material and the inorganic alignment film. When moisture, impurities, or the like enter the liquid crystal layer from the outside of the liquid crystal display device through this gap, there is a problem that the liquid crystal molecule alignment control function in the liquid crystal display device is mainly hindered.

In Patent Document 1, except for the vicinity of the liquid crystal injection hole, valley grooves (liquid crystal injection holes) extending from the outer edge of the sealing material to the chamfered portions of both substrates are formed on the four sides of the display panel. The troughs are arranged so as to fill the troughs spreading outward. An injection hole sealing material that seals the liquid crystal injection hole so as to be in contact with the sealing material is arranged so as to extend from the sides of both the substrates.
According to this configuration, since the injection port sealing material is provided so as to cover not only the liquid crystal injection port but also part of the end surfaces of both substrates, there is no gap between the alignment film and the injection port sealing material. The possibility of the occurrence of water is reduced, and the water resistance is improved. In addition, by forming a trough in the liquid crystal injection hole, the adhesion between the sealing material and the injection hole sealing material is improved, and the water infiltration path from the direction orthogonal to the substrate arrangement direction becomes longer. In addition, improvement of moisture resistance is also achieved.
JP 2004-144793 A

  However, the above configuration cannot be said to be sufficient with respect to water resistance, and there is a possibility that a gap may be formed between the end surfaces of both substrates and the sealing material. Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 11B, when moisture enters between the side surface of the substrate 71 and the sealing material 75, a problem arises in that the alignment control mechanism of liquid crystal molecules is hindered. End up. Since the water resistance of the display panel depends on a shorter path, it is necessary to consider a moisture intrusion path from the boundary between the substrate and the sealing material.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display device and an electronic device having a sealing structure capable of preventing intrusion of moisture, impurities, etc., and having higher reliability. The purpose is to provide equipment.

  In order to solve the above problems, a liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a pair of substrates that are arranged to face each other at a predetermined interval, a liquid crystal that is held in a gap formed between the pair of substrates, and a pair of A sealing material disposed between the substrates and having an injection port for injecting liquid crystal; and a sealing material for sealing the injection port. One substrate of the pair of substrates includes at least a sealing material at a peripheral portion thereof An inclined surface that is inclined outward is formed at a location corresponding to the injection port of the above, and a sealing material is applied so as to cover the inclined surface.

  According to the liquid crystal display device having the above configuration, the interface distance between the sealing material and the substrate is increased by disposing the inclined surface outward and applying the sealing material on the inclined surface ( (The contact area between the sealing material and the substrate is increased), so that the possibility of water reaching the liquid crystal can be reduced and the intrusion of water can be delayed. Therefore, the water resistance and moisture resistance of the liquid crystal display device can be improved. Further, by applying the sealing material on the inclined surface, it is possible to prevent the sealing material from sagging, so that the water resistance of the liquid crystal display device can be maintained for a long time. According to the liquid crystal display device having such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of display characteristics due to the mixing of moisture into the liquid crystal layer, and the display device has high reliability with stable display characteristics.

It is also preferable that the inclined surface has a curved shape.
According to such a configuration, since the sealing material can be prevented from sagging, the water resistance of the liquid crystal display device can be maintained for a long time, and the amount of the sealing material applied can be increased. In addition, it is possible to suppress the possibility of moisture being mixed into the liquid crystal through the sealing material, and the moisture resistance of the liquid crystal display device can be further improved.

Moreover, it is also preferable that one board | substrate has the boundary of the outer surface and an inclined surface, or the boundary of an inner surface and an inclined surface curved.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the sealing material from sagging and to prevent the sealing material from cracking when distortion occurs between the substrates. Therefore, the water resistance and moisture resistance of the liquid crystal display device can be obtained more reliably.

It is also preferable that the dust-proof glass provided on the outer surface of one substrate is formed in a size excluding the inclined surface.
According to such a configuration, since the size (area) of the dust-proof glass can be reduced, the size and weight can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

The electronic apparatus according to the present embodiment includes the liquid crystal display device as a light modulation unit.
According to such a configuration, since the liquid crystal display device with a low possibility of moisture or the like having an influence on the liquid crystal is provided, various functions of the liquid crystal display device can be maintained, and an electronic device having excellent reliability. Equipment can be provided.

[First embodiment]
First, a liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In this embodiment, an active matrix transmission type liquid crystal display device using a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as TFT) element as a switching element will be described as an example.

(Liquid crystal display device)
FIG. 1 is a plan configuration diagram of an active matrix liquid crystal display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional configuration diagram taken along line HH ′ in FIG. Reference numeral 90 in FIGS. 1 and 2 denotes a liquid crystal display device.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the liquid crystal display device 90 includes a liquid crystal layer 40 sandwiched between a TFT array substrate 10 and a counter substrate 20 that are disposed so as to face each other. 10 and the counter substrate 20 are held between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 by a sealing material 14 having a substantially frame shape in plan view provided along the inner surface side of the peripheral portion of the counter substrate 20. A predetermined liquid crystal layer thickness (cell gap) in the liquid crystal display device 90 is realized by including, for example, a gap material (not shown) in the sealing material 14. In this way, a gap 27 is formed between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, and the sealing material 14 has an injection port 24 that allows liquid crystal to be injected into the gap 27. ing. The inlet 24 is sealed with a sealing material 19 in order to keep the liquid crystal in the gap 27.

  Here, as the counter substrate 20, a substrate that is slightly smaller than the TFT array substrate 10 and has substantially the same outline as the sealing material 14 provided on the TFT array substrate 10 is used. 10 is fixed.

  Further, as will be described in detail later, as shown in FIG. 2, an inorganic alignment film 22 is formed on the inner surface side of the counter substrate 20 (the surface facing the TFT array substrate 10). The illustration of the inorganic alignment film formed on the TFT array substrate 10 is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a molding material 15 (not shown in FIG. 1) made of acrylic, epoxy resin, or the like is formed on the outer peripheral side of the sealing material 14. The molding material 15 is used for bonding the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, and the mechanical strength of the liquid crystal display device 90 is improved by the molding material 15.

  The mold material 15 covers the side peripheral surface 20a ′ of the counter substrate 20 excluding the injection port 24, the outer peripheral side of the sealing material 14, and a part of the upper surface 10a of the TFT array substrate 10 from the outside in a side sectional view. As a result, the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are provided. The liquid crystal layer 40 held in the gap 27 between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 is obtained by thermally drying the seal material 14 and the mold material 15 to bond and fix the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, and then The liquid crystal is injected into the gap 27 between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 from the injection port 24 of the material 14.

Next, each component formed on the TFT array substrate 10 will be described in detail.
In FIG. 1, a sealing material 14 is provided on the TFT array substrate 10 along the edge of the counter substrate 20, and a second light shielding film 23 is provided in parallel to the inside thereof. An area surrounded by the second light shielding film 23 is an image display area C of the liquid crystal display device 90. A data line driving circuit 101 and an external circuit connection terminal 102 are provided along one side of the TFT array substrate 10 in a region outside the sealing material 14, and the scanning line driving circuit 104 is adjacent to the one side. It is provided along two sides.

  Furthermore, a plurality of wirings 105 for connecting the scanning line driving circuits 104 provided on both sides of the image display area C are provided on the remaining side of the TFT array substrate 10, where the second light shielding film A precharge circuit may be provided hidden under 23. In addition, at least one of the four corners of the counter substrate 20 is provided with a conductive material 106 for electrical conduction between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. In this embodiment, it is provided in all four places.

(Equivalent circuit)
FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit of various elements, wirings, and the like in a plurality of pixels formed in a matrix that forms an image forming area (pixel portion or display area) of the liquid crystal display device.
In FIG. 3, a plurality of pixels formed in a matrix form that constitutes an image display area (pixel portion or display area) of the liquid crystal display device according to the present embodiment include a plurality of pixel electrodes 9 formed in a matrix form, and this pixel. A data line 6 a to which an image signal is supplied is composed of a TFT element 30 (transistor element) for controlling the electrode 9, and is electrically connected to the source of the TFT element 30. The image signals S1, S2,..., Sn written to the data lines 6a may be supplied line-sequentially in this order, or may be supplied for each group to a plurality of adjacent data lines 6a. good.

  Further, the scanning line 3a is electrically connected to the gate of the TFT element 30, and scanning signals G1, G2,..., Gm are applied to the scanning line 3a in a pulse-sequential manner in this order at a predetermined timing. It is configured as follows. The pixel electrode 9 is electrically connected to the drain of the TFT element 30, and the image signal S1, S2,... Supplied from the data line 6a is closed by closing a switch of the TFT element 30 as a switching element for a certain period. , Sn is written at a predetermined timing.

  Image signals S1, S2,..., Sn written to the liquid crystal through the pixel electrode 9 are constant between the common electrode 21 (see FIG. 5) formed on the counter substrate 20 (see FIG. 5). Hold for a period. The liquid crystal modulates light by changing the orientation and order of the molecular assembly according to the applied voltage level, thereby enabling gradation display. In the normally white mode, incident light cannot pass through the liquid crystal part according to the applied voltage. In the normally black mode, incident light passes through the liquid crystal part according to the applied voltage. The liquid crystal display device as a whole emits light having a contrast according to the image signal. Here, in order to prevent the held image signal from leaking, the storage capacitor 17 is added in parallel with the liquid crystal capacitor formed between the pixel electrode 9 and the common electrode 21. Thus, when a voltage signal is added to the liquid crystal, the alignment state of the liquid crystal molecules changes according to the applied voltage level. As a result, the light source light incident on the liquid crystal is modulated to create image light.

 Therefore, the holding characteristics are further improved, and a liquid crystal display device with a high contrast ratio can be realized. In this embodiment, in particular, in order to form such a storage capacitor 17, a capacitor line 3b having a low resistance using the same layer as the scanning line or a conductive light shielding film is provided as will be described later.

(Planar structure)
Next, the planar structure in the pixel portion (image display area) of the TFT array substrate will be described in detail with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view seen from the TFT array substrate side.
As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of transparent pixel electrodes 9 (outlined by dotted line portions 9a) are provided in a matrix in the pixel portion on the TFT array substrate of the liquid crystal display device. A data line 6a, a scanning line 3a, and a capacitor line 3b are provided along the vertical and horizontal boundaries of the electrode 9, respectively.

  The data line 6a is electrically connected to a source region described later in the semiconductor layer 1a of the single crystal silicon layer via the contact hole 5, and the pixel electrode 9 is described later in the semiconductor layer 1a via the contact hole 8. Is electrically connected to the drain region. Further, the scanning line 3a is arranged so as to face the channel region 1a '(see FIG. 5) in the semiconductor layer 1a, and the scanning line 3a functions as a gate electrode.

  The capacitor line 3b extends along the data line 6a from the main line portion (formed along the scan line 3a in plan view) that extends substantially linearly along the scan line 3a and the data line 6a. In the figure, it has a protruding portion protruding upward (extending along the data line 6a in plan view).

  A first light-shielding film 11a is provided in a region indicated by a diagonal line rising to the right in FIG. More specifically, the first light shielding film 11a is provided at a position where the TFT element 30 including the channel region 1a ′ of the semiconductor layer 1a in the pixel portion is viewed from the TFT array substrate 10 side, The main line portion extends linearly along the scanning line 3a so as to face the main line portion of the capacitor line 3b, and the protrusion portion protrudes downward in the drawing along the data line 6a from a location intersecting the data line 6a. The tip of the downward projecting portion in each stage (pixel row) of the first light shielding film 11a overlaps the tip of the upward projecting portion of the capacitor line 3b in the next stage under the data line 6a. A contact hole 13 for electrically connecting the first light-shielding film 11a and the capacitor line 3b to each other is provided at the overlapping portion. In other words, in the present embodiment, the first light shielding film 11 a is electrically connected to the capacitor line 3 b before or after the contact hole 13.

  The TFT element 30 (which will be described with reference to FIG. 4 but may refer to FIG. 5 as appropriate) is formed around the semiconductor layer 1a made of a polysilicon film or the like. A data line 6 a is connected to a source region (described later) of the semiconductor layer 1 a through a contact hole 5. Further, a pixel electrode 9 is connected to a drain region (described later) of the semiconductor layer 1 a through a contact hole 8. On the other hand, a channel region 1a 'is formed in a portion of the semiconductor layer 1a facing the scanning line 3a.

(Cross-section structure)
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a cross-sectional structure of the liquid crystal display device, and corresponds to a side cross section taken along line AA ′ in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the liquid crystal display device 90 of the present embodiment is mainly composed of the TFT array substrate 10, the counter substrate 20 disposed to face the TFT array substrate 10, and the liquid crystal layer 40 sandwiched therebetween. It is configured. Here, the TFT array substrate 10 is mainly composed of a substrate body 10A made of a light-transmitting material such as glass or quartz, and the TFT element 30, the pixel electrode 9 and the inorganic alignment film 16 formed inside thereof. Yes. One counter substrate 20 is mainly composed of a substrate body 20A made of a translucent material such as glass or quartz, a common electrode 21 formed on the inside thereof, an inorganic alignment film 22 and the like.

  On the inner surface side of the TFT array substrate 10, a first light shielding film 11a and a first interlayer insulating film 12, which will be described later, are formed. A semiconductor layer 1a is formed on the surface of the first interlayer insulating film 12, and a TFT element 30 is formed around the semiconductor layer 1a. A channel region 1a 'is formed in a portion of the semiconductor layer 1a facing the scanning line 3a, and a source region and a drain region are formed on both sides thereof. Since the TFT element 30 employs an LDD (Lightly Doped Drain) structure, a high concentration region having a relatively high impurity concentration and a low concentration region (LDD region) having a relatively low impurity concentration in the source region and the drain region, respectively. And are formed. That is, a low concentration source region 1b and a high concentration source region 1d are formed in the source region, and a low concentration drain region 1c and a high concentration drain region 1e are formed in the drain region.

  A gate insulating film 2 is formed on the surface of the semiconductor layer 1a. A scanning line 3a is formed on the surface of the gate insulating film 2, and a portion facing the channel region 1a 'constitutes a gate electrode. A second interlayer insulating film 4 is formed on the surfaces of the gate insulating film 2 and the scanning line 3a. A data line 6a is formed on the surface of the second interlayer insulating film 4, and the data line 6a is connected to the high-concentration source region 1d through a contact hole 5 formed in the second interlayer insulating film 4. . Further, a third interlayer insulating film 7 is formed on the surfaces of the second interlayer insulating film 4 and the data line 6a. A pixel electrode 9 is formed on the surface of the third interlayer insulating film 7, and the pixel electrode 9 is a high-concentration drain through a contact hole 8 formed in the second interlayer insulating film 4 and the third interlayer insulating film 7. It is connected to the area 1e. Furthermore, an inorganic alignment film 16 is formed so as to cover the pixel electrode 9 so that the alignment of liquid crystal molecules when a non-selection voltage is applied can be regulated.

  In the present embodiment, the first storage capacitor electrode 1f is formed by extending the semiconductor layer 1a. Further, the gate insulating film 2 is extended to form a dielectric film, and the capacitor line 3b is disposed on the surface thereof to form a second storage capacitor electrode. Thus, the above-described storage capacitor 17 is configured.

  A first light shielding film 11 a is formed on the surface of the substrate body 10 </ b> A corresponding to the formation region of the TFT element 30. The first light shielding film 11a prevents light incident on the liquid crystal display device 90 from entering the channel region 1a ', the low concentration source region 1b, and the low concentration drain region 1c of the semiconductor layer 1a.

  On the other hand, a second light shielding film 23 is formed on the inner surface of the substrate body 20 </ b> A in the counter substrate 20. The second light shielding film 23 prevents light incident on the liquid crystal display device 90 from entering the channel region 1a ′, the low concentration source region 1b, the low concentration drain region 1c, and the like of the semiconductor layer 1a. Are provided in a region overlapping with the semiconductor layer 1a (see FIG. 4). A common electrode 21 made of a conductor such as ITO is formed on the entire inner surface of the counter substrate 20 including the second light shielding film 23 over the entire surface. Further, an inorganic alignment film 22 is formed on the surface of the common electrode 21 so that the alignment of liquid crystal molecules when a non-selection voltage is applied can be regulated.

  A liquid crystal layer 40 made of nematic liquid crystal or the like is sandwiched between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. The nematic liquid crystal molecules have a positive dielectric anisotropy, and are horizontally aligned along the substrate when a non-selection voltage is applied, and vertically aligned along the electric field direction when a selection voltage is applied. The nematic liquid crystal molecules have positive refractive index anisotropy, and the product (retardation) Δnd of the birefringence and the liquid crystal layer thickness is, for example, about 0.40 μm (60 ° C.). Note that the alignment regulation direction by the inorganic alignment film 16 of the TFT array substrate 10 and the alignment regulation direction by the inorganic alignment film 22 of the counter substrate 20 are set to be twisted by about 90 °. As a result, the liquid crystal display device 90 of the present embodiment operates in the twisted nematic mode.

  Further, polarizing plates 18 and 28 made of a material obtained by doping polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with iodine or the like are disposed outside the substrates 10 and 20. The polarizing plates 18 and 28 are preferably mounted on a support substrate made of a high thermal conductivity material such as sapphire glass or quartz, and are spaced apart from the liquid crystal display device 90. Each of the polarizing plates 18 and 28 has a function of absorbing linearly polarized light in the absorption axis direction and transmitting linearly polarized light in the transmission axis direction. The polarizing plate 18 on the TFT array substrate 10 side is arranged so that its transmission axis substantially coincides with the alignment regulating direction of the inorganic alignment film 16, and the polarizing plate 28 on the counter substrate 20 side has its transmission axis on the inorganic alignment film 22. It is arrange | positioned so that it may correspond with the orientation control direction of this.

  The liquid crystal display device 90 is arranged with the counter substrate 20 facing the light source side. Of the light source light, only linearly polarized light that matches the transmission axis of the polarizing plate 28 passes through the polarizing plate 28 and enters the liquid crystal display device 90. In the liquid crystal display device 90 when a non-selection voltage is applied, the liquid crystal molecules horizontally aligned with respect to the substrate are stacked and arranged in a spiral shape by twisting about 90 ° in the thickness direction of the liquid crystal layer 40. Therefore, the linearly polarized light incident on the liquid crystal display device 90 is rotated about 90 ° and emitted from the liquid crystal display device 90. Since this linearly polarized light coincides with the transmission axis of the polarizing plate 18, it passes through the polarizing plate 18. Therefore, white display is performed on the liquid crystal display device 90 when the non-selection voltage is applied (normally white mode).

  Further, in the liquid crystal display device 90 when the selection voltage is applied, the liquid crystal molecules are vertically aligned with respect to the substrate. Therefore, the linearly polarized light incident on the liquid crystal display device 90 is emitted from the liquid crystal display device 90 without being rotated. Since this linearly polarized light is orthogonal to the transmission axis of the polarizing plate 18, it does not pass through the polarizing plate 18. Therefore, black display is performed on the liquid crystal display device 90 when the selection voltage is applied.

(Inorganic alignment film)
As described above, the inorganic alignment films 16 and 22 are formed inside both the substrates 10 and 20. The inorganic alignment films 16 and 22 have a thickness of 0.02 to 0.3 μm (preferably, a silicon oxide such as SiO ₂ or SiO, or a metal oxide such as Al ₂ O ₃ , ZnO, MgO, or ITO). 0.02 to 0.08 μm). In order to manufacture the inorganic alignment films 16 and 22, for example, a sputtering method such as an ion beam sputtering method or a magnetron sputtering method, a vapor deposition method, a sol-gel method, a self-organization method, or the like can be used.

  Here, when the inorganic alignment films 16 and 22 are formed using, for example, an ion beam sputtering apparatus, sputtered particles serving as a material for forming the inorganic alignment films 16 and 22 are emitted from the target by an ion beam irradiated from an ion source. By depositing on the TFT array substrate 10 or the counter substrate 20, an infinite number of columnar structures made of an inorganic material are formed on the substrates 10 and 20, and the inorganic alignment films 16 and 22 are configured.

  In the liquid crystal display device 90, since the liquid crystal molecules are aligned along the columnar structure, the inorganic alignment film 22 can regulate the alignment of liquid crystal molecules when a non-selection voltage is applied in a predetermined direction. In addition, pretilt can be imparted to the liquid crystal molecules.

(Sealing structure)
Next, the characteristic part of the liquid crystal display device in this embodiment will be described below.
Here, a structure in which the injection port 24 provided in the sealing material 14 is sealed with the sealing material 19 is a sealing structure, and an example of this sealing structure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line NN ′ in FIG. 6, and is an enlarged view of the sealing structure portion. Further, the inner surfaces of the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are the surfaces facing each other, that is, the surfaces on which the liquid crystal is arranged. On the other hand, the respective outer surfaces of the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are surfaces opposite to the inner surface where no liquid crystal is disposed.

  The sealing material 14 has the injection port 24 for injecting liquid crystal as described above, and FIG. 6 shows an example of its shape. The sealing material 14 is provided along the peripheral edge of the counter substrate 20, and an opening having a predetermined size is formed at a substantially central portion of the side on the external circuit connection terminal 102 side provided on the TFT array substrate 10. The both ends are separated. An opening formed in a part of the sealing material 14 functions as an injection port 24 for injecting liquid crystal between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the counter substrate 20 according to the present embodiment has a peripheral portion at least at a position corresponding to the injection port 24 of the sealing material 14 toward the outside (on the upper surface 20 a side). An inclined surface 25 that is inclined is formed. The inclined surface 25 is inclined at a predetermined angle θ so as to connect the inner and outer surfaces (the upper surface 20 a and the lower surface 20 b) of the counter substrate 20, and preferably has a size larger than the opening region of the injection port 24. Furthermore, the molding material 15 shown in FIG. 6 has an opening 26 for securing the opening of the injection port 24 at a position corresponding to the injection port 24 of the sealing material 14.

  6 and 7, the sealing material 19 is provided so as to cover the inclined surface 25 and a part of the upper surface 10a of the TFT array substrate 10 from the outside, whereby the opening 26 of the molding material 15 is provided. The inlet 24 of the sealing material 14 is sealed so as to include Specifically, the inclined surface 25 provided on a part of the peripheral edge of the counter substrate 20 has a predetermined inclination angle θ with respect to the lower surface 20b so as to connect the upper surface 20a (outer surface) and the lower surface 20b (inner surface) of the counter substrate 20. It is formed to incline at. Then, a part of the inclined surface 25 and a part of the upper surface 10a of the TFT array substrate 10 are covered from the outside, and the sealing material 19 is provided to reach the side surface of the molding material 15 beyond both sides of the injection port 24 in plan view. The injection port 24 is sealed. The sealing material 19 substantially fills the inside of the injection port 24 so as to be in contact with the liquid crystal layer 40 without generating a gap between the sealing material 19 and the liquid crystal layer 40. Here, as described above, the inorganic alignment film 22 formed with a substantially constant thickness along the inner surface (upper surface 10 a) of the TFT array substrate 10 is provided on the opposite surface side of the opposite substrate 20. Although an inorganic alignment film is also formed on the TFT array substrate 10, the illustration is omitted in FIG.

  In the liquid crystal display device 90, when moisture or impurities enter the liquid crystal layer 40 sandwiched between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, various functions of the liquid crystal display device 90 are hindered. If water, which is a polarizable molecule, permeates into the liquid crystal, the liquid crystal may have poor alignment and display characteristics may be deteriorated. Therefore, in order to obtain a highly reliable liquid crystal display device 90 having stable display characteristics, it is desirable to have a high moisture resistance against moisture from the outside.

  In the sealing structure of this embodiment, as described above, the inclined surface 25 is formed on a part of the peripheral edge of the counter substrate 20 so as to correspond to the injection port 24 of the sealing material 14, and the TFT array substrate 10. The injection port 24 is sealed by applying the sealing material 19 so as to cover a part of the upper surface 10 a and the inclined surface 25.

  According to such a sealing structure, the contact area between the sealing material 19 and the counter substrate 20 increases. That is, the interface distance between the sealing material 19 and the counter substrate 20 becomes long. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility of moisture reaching the liquid crystal layer 40 and to delay the penetration of moisture. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the deterioration of display characteristics due to the mixing of moisture into the liquid crystal layer 40 as described above, and to obtain a highly reliable liquid crystal display device 90 having stable display characteristics. Further, as the angle θ of the inclined surface 25 is smaller, the interface distance between the sealing material 19 and the inorganic alignment film 16 can be increased and the dripping of the sealing material 19 due to gravity can be prevented. The angle θ of the inclined surface 25 is appropriately determined also from the relationship with the image display area. In addition, the thickness of the sealing material 19 can be increased by increasing the coating amount, and the moisture permeability can be reduced.

  In addition, as another shape of the inclined surface 25, as shown in FIG. 8, the boundary portion between the upper surface 20a and the inclined surface 25 of the counter substrate 20 and the boundary portion between the lower surface 20b and the inclined surface 25 may be curved. good. By forming the curved portion 47 at the boundary between the upper surface 20a of the counter substrate 20 and the inclined surface 25, the sealing material 19 can be prevented from drooping, and the boundary between the lower surface 20b of the counter substrate 20 and the inclined surface 25 ( By forming the curved portion 48 at the corner portion, the sealing material 19 is cracked even when some load is applied to the sealing material 19 (for example, when distortion occurs between the substrates 10 and 20). Can be prevented. Therefore, more stable water resistance and moisture resistance can be ensured.

Further, the entire inclined surface 25 may be curved, and the same effect as described above can be achieved by making the entire curved surface so as to protrude outward. Moreover, the application amount of the sealing material 19 can be increased by curving the inclined surface 25 in this way. Therefore, the possibility that moisture permeates the liquid crystal through the sealing material 19 can be reduced, and the moisture resistance of the liquid crystal display device 90 can be further improved.
Thus, even in the sealing structure by the inclined surface 25 having any of the shapes described above, the interface distance between the sealing material 19 and each of the substrates 10 and 20 is long.

  Further, irregularities may be formed on the surface of the inclined surface 25. According to such a shape, compared with a smooth surface, the contact area between the sealing material 19 and the counter substrate 20 can be increased by an amount along the uneven shape. Therefore, the possibility of moisture intrusion can be further reduced. Further, since the contact area between the sealing material 19 and the counter substrate 20 is increased, the adhesion between the sealing material 19 and the counter substrate 20 is improved. Such an anchor effect further prevents the sealing material 19 from sagging.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, when curving an inclined surface, it protruded outward, but it is also possible to curve so that it may become depressed inside.

  An inclined surface may be formed over the entire periphery of the counter substrate 20. According to such a configuration, the boundary distance between the molding material 15 and the counter substrate 20 becomes long. Thereby, also on the molding material 15 side, it is possible to prevent a gap from being formed at the boundary with each of the substrates 10 and 20, and to reduce the possibility of moisture and the like entering the liquid crystal layer 40.

  Here, the liquid crystal display device 90 in the present embodiment has a structure in which the inorganic alignment film 16 is formed on the upper surface 10a of the TFT array substrate 10 on which the sealing material 19 is provided. The inorganic alignment film 16 is a columnar structure. Therefore, a gap may be generated between the sealing material 19 and the TFT array substrate 10. Therefore, there is a possibility that a large gap may be formed at the interface between the sealing material 19 and the inorganic alignment film 16, and moisture, impurities, and the like may pass through the gap (boundary) from the outside of the liquid crystal display device 90. There is a concern that the above-mentioned problems may occur. Therefore, the inorganic alignment film 16 may be provided only in the region where the liquid crystal layer 40 is sandwiched to prevent a large gap from being formed between the porous material and the sealing material 19. Of course, the same configuration can be applied to the inorganic alignment film 22.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the substrates 70 and 71 are usually provided with dust-proof glasses 77 and 78 for preventing dust from adhering to or scratching the surfaces of the substrates 70 and 71, respectively. According to the configuration of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the dust-proof glass 33 may be provided on the upper surface 20 a excluding the inclined surface 25 of the counter substrate 20. The size of the dust-proof glass can be small.

(Electronics)
Next, an example in which the liquid crystal display device of the present invention is applied to a projector will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a main part of the projector 50 (electronic device). The projector 50 includes the liquid crystal display device according to each of the above-described embodiments as light modulation means.

  In FIG. 9, 51 is a light source, 52 and 53 are dichroic mirrors, 54, 55 and 56 are reflection mirrors, 57 is an entrance lens, 58 is a relay lens, 59 is an exit lens, and 60, 61 and 62 are liquid crystal displays of the present invention. An optical modulation means comprising the device, 63 is a cross dichroic prism, and 64 is a projection lens. The light source 51 includes a lamp 65 such as a metal halide and a reflector 66 that reflects the light of the lamp.

  The dichroic mirror 52 transmits red light included in white light from the light source 51 and reflects blue light and green light. The transmitted red light is reflected by the reflection mirror 54 and is incident on the light modulation means 60 for red light. The green light reflected by the dichroic mirror 52 is reflected by the dichroic mirror 53 and is incident on the light modulating means 61 for green light. Further, the blue light reflected by the dichroic mirror 52 passes through the dichroic mirror 53. For blue light, in order to prevent light loss due to a long optical path, a light guide means 67 comprising a relay lens system including an incident lens 57, a relay lens 58 and an exit lens 59 is provided. Blue light is incident on the light modulating means 62 for blue light through the light guiding means 67.

  The three color lights modulated by the respective light modulation means 60, 61 and 62 are incident on the cross dichroic prism 63. The cross dichroic prism 63 is formed by bonding four right-angle prisms. A dielectric multilayer film that reflects red light and a dielectric multilayer film that reflects blue light are formed in an X shape at the interface. Yes. These dielectric multilayer films combine the three color lights to form light representing a color image. The synthesized light is projected onto the screen 68 by the projection lens 64 which is a projection optical system, and the image is enlarged and displayed.

  The liquid crystal display device of the above embodiment is highly reliable with high moisture resistance and stable display characteristics in order to reduce the possibility of moisture or the like entering the liquid crystal layer from the outside. Therefore, since the projector 50 according to the present invention includes the liquid crystal display device as a light modulation unit, it is possible to maintain the alignment control function of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal display device, and the display characteristics are highly reliable and excellent. It will be equipped with.

It should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes those in which various modifications are made to the above-described embodiment without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the embodiments, the transmissive liquid crystal display device has been described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to a reflective liquid crystal display device.

For example, the liquid crystal display device of the present invention can be applied to electronic devices other than projectors. A specific example is a mobile phone.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an example of a mobile phone. In FIG. 10, reference numeral 500 indicates a mobile phone body, and reference numeral 501 indicates a display unit using the liquid crystal display device. Since such an electronic device includes a display portion using the liquid crystal display device of the above embodiment, it can be provided as a high-quality electronic device including a highly reliable display portion.

  Other electronic devices include, for example, IC cards, video cameras, personal computers, head-mounted displays, fax machines with display functions, digital camera finders, portable TVs, DSP devices, PDAs, electronic notebooks, and electronic bulletin boards. And advertising announcement displays.

It is a top view which shows schematic structure of a liquid crystal display device. It is H-H 'sectional drawing of FIG. It is an equivalent circuit diagram of a liquid crystal display device. It is explanatory drawing which shows the planar structure of a liquid crystal display device. It is explanatory drawing which shows the cross-sectional structure of a liquid crystal display device. It is a top view which shows a sealing structure. FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line N-N ′ of FIG. 6. It is sectional drawing which shows another sealing structure. It is a schematic diagram which shows one Embodiment of the electronic device of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows other embodiment of the electronic device of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the conventional sealing structure.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 90 ... Liquid crystal display device, 10 ... TFT array substrate, 14 ... Sealing material, 15 ... Mold material, 16, 22 ... Inorganic alignment film, 19 ... Sealing material, 20 ... Opposite substrate, 24 ... Injection port, 25 ... Inclined surface 33 ... dustproof glass, 40 ... liquid crystal layer

Claims (5)

A pair of substrates disposed opposite to each other at a predetermined interval;
Liquid crystal held in a gap formed between the pair of substrates;
A sealing material disposed between the pair of substrates and having an inlet for injecting the liquid crystal;
A sealing material for sealing the inlet,
One of the pair of substrates is formed with an inclined surface that is inclined outwardly at least at a position corresponding to the inlet of the sealing material at a peripheral edge thereof, and covers the inclined surface. Thus, the sealing material is applied.     A liquid crystal display device, wherein the inclined surface has a curved shape.     The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the one substrate has a curved boundary between an outer surface and the inclined surface or an inner surface and the inclined surface.     A liquid crystal display device, wherein a dust-proof glass provided on an outer surface of one of the substrates is formed in a size excluding the inclined surface. An electronic apparatus comprising the liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 as light modulation means.

Images