JP4678358B2 - Color filter substrate and electro-optical device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a color filter substrate, a method of manufacturing a color filter substrate, an electro-optical device, a method of manufacturing an electro-optical device, and an electronic apparatus. In particular, the thickness of a liquid crystal layer in two regions in one pixel is The present invention relates to a technique suitable as a configuration of liquid crystal display devices having different structures.

  In general, a liquid crystal display device is used as a display means in a portable information terminal such as a mobile phone or PDA, or an electronic device such as a personal computer. In recent years, plasma display panels have also been used in television devices and the like, and recently, organic electroluminescence devices have been used in some devices. Various electro-optical devices using the electro-optical effect of such various electro-optical materials are expected to be used in more and more scenes in the future.

  Conventionally used liquid crystal display devices do not have self-luminous properties. Therefore, usually, a illuminating device such as a backlight is arranged behind and a display of a transmissive type that makes the display visible using the light of the illuminating device is used. Liquid crystal panels have been used. However, it is difficult to reduce the power consumption of the method using the lighting device, and it affects the battery life and the like particularly in portable devices. Therefore, there are many reflective liquid crystal panels that do not require the lighting device before. It was used.

  However, in recent years, with the progress of high definition and color display, there has been a situation where the brightness of the display is insufficient in the reflective liquid crystal panel, and the transflective type that can also perform the reflective display while using the backlight. LCD panel was developed. This transflective liquid crystal panel is configured so that light can be reflected by the arrangement of a light transmissive part configured to transmit light and a light reflective layer in each pixel arranged in the display area. The thing provided with the light reflection part is known. Here, the light transmission part is usually configured by providing an opening in the light reflection layer (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  However, when a color filter is formed in the transflective liquid crystal panel to enable color display, transmissive display using the light transmissive part in each pixel and reflection using the light reflective part in each pixel are provided. There is a problem that it is difficult to adjust the color between the mold display. In the transmissive display, the light emitted from the backlight passes through the liquid crystal panel and is emitted to the observation side, so that the light passes only once through the colored layer of the color filter. In the reflective display, since external light incident from the observation side is reflected by the light reflection layer and emitted to the observation side, the light is caused to pass through the colored layer of the color filter twice in total. In other words, when the hue and lightness of the colored layer of the color filter are adjusted to the transmissive display, saturation is obtained in the reflective display, but the display becomes darker. Conversely, the hue and lightness of the colored layer of the color filter are reflected in the reflective display. If this is set, the saturation necessary for transmissive display cannot be obtained.

  Therefore, in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C, the opening 18 of the light reflecting film 9 is formed corresponding to the maximum film thickness portion of the color picture element 16, thereby transmitting the light. The difference in color display state between the type display and the reflection type display is reduced.

JP 2002-287131 A

  However, in the above method, it is difficult to obtain a sufficient difference between the thickness of the colored layer in the portion used for transmissive display and the thickness of the colored layer in the portion used for reflective display. The display color of the reflective display cannot be adjusted sufficiently. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 10, two types of colored layers are arranged for each pixel, and a dark colored layer 114C having a large optical film thickness is arranged so as to overlap the opening 113a of the light reflecting layer 113. A liquid crystal display device 100 in which a light colored layer 114F having a small optical film thickness is arranged so as to overlap the light reflecting layer 113 has been considered.

  In the liquid crystal display device 100, in one substrate 110, a transparent base layer 112 is formed on a base material 111, and a light reflection layer 113 such as aluminum is formed on the base layer 112. The light reflecting layer 113 is provided with the opening 113a as described above. The color filter is configured in such a manner that the colored layer 114C is disposed on the opening 113a and the colored layer 114F is disposed on the light reflecting layer 113. The light shielding portion 114B is for preventing light leakage in the inter-pixel region. A transparent protective film 115 is formed on the color filter, and a transparent electrode 116 made of ITO (indium tin oxide) or the like is formed on the protective film 115. An alignment film 117 is formed on the transparent electrode 116. In the other substrate 120, a transparent electrode 122 similar to the above is formed on a base material 121, and an alignment film 123 is formed on the transparent electrode 122.

  With the configuration described above, the light transmission portion Pt that performs transmissive display within the pixel P and the light reflection portion Pr that performs reflective display are individually designed in color, so that display quality in both displays is achieved. And the difference in the color display mode between the two displays can be reduced.

  Further, in the liquid crystal display device 100 described above, the difference between the substantial retardation value of the liquid crystal layer LC in the transmissive display and the substantial retardation value of the liquid crystal layer LC in the reflective display is reduced, and the balance between the two displays is achieved. In order to improve and improve the display quality, in the pixel P, the liquid crystal layer LC is thick in the light transmission part Pt provided with the opening 113a, and the liquid crystal in the light reflection part Pr where the light reflection layer 113 is arranged. The layer LC is configured to be thin. More specifically, by forming the protective film 115 only in a portion other than the light transmission portion Pt, that is, in a region including the light reflection portion Pr, the surface of the substrate 110 is low in the light transmission portion Pt and light reflection is performed. The portion Pr is configured to be high.

  By the way, in the liquid crystal display device 100 described above, it is necessary to dispose the colored layer 114C and the colored layer 114F adjacent to each other in one pixel P, so that no gap is generated at the boundary between these two colored layers. The colored layer 114C and the colored layer 114F are formed so as to overlap each other. In this way, protrusions 114E are formed on the surface of the color filter by overlapping the two colored layers, and the protrusions 114E cause protrusions and depressions on the surface portion of the substrate 110 that is in contact with the liquid crystal layer LC. As a result, the display quality deteriorates, and in particular, the display quality of the transmissive display is lowered. Further, since the transparent electrode 116 is likely to be partially broken or missing on the boundary portion due to the uneven surface shape due to the protrusion 114E, the electric field application state in the light transmitting portion Pt is changed. There is a problem that the display quality of the transmissive display deteriorates.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and the problem is that, in a color filter substrate or an electro-optical device, optical and electrical defects at a boundary portion where different colored layers are adjacent to each other are improved. It is an object of the present invention to provide technical means capable of preventing the occurrence of the above.

In order to solve the above problems, the color filter substrate of the present invention is a color filter substrate used in an electro-optical device provided with a light transmission portion for performing transmissive display and a light reflection portion for performing reflective display in the same pixel. The substrate includes a colored layer including a plurality of pixels, and the colored layer corresponds to the dark colored first colored layer provided corresponding to the light transmitting portion and the light reflecting portion. And the second colored layer having the same kind of hue as the first colored layer and having a lighter color than the first colored layer, the first colored layer and the second colored layer being are separately arranged adjacent to each other in the same pixel of the substrate, on top of the colored layer, the second colored layer than the surface of the first colored layer is provided region is provided A protective film is provided so as to increase the surface of the region, and the protective film includes the first film It has a step surface corresponding to the boundary portion between the color layer and the second colored layer, and the boundary portion is arranged on the region side where the surface is higher than the lowermost portion of the step surface of the protective film. It is characterized by.

  According to this invention, the boundary between the first colored layer and the second colored layer is a second region than the lowest part of the step surface between the first region having a low surface and the second region having a high surface. By being arranged on the side, a protrusion due to the overlap of the first colored layer and the second colored layer is formed at the boundary, or a gap is formed between the first colored layer and the second colored layer. However, since a step between the first region and the second region or a high surface structure of the second region is formed on the protrusion or gap, it is caused by the protrusion or gap being absorbed by these. A fine uneven structure is hardly formed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of optical defects and electrical defects based on the uneven structure. In the present invention, as will be described later, there may be a case where at least a part of the boundary portion is arranged so as to overlap with the step surface, or the boundary portion does not overlap with the step surface, but within the second region. It is also included when placed in

  In the present invention, the surface of the boundary portion is provided with a protrusion generated by overlapping the first colored layer and the second colored layer, and the protrusion has a surface that is lower than the lowest part of the step surface. It is preferable that it is arranged on the high region side.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the step surface is inclined and at least a part of the boundary portion is disposed in a region overlapping the step surface in a plane. When the step surface is inclined, the coverage of a layer to be formed thereon, for example, various electrodes such as a transparent electrode and a reflective electrode, wiring, etc. can be improved, and the structural influence on the upper layer structure can be improved. Can be reduced. In addition, since the step surface is inclined, a region (step region described later) that overlaps the step surface in a plane is widened, so that it is possible to place a boundary portion in the region, resulting in the boundary portion. As a result, the structural influence on the upper layer structure can be reduced. Further, since at least a part of the boundary portion is disposed in the region, the first colored layer is formed substantially corresponding to the first region, and the second colored layer is formed substantially corresponding to the second region. Therefore, the optical design of the first colored layer and the second colored layer can be matched with the step structure constituted by the first region and the second region. In addition, both the stepped surface and the boundary affect the optical characteristics of the color filter substrate. However, the optical effect of the stepped surface and the boundary as a whole (for example, light blocking) by both being provided at the same place. Light leakage in the state) can be reduced. Here, it is most desirable that all of the boundary portions are arranged in a region overlapping the step surface.

  In the present invention, the first region is provided with a light transmission portion configured to substantially transmit light, and the second region is provided with a light reflection portion in which a light reflection layer is disposed. Preferably it is. Accordingly, the color filter substrate can be configured as a substrate having both a light transmission function and a light reflection function, and a predetermined step amount can be provided between the light transmission part and the light reflection part.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the light reflecting portion includes the boundary portion. When the boundary portion is disposed in the light transmission portion, the optical influence caused by the step surface and the optical influence caused by the boundary portion are respectively exerted on the transmitted light of the color filter substrate. However, when the boundary portion is disposed in the light reflecting portion, both of the two optical effects on the transmitted light can be eliminated. Here, the reflected light reflected by the color filter substrate is mainly reflected by the light reflecting layer in the light reflecting portion, but also includes a light component reflected by the first colored layer of the light transmitting portion. Compared to the transmitted light that is substantially affected by the optical characteristics of only the light transmitting portion, the effect of the stepped surface and the boundary portion on the reflected light is considered to be relatively small.

  In the present invention, from the surface of the region provided with the first colored layer to the surface of the protective film in the region provided with the second colored layer via the step surface. It is preferable that an electrode is formed. When an integral electrode is formed from the first region to the second region through the step surface, the boundary portion is arranged on the second region side from the bottom of the step surface as described above. As a result, it becomes difficult to form a fine concavo-convex structure other than the stepped structure by the stepped surface, so that the coverage of the electrode can be improved, and the film thickness is partially reduced or tearing occurs in the electrode. It is possible to prevent the applied state of the electric field from deteriorating due to such causes.

  Next, the manufacturing method of the color filter substrate of the present invention includes a first coloring step in which the first colored layer is disposed in the first region, a second coloring step in which the second colored layer is disposed in the second region, A step forming step in which a surface of the second region is formed higher than a surface of the first region through a step surface between the first region and the second region, and in the step forming step The lowermost portion of the step surface is formed closer to the first colored layer than the boundary between the first colored layer and the second colored layer.

  According to the present invention, the lowermost portion of the step surface between the first region having a low surface and the second region having a high surface is the first region than the boundary between the first colored layer and the second colored layer. By being arranged on the side, a protrusion due to the overlap of the first colored layer and the second colored layer is formed at the boundary, or a gap is formed between the first colored layer and the second colored layer. However, since a step between the first region and the second region or a high surface structure of the second region is formed on the protrusion or gap, a fine uneven structure due to the protrusion or gap is formed. It becomes difficult. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of optical defects and electrical defects based on the uneven structure. In the present invention, as will be described later, there may be a case where at least a part of the boundary portion is arranged so as to overlap with the step surface, or the boundary portion does not overlap with the step surface, but within the second region. It is also included when placed in

  In the present invention, in the first and second coloring steps, it is preferable that the first colored layer and the second colored layer are formed so as to overlap each other at the boundary portion. By forming the first colored layer and the second colored layer so as to overlap with each other, it is possible to prevent a gap from being formed between the two colored layers and to prevent light leakage from occurring in the color filter.

  In the present invention, in the step forming step, it is preferable that the step surface is formed as an inclined surface at a position overlapping with at least a part of the boundary portion. According to this, by forming the step surface as an inclined surface, it is possible to improve the coverage of a layer (for example, an electrode or a wiring) formed thereon. In addition, since the region overlapping the step surface can be expanded by inclining the step surface, a boundary portion can be arranged in the region, and the structure of the upper layer structure caused by the boundary portion can be improved. Can reduce the effects of Furthermore, by providing a step surface at a position that overlaps with at least a part of the boundary portion, the step surface and the boundary portion that are likely to be optically affected are arranged at the same position. The optical influence resulting from the part can be reduced.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the method further includes a step of forming a light reflection layer having an opening in the first region, and the light reflection layer is formed so as to cover the boundary portion. When the boundary portion is disposed in the opening, the optical influence due to the step surface and the optical influence due to the boundary portion are exerted on the transmitted light of the color filter substrate. When the boundary portion is covered with the light reflecting layer, the optical influence on the transmitted light can be eliminated.

  Next, an electro-optical device according to the present invention includes any one of the color filter substrates described above.

  According to the present invention, an electro-optical device that can perform color display using the color filter substrate and has different electro-optical material thicknesses in the first region and the second region can be configured. The display quality of both types can be improved.

  In the present invention, the electro-optical material is a liquid crystal, and the liquid crystal layer in the first region corresponds to a difference in height between the first region and the second region in the color filter substrate. It is preferable that the thickness is larger than that of the liquid crystal layer. Accordingly, both the transmissive display using the transmitted light emitted from the illumination unit and the reflective display using the reflected light of the external light incident from the observation side can be configured brightly, and the display quality can be improved. .

  Next, the electro-optical device manufacturing method of the present invention includes a first coloring step in which a first colored layer is disposed in a first region on a substrate to be disposed along an electro-optical material, and a second region in a second coloring region. The surface of the second region is formed higher than the surface of the first region through a step surface between the second coloring step in which the two colored layers are disposed and the first region and the second region. A step-forming process, wherein the step-forming step includes a stepped surface closest to the first colored layer side of the boundary between the first colored layer and the second colored layer. A lower part is formed.

  In the present invention, in the first and second coloring steps, it is preferable that the first colored layer and the second colored layer are formed so as to overlap each other at the boundary portion.

  In the present invention, in the step forming step, it is preferable that the step surface is formed as an inclined surface at a position overlapping with at least a part of the boundary portion in a planar manner.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the method further includes a step of forming a light reflection layer having an opening in the first region, and the light reflection layer is formed so as to cover the boundary portion.

  According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an electronic apparatus including: the electro-optical device according to any one of the above; and a control unit that controls the electric field application unit of the electro-optical device.

  Next, embodiments of a color filter substrate, a color filter substrate manufacturing method, an electro-optical device, an electro-optical device manufacturing method, and an electronic apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[Color filter substrate and electro-optical device]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a liquid crystal display device 200 as an example of an electro-optical device provided with a color filter substrate according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the liquid crystal display device 200. As shown in FIG. 1, a liquid crystal display device 200 is obtained by bonding a substrate (color filter substrate) 210 and a substrate (counter substrate or element substrate) 220 via a sealing material (not shown). The distance between them is set to an appropriate interval of about 3 to 10 μm by the restriction by the spacer SP shown in FIG. 2, and the liquid crystal LC is sealed inside thereof.

  As shown in FIG. 1, an electrode 216 is formed on the base material 211 on the substrate 210. For example, a plurality of electrodes 216 are arranged in parallel as in the illustrated example. More specifically, a transparent base layer 212 is formed on the base material 211, and a light reflection layer 213 is formed on the base layer 212. In the light reflection layer 213, an opening 213a is formed for each pixel P shown in FIG. Here, the light transmission part Pt is provided in the pixel P by the opening 213 a, and the light reflection part Pr is provided by the light reflection layer 213.

  A first colored layer 214C is formed on the opening 213a, and a second colored layer 214F is formed on the light reflecting layer 213. The first colored layer 214C and the second colored layer 214F are made of a resin containing a coloring material such as a dye or a pigment. Here, the first colored layer 214 </ b> C and the second colored layer 214 </ b> F arranged in the same pixel P exhibit the same type of hue, and the first colored layer exhibits different types of hue for each pixel P. 214C and the second colored layer 214F are arranged in an appropriate pattern such as a stripe arrangement, a delta arrangement, or a diagonal mosaic arrangement. Here, the first colored layer 214C and the second colored layer 214F in any one of the pixels P have both the same kind of hues of a plurality of kinds of hues. The optical film thickness is configured to be larger than the optical film thickness of the second colored layer 214F. For example, when the color filter is composed of three colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue), the first colored layer 214C is a dark color filter for each of these three colors. The second colored layer 214F is configured as a light color filter.

  Further, a light shielding portion 214B is formed in the region between the pixels P. In the illustrated example, the light shielding portion 214B is configured by stacking a plurality of first colored layers 214C having different colors. However, the light shielding portion 214B may be configured by a black black matrix layer or a metal layer such as Cr.

  A transparent protective film 215 is formed on the second colored layer 214F and the light shielding part 214B as shown in FIG. The protective film 215 is usually formed for the purpose of protecting each colored layer of the color filter and smoothing the surface. Also in this embodiment, the protective film 215 is formed in anticipation of such a function. However, the protective film 215 is a component for providing a step on the surface of the substrate 210. That is, the protective film 215 is not formed on the first colored layer 214C, but is selectively formed on the second colored layer 214F and the light shielding portion 214B.

  By selectively forming the protective film 215, the first region Ls having a low surface and the second region Hs having a high surface are provided in the pixel P, and the first region Ls and the first region Ls are formed. A predetermined height difference exists between the two regions Hs, and a step region Ds is provided between the first region Ls and the second region Hs. The step region Ds is a region where a step surface constituted by the presence or absence of the protective film 215 is formed.

  In this embodiment, the protective film 215 is not present in the first region Ls at all, and the protective film 215 is formed in the second region Hs. However, in general, the step region Ds having a step surface is interposed. Thus, it is only necessary that the first region Ls having a low surface and the second region Hs having a high surface exist. Therefore, the thin protective film 215 may be formed in the first region Ls, and the thick protective film 215 may be formed in the second region Hs. That is, generally speaking, the first region Ls and the second region Hs are not limited to a specific structure such as the presence or absence of the protective film 215 or a difference in thickness, and as a result, there is a difference in height on the surface. Any relationship that exists exists.

  In the present embodiment, a transparent electrode 216 made of a transparent conductor such as ITO is formed on the first colored layer 214C and the protective film 215. The transparent conductor 216 is integrally formed from the first colored layer 214C to the second colored layer 214F (and the protective film 215) via the step region Ds (step surface). An alignment film 217 is formed on the transparent electrode 216.

On the other hand, on the substrate 220, the wiring 222 is formed of a metal such as Ta on a base material 221 made of glass or plastic. A diode element is formed for each pixel on the wiring 222, and the diode element is connected to the electrode 225. More specifically, a counter terminal 224 made of Cr or the like is joined via an insulating film 223 (see FIG. 2) such as Ta ₂ O ₅ formed on the wiring 222, and the counter terminal 224 is made of ITO or the like. It is connected to the electrode 225 comprised by these. The diode element is configured by an MIM (metal-insulator-metal) structure of the wiring 222, the insulating film 223, and the counter terminal 224. The diode element configured with this MIM structure is disposed so as to overlap in a plane with the inter-pixel region where the light shielding portion 214B is disposed. On these, an alignment film 226 similar to the above is formed.

  In the manufacturing process of the substrates 210 and 220, electrodes and wirings can be formed by a sputtering method. The insulating film 223 of the MIM element can be formed by oxidizing the surface of the wiring 222 by an anodic oxidation method. The color filter 214 can be formed by applying a photosensitive resist colored by a roll coater method or the like, and repeating a photolithography method for exposure and development for each color.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a backlight 240 is disposed behind the panel structure of the liquid crystal display device 200. Further, a polarizing plate 241 and a retardation plate 242 are sequentially disposed between the panel structure and the backlight 240, and a retardation plate 243 and a polarizing plate 244 are sequentially disposed on the front surface of the panel structure. Yes. In the liquid crystal display device 200 of the illustrated example, a case where an STN mode liquid crystal layer is configured by the liquid crystal LC is shown.

  In this embodiment, the transmissive display is performed by the transmitted light T passing through the light transmitting portion Pt, that is, the opening 213a of the light reflecting layer 213, among the light irradiated from the backlight 240. In addition, the reflective display is performed by the reflected light R that is incident on the panel and is reflected by the light reflecting layer 213 in the light reflecting portion Pr. In this case, the transmitted light T constituting the transmissive display basically passes through the first colored layer 214C only once, and the reflected light R constituting the reflective display basically passes through the second colored layer 214F. Pass through times. Therefore, the quality of the transmissive display and the reflective display can be greatly improved by optimizing and forming the first colored layer 214C and the second colored layer 214F in terms of optical characteristics.

  In the present embodiment, since there is a height difference between the first region Ls and the second region Hs, different liquid crystal layer thicknesses can be provided in the pixel P according to the height difference. That is, the thickness Gt of the liquid crystal layer is large in the first region Ls, and the thickness Gr of the liquid crystal layer is small in the second region Hs. As a result, the retardation value of the liquid crystal layer with respect to the transmitted light T that passes through the liquid crystal layer only once can be brought close to the retardation value of the liquid crystal layer with respect to the reflected light R that passes through the liquid crystal layer twice. The quality of the mold display can be improved together. More specifically, the brightness of both displays can be improved.

  In FIG. 3, a part of the pixel P of the liquid crystal display device 200 on the substrate 210 side is further enlarged. The first colored layer 214C and the second colored layer 214F are disposed adjacent to each other, and the boundary portion 214X between the two colored layers is the outermost step surface 215s that defines the boundary line on the first region Ls side in the step region Ds. It arrange | positions rather than the lower part at the 2nd area | region Hs side. In the case of the illustrated example, the first colored layer 214C and the second colored layer 214F overlap each other at the boundary 214X, and as a result, a protrusion 214E is formed. Further, the protrusion 214E is disposed on the second region side with respect to the step surface 215s. More specifically, all of the protrusions 214E are arranged in the step region Ds.

  Unlike the illustrated example, as a result of the boundary portion 214X being arranged very close to the lowermost portion of the step surface 215s, the lower shape of the step surface 215s is partially deformed by the protrusion 214E, and is formed at the lowermost portion of the step surface 215s. A case where a step portion is formed is also conceivable. However, even if such a stepped portion is formed, the stepped portion and the stepped surface generated by the protrusion 114E are separated as shown in FIG. 10, and no depression is formed on the second region side of the stepped portion. Good.

  In the present embodiment, the boundary portion 214X between the first colored layer 214C and the second colored layer 214F is on the second region Hs side of the lowermost portion of the step surface 215s (that is, the boundary position on the first region Ls side of the step region Ds). 10, it is difficult for the projection 114E to form a fine concavo-convex structure on the first region Ls side with respect to the step surface 215s as shown in FIG. The occurrence of optical failure and electrical failure can be suppressed. In particular, since no depression is generated between the protrusion 114E shown in FIG. 10 and the step surface, a problem caused by the depression does not occur.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 10, if the fine concavo-convex structure or the depression is present, the alignment state of the liquid crystal generated by the alignment film 117 formed thereon is disturbed, so that the display quality is deteriorated. In particular, if the fine concavo-convex structure and the depression are arranged in the light transmission part Pt, the quality of the transmissive display may be greatly deteriorated. In addition, when the transparent electrode 216 is formed on the fine uneven structure or the depression, the transparent electrode 216 may be partially thinned or broken. For this reason, the electric field application state by the transparent electrode 216 may deteriorate. In particular, when a thin part or a tearing part is formed in the vicinity of the boundary position between the light transmission part Pt and the light reflection part Pr, the applied voltage in the light transmission part Pt is lowered.

  On the other hand, in the case of the present embodiment, the boundary portion 214X between the two colored layers is disposed in the step region Ds or the second region Hs, and thus the protrusion 214E exists in the boundary portion 214X. However, since the unevenness due to the protrusion 214E is absorbed by the step amount of the step surface in the step region Ds and the height of the second region Hs, a fine uneven structure or a depression does not appear on the surface, or even if it appears. The height difference of the concavo-convex structure is extremely small. Therefore, it is possible to prevent or reduce the occurrence of the above-mentioned optical failure and electrical failure.

  By the way, the step region Ds in which the step surface 215s is formed may cause light leakage when the pixel P is normally in black display (light blocking state). As schematically shown in FIG. 3, this is in the step region Ds when it is assumed that the liquid crystal molecules LCM in the first region Ls and the second region Hs are in a vertical posture as shown in FIG. This is because the alignment state of the liquid crystal molecules LCM is disturbed by the inclination of the step surface 215s, and is aligned in an oblique direction as shown in the figure, for example. Therefore, when the boundary portion 214X is disposed in the step region Ds as in the present embodiment, the light transmittance is slightly reduced in the boundary portion 214X due to the overlap between the first colored layer 214C and the second colored layer 214F. Therefore, the above light leakage can be suppressed.

  Further, in the above structure, the boundary position between the light transmitting portion Pt and the light reflecting portion Pr usually needs to be in or near the boundary portion 214X. However, in order to further reduce the above-described light leakage, it is preferable to dispose the light reflection layer 213 so as to overlap the step region Ds. That is, it is preferable that the position of the opening edge of the light reflecting layer 213 is matched with the boundary position between the first region Ls and the step region Ds or slightly protrudes into the first region Ls. This is because the influence of the above-described light leakage is generally considered to be larger in the transmissive display displayed by the light transmitted through the limited opening 213a than in the reflective display. For example, the transmissive display is substantially formed by only the transmitted light that passes through the opening 213a (that is, the light transmitting portion Pt) out of the light from the backlight 240, whereas the reflective display is the light reflecting portion. Since not only Pr but also the influence of the reflection component from the light transmission part Pt, it is considered that light leakage is less noticeable in the reflective display than in the transmissive display.

  Usually, the width of the step region Ds is 5 to 10 μm, for example, about 8 μm, but the width of the boundary portion 214X is 2 to 6 μm, for example, about 4 μm. It is not difficult to arrange in the region Ds. In FIG. 2, the step surface 215s is depicted as having a fairly steep slope, but actually, for example, when the thickness of the protective film 215 is about 2 μm, the width of the step surface is about 8 μm. Actually, the inclination angle of the step surface 215 s is quite gentle.

  FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration example of a color filter substrate and an electro-optical device different from those of the above embodiment. The liquid crystal display device 300 of this configuration example is a passive matrix liquid crystal display device, in which a light reflection layer 313 is provided on a substrate 310 and a color filter is formed on a substrate 320. Therefore, the substrate (color filter substrate) 320 is different from the above-described embodiment in that a light reflection layer is not formed.

  In the substrate 310 of the liquid crystal display device 300, a base layer 312, a light reflection layer 313, an insulating layer 314, a transparent electrode 315, and an alignment film 316 are sequentially formed on a base material 311. In the substrate 320, a first colored layer 322C and a second colored layer 322F are formed on a base material 321, and a light shielding portion 322B is provided in an inter-pixel region. In addition, a protective film 323 having a stepped surface is provided as in the above embodiment, and a transparent electrode 324 is formed on the protective film 323. Further, these are covered with an alignment film 325.

  The backlight 340, the polarizing plate 341, the phase difference plates 342 and 343, the polarizing plate 344, the liquid crystal layer LC, and the spacer SP are exactly the same as in the above embodiment.

  Also in this configuration example, transmissive display can be performed by the transmitted light T of light emitted from the backlight 340, and reflective display can be performed by the reflected light R of external light, as in the above embodiment. . Further, the display quality of both the transmissive display and the reflective display is improved by the difference between the thickness Gt of the liquid crystal layer corresponding to the first region Ls and the thickness Gr of the liquid crystal layer corresponding to the second region Hs. ing. In this configuration example, the light reflecting layer is not formed on the substrate 320 which is the color filter substrate. Basically, similarly to the above, the boundary portion (protrusion) between the first colored layer 322C and the second colored layer 322F. ) 322X is arranged in the step region Ds or the second region Hs, and this has the effect of reducing optical defects and electrical defects.

[Color filter substrate manufacturing method]
Next, a method for manufacturing a color filter substrate will be described with reference to FIGS. First, as shown in FIG. 5A, a photosensitive resin 12A is disposed on the surface of a base material 11 made of glass, plastic, or the like by a spin coating method, a roll coating method, a screen printing method, or the like. As the photosensitive resin 12A, for example, a positive photoresist such as a novolac resin can be used. Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, proximity exposure is performed on the photosensitive resin 12 </ b> A using an exposure mask 50. Here, as the exposure mask 50, it is possible to use a mask in which a light shielding layer 52 made of a metal thin film or the like is formed on the surface of a transparent substrate 51 such as glass. The aperture diameter D, average interval L, exposure gap (proximity gap) G, and the like of the optical aperture 50a of the exposure mask 50 are appropriately determined in consideration of the light scattering property of a light reflection layer described later. The thickness t of the photosensitive resin 12A is usually about 1.0 to 3.0 μm.

  Next, by developing the photosensitive resin exposed as described above, the base layer 12 having the concave surface portion 12f is formed as shown in FIG. Then, as shown in FIG. 6 (d), aluminum, silver, chromium, or an alloy mainly composed of these metals is deposited on the base layer 12f by a vapor deposition method, a sputtering method, etc. 13 is formed. Thereafter, an etching mask or the like is formed, and etching is performed, so that an opening is formed in the light reflecting layer 13 and a light transmitting portion 10a is formed in the color filter substrate 10 as shown in FIG.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6F, the second colored layer 14F is formed on the light reflecting layer 13 by using a photolithography method or the like. The second colored layer 14F is obtained by appropriately adding a coloring material such as a dye or a pigment using an acrylic resin or the like as a base. The second colored layer 14F is formed in the region where the light reflecting layer 13 is formed, but is not formed in the light transmitting portion 10a due to patterning or the like. Here, in the formation process of the second colored layer 14F, normally, a plurality of types of layers having different hues (for example, R (red), G (green), B (blue)) are repeatedly formed. The hues of the types are configured to have a predetermined arrangement.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 6G, the first colored layer 14C is formed in the light transmission portion 10a. The first colored layer 14C is basically formed of a material having the same material configuration as that of the second colored layer 14F. For example, the amount of the colorant added is higher than that of the second colored layer 14F. Use the set one. Accordingly, the first colored layer 14C has an optical film thickness higher than that of the second colored layer 14F as an optical filter. As the second colored layer 14F, the first colored layer 14C is configured such that layers having a plurality of types of hues are arranged in a predetermined arrangement. Further, the light shielding portion 14B is formed on the second colored layer 14F. In the illustrated example, the light shielding portion 14B is formed by laminating a first colored layer 14C having a plurality of different hues. However, the light-shielding portion 14B can also be configured with a black resin or a metal thin film.

  The first colored layer 14C is formed so as to be adjacent to the second colored layer 14F. In particular, the first colored layer 14C is preferably formed so as to slightly overlap the edge of the second colored layer 14F. As a result, a projection 14E similar to the above-described projection 214E is formed, but it is possible to prevent a gap from being formed between the first colored layer 14C and the second colored layer 14F. The boundary portion between the first colored layer 14C and the second colored layer 14F is configured to substantially coincide with the opening edge of the light reflecting layer 13, but the boundary portion is not in the opening portion 13a but the light reflecting layer. It is preferable to be arranged on 13 (the opening edge).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7H, a transparent protective film 15 is formed on each colored layer by a spin coating method, a screen printing method, or the like. In this embodiment, the protective film 15 is composed of a negative photoresist. Then, as shown in FIG. 7 (i), proximity exposure is performed on the protective film 15. In this exposure step, the portion on the first colored layer 14 </ b> C is shielded from light using the exposure mask 60, and the other portions are irradiated with light. As the exposure mask 60, as in the case of the exposure mask 50, a mask in which a light shielding layer 62 is formed on a transparent substrate 61 can be used. Thereafter, by performing development processing, as shown in FIG. 7 (j), an opening 15a is formed in a region on the first colored layer 14C.

  Here, in the exposure step, the exposure amount of the protective film 15 and the exposure amount at the boundary between the light shielding region and the exposure region are controlled by adjusting the size of the light shielding region (exposure region) and the exposure gap G. With this control, the position of the opening edge of the opening 15a and the inclination angle of the step surface formed on the opening edge can be adjusted. Usually, since a transparent electrode to be described later is also formed on the opening edge of the protective film 15, a step corresponding to the opening edge of the opening 15a of the protective film 15 is also avoided in order to avoid problems such as tearing of the transparent electrode. As described above, the surface is formed as an inclined surface that is inclined to some extent.

  Further, in the exposure step, the position of the opening edge of the opening 15a (that is, the lowermost part of the step surface) is the first colored layer rather than the boundary (projection 14E) between the first colored layer 14C and the second colored layer 14F. It is formed so as to be arranged on the 14C side.

  Finally, as shown in FIG. 7 (k), a transparent conductor such as ITO is deposited on the protective film 15 and the opening 15a by a sputtering method or the like, and is subjected to a patterning process such as etching to form a transparent electrode. 16 is formed. With this configuration, the color filter substrate 10 having the same structure as the substrate 210 shown in FIG. 2 is formed.

[Electronics]
Finally, an embodiment of an electronic device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment, an electronic apparatus including the liquid crystal display device 200 of the electro-optical device as a display unit will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an overall configuration of a control system (display control system) for the liquid crystal display device 200 in the electronic apparatus of the present embodiment. The electronic apparatus shown here includes a display control circuit 290 including a display information output source 291, a display information processing circuit 292, a power supply circuit 293, and a timing generator 294. A liquid crystal display device 200 similar to the above is provided with a drive circuit 200G for driving the display region. This drive circuit 200G is usually a semiconductor IC chip directly mounted on a liquid crystal panel, a circuit pattern formed on the surface of the panel, or a semiconductor IC chip or circuit mounted on a circuit board conductively connected to the liquid crystal panel. It consists of patterns.

  The display information output source 291 includes a memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage unit such as a magnetic recording disk or an optical recording disk, and a tuning circuit that tunes and outputs a digital image signal. The display information is supplied to the display information processing circuit 292 in the form of an image signal or the like of a predetermined format based on various clock signals generated by the timing generator 294.

  The display information processing circuit 292 includes various known circuits such as a serial-parallel conversion circuit, an amplification / inversion circuit, a rotation circuit, a gamma correction circuit, and a clamp circuit, and executes processing of input display information to obtain image information. Are supplied to the drive circuit 200G together with the clock signal CLK. The drive circuit 200G includes a scanning line drive circuit, a signal line drive circuit, and an inspection circuit. The power supply circuit 293 supplies a predetermined voltage to each of the above-described components.

  FIG. 9 shows a mobile phone which is an embodiment of an electronic apparatus according to the present invention. The mobile phone 1000 includes an operation unit 1001 and a display unit 1002. A plurality of operation buttons are arranged on the front surface of the operation unit 1001, and a microphone is built in the transmitter unit. In addition, a speaker is disposed inside the receiver unit of the display unit 1002.

  In the display unit 1002, the circuit board 1100 is disposed inside the case body, and the above-described liquid crystal display device 200 is mounted on the circuit board 1100. The liquid crystal display device 200 installed in the case body is configured so that the display surface can be viewed through the display window 200A.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the illustrated examples described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the liquid crystal display device 200 has been described as an example of the electro-optical device. However, the present invention is not limited to the liquid crystal device, and includes an organic electroluminescence device, a plasma display device, a field emission display device, and the like. The present invention can also be applied to various electro-optical devices. The light reflecting substrate can be used not only for an electro-optical device but also for various display devices and other various devices.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing a structure of an electro-optical device according to the invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing a part of the electro-optical device. FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view illustrating a part of a pixel of an electro-optical device. FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view illustrating a different configuration example of an electro-optical device. Process sectional drawing (a)-(c) which shows the manufacturing process of a color filter substrate. Process sectional drawing (d)-(g) which shows the manufacturing process of a color filter board | substrate. Process sectional drawing (h)-(k) which shows the manufacturing process of a color filter substrate. The schematic block diagram which shows the control system of an electronic device. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a configuration example of an electronic device. FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing a structure in which defects are likely to occur in a liquid crystal panel.

Explanation of symbols

  200 ... Liquid crystal display device, 210, 220 ... Substrate, 211 ... Base material, 212 ... Underlayer, 213 ... Light reflecting layer, 213a ... Opening, 214C ... First colored layer, 214F ... Second colored layer, 214B ... Light shielding Part, 214X ... boundary part, 214E ... protrusion, 215 ... protective film, 215s ... step surface, 216 ... transparent electrode, 217 ... alignment film, P ... pixel, Pt ... light transmission part, Pr ... light reflection part, Ls ... th One region, Hs ... second region, Ds ... step region.

Claims (5)

A color filter substrate used in an electro-optical device provided with a light transmissive portion for performing transmissive display and a light reflective portion for performing reflective display in the same pixel,
A colored layer comprising a substrate and a plurality of pixels, wherein the colored layer is provided corresponding to the dark colored first colored layer provided corresponding to the light transmitting portion, and corresponding to the light reflecting portion. A second colored layer that exhibits the same type of hue as the first colored layer and is lighter than the first colored layer, and the first colored layer and the second colored layer are formed on the substrate. Are arranged separately in the same pixel adjacent to each other ,
A protective film is provided on the colored layer such that the surface of the region provided with the second colored layer is higher than the surface of the region provided with the first colored layer. Has a step surface corresponding to a boundary portion between the first colored layer and the second colored layer, and the boundary portion is located on the region side where the surface is higher than a lowermost portion of the step surface of the protective film. A color filter substrate that is arranged.   The surface of the boundary is provided with a protrusion generated by overlapping the first colored layer and the second colored layer, and the protrusion is higher in the surface than the lowermost part of the step surface. The color filter substrate according to claim 1, wherein the color filter substrate is disposed on the substrate.   The color filter substrate according to claim 1, wherein the step surface is inclined, and at least a part of the boundary portion is disposed in a region overlapping the step surface in a plane. .   An integrated electrode is formed from the surface of the region where the first colored layer is provided to the surface of the protective film in the region where the second colored layer is provided via the step surface. The color filter substrate according to claim 1, wherein the color filter substrate is a color filter substrate.   An electro-optical device using the color filter substrate according to claim 1.

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