JP5681822B2 - LCD panel - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a horizontal electric field type liquid crystal display panel, and more particularly to an FFS (Fringe Field Switching) mode liquid crystal display panel in which an upper electrode or a lower electrode is formed across all subpixels in a display region and operates as a common electrode. .

  Liquid crystal display panels are characterized by their light weight, thinness, and low power consumption compared to CRTs (cathode ray tubes), and are therefore used in many electronic devices for display purposes. The liquid crystal display panel displays an image by changing the direction of liquid crystal molecules aligned in a predetermined direction by an electric field and changing the amount of light transmitted through the liquid crystal layer. This includes a reflective type in which external light is incident on the liquid crystal layer, reflected by the reflector, then transmitted through the liquid crystal layer again, and a transmissive type in which incident light from the backlight device is transmitted through the liquid crystal layer. And a transflective type having both properties. In addition, a liquid crystal display panel includes a monochrome display type and a color display type. The color of one pixel of a color display type liquid crystal display panel is, for example, light transmitted through each sub-pixel including R (red), G (green), and B (blue) light primary color filters. Depends on the color mixture.

  As a method for applying an electric field to a liquid crystal layer of a liquid crystal display panel, there are a vertical electric field method and a horizontal electric field method. A vertical electric field type liquid crystal display panel applies a substantially vertical electric field to liquid crystal molecules by a pair of electrodes opposed to each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. As the vertical electric field type liquid crystal display panel, there are known TN (Twisted Nematic) mode, VA (Vertical Alignment) mode, MVA (Multi-domain Vertical Alignment) mode, ECB (Electrically Controlled Birefringence) mode, and the like. . A horizontal electric field type liquid crystal display panel is provided with a pair of electrodes insulated from each other on one liquid crystal layer side of a pair of substrates arranged with a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between them. Is applied to. As this horizontal electric field type liquid crystal display panel, there are known an IPS (In-Plane Switching) mode in which a pair of electrodes do not overlap in a plan view and an FFS mode in which they overlap. The liquid crystal display panel of the horizontal electric field type has an effect that a wide viewing angle can be obtained.

  In the IPS mode liquid crystal display panel, since a pair of electrodes are provided in the same layer, liquid crystal molecules located above the pixel electrodes are not sufficiently driven, and the aperture ratio and transmittance are low. There is a point. Therefore, an FFS mode liquid crystal display panel as disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 below has been developed. In the FFS mode liquid crystal display panel disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, the lower electrode operates as a common electrode, and the common electrode is formed separately for each sub-pixel. A common line is formed in the same layer as the scanning line connected to the gate electrode of the driving thin film transistor TFT (Thin Film Transistor) of the pixel electrode so that a part of the common electrode overlaps the common line. As a result, the common electrodes of the individual sub-pixels are wired.

  As described above, the common electrode of the FFS mode liquid crystal display panel disclosed in the following Patent Document 1 has a step because it overlaps the common line, and the step affects the upper electrode. The alignment of the liquid crystal molecules will be disturbed. For this reason, in the liquid crystal display panel disclosed in Patent Document 2 below, an interlayer resin film, which is also referred to as a planarizing film, is formed on the TFT and the lower electrode, and operates as a pixel electrode on the interlayer resin film. An electrode, an interelectrode insulating film, and an upper electrode that operates as a common electrode are sequentially formed. In addition, the common electrode is formed over all the sub-pixels in the display region, and has a feature that the aperture ratio is larger than that of the liquid crystal display panel disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the contrast is increased. .

JP 2009-036800 A JP 2008-180928 A

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 of Patent Document 2, the upper electrode as a common electrode formed across all the sub-pixels in the display area is located in the non-display area formed around the display area. The contact hole is connected to the common routing wiring. As described above, the upper electrode as the common electrode of the conventional FFS mode liquid crystal display panel is connected to the common lead-out wiring only in the non-display area. On the other hand, since a slit-like opening is formed for each sub-pixel in the upper electrode, the resistance as a common electrode is increased in combination with the high resistance of the transparent conductive material constituting the upper electrode. For this reason, when the FFS mode liquid crystal display panel is enlarged, the potential of the common electrode becomes unstable due to the high resistance of the upper electrode as the common electrode, resulting in poor characteristics such as flicker and crosstalk. Will be brought. This is a problem that also occurs in an FFS mode liquid crystal display panel in which the lower electrode is operated as a common electrode.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and by reducing the resistance of a common electrode formed across all the sub-pixels in the display region, flicker and crosstalk are achieved. It is an object of the present invention to provide an FFS mode liquid crystal display panel in which display quality is not easily generated and display quality is good.

  In order to achieve the above object, a liquid crystal display panel according to the present invention has a pair of substrates opposed to each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween, and one of the pair of substrates is arranged in a matrix in a display region. A plurality of scanning lines and signal lines formed, a common routing line formed along a peripheral edge of the display area, an interlayer resin film formed over at least the entire display area, and a surface of the interlayer resin film In addition, a lower electrode and an upper electrode made of a transparent conductive material are formed so as to face each other with an interelectrode insulating film interposed therebetween, and the upper electrode is partitioned by the scanning lines and the signal lines in the display region in a plan view. A plurality of slits are formed for each of the pixel areas, and one of the upper electrode and the lower electrode is formed across the entire display area and is electrically connected to the common routing wiring. Common power In the display region, a common line is formed in parallel to the scanning line, and the side of the upper electrode and the lower electrode that operates as a common electrode is connected to the common via a contact hole. The common line is electrically connected to the line, and the common line is electrically connected to the common routing wiring in a peripheral portion of the display area.

  In the FFS mode liquid crystal display panel, one of the upper electrode and the lower electrode is formed across all the sub-pixels in the display region and operates as a common electrode. Conventionally, in the liquid crystal display panel having such a configuration, the common electrode is electrically connected to the common lead-out wiring only in the non-display area. For this reason, in a medium-sized or large-sized liquid crystal display panel having a wide display area, the resistance of the common electrode made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO or IZO becomes very large, leading to poor characteristics such as flicker and crosstalk. is there. In the case where the upper electrode operates as a common electrode, this tendency appears more because the area of the upper electrode is reduced because a slit-like opening is formed in the upper electrode.

  In the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, a common line is formed in parallel to the scanning line, the common electrode is electrically connected to the common line, and the common line is electrically connected to the common routing wiring in the peripheral portion of the display area. I try to connect. Then, the side that operates as the common electrode of the upper electrode and the lower electrode is electrically connected to the common routing wiring at the periphery of the display area, and the common routing wiring at the periphery of the display area via the common line. Since it is electrically connected, the resistance with the common electrode is reduced. In the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, the electrical connection between the common line and the common lead-out line in the peripheral portion of the display area can be easily performed by a bridge connection using a connection electrode formed simultaneously with the signal line. It can be performed in a state of being electrically insulated from other wiring.

  In the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, at least one relay terminal is formed between the common line and the common electrode at a position overlapping the contact hole in plan view, and the upper electrode and the lower electrode It is preferable that the side which operates as a common electrode among the electrodes is electrically connected to the relay terminal and is electrically connected to the common line via the relay terminal.

  Due to the characteristics of the formation method of the contact hole, the larger the thickness of the penetrating layer, the larger the opening of the contact hole. In particular, when there is an interlayer resin film, the thickness of the layer is increased, so that the opening of the contact hole is increased, and the aperture ratio of the liquid crystal display panel is reduced. In the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, at least one relay terminal is formed between the common line and the common electrode at a position overlapping with the contact hole in plan view, and the contact through the contact hole is made thin. The size of the hole opening can be reduced. Therefore, in the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, the size of the contact hole can be reduced, so that the reduction in the aperture ratio caused by the contact hole can be reduced.

  In the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, it is preferable that the relay terminal is formed in the same layer as the signal line.

  According to the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, since the signal line and the relay terminal can be formed simultaneously, the relay terminal can be formed without increasing the manufacturing process.

  In the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, a connection portion between the relay electrode and the side that operates as a common electrode of the upper electrode and the lower electrode, and a connection portion between the relay terminal and the common line Are preferably not superimposed in plan view.

  In the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, the side that operates as the common electrode among the upper electrode and the lower electrode is electrically connected to the common line through the contact hole. In the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, the connection portion between the relay electrode and the side that operates as the common electrode of the upper electrode and the lower electrode and the connection portion between the relay terminal and the common line are superimposed in a plan view. Since the thickness of the layer through which the contact hole has to pass is reduced, the opening area of the contact hole can be reduced. In addition, in the connection portion for performing electrical connection between the relay terminal and the common line, the area necessary for forming this connection portion can be reduced. Therefore, according to the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, the connection portion between the relay electrode and the side that operates as the common electrode among the upper electrode and the lower electrode and the connection portion between the relay terminal and the common line are formed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the aperture ratio due to these connecting portions.

  Moreover, the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention has a plan view in which the position of the connection portion between the relay electrode and the side that operates as the common electrode of the upper electrode and the lower electrode and the connection portion between the relay terminal and the common wiring are in plan view. Although the present invention can be applied to the case of overlapping, if this overlapping region is partial, a concave portion is formed on the common electrode side in this overlapping region. Since the recess on the common electrode side is liable to cause recovery failure, there is a risk of disconnection. According to the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, the position of the connection portion between the side that operates as the common electrode among the upper electrode and the lower electrode and the relay terminal, and the position of the connection portion between the relay terminal and the common wiring are viewed in a plan view. Since they are not superposed, small irregularities are less likely to occur on the common electrode side, and disconnection defects on the common electrode side are less likely to occur.

  In the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, it is preferable that the common line is formed so as to shield the opening of the contact hole at a position where the contact hole overlaps in a plan view.

  The opening of the contact hole causes a poor alignment of liquid crystal molecules. According to the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, since the opening of the contact hole is shielded by the opaque common line, the region where the alignment defect occurs cannot be visually recognized from the outside, so that a liquid crystal display panel with good display image quality can be obtained. .

  In the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, it is preferable that the relay terminal is made of an opaque conductive material and is formed so as to shield the opening of the contact hole in a plan view.

  The opening of the contact hole causes a poor alignment of liquid crystal molecules. According to the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, the contact hole is covered with an opaque relay terminal, and the opening of the contact hole is shielded, so that the region where the alignment defect occurs cannot be visually recognized from the outside. A liquid crystal display panel can be obtained.

  In the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, the upper electrode is formed with a first slit-shaped opening region and a second slit-shaped opening region in which the rotation directions of the liquid crystal molecules are opposite to each other, and the common line is the first line. Preferably, it is formed at the boundary between the first and second slit-shaped opening regions.

  Disclination is likely to occur at the boundary between the first and second slit-shaped opening regions where the rotation directions of the liquid crystal molecules are opposite to each other. In the liquid crystal display panel of the present invention, such an area where disclination is likely to occur is shielded by an opaque common line, so that the area where disclination is likely to occur is not visible from the outside, so that the display image quality is good. A liquid crystal display panel is obtained.

FIG. 1A is a plan view showing an outline of the liquid crystal display panel of the first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IB-IB in FIG. 1A. It is a top view which shows the outline | summary of the array substrate of 1 sub pixel of 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of the III-III line of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the IV-IV line of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the VV line of FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIA-VIA of the array substrate of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB of the array substrate of FIG. It is a top view which shows the outline | summary of the array substrate of 1 sub pixel of 2nd Embodiment. 8A is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIA-VIIIA in FIG. 7, and FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIB-VIIIB in FIG. It is a top view which shows the outline | summary of the array substrate of 1 sub pixel of 3rd Embodiment. 10A is a cross-sectional view taken along line XA-XA in FIG. 9, and FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment corresponding to FIG. 10A. It is a top view which shows the outline | summary of the array substrate of 1 pixel of 5th Embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the embodiments and the drawings. However, the embodiments shown below are not intended to limit the present invention to those described herein, and The invention can be equally applied to various modifications without departing from the technical idea shown in the claims.

  Note that the “surface” of the array substrate and the color filter substrate described here indicates a surface on which various wirings are formed or a surface facing the liquid crystal. In addition, in each drawing used for the description in this specification, each layer and each member are displayed at different scales so that each layer and each member can be recognized on the drawing. However, it is not necessarily displayed in proportion to the actual dimensions.

[First Embodiment]
A liquid crystal display panel 10A according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the liquid crystal display panel 10A, as shown in FIG. 3, the liquid crystal layer LC is sandwiched between the array substrate AR and the color filter substrate CF. As shown in FIG. 1B, the liquid crystal layer LC is sealed with a sealing material SL so as not to leak from between the array substrate AR and the color filter substrate CF, and the thickness of the liquid crystal layer LC is uniformly maintained by a columnar spacer (not shown). Has been. Further, polarizing plates (not shown) are respectively formed on the back surface of the array substrate AR and the front surface of the color filter substrate CF. Then, light is irradiated to the liquid crystal display panel 10A from the back side of the array substrate AR by a backlight (not shown). Although not shown, the liquid crystal display panel 10A has a plurality of pixels aligned in the row direction and the column direction in the display area DA, and one pixel is, for example, R (red), G (green), B (blue). ) Of the three sub-pixels 11 (see FIG. 2), and the color of each pixel is determined by the color mixture of the light of each color.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each sub-pixel 11 formed on the array substrate AR has a scanning line 12 and a common line 13A made of an opaque metal such as aluminum or molybdenum extending in the row direction and a column direction. A signal line 14 made of an opaque metal such as aluminum or molybdenum, and a TFT disposed near the intersection of the scanning line 12 and the signal line 14 are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the array substrate AR is based on a first transparent substrate 15 made of transparent insulating glass, quartz, plastic, or the like. On the first transparent substrate 15, scanning lines 12 and common lines 13A are formed on the side facing the liquid crystal layer LC. As shown in FIG. 2, a gate electrode G is extended from the scanning line 12, and a common connection portion 13Aa is extended from the common line 13A. A transparent gate insulating film 16 made of silicon nitride, silicon oxide or the like is laminated so as to cover the scanning line 12 and the gate electrode G. A semiconductor layer 17 made of amorphous silicon, polycrystalline silicon, or the like is formed on the gate insulating film 16 that overlaps the gate electrode G in plan view. A plurality of signal lines 14 made of a metal such as aluminum or molybdenum are formed on the gate insulating film 16 in the column direction of FIG. Each of the areas partitioned by these scanning lines 12 and signal lines 14 becomes a sub-pixel area 11. A source electrode S extends from the signal line 14, and the source electrode S is in partial contact with the surface of the semiconductor layer 17.

  Further, a drain electrode D formed simultaneously with the same material as the signal line 14 and the source electrode S is provided on the gate insulating film 16, and the drain electrode D is disposed in proximity to the source electrode S so as to form the semiconductor layer 17. It is in partial contact with the surface. Since the three sub-pixels 11 of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) constitute a substantially square pixel (not shown), the sub-pixel 11 that divides this into three equal parts is short on the scanning line 12 side. The side of the signal line 14 is a rectangle with a long side. The gate electrode G, the gate insulating film 16, the semiconductor layer 17, the source electrode S, and the drain electrode D constitute a TFT serving as a switching element, and this TFT is formed in each sub-pixel 11.

  Further, a transparent passivation film 18 made of, for example, silicon nitride or silicon oxide is laminated so as to cover the exposed portions of the signal line 14, the TFT, and the gate insulating film 16. An interlayer resin film 19 made of a transparent resin material such as a photoresist is laminated so as to cover the passivation film 18. By this interlayer resin film 19, the uneven surface of the passivation film 18 by the signal line 14, the TFT and the gate insulating film 16 is flattened. A lower electrode 20 made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO (Indium Thin Oxide) or IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide) is formed so as to cover the interlayer resin film 19. A first contact hole 21 penetrating the interlayer insulating film 19 and the passivation film 18 and reaching the drain electrode D is formed, and the lower electrode 20 and the drain electrode D are electrically connected via the first contact hole 21. Has been. Therefore, the lower electrode 20 operates as a pixel electrode.

  A transparent interelectrode insulating film 22 made of, for example, silicon nitride or silicon oxide is laminated so as to cover the lower electrode 20. An upper electrode 23 made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO or IZO is formed so as to cover the interelectrode insulating film 22. In the connection portion A1, a second contact hole 24A that penetrates the interelectrode insulating film 22, the lower electrode 20, the interlayer resin film 19, the passivation film 18, and the gate insulating film 16 and reaches the common line 13A is formed. The upper electrode 23 and the common line 13A are electrically connected through the second contact hole 24A. Therefore, the upper electrode 23 operates as a common electrode.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the width W2 of the common line 13A in the connecting portion A1 in the row direction is wider (W1 <W2) than the maximum width W1 in the row direction of the concave portion of the second contact hole 24A in the display region. Yes. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the width W4 in the column direction of the common line 13A of the connection portion A is wider (W3 <W4) than the maximum width W3 of the recesses in the column direction of the second contact holes 24A in the display region. Yes. Thus, when the common line 13A of the connection portion A is formed so as to be wider than the concave portion of the second contact hole 24A in plan view, the common line 13A of the connection portion A is made of a light-shielding metal material. It becomes possible to shield the misalignment portion of the liquid crystal molecules due to the concave portion of the hole 24A.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the upper electrode 23 has a plurality of slit-shaped openings 25A. The slit-shaped opening 25A is formed by forming a transparent conductive material such as ITO or IZO on the interelectrode insulating film 22, exposing and developing the photoresist material applied on the surface of the transparent conductive material, and then forming the transparent conductive material. It is formed by etching. Then, a first alignment film (not shown) made of polyimide, for example, is laminated so as to cover the surface of the upper electrode 23 and the slit-shaped opening 25A. For example, the first alignment film is rubbed in the direction parallel to the scanning line 12 in the right direction of FIG. In this rubbing process, the alignment film is rubbed with a rubbing cloth having fine hairs to form a large number of fine grooves along one direction in the alignment film. The direction of the rubbing process is inclined by a predetermined angle α with respect to the extending direction of the slit-shaped opening 25A, whereby the liquid crystal molecules can be rotated in one direction. α varies depending on various conditions, but is preferably selected to be 3 to 15 degrees.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the color filter substrate CF uses a second transparent substrate 27 made of transparent insulating glass, quartz, plastic, or the like as a base. On the surface of the second transparent substrate 27, a light shielding layer 28 made of a light-shielding metal or resin is provided at a position facing the scanning line 12, the common line 13A, the connection portion A1, the signal line 14, and the TFT of the array substrate AR. A color filter layer 29 that is formed and transmits light of different colors (for example, R, G, B, or colorless) for each sub-pixel 11 is formed.

  An overcoat layer 30 made of a transparent resin material such as a photoresist is laminated so as to cover the light shielding layer 28 and the color filter layer 29. The overcoat layer 30 is formed to flatten the steps due to the color filter layers 29 of different colors, and to block impurities flowing out from the light shielding layer 28 and the color filter layer 29 from entering the liquid crystal layer LC. . A second alignment film (not shown) made of polyimide, for example, is formed so as to cover the overcoat layer 30. The second alignment film is rubbed in the direction opposite to that of the first alignment film. The array substrate AR and the color filter substrate CF formed in this manner are opposed to each other, and a sealing material SL (see FIG. 1B) is provided around both the substrates to bond them together, so that the homogeneous alignment is provided between the substrates. By filling the liquid crystal, the liquid crystal display panel 10A according to the present embodiment is obtained. Note that the distance between the array substrate AR and the color filter substrate CF is maintained constant by a columnar spacer (not shown) formed on either of the substrates.

  With the above configuration, in each subpixel 11, when the TFT is turned on, an electric field is generated between the lower electrode 20 and the upper electrode 23, and the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer LC changes. As a result, the light transmittance of the liquid crystal layer LC changes and an image is displayed in the FFS mode. The region where the lower electrode 20 and the upper electrode 23 face each other with the interelectrode insulating film 22 interposed therebetween forms an auxiliary capacitance, and the electric field between the lower electrode 20 and the upper electrode 23 when the TFT is turned off. Is held for a predetermined time.

  Next, the wiring of the upper electrode 23 and the common line 13A in the non-display area of FIG. 1A (area other than the display area DA shown in FIG. 1A) will be described with reference to FIG. A flexible terminal having a plurality of terminals to which a driver terminal portion 31 having a plurality of terminals connected to a driver IC (not shown) and a flexible printed circuit board (not shown) connected to an external controller are connected in the non-display area. A printed circuit board terminal section 32, a first wiring section 33 on which the respective lead wirings for guiding the scanning line 12, the common line 13A, and the signal line 14 to the driver terminal section 31 and the flexible printed circuit board terminal section 32 are formed; It has the 2nd wiring part 34 in which the routing wiring which guides the electrode 23 to the driver terminal part 31 and the flexible printed circuit board terminal part 32 is formed.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the upper electrode 23 formed across all the sub-pixels in the display area DA and operating as a common electrode has an interelectrode insulating film 22, an interlayer resin film 19, a passivation film 18, and a gate insulating film. The contact hole 37 formed so as to penetrate the film 16 is connected to the common routing wiring COM of the second wiring portion 34. In the non-display region, the interlayer resin film 19 is not formed, contact holes are formed so as to penetrate the interelectrode insulating film 22, the passivation film 18, and the gate insulating film 16, and the upper electrode 23 and the second wiring portion 34 are formed. The common routing wiring COM may be connected.

  As shown in FIG. 6B, the common line 13A is a bridge formed of the same material as the signal line 14 through a contact hole 38 formed in the gate insulating film 16 located on the scanning line 12. It is connected to the electrode 40. The bridge electrode 40 is connected to the common routing wiring COM through a contact hole 39 formed in the gate insulating film 16 located on the common routing wiring COM. Accordingly, the common line 13A is electrically insulated from the routing wiring 41 of the scanning line 12 and is connected to the common routing wiring COM of the second wiring section 34 by the bridge electrode 40.

In this way, the upper electrode 23 that operates as a common electrode of the present embodiment is not only connected to the common lead-out wiring line COM in the non-display area, but also is a resistance made of a metal such as aluminum or molybdenum in the display area DA. Since the common wire 13A made of a low material is also connected to the common routing wiring COM, the resistance is low. As a result, even in a medium-sized to large-sized FFS mode liquid crystal display device, it is possible to reduce characteristic defects such as flicker and crosstalk due to the high resistance of the common electrode as in the conventional example.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, the liquid crystal display panel 10B of 2nd Embodiment is demonstrated using FIG.7 and FIG.8. Note that, in the liquid crystal display panel 10B of the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to parts having the same configuration as the liquid crystal display panel 10A of the first embodiment, and the subscripts are given to the reference numerals having subscripts. Instead of “B”, detailed description thereof is omitted. The main differences between the configuration of the liquid crystal display panel 10B of the second embodiment and the liquid crystal display panel 10A of the first embodiment are the shape of the slit-shaped openings 25B and the arrangement of the common lines 13B.

  In the liquid crystal display panel 10B of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of "<"-shaped slit-like openings 25B extending in the extending direction of the signal line 14 are formed in the upper electrode 23 at equal intervals. Has been. Since the sub-pixel 11 is vertically long, the number of both ends of the slit-shaped opening increases when the slit-shaped opening extends in the horizontal direction. Since the end of the slit-shaped opening becomes an abnormal alignment region of liquid crystal molecules, the aperture ratio is reduced. Therefore, in the liquid crystal display panel 10B of the second embodiment, the extending direction of the slit-shaped opening 25B is set to the vertical direction, thereby reducing the number of ends of the slit-shaped opening 25B and reducing the decrease in the aperture ratio. Yes.

  In this case, the rubbing process is performed in the same column direction as the extending direction of the signal lines 14. The extending direction of the "<"-shaped slit-shaped opening 25B is inclined +5 degrees and -5 degrees with respect to the rubbing process direction. If all the slit-shaped openings 25B are tilted in only one of the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction with respect to the rubbing process direction, the liquid crystal molecules are twisted in one direction, so that the color changes depending on the viewing angle direction. appear. This is because the apparent retardation changes depending on the direction of viewing the liquid crystal molecules. In order to reduce this, in the liquid crystal display panel 10B of the second embodiment, a domain in which the extending direction of the slit-shaped opening 25B is inclined +5 degrees and a domain inclined -5 degrees with respect to the clockwise direction is provided. Here, an example in which the signal line 14 is also formed in a “<” shape along the slit-shaped opening 25 </ b> B is shown, but the signal line 14 may be linear.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the common line 13B of the liquid crystal display panel 10B of the second embodiment is formed at the bent portion of the slit-shaped opening 25B. Accordingly, the second contact hole 24B for connecting the common line 13B and the upper electrode 23 is also formed in the bent portion of the slit-shaped opening 25B. As a result, the disclination generated at the boundary between the two types of slit-shaped openings in which the rotation directions of the liquid crystal molecules are different from each other can be shielded by the opaque common line 13B.

  8A and 8B, in the second contact hole 24B, a relay terminal 35B made of a metal such as aluminum or molybdenum is formed so as to overlap the common line 13B in plan view in the same process as the source electrode S. Has been. In the second contact hole 24B of the second embodiment, the relay terminal 35B penetrates the gate insulating film 16 and is electrically connected to the common line 13B at the lower connection portion A2, and the upper electrode 23 is The interelectrode insulating film 22, the lower electrode 20, the interlayer resin film 19 and the passivation film 18 are passed through and electrically connected to the relay terminal 35 </ b> B at the upper layer side connection portion B <b> 2.

  The connection part A2 and the connection part B2 are overlapped in plan view. In general, the side wall surface of the contact hole is not vertical but inclined, so that the deeper the contact hole, the larger the contact hole and the lower the aperture ratio. However, when the relay terminals 35B are provided and the contact holes are formed in two stages as in the liquid crystal display panel 10B of the second embodiment, the decrease in the aperture ratio due to the second contact holes 24B can be reduced. In particular, when the contact hole 24B penetrates the thick interlayer resin film 19, the effect of reducing the width of the contact hole 24B appears significantly. A plurality of relay terminals 35B may be provided to increase the number of relay terminals 35B.

  In the liquid crystal display panel 10B of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8A, the width W6 in the row direction of the common line 13B and the relay terminal 35B are larger than the maximum width W5 in the row direction of the concave portion of the second contact hole 24B in the display region. The width W7 is wider (W5 <W6, W5 <W7). Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, the width W9 of the common line 13B in the column direction and the width W10 of the relay terminal 35B are wider than the maximum width W8 of the recesses in the column direction of the second contact holes 24B in the display area (W8). <W9, W8 <W10).

  As described above, in the liquid crystal display panel 10B of the second embodiment, the opaque region including the common line 13B and the relay terminal 35B is formed so as to cover the concave portion of the second contact hole 24B in plan view. Thus, it is possible to shield the region where the alignment defect due to the concave portion of the second contact hole 24B is formed. Further, the wide opaque common line 13B and the relay terminal 35B can shield the disclination generated at the boundary between the two types of slit-like opening regions in which the rotation directions of the liquid crystal molecules are different from each other. Also in the liquid crystal display panel 10B of the second embodiment, the connection form between the upper electrode 23 and the common routing wiring COM in the non-display area and the connection state between the common line 13B and the common routing wiring COM are as follows. This is the same as the case of the liquid crystal display panel 10A of the embodiment.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a liquid crystal display panel 10C according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10A. In the liquid crystal display panel 10C of the third embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to parts having the same configuration as the liquid crystal display panel 10B of the second embodiment, and the subscripts are assigned to the reference numerals having subscripts. The detailed description thereof will be omitted. The main differences between the liquid crystal display panel 10C of the third embodiment and the liquid crystal display panel 10B of the second embodiment are the slit-shaped opening 25C and the second contact hole 24C portion.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the direction of the rubbing process of the liquid crystal display panel 10C of the third embodiment is the extending direction (row direction) of the scanning lines 12. The extending direction of the slit-like opening 25C above the sub-pixel is inclined by −5 degrees clockwise with respect to the rubbing process direction, and the extending direction of the slit-like opening 25C below the sub-pixel is relative to the rubbing process direction. It is inclined +5 degrees clockwise. As described above, there are two regions in which the rotation direction of the liquid crystal molecules differs depending on the top and bottom of the subpixel. And the common line 13C of the liquid crystal display panel 10C of 3rd Embodiment is provided in the boundary of two area | regions from which the rotation direction of a liquid crystal molecule differs mutually. As a result, the liquid crystal display panel 10C of the third embodiment can shield the disclination generated at the boundary between the two types of slit-like opening regions where the rotation directions of the liquid crystal molecules are different from each other by the opaque common line 13C.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the liquid crystal display panel 10C of the third embodiment is made of an opaque metal such as aluminum or molybdenum in the same process as the source electrode S, as in the liquid crystal display panel 10B of the second embodiment. The relay terminal 35C is formed so as to overlap with the common line 13C in plan view. In the second contact hole 24C of the third embodiment, the relay terminal 35C penetrates the gate insulating film 16 and is electrically connected to the common line 13C at the lower connection portion A3, and the upper electrode 23 is an electrode. The intermediate insulating film 22, the lower electrode 20, the interlayer resin film 19, and the passivation film 18 are passed through and electrically connected to the relay terminal 35C at the upper layer side connection portion B3. Here, the connection portion A2 and the connection portion B2 of the second embodiment are overlapped in plan view, but the connection portion A3 and the connection portion B3 of the third embodiment are different in that they are not overlapped in plan view. . The liquid crystal display panel 10C of the third embodiment has the effect of reducing the decrease in the aperture ratio due to the second contact hole 24C, as with the liquid crystal display panel 10B of the second embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the liquid crystal display panel 10C according to the third embodiment has an opaque region in which the common line 13C and the relay terminal 35C are combined in a plan view like the liquid crystal display panel 10B according to the second embodiment. Since it is formed so as to cover the concave portion of the second contact hole 24C, it is possible to shield the alignment defect occurrence region due to the concave portion of the second contact hole 24C. In addition, it is possible to shield the disclination generation region generated at the boundary between the two types of slit-like opening regions where the rotation directions of the liquid crystal molecules are different from each other in the opaque region including the common line 13C and the relay terminal 35C. In the liquid crystal display panel 10C of the third embodiment, the connection form between the upper electrode 23 and the common routing wiring COM in the non-display area and the connection state between the common line 13B and the common routing wiring COM are as follows. This is the same as the case of the liquid crystal display panel 10A of the embodiment.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a liquid crystal display panel 10D of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10B. Note that, in the liquid crystal display panel 10D of the fourth embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to parts having the same configuration as the liquid crystal display panel 10C of the third embodiment, and the subscripts are given to the reference numerals having subscripts. Instead of “D”, detailed description thereof is omitted. The main difference between the configuration of the liquid crystal display panel 10D of the fourth embodiment and the liquid crystal display panel 10C of the third embodiment is the positional relationship between the upper layer side connection portion B4 and the lower layer side connection portion A4.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, in the liquid crystal display panel 10D of the fourth embodiment, the lower layer side connection portion A4 and the upper layer side connection portion B4 are partially overlapped in plan view. In the liquid crystal display panel 10D of the fourth embodiment as well, the effect of reducing the decrease in the aperture ratio due to the second contact hole 24D and the rotation direction of the liquid crystal molecules are similar to each other as in the liquid crystal display panel 10C of the third embodiment. This has the effect of shielding the disclination occurrence portion that occurs at the boundary between two different types of slit-shaped openings. As shown in FIG. 10B, in the liquid crystal display panel 10D of the fourth embodiment, since the lower connection portion A4 partially overlaps the side surface of the upper connection portion B4 in plan view, the liquid crystal display panel 10D is formed at the bottom of the upper connection portion B4. A recess is formed. This recess is likely to cause the upper electrode 23 to break. In contrast, in the case of the liquid crystal display panel 10C of the third embodiment in which the lower layer side connection portion A3 and the upper layer side connection portion B3 do not overlap, a recess is formed at the bottom of the upper connection portion B4. Since there is no such thing, film breakage hardly occurs.

[Fifth Embodiment]
Next, a liquid crystal display panel 10E according to a fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Note that, in the liquid crystal display panel 10E of the fifth embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to portions having the same configuration as the liquid crystal display panel 10C of the third embodiment, and the subscripts are given to the reference numerals having subscripts. Instead of “E”, detailed description thereof is omitted. The main difference between the configuration of the liquid crystal display panel 10E of the fifth embodiment and the liquid crystal display panel 10C of the third embodiment is the shape of the slit-shaped opening 25E.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the slit-shaped opening 25E of the liquid crystal display panel 10E of the fifth embodiment is formed in a “H” shape obtained by rotating a “K” character by 90 degrees. Therefore, the direction of the rubbing process is the extending direction (row direction) of the scanning lines 12. A second contact hole 24E is formed in the vicinity of the bent portion of the “H” -shaped slit-like opening 25E (E portion in FIG. 11). As a result, similar to the liquid crystal display panel 10C of the third embodiment, an opaque region where the common line 13E and the relay terminal 35E are combined, and the boundary between the two types of slit-shaped aperture regions where the rotation directions of the liquid crystal molecules are different from each other. It is possible to shield the generated disclination occurrence portion.

  Although the upper electrode operates as the common electrode in the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 of Patent Document 2, the liquid crystal display panel in which the lower electrode operates as the common electrode is used. Since the common electrode can be formed across all the sub-pixels in the display region, the present invention can also be applied to a liquid crystal display panel in which the lower electrode operates as the common electrode. In addition, the above-described second contact hole for connecting the common electrode and the common line in the display area DA may be provided in all subpixels in the display area, or may be provided in some subpixels. In addition, the relay terminal that divides the second contact hole is formed in the same process as the source electrode so as not to increase the number of steps. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the relay terminal may be formed in a process different from the source electrode. Good. Further, a plurality of relay terminals may be provided to divide the second contact hole into three or more contact holes.

  10A to 10E: Liquid crystal display panel 11: Subpixel 12: Scan line 13A to E: Common line 14: Signal line 15: First transparent substrate 16: Gate insulating film 17: Semiconductor layer 18: Passivation film 19: Interlayer resin film 20 : Lower electrode 21: First contact hole 22: Interelectrode insulating film 23: Upper electrode 24A to 24E: Second contact hole 25A to 25E: Slit-shaped opening 27: Second transparent substrate 28: Light shielding layer 29: Color filter layer 30 : Overcoat layer 31: Driver terminal part 32: Flexible printed circuit board terminal part 33: 1st wiring part 34: 2nd wiring part 35B-35E: Relay terminal A1-A4, B1-B4: Connection part AR: Array board CF: Color filter substrate D: Drain electrode SL: Seal material G: Gate electrode LC: Crystal layer S: source electrode TFT: thin film transistor

Claims (4)

A pair of substrates disposed opposite to each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween, and one of the pair of substrates includes:
A plurality of scanning lines and signal lines arranged in a matrix in the display area;
Common routing wiring formed along the peripheral edge of the display area;
An interlayer resin film formed over at least the entire display region;
On the surface of the interlayer resin film, a lower electrode and an upper electrode made of a transparent conductive material disposed to face each other with an interelectrode insulating film interposed therebetween are formed,
The upper electrode is formed with a plurality of slits for each of a plurality of pixel regions partitioned in the row direction and the column direction by the scanning lines and the signal lines of the display region in plan view.
One of the upper electrode and the lower electrode is a liquid crystal display panel that is formed across the entire display area and is electrically connected to the common routing wiring and operates as a common electrode,
In the display area, a common line made of a light-shielding metal material is formed in parallel with the scanning line, and the side of the upper electrode and the lower electrode that operates as a common electrode is electrically connected to the common line through a contact hole. And the common line is electrically connected to the common routing wiring at the periphery of the display area,
The common line is electrically connected to a side that operates as a common electrode among the upper electrode and the lower electrode, and has a connection portion extending in the column direction,
Between the common line and the common electrode, at least one relay terminal is formed at a position overlapping the contact hole in plan view, and the side that operates as the common electrode among the upper electrode and the lower electrode is , Electrically connected to the relay terminal and electrically connected to the common line via the relay terminal,
Regarding each of the row direction and the column direction, the width of the relay terminal is wider than the maximum width of the contact hole,
The liquid crystal display panel, wherein the connection portion is formed so as to shield the opening of the contact hole at a position overlapping the contact hole in plan view.   Of the upper electrode and the lower electrode, a connection portion between the side that operates as a common electrode and the relay terminal, and a connection portion between the relay terminal and the common line do not overlap in plan view. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1.   Of the upper electrode and the lower electrode, a connection portion between the side operating as a common electrode and the relay terminal, and a connection portion between the relay terminal and the common line partially overlap in plan view. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1. 4. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, wherein the slit extends in a direction in which the scanning line extends and has a bent portion in part. 5.

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