JP2014191010A - Electro-optic device, method for manufacturing electro-optic device, and electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal device capable of preventing moisture absorption or intrusion of moisture.SOLUTION: The liquid crystal device includes a liquid crystal 50 held between a pair of substrates 10, 20 opposing to each other. The liquid crystal device also includes: alignment layers 31, 32 disposed on the respective inner surfaces of the pair of substrate 10, 20; a sealing material 40 disposed while the liquid crystal 50 is sealed between the alignment layers 31, 32; and a moisture-proof layer 90 which is disposed on a side end surface of the pair of substrates 10, 20 and which is composed of an inorganic flattening layer 92 formed to be partially located in a gap between the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, and an inorganic gas barrier layer 91 formed to be partially in contact with the inorganic flattening layer 92. The moisture permeability of the inorganic gas barrier layer 91 is controlled to be lower than the moisture permeability of the inorganic flattening layer 92.

Description

  The present invention relates to an electro-optical device, a manufacturing method thereof, and an electronic apparatus including the electro-optical device.

  In general, a liquid crystal device used as a light modulation means mounted on a liquid crystal projector or the like or a direct-view display device mounted on a mobile phone or the like is mainly composed of a pair of substrates provided with electrodes. On each inner surface side of the pair of substrates, a conductive film (pixel electrode, counter electrode, etc.) and an alignment film for controlling the initial alignment state of liquid crystal molecules in the case of a liquid crystal device are formed. Then, the pair of substrates are bonded to each other through, for example, a sealing material so that the substrates are bonded to each other. If a liquid crystal device is used, liquid crystal is sealed in a region surrounded by the sealing material. Is configured.

  By the way, along with the high-definition display and miniaturization of these devices, studies are being made to shorten the distance (seal thickness) from the inside of the liquid crystal to the outside of the sealing material in the case of a liquid crystal device. However, when this distance is shortened, there arises a problem that the moisture resistance of the seal portion is deteriorated. Specifically, when these liquid crystal devices are used in a hot and humid environment, moisture in the atmosphere permeates the sealing material and penetrates into the liquid crystal, and the penetrated moisture enters the alignment state of the liquid crystal. May have an impact. If a change occurs in the alignment state of the liquid crystal, it causes a display defect such as luminance unevenness.

  Conventionally, in order to solve such a problem, for example, there are techniques disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. Patent Document 1 proposes a liquid crystal device in which a gas barrier layer made of an inorganic material such as SiNx is formed by a sputtering method from a cut end face to a seal outer periphery. Patent Document 2 discloses a liquid crystal device that includes a gas barrier member disposed so as to cover the outside of the sealing material and the side surface of the substrate, and that covers the outer surface of the gas barrier member with an inorganic gas barrier layer, thereby realizing high gas barrier properties. Proposed.

JP 2008-225399 A JP 2009-163082 A

  However, in the liquid crystal device disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the gas barrier layer is formed, since high-energy sputtered particles collide with the outer wall of the sealing material, a part of the resin component constituting the sealing material is heated. There is a problem that an impurity source that is altered by decomposition or the like and is eluted into the liquid crystal layer is generated. Further, in the liquid crystal device disclosed in Patent Document 2, while the inorganic gas barrier layer is formed on the outer surface of the gas barrier portion made of a moisture-proof resin, moisture resistance can be improved, while in the step of forming the inorganic gas barrier layer, the liquid crystal device Due to heat applied to the apparatus, outgas is generated or impurities are eluted from the sealing material or gas barrier member which is a resin component. As described above, when impurities are eluted from the resin component of the sealing material or outgas is generated, defective liquid crystal alignment occurs at the boundary with the seal, which may cause display defects such as luminance unevenness.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances. For example, in an electro-optical device configured by bonding a pair of substrates through a sealing material, generation of impurities and outgas from the sealing material is reduced. The electro-optical device, the manufacturing method thereof, and the electro-optical device capable of improving the moisture resistance and reducing the thickness of the sealing material to achieve high-definition image display and downsizing of the device. The problem to be solved is to provide electronic devices.

  In order to solve the above problems, an aspect of the electro-optical device according to the present invention includes an electro-optical material provided between a first substrate and a second substrate, and the first substrate and the second substrate. At least a portion between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a sealing material provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. A first moisture-proof layer made of an inorganic material provided; and a second moisture-proof layer located outside the first moisture-proof layer and made to contact at least part of the outer surface of the first moisture-proof layer. A moisture-proof layer, wherein the moisture permeability of the second moisture-proof layer is lower than the moisture permeability of the first moisture-proof layer.

According to one aspect of the electro-optical device of the present invention, the moisture-proof layer includes a first moisture-proof layer made of an inorganic material at least partially provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, and an outer side of the first moisture-proof layer. And a second moisture-proof layer formed of an inorganic material so that at least a part of the surface is in contact with the surface. The second moisture-proof layer has a lower moisture permeability than the first moisture-proof layer. Therefore, it can prevent that a pinhole and a crack arise in a 2nd moisture-proof layer. As a result, even when the thickness of the sealing material is reduced, high moisture resistance can be obtained, and a change in electro-optical material (for example, a change in the alignment state of the liquid crystal) is suppressed to reduce display defects. be able to. In addition, by flattening the surface in contact with the second moisture-proof layer in the first moisture-proof layer, the second moisture-proof layer can be adhered to the first moisture-proof layer, and pinholes and cracks are generated in the second moisture-proof layer. It can be prevented more reliably.
Here, the moisture permeability represents the amount of water vapor that passes through a test piece of a unit area per unit time under conditions of a predetermined temperature and humidity, and is a moisture sensitive sensor method (Lyssy method), a cup method, an infrared ray. It is measured by a sensor method (Mocon method) or the like. Further, the electro-optical material is a material whose optical characteristics change depending on electric energy, and corresponds to liquid crystal, organic EL, inorganic EL, and the like.

  In one aspect of the electro-optical device described above, it is preferable that a gap region is formed at least partially between the sealing material and the moisture-proof layer. In this case, even if heat is generated by the treatment when the moisture-proof layer is formed, the heat is absorbed by the void region, and it is possible to suppress applying a heat load to the sealing material. As a result, outgas, non-volatile impurities, and the like are generated from the sealing material and can be prevented from being mixed into the electro-optical material and causing characteristic deterioration (for example, poor alignment of liquid crystal).

  In one aspect of the electro-optical device described above, it is preferable that a third moisture-proof layer made of an organic-inorganic hybrid material is formed so as to cover an outer surface of the second moisture-proof layer. Here, the organic-inorganic hybrid material is one in which both an organic component and an inorganic component exist in the same molecule. Thereby, compared with only an inorganic material, it can have high heat resistance and light resistance.

  In one aspect of the electro-optical device described above, it is preferable that the first moisture-proof layer has electrical insulation. In this case, it is possible to prevent a conduction failure in the wiring exposed at the end face of the substrate or the panel terminal portion.

  Next, an aspect of the electronic apparatus of the present invention includes the above-described aspect of the electro-optical device of the present invention. According to one embodiment of the above-described electro-optical device, high moisture resistance can be obtained, and deterioration of characteristics of the electro-optical material (for example, change in the alignment state of liquid crystal) can be suppressed to reduce display defects. Therefore, according to one aspect of the electronic apparatus of the present invention, a projection display device, an optical pickup, a television, a mobile phone, an electronic notebook, a word processor, a viewfinder type, or a monitor direct view that can exhibit excellent display characteristics. Various electronic devices such as video tape recorders, workstations, videophones, POS terminals, and touch panels can be realized.

  Next, one aspect of a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device in which an electro-optical material is provided between a first substrate and a second substrate, and the first substrate. Forming a first moisture-proof layer made of an inorganic material so that at least a part is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate. A first moisture-proof layer forming step and a second moisture-proof layer that forms a second moisture-proof layer made of an inorganic material having a lower moisture permeability than the first moisture-proof layer so that at least a part of the outer surface of the first moisture-proof layer is in contact with the first moisture-proof layer And a forming step.

  According to the aspect of the method for manufacturing the electro-optical device described above, the first moisture-proof layer is formed so that at least part of the moisture-proof layer is in contact with the outer surface of the first moisture-proof layer after the first moisture-proof layer is formed. Since the 2nd moisture-proof layer which consists of an inorganic material is formed low, it can suppress that a pinhole and a crack arise in a 2nd moisture-proof layer. As a result, it is possible to obtain higher moisture resistance than to form a moisture-proof layer with a single inorganic material, and to suppress display deterioration by suppressing characteristic deterioration of the electro-optical material (for example, change in the alignment state of the liquid crystal). be able to.

  In one aspect of the method for manufacturing an electro-optical device described above, it is preferable that in the first moisture-proof layer forming step, a void region is formed at least partly between the sealing material and the first moisture-proof layer. In this case, even if heat is generated by the treatment for forming the first moisture-proof layer and the second moisture-proof layer, it is possible to suppress heat from being absorbed in the void region and applying a thermal load to the sealing material. As a result, it is possible to prevent the outgas generated from the sealing material, non-volatile impurities, and the like from being mixed into the electro-optical material and causing deterioration in characteristics of the electro-optical material (for example, alignment failure in the liquid crystal).

  In one aspect of the method for manufacturing an electro-optical device described above, it is preferable to further include a film forming step of covering the surface of the inorganic gas barrier layer with a moisture-proof film made of an organic-inorganic hybrid material. In this case, since the organic-inorganic hybrid material has both an organic component and an inorganic component in the same molecule, it can have higher moisture resistance than the inorganic material alone.

  In the aspect of the method for manufacturing the electro-optical device described above, it is preferable that the first moisture-proof layer is formed by an oblique vapor deposition method or an ion assisted vapor deposition method in the first moisture-proof layer forming step. Here, the oblique vapor deposition method is a method of forming a film by depositing columnar structures while arranging at a predetermined angle with respect to the side surfaces of a pair of substrates. By accelerating the vapor deposition material molecules irradiated on the substrate with ionized gas molecules, the adhesion between the columnar structure and the substrate is increased, and the packing density of the columnar structure is further increased. is there. In this case, the first moisture-proof layer can be steadily formed on the outer peripheral end face regardless of the depth of the gap on the outer peripheral end face of the substrate and the size of the opening.

  In the aspect of the method for manufacturing the electro-optical device described above, it is preferable that in the second moisture-proof layer forming step, the second moisture-proof layer is formed by a vapor deposition method or an oblique vapor deposition method using an ion assist method. Here, the vapor deposition method is a method of forming a film on a substrate by evaporating a material in a vacuum by heating or the like. In this case, the thermal load exerted on the liquid crystal panel and the inorganic flattening layer when forming the inorganic gas barrier layer can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to prevent deterioration of characteristics of the electro-optical material (for example, poor liquid crystal alignment) due to the elution of impurities into the electro-optical material.

1 is a schematic plan view showing a structure of a liquid crystal device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic cross section which shows the structure of the liquid crystal device of the embodiment. It is a schematic cross section showing the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal device of the embodiment. It is a schematic plan view which shows the structure of the liquid crystal device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic cross section which shows the moisture-proof layer of the liquid crystal device of the embodiment. It is a schematic cross section which shows the structure of the liquid crystal device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing the structure of the liquid crystal device shown in FIG. It is a schematic plan view which shows the structure of the liquid crystal device which concerns on a modification. It is a perspective view of an electronic device (projection type display device). It is a perspective view of an electronic device (personal computer). It is a perspective view of an electronic device (cellular phone).

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, in each figure, the size and scale of each part are appropriately changed from the actual ones. Further, since the embodiments described below are preferable specific examples of the present invention, various technically preferable limitations are attached thereto. However, the scope of the present invention is particularly limited in the following description. Unless otherwise stated, the present invention is not limited to these forms.

<A: First Embodiment>
(Configuration of liquid crystal device)
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing the structure of a liquid crystal device which is an example of the electro-optical device of the invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a partial structure of a liquid crystal device which is an example of the electro-optical device of the invention. Hereinafter, the structure of the liquid crystal device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

  In the present embodiment, the liquid crystal device 100 is used for a light valve or the like of a liquid crystal projector. For example, a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as “TFT (Thin Film Transistor) element”) is used as a pixel switching element. TFT active matrix type liquid crystal device.

  In the liquid crystal device 100, the element substrate (first substrate) 10 and the counter substrate (second substrate) 20 are bonded together via a sealing material 40 having a substantially rectangular frame shape in plan view, and partitioned by the sealing material 40. The liquid crystal 50 is sealed and held in the region.

  The element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are made of, for example, a glass substrate or a quartz substrate. The pair of substrates 10 and 20 are bonded together by a liquid crystal drop bonding method (One Drop Filling; ODF method).

  The sealing material 40 is an adhesive made of, for example, a photocurable resin or a thermosetting resin, and the sealing material 40 is disposed so as to be positioned between the side surface 12 of the element substrate 10 and the liquid crystal 50. Further, the sealing member 40 is mixed with a filler component such as glass fiber or glass beads for setting the distance between the two substrates to a predetermined value, and the thickness between the substrates is, for example, 1.5 μm to 3.5 μm. It has become.

  A peripheral parting (not shown) made of a light-shielding material is formed in the inner region of the sealing material 40, while the data line driving circuit 71 and the mounting terminal 72 are elements in the outer region of the sealing material 40. A scanning line driving circuit (not shown) is formed along two sides adjacent to the one side of the substrate 10. In addition, a plurality of wirings (not shown) are provided on the remaining side of the element substrate 10 for connecting between the scanning line driving circuits provided on both sides of the image display area.

  The image display area 50a is composed of a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix. Each pixel is formed with a pixel electrode and a TFT element which is a switching element for controlling the pixel electrode, and a data line to which an image signal is supplied is electrically connected to the source of the TFT element. Has been. The image signals supplied to the data lines are supplied line-sequentially in this order, or are supplied for each group to a plurality of adjacent data lines. Thereby, in the liquid crystal 50, the orientation and order of the molecular assembly change depending on the applied voltage level, thereby modulating the light and enabling gradation display.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a conductive film (pixel electrode) 11 and an alignment film for controlling the alignment of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal 50 when no voltage is applied are formed on the surface of the element substrate 10 on the liquid crystal 50 side. 31 is formed. A polarizing plate that transmits only predetermined polarized light and, if necessary, a dustproof plate are disposed on the surface of the element substrate 10 opposite to the liquid crystal 50 side.

  On the other hand, a conductive film (common electrode) 21 and an alignment film 32 for controlling the alignment of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal 50 when no voltage is applied are formed on the surface of the counter substrate 20 on the liquid crystal 50 side. . A polarizing plate that transmits only predetermined polarized light and, if necessary, a dust-proof film are disposed on the surface of the element substrate 10 opposite to the liquid crystal 50 side.

  As the conductive films 11 and 21, for example, a transparent conductive material of an indium oxide film (ITO film) doped with tin is used. In addition, various known conductive films having translucency and conductivity, such as an IZO film and an FTO film, can also be used. In the case where translucency is not required, various known conductive films having excellent conductivity can be applied. The ITO film can be formed by an evaporation method, a sputtering method, a baking method (also referred to as a coating pyrolysis method), or the like.

  In order to form an ITO film by using the sputtering method, an ITO transparent conductive film made of indium oxide and tin oxide is set to a predetermined film thickness (for example, 0.8 mm) by setting the substrate surface temperature to a predetermined temperature (for example, 200 ° C.). A film is formed to a thickness of 05 μm to 10 μm, and heat treatment is performed while maintaining a predetermined temperature (for example, 200 ° C. to 250 ° C.) for a certain time (for example, 60 minutes). Thereafter, patterning is performed in a desired planar shape by photolithography as necessary.

  In order to form the ITO film using the firing method, a liquid material of the ITO film is placed on the substrate, and the film is heat-treated. Formation of a conductive film using a liquid phase method is advantageous in reducing manufacturing costs. As an arrangement technique of the liquid material, an inkjet method, a Cap coating method, a spin coating method, or the like can be used. By using an organic solvent in which an organic compound of indium and an organic compound of tin are dissolved in the presence of an organic amine as the liquid material, firing at a relatively low temperature (for example, 250 ° C. or less) becomes possible. Further, after a fine particle film containing light-transmitting conductive fine particles is formed on a substrate, an organic solvent in which the light-transmitting conductive fine particles are dissolved is infiltrated into the fine particle film, and then the film is subjected to heat treatment (firing). ), A light-transmitting conductive film having excellent conductivity can be obtained even when the firing temperature is relatively low (for example, 250 ° C. or lower).

  As the alignment films 31 and 32, both an organic alignment film and an inorganic alignment film are applicable. The organic alignment film can be formed, for example, by performing an alignment process such as rubbing on the surface of a polymer film such as polyimide. An inorganic alignment film has higher light resistance and heat resistance than an organic alignment film. After an inorganic film such as SiO2 is formed by vapor deposition or sputtering, the surface of the inorganic film is irradiated with an ion beam or a particle beam. The film can be formed by performing an orientation treatment. Alternatively, the inorganic alignment film can also be formed by a so-called oblique vapor deposition method in which an inorganic material is incident on the substrate obliquely to form a film having an oblique columnar structure.

  A moisture-proof layer 90 is formed on the side surfaces of the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. Each of the members constituting the moisture-proof layer 90 has particularly low water permeability and moisture permeability, and therefore has a water permeability function and a moisture permeability function that favorably prevents water permeability and moisture permeability at a portion covered by the moisture resistance layer 90.

  In the present embodiment, the moisture-proof layer 90 is made of an inorganic material and is provided so as to cover the outer side of the gap between the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the moisture-proof layer 90 includes an inorganic planarization layer (first moisture-proof layer) 92 formed so that a part thereof is located in the gap between the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20; It is formed from an inorganic gas barrier layer (first moisture barrier layer) 91 formed so as to be in contact with at least a part of the outer surface of the inorganic planarizing layer 92.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the inorganic flattening layer 92 is formed so as to cover the entire outer periphery of the pair of substrates 10 and 20 that are arranged to face each other. And the sealing material 40. As shown in FIG. 2, the inorganic flattened layer 92 has a sloped surface 92a on the inner side and is flattened on the outer side. On the other hand, the inorganic gas barrier layer 91 comes to be in contact with the surface opposite to the surface on which the sealing material 40 of the inorganic planarization layer is located. That is, the flattened inorganic flattened layer 92 is formed so as to cover the whole from the outside.

The inorganic flattening layer 92 is made of an electrically insulating substance, for example, an inorganic material such as silicon oxide such as SiO or SiO ₂ or alumina. This inorganic planarization layer 92 is formed by the oblique vapor deposition method or the oblique vapor deposition method using the ion assist method in combination. On the other hand, the inorganic gas barrier layer 91 may be formed of an inorganic material such as silicon oxide such as SiO or SiO ₂ or alumina, a metal material such as aluminum or chromium, or an alloy material combining them. The inorganic gas barrier layer 91 is formed by vapor deposition or ion-assisted vapor deposition.

  The inorganic gas barrier layer 91 and the inorganic planarization layer 92 may be formed of the same material or different materials. In this example, the moisture permeability of the inorganic gas barrier layer 91 is inorganic planarization. The material is selected to be lower than the moisture permeability of layer 92. Here, the moisture permeability represents the amount of water vapor that passes through a test piece of a unit area per unit time under conditions of a predetermined temperature and humidity. In the present embodiment, the moisture sensitivity sensor method (Lyssy method) is used. ).

  The humidity sensor method is to measure the humidity of the upper chamber per unit time by inserting a test piece with a specific substance between the upper chamber where the humidity sensor is attached and the lower chamber where saturated water vapor is released. It is. In this embodiment, a substrate having an inorganic flattening layer formed on a polycarbonate substrate having a thickness of 1 mm and an inorganic flattening layer formed on the polycarbonate substrate having a thickness of 1.5 μm, and an inorganic gas barrier layer formed on the substrate from the vertical direction. Is compared with a substrate having a thickness of 0.5 μm.

  In the present embodiment, the moisture permeability is set to increase in the order of polycarbonate substrate ≧ substrate with inorganic planarization layer> inorganic planarization layer and substrate with inorganic gas barrier layer. The moisture permeability may be measured by a cup method, an infrared sensor method (Mocon method), or the like in addition to the moisture sensitive sensor method.

  In addition, a gap region 60 is formed between the sealing material 40 and the moisture-proof layer 90 as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the inclined surface 92 a is formed so that the inorganic planarizing layer 92 does not come into contact with the sealing member 40, and the void region 60 is formed between the inclined surface 92 a and the sealing material 40.

(Production method)
Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the above-described liquid crystal device 100 will be described. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating an example of each state in the method for manufacturing the liquid crystal device 100 according to the present embodiment.

  First, in this electrode formation process, a semiconductor layer (not shown), various wirings such as scanning lines and signal lines are formed on the surface of the element substrate 10 by a known method, and then a plurality of pixel electrodes are formed by a known method. Then, a light shielding film and a common electrode are formed on the substrate surface of the other counter substrate 20 by a known method. Next, as shown in FIG. 3A, a bonding process in which the liquid crystal 50 is disposed between the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, and the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are bonded to each other through the sealing material 40. I do. At this time, the sealing material 40 is applied on the substrate so that the sealing material 40 is disposed between the side surfaces 12 and 22 of the pair of substrates 10 and 20 and the liquid crystal 50.

  Further, a moisture-proof layer forming step is performed in which a moisture-proof layer 90 made of an inorganic material is formed so as to cover the outside of the gap between the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. In this moisture-proof layer forming step, as shown in FIG. 3B, an inorganic planarizing layer 92 made of an inorganic material is formed so that at least a part is provided between the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 (first step). 1 moisture barrier layer forming step). This inorganic planarization layer 92 is formed by the oblique vapor deposition method or the oblique vapor deposition method combined with the ion assist method. At this time, the inorganic planarization layer 92 is formed between the sealing material 40 and the moisture-proof layer 90 so that the void region 60 is provided in at least a part thereof. Then, after the inorganic planarization layer 92 is formed on the pair of substrates 10 and 20, a process for planarizing the outer portion of the inorganic planarization layer 92 is performed.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3C, an inorganic gas barrier layer 91 is formed so that at least a part of the surface of the inorganic planarization layer 92 formed on the pair of substrates 10 and 20 is in contact with the outer surface. Thereby, the inorganic gas barrier layer 91 is formed so as to cover the entire inorganic planarization layer 92. This inorganic gas barrier layer 91 is formed by vapor deposition or ion-assisted vapor deposition. In this way, the liquid crystal device 100 is manufactured.

(Action / Effect)
According to the present embodiment, since the moisture-proof layer 90 has the inorganic gas barrier layer 91 with low moisture permeability formed on the surface of the flattened inorganic flattened layer 92, the inorganic gas barrier with low moisture permeability is formed. Pinholes and cracks can be prevented from occurring in the layer. As a result, it is possible to obtain higher moisture resistance than to form a moisture-proof layer with a single inorganic material, to prevent a change in the alignment state of the liquid crystal 50 and to suppress display defects.

  In the present embodiment, it is preferable that a gap region 60 is formed between the sealing material 40 and the moisture-proof layer 90. In this case, even if heat is generated by the treatment for forming the moisture-proof layer 90, the conduction of heat is relaxed by the gap region 60, and the heat load can be relatively difficult to be applied to the seal member 40. As a result, outgas, non-volatile impurities, and the like are generated from the seal member, and can be further prevented from being mixed into the liquid crystal and causing poor alignment in the liquid crystal.

  In this embodiment, since the inorganic flattening layer 92 that is in contact with the pair of substrates 10 and 20 is formed of a material having at least electrical insulation, poor conduction in the wiring exposed at the substrate end face and the panel terminal portion. Can be prevented.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the inorganic flattening layer 92 is formed by the oblique vapor deposition method or the oblique vapor deposition method combined with the ion assist method, so that it depends on the depth of the gap and the size of the opening portion of the outer peripheral end surface of the substrate. The inorganic planarization layer 92 can be steadily formed on the outer peripheral end face.

  In addition, since the inorganic gas barrier layer 91 is formed by a vapor deposition method or an ion-assisted vapor deposition method, it is possible to reduce the thermal load on the liquid crystal 50 and the inorganic flattening layer 92 when the inorganic gas barrier layer 91 is formed. A defect phenomenon of liquid crystal alignment due to elution of impurities into the liquid crystal can be prevented. That is, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of display defects such as spots, unevenness, and domains in which outgas and impurities generated from the seal member 40 enter the liquid crystal 50 and spread from the seal end toward the display area.

  As described above, in the liquid crystal device 100 according to the present embodiment, high moisture resistance can be obtained, and alignment defects of liquid crystals can be prevented and display defects can be suppressed. Specifically, a test for evaluating reliability of moisture resistance of the liquid crystal device 100 was performed. As test conditions, each liquid crystal device 100 was stored for 1000 hours under an environment of a temperature of 60 ° and a humidity of 90%, and evaluation was performed by observing an image displayed from each liquid crystal device 100 after storage. In this case, it was confirmed that display defects such as spots, unevenness, and domains do not occur in the liquid crystal device 100.

<B: Second Embodiment>
The configuration of the liquid crystal device 100b according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the liquid crystal device 100a of the first embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, but the liquid crystal device 100a of the first embodiment is a pair of Whereas the moisture-proof layer 90 is formed with the side surfaces of the substrates 10 and 20 aligned, the liquid crystal device 100b according to the second embodiment forms the moisture-proof layer 90a with the side surfaces displaced. Is different.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the structure of the liquid crystal device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the moisture-proof layer of the liquid crystal device of the same embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, in the liquid crystal device 100 b according to the present embodiment, the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, which are larger in size than the counter substrate 20, are interposed through a sealing material 40 having a substantially rectangular frame shape in plan view. It is pasted together. The sealing material 40 of the liquid crystal device 100 is provided with a liquid crystal injection port 41 for injecting liquid crystal after the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are bonded together at the time of manufacture. It is sealed with a sealing material 42 later.

  And in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, in the state which the side surface of a pair of board | substrates 10 and 20 shifted | deviated, the inorganic planarization layer 94 and an inorganic gas barrier layer are covered so that the gap | interval outer side of a pair of board | substrates 10 and 20 may be covered. A moisture-proof layer 90a made of 91a is formed. Specifically, the inorganic planarization layer 94 is formed so as to cover the gap between the pair of substrates 10 and 20 and a part of the surface of the element substrate 10 facing the counter substrate 20. This inorganic planarization layer 94 is formed by the oblique vapor deposition method or the oblique vapor deposition method combined with the ion assist method. Also in this embodiment, the outer portion of the inorganic planarization layer 94 is planarized.

  On the other hand, the inorganic gas barrier layer 91a is formed so as to cover the entire flattened inorganic flattened layer 94 from the outside. This inorganic gas barrier layer 91a is formed by vapor deposition or ion-assisted vapor deposition. Also in this embodiment, a void region 60 is formed between the sealing material 40 and the inorganic planarization layer 94.

  According to this embodiment, the same effect as that of the liquid crystal device 100 of the first embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, even when the sizes of the pair of substrates 10 and 20 are different, the inorganic gas barrier layer 91a having low moisture permeability can be formed on the surface of the planarized inorganic planarization layer 94. Cracks can be prevented from occurring. As a result, high moisture resistance can be obtained, a change in the alignment state of the liquid crystal can be prevented, and display defects can be suppressed.

<C: Third Embodiment>
The liquid crystal devices 100c and 100d according to the third embodiment are the same as the liquid crystal devices 100a and 100b according to the first and second embodiments, but the liquid crystal devices 100c and 100d according to the third embodiment are A moisture-proof coating 93 is further provided. 6A and 6B are schematic cross-sectional views showing an example of the structure of the liquid crystal devices 100c and 100d according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 shows the liquid crystal device shown in FIG. It is a schematic plan view which shows an example of the structure of 100c, 100d.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the liquid crystal devices 100c and 100d are formed with the moisture-proof coating 93 (third moisture-proof layer) that covers the entire surface of the inorganic gas barrier layers 91 and 91a. As the material of the moisture-proof coating 93, an organic-inorganic hybrid material in which both an organic component and an inorganic component exist in the same molecule is used. Specifically, a siloxane-based organic-inorganic hybrid material such as polydimethylsiloxane or polysilsesquioxane is used.

  According to this embodiment, the same effects as those of the liquid crystal devices 100a and 100b of the first and second embodiments can be obtained. Furthermore, since the moisture-proof coating 93 is formed so as to cover the inorganic gas barrier layers 91 and 91a, for example, even when a material having low abrasion resistance such as aluminum or silver is used for the inorganic gas barrier layers 91 and 91a. The inorganic gas barrier layer 91 can be protected and moisture resistance can be maintained. Moreover, since the moisture-proof coating 93 uses an organic-inorganic hybrid material, it can have higher moisture resistance than an inorganic material alone.

<D: Modification>
Each of the above forms can be variously modified. Specific modifications are exemplified below. Two or more aspects arbitrarily selected from the following examples can be appropriately combined within a range that does not contradict each other.

(1) In each of the embodiments described above, the inorganic planarization layers 92 and 94 are formed by the oblique vapor deposition method, but may be formed by, for example, the rotational oblique vapor deposition method. Here, rotational oblique vapor deposition is a method of vapor-depositing material from an oblique direction with respect to a substrate while rotating a base. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 8, the inorganic planarization layer 95 has slopes 95a and 95b extending from the outside to the inside with respect to the element substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20, respectively. The liquid crystal device 100 e can form a film having a thickness with respect to the gap between the pair of substrates 10 and 20. Even in this case, the void region 60 is formed.

(2) In each of the embodiments described above, the inorganic gas barrier layer 91 and the inorganic planarization layer 92 are distinguished by a difference in moisture permeability, but can be distinguished by a difference in density as long as they are the same substance. In this case, the density of the inorganic gas barrier layer 91 is set to exceed the density of the inorganic planarization layer 92.

(3) In each of the above-described embodiments, the liquid crystal device has been exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an electro-optical device including an electro-optical material whose optical characteristics change depending on electric energy in addition to the liquid crystal. Can be applied to. For example, a light emitting device including an organic EL (electro-luminescence) element may be used. The organic EL element has light emission characteristics that are deteriorated by moisture, but the use of the moisture-proof layer described in each of the above-described embodiments can reduce deterioration in display quality.

<E: Application example>
The liquid crystal device 100 (100a to 100e) exemplified in the above embodiments and modifications can be used for various electronic devices. 9 to 11 exemplify specific forms of electronic devices that employ the liquid crystal device 100.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a projection display device (three-plate projector) 4000 to which the liquid crystal device 100 is applied. The projection display device 4000 includes three liquid crystal devices 100 (100R, 100G, and 100B) corresponding to different display colors (red, green, and blue). The illumination optical system 4001 supplies the red component r of the light emitted from the illumination device (light source) 4002 to the liquid crystal device 100R, the green component g to the liquid crystal device 100G, and the blue component b to the liquid crystal device 100B. . Each liquid crystal device 100 functions as a light modulator (light valve) that modulates each monochromatic light supplied from the illumination optical system 4001 in accordance with a display image. The projection optical system 4003 synthesizes the light emitted from the liquid crystal devices 100 and projects the synthesized light onto the projection surface 4004.

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a portable personal computer that employs the liquid crystal device 100. The personal computer 2000 includes a liquid crystal device 100 that displays various images, and a main body 2010 on which a power switch 2001 and a keyboard 2002 are installed.

  FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a mobile phone to which the liquid crystal device 100 is applied. The cellular phone 3000 includes a plurality of operation buttons 3001, scroll buttons 3002, and the liquid crystal device 100 that displays various images. By operating the scroll button 3002, the screen displayed on the liquid crystal device 100 is scrolled.

  The structure of the present invention can also be applied to electronic equipment such as a recording / reproducing apparatus such as an optical pickup. That is, the configuration of the present invention is used as a liquid crystal element that actively controls the wavefront of laser light as a liquid crystal aberration correction element, thereby reproducing information recorded on an optical disk with a laser light source and recording information on the optical disk. Since it is possible to suppress deterioration due to malfunction of the liquid crystal element due to moisture absorption or moisture intrusion from the outside, it is possible to provide a highly accurate optical pickup device.

  Note that electronic devices to which the liquid crystal device according to the present invention is applied include, in addition to the devices illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 11, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital still cameras, televisions, video cameras, cars Navigation devices, in-vehicle displays (instrument panels), electronic notebooks, electronic paper, calculators, word processors, workstations, videophones, POS terminals, printers, scanners, copiers, video players, devices with touch panels, etc. It is done.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Element substrate, 20 ... Opposite substrate, 40 ... Sealing material, 50 ... Liquid crystal (electro-optical material), 90, 90a ... Moisture-proof layer, 91, 91a ... Inorganic gas barrier layer (first moisture-proof layer), 92, 94, 95 Inorganic flattening layer (second moisture-proof layer), 93 ... moisture-proof coating (second moisture-proof layer), 100 (100a to 100e), liquid crystal device (electro-optical device).

Claims (10)

An electro-optical device in which an electro-optical material is provided between a first substrate and a second substrate,
A sealing material provided between the first substrate and the second substrate and provided to surround the electro-optical material;
A first moisture-proof layer made of an inorganic material located outside the sealing material and provided at least partially between the first substrate and the second substrate;
A second moisture-proof layer made of an inorganic material located outside the first moisture-proof layer and provided so as to be in contact with at least a part of the outer surface of the first moisture-proof layer;
The moisture permeability of the second moisture barrier layer is lower than the moisture permeability of the first moisture barrier layer,
An electro-optical device. The electro-optical device according to claim 1.
An electro-optical device, wherein a gap region is formed at least partially between the sealing material and the first moisture-proof layer. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,
An electro-optical device having a third moisture-proof layer formed so as to cover an outer surface of the second moisture-proof layer and made of an organic-inorganic hybrid material. The electro-optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The electro-optical device, wherein the first moisture-proof layer has electrical insulation.   An electronic apparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 1. A method of manufacturing an electro-optical device in which an electro-optical material is provided between a first substrate and a second substrate,
A bonding step of bonding the first substrate and the second substrate with a sealing material;
A first moisture-proof layer forming step of forming a first moisture-proof layer made of an inorganic material so that at least a part is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate;
A second moisture-proof layer forming step of forming a second moisture-proof layer made of an inorganic material having a lower moisture permeability than the first moisture-proof layer so that at least a part of the outer surface of the first moisture-proof layer is in contact with the first moisture-proof layer;
A method for manufacturing an electro-optical device. The method of manufacturing the electro-optical device according to claim 6.
In the first moisture-proof layer forming step, a gap region is formed in at least a part between the sealing material and the first moisture-proof layer. In the manufacturing method of the electro-optical device according to claim 6 or 7,
A method for manufacturing an electro-optical device, further comprising a third moisture-proof layer forming step of covering the surface of the second moisture-proof layer with a third moisture-proof layer made of an organic-inorganic hybrid material.   The first moisture-proof layer is formed by the oblique vapor deposition method or the oblique vapor deposition method using an ion assist method in combination in the first moisture-proof layer forming step. A method for manufacturing the electro-optical device according to the item. The method for manufacturing an electro-optical device according to claim 6,
In the second moisture-proof layer forming step, the second moisture-proof layer is formed by a vapor deposition method or an ion-assisted vapor deposition method.

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