JP3081607B2 - Liquid crystal display - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display device which achieves a wide viewing angle characteristic and high display quality by controlling the orientation of a liquid crystal director.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Liquid crystal display devices have advantages such as small size, thinness, and low power consumption, and are being put to practical use as display devices in the fields of OA equipment, AV equipment, and the like.

[0003] A liquid crystal display device comprises two substrates each having a transparent electrode of a predetermined pattern provided on a transparent substrate such as glass.
A liquid crystal layer having a thickness of several μm is sandwiched therebetween, and is further sandwiched between two polarizing plates whose polarization axes are orthogonal to each other. In particular, the matrix type in which the liquid crystal is driven by arbitrarily selecting an intersection where the scanning electrode group and the data electrode group are arranged and applying a voltage to the display pixel capacitor can drive tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of pixels. It is possible and suitable for a large-screen, high-definition display device.

FIG. 21 shows a general planar structure thereof. Each of the scanning electrode (X) and the data electrode (Y) is made of a transparent conductive film such as ITO. Each of them is formed on a transparent substrate such as glass arranged vertically above and below a liquid crystal, and an intersection of both electrodes (X, Y) is a display pixel capacitance. A signal voltage is applied to both electrodes (X, Y) by time division driving. By driving the liquid crystal by applying an effective voltage equal to or greater than the threshold value to the display pixels serving as the selection points, a set of display points having changed transmittance is visually recognized as a display image such as a character or an image.

FIG. 22 shows T as a switching element for selection.
It is an active matrix type planar structure using FT (Thin Film Transistor). In the active matrix type, a scanning signal gate line (G) and a data signal drain line (D) are formed on the same substrate. At the intersection of both lines (G, D)
A TFT using a non-single-crystal semiconductor layer such as a-Si or p-Si as an active layer is formed and connected to the display electrode (P). The counter electrode is formed on the entire surface of the other substrate facing the liquid crystal layer, and each portion facing the display electrode (P) is a display pixel capacitance. The display electrode (P) and the counter electrode are made of a transparent conductive film such as ITO. The gate line (G) is line-sequentially selected for scanning, all the TFTs on the same scanning line are turned on, and a data signal synchronized with this is supplied to each display electrode (P) via the drain line (D). The voltage of the counter electrode is also set in synchronization with the scanning of the gate line (G), and the liquid crystal is driven by the voltage difference between the display electrodes (P) facing each other.
The voltage applied to the display pixel capacitance is held by the OFF resistance of the FT, and the driving state of the liquid crystal is continued.

FIG. 23 is a sectional view showing a cell structure of such a liquid crystal display device. Transparent substrate (200, 210)
The transparent electrodes (201, 211) serving as a scanning electrode, a display electrode, and a data electrode or a counter electrode, respectively, are formed thereon.
Are formed above and below the liquid crystal layer (220). On the transparent electrodes (201, 211), an alignment film (230, 2) made of a polymer film such as polyimide is used.
40) is coated, and the surface orientation is controlled by performing a rubbing treatment. Further, although not shown, a polarizing plate is provided outside the two substrates (200, 210) so that the polarization axis directions are orthogonal to each other.

The liquid crystal layer (220) is a nematic liquid crystal mixed with a chiral material to give directivity in the twist direction. The liquid crystal having a positive dielectric anisotropy is aligned in parallel to the substrate surface as described above, but is in an initial alignment state having a slight initial tilt (pretilt) angle along the rubbing direction. Rubbing is performed on both substrates (200, 210) in a direction orthogonal to each other, and
° twisted arrangement. FIG. 24 is a perspective view schematically showing this state. The upper and lower substrates are rubbed in the directions indicated by the arrows. At the contact surface, the liquid crystal director (221) is raised up by a pretilt in the rubbing direction, and is accordingly twisted clockwise from bottom to top. Such a type of liquid crystal display device is called a TN (Twisted Nematic) type. In the TN mode, the transmitted light is controlled by applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer (220) to eliminate the twisted state, thereby obtaining light and dark (black and white).

FIG. 25 shows a cell using a liquid crystal having a negative dielectric anisotropy as the liquid crystal layer (250). Although the electrode arrangement is the same as that of the TN method shown in FIG. 23, the cell is initially aligned in the vertical direction of the substrate due to the excluded volume effect of the alignment films (260, 270) formed for vertical alignment. . This is because the liquid crystal director (251) is arranged parallel to the polymer components of the alignment films (260, 270) grown in a direction perpendicular to the substrate, so that the volume occupied by the polymer and the liquid crystal molecules are increased. The mutual exclusion volume caused by the contact of the occupied volumes of the two is minimized. As such a type, for example, an ECB (Elec) that obtains light and dark or color by changing the orientation of liquid crystal from an initial state by applying an electric field and giving birefringence change to incident light.
There is a trically controlled birefringence method.

[0009]

Next, problems of the conventional liquid crystal display device will be described. FIG. 26 is a diagram in which the direction of the liquid crystal director is projected on a plane when the TN cell is viewed from above. The dotted arrow is the lower rubbing direction, and the solid arrow is the upper rubbing direction. As can be seen from FIG. 24, the liquid crystal director (221)
On the lower side, the direction shown by the dotted arrow rises upward, and on the upper side, the direction shown by the solid arrow rises downward. When the orientation of the orientation vector is set upward in the major axis direction of the liquid crystal, all the liquid crystal directors in the cell have the orientation vector within the angle range indicated by the double arrow. In the intermediate layer of the liquid crystal in the halftone, the liquid crystal director is represented by an orientation vector indicated by a thick arrow, and it is considered that the orientation vector is on average in all gradations and all liquid crystal layers. Since the state of alignment of the liquid crystal with respect to the optical path changes relatively due to the change in the viewing angle, the gray scale approaches white when viewed from the right side of the paper surface and approaches black when viewed from the left side, compared to viewing from the front. The viewing angle dependence in the left-right direction was high.

FIG. 27 is a plan view showing a light transmission state when a conventional vertical alignment type ECB type liquid crystal display device is driven. Although omitted in the above description, a light-shielding film such as metal is usually provided on the counter substrate side, and blocks light transmission except for openings (300) corresponding to pixels arranged in a matrix. I have. In the light-shielding region (301), light leakage between pixels is prevented and the pixel becomes black, thereby improving the display contrast ratio. In each of the openings (300), the transmittance of light is controlled so that a desired display can be obtained. However, a black area called a disclination (302) also occurs in the openings (300). Disclination is a region where, when there are a plurality of regions where the liquid crystal has different orientation vectors from each other, the alignment of the liquid crystal director is disturbed on the boundary line and the transmittance is different from that of the other regions.

In the nematic phase liquid crystal director, the orientation vector when a voltage is applied is restricted only by the angle with respect to the direction of the electric field, and the azimuth around the direction of the electric field is released.
For this reason, the alignment vectors are mutually different due to unevenness due to electrodes on the substrate surface, uneven surface alignment treatment, and the presence of a horizontal electric field due to the potential difference between the electrodes in the cell. Different areas arise. If there is an anomaly in the orientation vector even partially, due to the continuity of the liquid crystal, the orientation vector having an azimuth angle according to the continuity spreads over a certain region. If this occurs at a plurality of locations in the cell, a plurality of regions having the same azimuth angle but different orientation vectors are generated even though the angle with the direction of the electric field is the same. The boundaries of these regions have different transmittances from the others, and are disclinated. If disclinations having different shapes frequently occur for each pixel, problems such as roughness of the screen and an inability to obtain an expected color display are caused.

Further, if the orientation vector of each region becomes irregular in the display region, there is a problem that the viewing angle dependency increases.

Further, the static electricity generated at the time of rubbing is TF
There is also a problem of so-called electrostatic breakdown, which causes a change in the threshold value of T and the mutual conductance.

[0014]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in a liquid crystal display device in which liquid crystal is sealed between opposed first and second substrates, at least one of the substrates includes: An alignment control inclined portion is provided in which a contact surface with the liquid crystal is raised or depressed, and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal is controlled by the alignment control inclined portion. The alignment control inclined portion is a liquid crystal formed linearly in a pixel. A display device.

The line formed by each of the alignment control sections formed on the first substrate and the second substrate is a region where the pixel is formed, and has at least a linear portion having a substantially linear shape. The linear portion of the orientation control inclined portion formed on the second substrate and the linear portion of the orientation control inclined portion formed on the second substrate have regions that are substantially parallel.

The electrode formed on the first substrate or the second substrate has a rectangular shape or a shape having at least one side, and the linear portion of the alignment control inclined portion is formed on any side of the display pixel. Are arranged substantially parallel to each other.

Alternatively, the linear portion of the orientation control inclined portion is
The display pixel has a straight line portion rising to the right and a straight line portion falling to the right with respect to any side of the display pixel.

Further, the length of the straight line portion of the orientation control inclined portion is equal to the length of the straight line portion rising rightward and the straight line portion falling rightward.

A plurality of electrodes formed on the first substrate or the second substrate are electrically independently arranged in a matrix, and the linear portion of the orientation control inclined portion is arranged in the direction in which the electrodes are arranged. They are arranged almost in parallel.

Alternatively, the linear portion of the orientation control inclined portion is
It has a straight line part rising rightward and a straight line part falling rightward with respect to the arrangement direction of the electrodes.

Further, the length of the straight portion of the orientation control inclined portion is equal to the length of the straight portion rising to the right and the length of the straight portion falling to the right.

In the first configuration, in the inclined portion formed by raising or lowering the substrate surface, the liquid crystal director having positive or negative dielectric anisotropy has an initial alignment direction parallel to the inclined surface. Or, it is controlled to be vertical and has a predetermined angle with the direction of the electric field. For this reason, the inclination direction is constrained by the voltage application so as to incline to the energy-stable state in the shortest time, and the orientation vector is determined together with the electric field effect based on the dielectric anisotropy.

As described above, when the alignment vector is determined by the alignment control tilt portion, the region having the same alignment vector may be subjected to some other action such as an electrode or another alignment control tilt portion due to the continuity of the liquid crystal. It spreads until it is restricted to the part that received it. For this reason, by arranging the orientation control inclined portions in a predetermined shape around and in the display pixel region, the orientation vectors are uniformly arranged in the zone defined by these actions, and the display characteristics are improved.

By arranging the alignment control layer between the layers below the electrode, the electrode is partially raised, and an alignment control inclined portion having a raised or depressed surface in contact with the liquid crystal layer is formed.

Each of the zones in the display pixel region divided into a plurality of regions by the alignment control inclined portion provided in the display pixel region has a different preferential viewing angle direction, so that the preferential viewing angle direction expands for one display pixel. In addition, the viewing angle dependency can be reduced.

Since an alignment control window, which is a portion where no electrode is present, is provided in the area of the display pixel, the electric field is weak in the corresponding liquid crystal layer and is lower than the threshold for driving the liquid crystal. Held in state. The boundary of each zone of the liquid crystal layer controlled to a different alignment state by the alignment control inclined portion is fixed at a constant by the alignment control window,
The orientation is stabilized, and the display characteristics are further improved.

[0027]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments. First, a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a TN liquid crystal cell according to the present embodiment. On two transparent substrates (10, 20) laminated vertically with the liquid crystal layer (30) in between, I
Transparent electrodes (11, 21) made of TO are provided. An insulator is interposed under the lower transparent electrode (11), and the transparent electrode (11) is raised at both ends of the display pixel portion as an alignment control tom (12S). On the other hand, an insulator is also interposed below the upper transparent electrode (21), and the transparent electrode (21) is raised inside the display pixel area as an orientation control tom (22S). Orientation control fault (12, 2
2) is formed by etching SiNX or SiO2. On the transparent electrodes (11, 21), an oblique deposition film of SiO and an LB film (Langmuir
Blodget film) is coated on the entire surface to form an alignment film (40,5).
0). A parallel alignment structure having a pretilt angle of 0 ° is realized by the alignment films (40, 50). In the oblique deposition of SiO, the pre-tilt angle is 0 ° in a direction perpendicular to the deposition direction by depositing at an angle of 60 ° from the normal line of the substrate.
Are obtained. The LB film is a film in which monomolecular films adsorbed on the water surface are accumulated on the surface of the substrate. As an alignment film, the substrate is moved up and down in a vertical direction across the surface of the water, so that the LB film is moved up and down. A parallel alignment film having a pretilt angle of 0 ° is obtained. The liquid crystal layer (30) is a nematic liquid crystal having a positive dielectric anisotropy. By mixing a chiral material, the liquid crystal director (31) is easily twisted, and an alignment film (40, 50) is formed on the contact surface. Under the control of (1), the substrates are twisted at 90 ° between both substrates. The alignment films (40, 50) have alignment control inclined portions (13L, 13R, 2) whose slopes at the portions raised by the alignment control tomography (12S, 22S) are inclined at the contact surface with the liquid crystal layer (30).
3L, 23R).

When the cell having this structure is driven, the liquid crystal director (31) is moved from the opposite sides in the left and right regions according to the alignment control inclined portions (13L, 13R) at both ends of the lower electrode (11). Can be launched. Also, in the center of the upper electrode (21), the orientation control inclined portion (23L,
23R) causes the opposite sides to rise. That is,
Due to the continuity of the liquid crystal, in the left zone of the figure, the upper and lower alignment control inclined portions (13L, 2L) sandwiching the liquid crystal layer (30) are arranged.
3L), the liquid crystal directors (31) are all started from the left side, and in the right zone, the liquid crystal directors (31) are all started from the right side by the action of the alignment control inclined portions (13R, 23R). Can be Thus, the orientation control inclined portions (13L, 13R, 23L, 2
By arranging 3R), the display pixel is divided into two zones having different alignment vectors, and a uniform alignment state is obtained in each zone.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the display pixel portion, and shows a structure in which opposing portions of the upper and lower electrodes (10, 20) are viewed from above. Along the left and right sides, there is a band-like region of the lower orientation control inclined portion (13L, 13R), and a central portion parallel thereto is a band-like region of the upper orientation control inclined portion (23L, 23R). . The dotted line is the orientation direction of the lower substrate (10), and the solid line is the orientation direction of the upper substrate (20).
The liquid crystal director is accordingly rotated 90 ° clockwise from bottom to top. The bold arrows show the projection of the orientation vector on the plane in the intermediate layer of the halftone and liquid crystal. As is clear from the figure, the two zones (L,
In R), the orientation vectors are oriented in opposite directions. That is, the opposite sides of the liquid crystal director are raised in the left and right zones (L, R) from the initial state along the same parallel alignment direction. The upper and lower substrates are also raised on opposite sides so that the continuity of the liquid crystal director becomes smooth. The orientation vector indicated by the thick arrow is
The liquid crystal director can be considered to be in this state on average for all gradations and for all liquid crystal layers in that zone.

With such a cell structure, for example, when viewed from the left side of the paper surface, the gradation of the zone (L) approaches black as compared with the visual recognition from the front, and the gradation of the zone (R) approaches white. Therefore, the average tone of both zones (L, R) approaches visual recognition from the front. Since the same averaging effect is obtained for the visual recognition from the right direction, the viewing angle dependency in the left and right direction is reduced.

A TN liquid crystal cell having a parallel alignment structure having no pretilt angle using a nematic liquid crystal having a positive dielectric anisotropy mixed with a chiral material as a liquid crystal layer, as in the first embodiment. The second to fifth embodiments of the present invention in which the orientation of the liquid crystal director is controlled by the orientation control inclined portion and the display pixel is divided into a plurality of parts to reduce the viewing angle dependency will be described.

(Second Embodiment) This embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the cell structure. The difference from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is that the upper substrate (20) is replaced with an orientation control inclined portion,
The point is that an alignment control window (24), which is an electrode-free portion, is formed in the center of the transparent electrode (21). The orientation control window (24) is opened in the transparent electrode (21) by etching or the like after the ITO film is formed. In a region corresponding to the alignment control window (24), whether an electric field is generated in the liquid crystal layer (30),
Alternatively, the liquid crystal director (31) is fixed in the initial alignment state because the liquid crystal director (31) is weak and not more than the driving threshold value of the liquid crystal. Therefore, the orientation control inclined portion (1) of the lower substrate (10) is used.
3L, 13R), the boundary between the two zones having different alignment vectors is fixed by the alignment control window (24) due to the continuity of the liquid crystal, and is divided.

The alignment control window (24) has no electrode, but an electrode exists in a region of the lower transparent electrode (11) opposed thereto. Therefore, the orientation control window (24)
An electric field is generated in a diagonal direction in the liquid crystal layer (30) corresponding to the shape shown in FIG. The liquid crystal director (31) having a positive dielectric anisotropy is aligned in the direction of the electric field, but tilts from the initial alignment state to the direction of the electric field in the shortest time. That is, in a region corresponding to the left edge of the alignment control window (24), the liquid crystal director (31) rises from the left side, and in a region corresponding to the right edge of the alignment control window (24), the liquid crystal director (31). ) Is launched from the right side. Therefore, in this way, the upper substrate (20)
Is provided with the orientation control window (24), so that the zone on the left side of the orientation control window (24) has the orientation control slope (13).
Together with the function of L), the liquid crystal directors (31) are all started from the left side, and the alignment control windows (24)
In the zone on the right side, the liquid crystal directors (31) are all raised from the right side together with the action of the alignment control inclined portion (13R).

FIG. 4 is a plan view. Orientation control window (24)
In the two zones (L, R) partitioned by, as in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the liquid crystal directors are set up on opposite sides from the initial state along the same parallel alignment direction. Therefore, the visual recognition from the left and right directions is recognized by the average tone of both zones (L, R), and the viewing angle dependency is reduced.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 5 shows a sectional structure of a cell. 2 laminated vertically with the liquid crystal layer (30) in between
On the transparent substrates (10, 20), transparent electrodes (11, 21) made of ITO are provided. Below the lower transparent electrode (11), the alignment control tomography (12L) and the alignment control tomography (12L) formed in most of the display pixel portion are provided.
A second alignment control tomography (15) formed inside the display pixel portion on L) is provided. Both transparent electrodes (11, 12
1) The entire surface is coated with an alignment film (40, 50) made of an obliquely deposited SiO film or an LB film. The alignment control tom (12L) raises the transparent electrode (11) as a whole, and both ends of the display pixel portion where the alignment control tom (12L) is absent are relatively depressed by the transparent electrode (11). A slope is formed in the film (40), and the orientation control slopes (14L, 14R) are formed. Further, the second alignment control tomography (15) partially raises the transparent electrode (11), and the slope of the alignment film (40) also has an alignment control slope (1) in this portion.
6L, 16R).

The display pixel area includes an alignment control inclined portion (14).
L, 16L) and a right zone defined by the orientation control slopes (14R, 16R). That is, in the left zone, the liquid crystal director (3) follows the alignment control inclined portions (14L, 16L).
1) are all started from the right side, and in the right zone, the liquid crystal directors (31) are all started from the left side.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the display pixel portion. An alignment control inclined portion (14L, 1) is formed along the left and right sides of the display pixel.
4R), and in parallel with this, there is a band-like region of the alignment control inclined portion (16L, 16R) at the center of the display pixel. The two zones (L,
In R), from the same parallel alignment state, the liquid crystal directors are set up on the opposite sides, respectively, and the plane projection of the average alignment vector represented by the thick arrow points in the opposite direction.

With such a cell structure, for example, when viewed from the left side of the paper surface, the gradation of the zone (L) approaches white compared to the visual recognition from the front, and the gradation of the zone (R) approaches black. Therefore, the average tone of the zone (L, R) approaches visual recognition from the front. The same effect is also obtained for visual recognition from the right direction, so that the viewing angle dependency in the left and right directions is reduced.

(Fourth Embodiment) This embodiment is different from the third embodiment in that, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper substrate (20) is provided with an alignment control inclined portion (25L) as a display pixel dividing means. ,
25R) is provided. Under the lower transparent electrode (11), an alignment control tom (12L) formed in most of the display pixel portion is interposed, and the slope of the alignment film (40) is formed at both left and right ends by the alignment control slope ( 14L, 14R)
It has become. At the lower part of the upper transparent electrode (21), an alignment control layer (22L) is provided in most of the display pixel portion,
An absent portion is formed by vertically cutting the center of the display pixel by etching or the like. The transparent electrode (21)
Is depressed, thereby forming an inclined surface in the alignment film (50) to form an alignment control inclined portion (25L, 25R). In the left zone defined by the alignment control inclined portions (14L, 25L), the liquid crystal directors (31) are all raised from the right side, and in the right zone defined by the alignment control inclined portions (14R, 25R), the liquid crystal director is formed. Rector (31)
Are all launched from the left.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the display pixel portion. An alignment control inclined portion (14L, 1) is formed along the left and right sides of the display pixel.
4R), and in parallel with this, there is a band-like region of the alignment control inclined portion (25L, 25R) at the center of the display pixel. Thus, the two zones (L,
In R), as in the third embodiment, the plane projection of the orientation vector is in the opposite direction, and both zones (L, R)
, The viewing angle dependency in the left-right direction is reduced.

(Fifth Embodiment) In this embodiment, as a means for dividing a display pixel area, as shown in FIG.
0), the alignment control window (17) described in the second embodiment is formed. That is, an orientation control inclined portion (14L, 14R) is formed on the lower substrate (10), and an electrode absent portion is formed by etching in the lower transparent electrode (11) to open the orientation control window (17). Have been. Thereby, the boundaries of the alignment states separately controlled by the alignment control inclined portions (14L, 14R) on both sides of the display pixel are fixed by the alignment control window (17).

In a region corresponding to the alignment control window (17), an oblique electric field is generated in the liquid crystal layer (30) as shown by a dotted line in the figure. In the left zone, the liquid crystal director (3
1) are all started from the right side, and all the right zones are started from the left side.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the display pixel portion. An alignment control inclined portion (14L,
14R), and in parallel with this, there is a band-shaped region of the alignment control window (17) at the center of the display pixel. The two zones (L, L) divided into right and left by the orientation control window (17)
In R), as in the third and fourth embodiments, the plane projection of the orientation vector is in the opposite direction, and the viewing angle dependency in the left-right direction is reduced by the average tone of both zones (L, R). Is done.

Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal cell of the vertical alignment ECB mode according to the present embodiment. An ITO transparent electrode (1) is provided on two transparent substrates (100, 110) that are vertically bonded with the liquid crystal layer (120) interposed therebetween.
01, 111) are provided. The lower transparent electrode (1
00), an insulator is interposed therebetween to control the orientation control fault (1).
02S), the transparent electrode (1
01) is raised. On the other hand, the upper transparent electrode (11
An insulator is also interposed in the lower part of 1) to control the orientation control fault (11).
2S), the transparent electrode (111) is raised at a portion along the diagonal line of the display pixel. Orientation control fault (102
S, 112S) are all formed by etching SiNX or SiO2. Transparent electrodes (101,
A vertical deposition film of SiO or a polyimide film is entirely coated on (111) to form alignment films (130, 140). The liquid crystal layer (120) is a nematic liquid crystal having negative dielectric anisotropy, and the initial alignment of the liquid crystal director (121) is perpendicular to the contact surface by the excluded volume effect of the alignment films (130, 140). Control in the direction. The alignment films (130, 140) are oriented control tomographic layers (102S, 11).
2S) is the slope of the portion raised by the liquid crystal layer (12).
0) and the orientation control inclined portion (10) in which the contact surface is inclined.
3, 113L, 113R, 113U, 113D) (see FIG. 12).

When the cell having this structure is driven, the liquid crystal director (121) is tilted to the opposite side in the left and right regions according to the alignment control tilt portion (103) at the periphery of the lower electrode (101). In addition, the central portion of the upper electrode (111) is also inclined to the opposite side by the orientation control inclined portions (113L, 113R). That is, due to the continuity of the liquid crystal, the liquid crystal layer (12
0), the upper and lower orientation control inclined portions (113L, 10L).
By the action of 3), the liquid crystal director (121) is all tilted to the right, and in the right zone, the liquid crystal director (121) is all tilted to the left by the action of the alignment control tilt part (113R, 103). By arranging the alignment control inclined portions (103, 113L, 113R) in this way, the display pixels are divided into a plurality of zones having different alignment vectors, and a uniform alignment state is obtained in each zone.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a display pixel portion, and shows a structure in which opposing portions of upper and lower electrodes (101, 111) are viewed from above. There is a band-like region of the lower alignment control inclined portion (103) surrounding the periphery of the display pixel, and inside the alignment control inclined portion (1) formed on the upper side along the diagonal line of the display pixel.
13L, 113R, 113U, and 113D). The bold arrow is the plane projection of the orientation vector in the halftone, and the liquid crystal director is considered to be in this state on average for all gradations. The direction of the arrow indicates the direction in which the liquid crystal director tilts its upper side. As is clear from the figure, the orientation control inclined portions (113L, 113R,
In the four zones (U, D, L, R) divided into upper, lower, left and right by 113U, 113D), the orientation vector is directed in each of the four directions. That is, the liquid crystal director is tilted from the same initial vertical alignment state in the upper, lower, left, and right zones (U, D, L, R) in four respective directions. The operation described above with reference to FIG.
Was related to the cross section of the LR region,
It goes without saying that the same effect is obtained for the cross section of the D region.

With such a cell structure, for example, when viewed from the left side of the paper surface, the gradation of the zone (L) approaches white and the gradation of the zone (R) approaches black as viewed from the front. Therefore, the average tone of both zones (L, R) and the combined light of the upper and lower zones (U, D) approach visual recognition from the front. Since the same averaging effect is obtained for viewing from other directions, the viewing angle dependency is reduced for all directions.

Further, by controlling the alignment state of the liquid crystal director in this way, the boundary line between the regions having different alignment vectors, that is, the disclination,
For all the pixels, the alignment control inclined portions (113L, 113L)
R, 113U, 113D) fixed in the X-shaped area,
Variation between pixels is suppressed.

In the same manner as in the sixth embodiment, in the ECB liquid crystal cell having a vertical alignment structure using a nematic liquid crystal having a negative dielectric anisotropy as a liquid crystal layer, the alignment of the liquid crystal director is controlled by the alignment control tilt portion. 7th to 10th embodiments of the present invention will be described in which the display pixel is divided into a plurality of pixels to reduce the viewing angle dependency.

(Seventh Embodiment) This embodiment is similar to the sixth embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the cell structure. 11 is different from the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 11 in that the upper substrate (110) is not an alignment control inclined portion, but is an electrode-free portion in a transparent electrode (111) along a diagonal line of a display pixel. The point is that a control window (114) is formed. The orientation control window (114) is opened by etching or the like after the ITO film is formed. Orientation control window (1
In the region corresponding to 14), no electric field is generated in the liquid crystal layer (120), or the electric field is weak and is lower than the driving threshold value of the liquid crystal. Therefore, the liquid crystal director (121) is fixed in the initial alignment state. Therefore, the orientation control inclined portion (103)
, The boundary between the two zones having different alignment vectors is fixed by the alignment control window (114) due to the continuity of the liquid crystal.

Although the orientation control window (114) has no electrode, an electrode exists in the region of the lower transparent electrode (101) opposed thereto. For this reason, the orientation control window (1)
In the liquid crystal layer (120) corresponding to (14), an electric field is generated in an oblique direction in a shape as shown by a dotted line in FIG. The liquid crystal director (121) having a negative dielectric anisotropy is aligned in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the electric field, but tilts from the initial alignment state to the direction perpendicular to the electric field in the shortest time. That is,
In a region corresponding to the left edge of the alignment control window (114), the liquid crystal director (121) is tilted to the right, and in a region corresponding to the right edge of the alignment control window (114), the liquid crystal director (121) is tilted to the left. Tilted to Therefore, as described above, the orientation control window (11) is formed on the upper substrate (110).
By providing 4), in the zone on the left side of the alignment control window (114), the liquid crystal director (121) is all tilted to the right along with the operation of the alignment control inclined portion (103), and the alignment control window (114) In the zone on the right side, all the liquid crystal directors (121) are tilted to the left in accordance with the action of the alignment control tilt portion (103).

FIG. 14 is a plan view. In each of the zones (U, D, L, R) divided into four by the X-shaped alignment control window (114), the liquid crystal director is similar to the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. From the same initial vertical alignment state, it is tilted in each of the four directions. Therefore, each zone (U, D, L,
Since the recognition is made based on the average tone of R), the viewing angle dependency is reduced, and the variation in disclination is suppressed, and the display quality is improved.

(Eighth Embodiment) FIG. 15 shows a sectional structure of a cell. ITO transparent electrodes (101, 111) are provided on two transparent substrates (100, 110) that are vertically bonded with a liquid crystal layer (120) interposed therebetween. Below the lower transparent electrode (101), the alignment control tomography (102L) formed in most of the display pixel portion and the diagonal line of the display pixel portion on the alignment control tomography (102L) are formed. A second orientation control tomography (105) is provided. On both transparent electrodes (101, 111), a vertical alignment film (130, 1) made of a SiO vertical evaporation film or a polyimide film.
40) is coated on the entire surface. Orientation control fault (102
L) raises the transparent electrode (101) as a whole, and the alignment control tomography (102) at the periphery surrounding the display pixel.
In the portion where L) is absent, the transparent electrode (111) is relatively depressed, a slope is formed in the alignment film (130), and the portion becomes the alignment control inclined portion (104). The second orientation control fault (10
In 5), the transparent electrode (111) is partially raised, and the orientation control inclined portions (106L, 106R, 106U, 106D) are formed (see FIG. 16).

The display pixel area includes an alignment control inclined portion (10).
4,106L) and a right zone defined by the orientation control slopes (104, 106R). That is, in the left zone, the liquid crystal directors (121) are all tilted to the left according to the alignment control tilt portions (104, 106L), and in the right zone, the liquid crystal directors (121) are all tilted to the right.

FIG. 16 is a plan view of the display pixel portion. At the periphery of the display pixel, there is a band-like region of the orientation control inclined portion (104), and inside the orientation control inclined portion (106L, 106R, 106U, 106) formed along the diagonal line of the display pixel.
D) There is an X-shaped area. In each of the four zones (U, D, L, R) thus divided, the liquid crystal director is tilted from the same initial vertical alignment state in each of the four directions, and the average is represented by a thick arrow. The plane projection of the orientation vector points in four directions.

With such a cell structure, for example, when viewed from the left side of the paper surface, the gradation of the zone (L) approaches black as compared with the visual recognition from the front, and the gradation of the zone (R) approaches white. Therefore, the average tone of the zone (L, R) and the combined light of the upper and lower zones (U, D) approach visual recognition from the front. Since the same averaging effect is obtained for viewing from other directions, the viewing angle dependency is reduced for all directions.

Further, by controlling the orientation state of the liquid crystal director in this manner, the boundary line of the regions having different orientation vectors, that is, the disclination,
For all the pixels, the alignment control slopes (106L, 106L)
R, 106U, 106D) fixed to the X-shaped area,
Variation between pixels is suppressed.

(Ninth Embodiment) This embodiment is different from the eighth embodiment in that, as shown in FIG. 17, the upper substrate (110) is provided with an alignment control inclined portion (11) as a display pixel dividing means.
5L, 115R). Under the lower transparent electrode (101), an orientation control tom (102L) formed in most of the display pixel portion is interposed, and the periphery is an orientation control inclined portion (104). Under the upper transparent electrode (111), an alignment control tomography (112) is formed on the entire surface.
L) is provided, and an absent portion is formed along the diagonal line of the display pixel by etching or the like. In this absence,
When the transparent electrode (111) is depressed, a slope is formed in the alignment film (130), and the alignment control slopes (115L, 115R, 11).
5U, 115D). Orientation control ramp (10
4,115L), the left zone
The liquid crystal directors (121) are all tilted to the left, and in the right zone defined by the alignment control ramps (104, 115R), the liquid crystal directors (121) are all tilted to the right.

FIG. 18 is a plan view of the display pixel portion. There is a band-like region of the orientation control inclined portion (104) surrounding the periphery of the display pixel, and inside the orientation control inclined portion (115L, 115R, 115U, 1) formed along the diagonal line of the display pixel.
15D) there is an X-shaped area. In each of the four zones (U, D, L, R) thus divided, the plane projection of the orientation vector is in each of the four directions as in the eighth embodiment. Zone (U, D, L, R)
The viewing angle dependency of all directions is reduced by the average tone, and the variation in disclination is suppressed.

(Embodiment 10) In this embodiment, as a means for dividing a display pixel area, as shown in FIG. 19, an alignment control window (1) described in the seventh embodiment is provided on a lower substrate (100).
07). That is, an orientation control inclined portion (104) is formed on the lower substrate (100), and an electrode-free portion is formed in the lower transparent electrode (101) by etching. Thereby, the boundaries of the alignment states separately controlled by the alignment control grooves (103) on both sides of the display pixel are fixed by the alignment control window (107).

In the region corresponding to the alignment control window (107), an oblique electric field is generated in the liquid crystal layer (120) as shown by the dotted line in the figure. In the zone of the liquid crystal director (121)
Are all tilted to the left and in the right zone they are all tilted to the right.

FIG. 20 is a plan view of the display pixel portion. There is a band-like region of the orientation control inclined portion (104) surrounding the periphery of the display pixel, and inside it is an X-shaped region of the orientation control window (107) formed along the diagonal line of the display pixel. In each of the zones (U, D, L, R) divided into four by the orientation control window (107), as in the eighth and ninth embodiments, the plane projection of the orientation vector has four directions. It is in a facing state, the viewing angle dependency is reduced in all directions by the average tone of each zone (U, D, L, R).
Variation in disclination is suppressed.

[0063]

As is apparent from the above description, the display pixels can be divided into a plurality of zones each having a different preferential viewing angle direction by arranging the alignment control inclined portion at a predetermined portion of the cell. Was. Therefore, in the TN cell, the display pixel is divided into left and right, so that the viewing angle dependency, which was high in the left-right direction, is reduced, and a wide viewing angle display can be realized. In addition, in the vertical alignment ECB cell, a wide viewing angle is realized by dividing the cell into vertical, horizontal, and vertical directions, and the appearance of non-uniform disclinations that differ from pixel to pixel is prevented, screen roughness is eliminated, and display quality is reduced. Improved.

Further, since the pretilt angle is not required, the rubbing step of the alignment film is reduced, the manufacturing cost is reduced, and the static electricity generated at the time of rubbing is eliminated.
The electrostatic breakdown of the FT is prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a liquid crystal display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the liquid crystal display device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a liquid crystal display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a liquid crystal display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a liquid crystal display according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a liquid crystal display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a liquid crystal display device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a liquid crystal display according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a liquid crystal display according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a liquid crystal display according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a liquid crystal display according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a liquid crystal display device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a liquid crystal display according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a plan view of a liquid crystal display according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view of a liquid crystal display device according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a plan view of a liquid crystal display according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a liquid crystal display device according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a plan view of a liquid crystal display device according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view of a liquid crystal display device according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a plan view of a liquid crystal display device according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a plan view of a matrix type liquid crystal display device.

FIG. 22 is a plan view of an active matrix liquid crystal display device using a TFT.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional TN liquid crystal display device.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a conventional TN liquid crystal display device.

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional ECB liquid crystal display device.

FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating a problem of a conventional TN mode liquid crystal display device.

FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating a problem of a conventional ECB liquid crystal display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

10, 20, 100, 110 Transparent substrate 11, 21, 101, 111 Transparent electrode 12, 15, 22, 102, 105, 112 Orientation control slice 13, 14, 16, 23, 25, 103, 104, 10
6, 113, 115 Alignment control inclined part 17, 24, 107, 114 Alignment control window 30, 120 Liquid crystal layer 31, 121 Liquid crystal director 40, 50, 130, 140 Alignment film U, D, L, R Display zone X Scan Electrode Y Data electrode G Gate line D Drain line P Display electrode

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02F 1/1337 G02F 1/1333 G02F 1/1343 G02F 1/13 101 G09F 9/30

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A liquid crystal display device in which liquid crystal is sealed between opposing first and second substrates, wherein at least one of the first and second substrates has a contact surface with the liquid crystal raised or lowered. An alignment control inclined portion which is depressed is provided, and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal is controlled by the alignment control inclined portion. The first substrate or the second substrate may have a rectangular shape.
Or a pixel electrode having at least one side is arranged
The alignment control inclined portion is a linear portion formed linearly in the pixel.
And the linear portion of the alignment control inclined portion has one of the display pixels.
The part that rises to the right and / or the bottom right
The liquid crystal display device characterized by having a Rino portion. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the orientation control inclined portion has a right-upward portion.
And the length of the lower right part is almost equal
The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1. 3. An upwardly-sloping portion of the orientation control inclined portion,
The downward-sloping part is characterized by being symmetrical with each other.
The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1. 4. A liquid crystal is provided between first and second substrates facing each other.
In the sealed liquid crystal display device, at least one of the first and second substrates is provided with the liquid
Controllable inclination caused by raised or depressed surface in contact with crystal
A liquid crystal orientation direction by the orientation control inclined portion.
And the alignment control inclined portion is a linear portion formed linearly in the pixel.
And the first substrate or the second substrate is electrically connected to the first substrate or the second substrate.
A plurality of independent pixel electrodes are arranged in a matrix, and the linear portion of the alignment control inclined portion has an arrangement of the pixel electrodes.
Part that rises to the right and / or
A liquid crystal display device having a portion. 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the orientation control inclination portion is a right-upward portion.
And the length of the lower right part is almost equal
The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4. 6. An upwardly-sloping portion of the orientation control inclined portion,
The downward-sloping part is characterized by being symmetrical with each other.
The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4.