JP5804113B2 - Electro-optical device and electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technical field of an electro-optical device such as a liquid crystal display device and an electronic apparatus such as a liquid crystal projector provided with the electro-optical device.

  As this type of electro-optical device, for example, there is a device including a microlens that collects light incident on the device and improves the transmittance. The microlens is typically formed on a counter substrate located on the light incident side. Alternatively, it is attached to the counter substrate as a microlens substrate. However, the microlens may be provided at various positions depending on the application.

  For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for condensing light source light in an opening region of each pixel by providing a microlens in the same layer as a transistor. Patent Document 2 proposes a technique for preventing a decrease in luminance of a display image due to a diffraction phenomenon by providing a microlens on the lower layer side of a transistor.

JP 2000-199916 A JP 2003-140127 A

  The techniques according to Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above are based on the assumption that light enters from the counter substrate side. Therefore, if light is incident from the element substrate side, it is extremely difficult to apply the above-described technique as it is.

  Specifically, in the technique according to Patent Document 1, the microlens is in a later stage than the light shielding region when viewed in the light traveling direction, so that the light cannot be collected. Similarly, in the technique according to Patent Document 2, in order to compensate for the diffraction phenomenon, the position where the microlens is formed needs to be provided at almost the same position in the depth direction as the formation position of the light shielding film. In such a configuration, the function of collecting light incident from the element substrate side cannot be achieved.

  As described above, the above-described technique has a technical problem that when light is incident from the element substrate side, the function of the microlens cannot be sufficiently exhibited.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, for example, and provides an electro-optical device and an electronic apparatus that can improve the quality of a display image when light is incident from the element substrate side. Let it be an issue.

  In order to solve the above problems, an electro-optical device according to an aspect of the invention is an electro-optical device in which light is incident from a lower layer side of an element substrate, and the pixel electrode provided for each pixel on the element substrate; A semiconductor element provided corresponding to the electrode, and a microlens portion provided on a lower layer side than the semiconductor element and having a plurality of microlenses.

  The electro-optical device of the present invention includes, for example, an element substrate provided with a pixel electrode and a semiconductor element such as a pixel switching TFT electrically connected to the pixel electrode, and a counter electrode facing the pixel electrode. An electro-optic material such as liquid crystal is sandwiched between the opposite substrate. During the operation of the electro-optical device, an image signal is selectively supplied to the pixel electrode, whereby image display is performed in a pixel region (or image display region) in which a plurality of pixel electrodes are arranged. Note that the image signal is supplied from the data line to the pixel electrode via the semiconductor element at a predetermined timing by turning on and off a semiconductor element such as a pixel switching TFT electrically connected between the data line and the pixel electrode. To be supplied.

  According to the electro-optical device of the present invention, the light incident upon image display enters from the lower layer side of the element substrate. Here, the “lower layer side” refers to the side of the element substrate that does not face the electro-optical material. That is, in the electro-optical device of the present invention, the light is incident not from the counter substrate side but from the element substrate side. Specifically, for example, light emitted from a white light source or the like first enters the element substrate, then passes through the electro-optical material, and finally exits from the counter substrate. The light incident on the electro-optical device passes through an electro-optical object such as a liquid crystal according to the alignment state, and is emitted as display light from the counter substrate side.

  In the present invention, in particular, the microlens portion is provided on the lower layer side (in other words, the light incident side) of the semiconductor element in the element substrate. The microlens part has a plurality of microlenses, and is provided, for example, by patterning a part of a glass substrate to be a curved surface and laminating layers having different refractive indexes.

  According to the microlens portion described above, the light incident on the non-opening region of the element substrate can be condensed toward the opening region by the plurality of microlenses. Here, the “opening region” is, for example, a region that emits light that contributes to display for each pixel in the pixel region (in other words, a region in which an electro-optical operation by an electro-optical material is actually performed in the pixel region). The “non-opening region” means, for example, a region excluding the opening region in the pixel region, that is, a region where light contributing to display is not emitted for each pixel in the pixel region (that is, an electro-optic material in the pixel region). This is a region where the electro-optic operation is not actually performed. By condensing the light incident on the non-opening region of the element substrate so as to go toward the opening region, it is possible to improve the utilization efficiency of light incident from the light source (in other words, the light transmittance in each pixel).

  Also, if the microlens portion is provided on the counter substrate side, or the microlens portion is provided as a separate substrate (that is, the microlens substrate is provided independently), the member provided with the microlens is attached to the element substrate. At this time, it is required to consider the alignment error so that the mutual positional relationship is accurate. On the other hand, in the present invention, since the microlens portion is provided as one of the components formed on the element substrate, it is not necessary to consider such an alignment error. That is, it becomes possible to perform alignment of the microlens portion with extremely high accuracy. The alignment error occurs in various directions such as vertical, horizontal, and diagonal directions, and even if the error is extremely small, the quality of the display image may be greatly deteriorated. Therefore, the profit obtained by not considering the alignment error is extremely large.

  As described above, according to the electro-optical device of the present invention, it is possible to increase the light use efficiency very effectively by increasing the positional accuracy of the microlens with respect to the opening region and the non-opening region. Therefore, the quality of the display image can be improved.

  In one aspect of the electro-optical device of the present invention, the microlens unit includes a focal length of the microlens as f, a pitch of the pixel as p, a distance from the microlens to the semiconductor element as l, When the width is w, the element substrate is configured to have a part that satisfies the relationship of f ≦ pl / w in a part overlapping the semiconductor element when viewed in plan.

  With this configuration, it is easy to set the focal length f of the microlens, the pitch of the pixel to p, the distance l from the microlens to the semiconductor element, and the width w of the semiconductor element to appropriate values. And it can prevent more reliably that the light refracted by the micro lens enters into the semiconductor element. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the light leakage current from being generated by the light source light entering the semiconductor element. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the quality of the display image from being deteriorated.

  The focal length f of the microlens is determined by various conditions such as a difference in refractive index of the material constituting the microlens portion, a radius of curvature of the microlens, and the like, and varies depending on whether the microlens is a convex lens or a concave lens.

  The “semiconductor element” in this aspect can be paraphrased as a member closest to the microlens among the members defining the non-opening region, as in the above-described aspect. For example, when a light shielding film for improving the light shielding property of the semiconductor element is provided between the semiconductor element and the microlens portion, the above-described light shielding film serves as a member that defines the non-opening region. In this case, the distance 1 from the microlens to the semiconductor element may be replaced with the distance from the microlens to the light shielding film, and the width w of the semiconductor element may be replaced with the width of the light shielding film.

  In another aspect of the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, the microlens portion is formed so that a boundary between the microlenses adjacent to each other at least partially overlaps the semiconductor element when the element substrate is viewed in plan. Has been.

  If comprised in this way, the track | orbit of the light source light which progresses toward a semiconductor element will be condensed by an opening area | region by being refracted by a micro lens. Therefore, the transmittance can be improved and the occurrence of light leakage current can be effectively suppressed. Note that light that is incident completely perpendicular to the boundary between microlenses may not be refracted, but in reality it is considered that there is no or almost no such light, so the effect is small enough to be ignored. .

  In addition, the “semiconductor element” in this aspect can be rephrased as a member closest to the microlens among members that define the non-opening region. For example, when a light shielding film for improving the light shielding property of the semiconductor element is provided between the semiconductor element and the microlens portion, the above-described light shielding film serves as a member that defines the non-opening region. In this case, the boundary between the microlenses may be formed so as to at least partially overlap the light shielding film.

  In another aspect of the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, the counter substrate includes a counter substrate disposed so as to face the element substrate, and the counter substrate corresponds between the pixel electrodes adjacent to each other in the element substrate. The light shielding film is not formed at the position.

  According to this aspect, it is possible to avoid a decrease in the aperture ratio due to the relative displacement between the element substrate and the counter substrate. In addition, since the light shielding layer is not formed on the counter substrate, the stacked structure on the substrate can be simplified. Therefore, it is possible to realize an electro-optical device that meets the demands for high definition, low cost, and low resources.

  In another aspect of the electro-optical device of the present invention, the electro-optical device includes a lower light-shielding layer formed on a lower layer side than the semiconductor element and on an upper layer side than the microlens.

  According to this aspect, by forming the light shielding layer on the side where the light source light is incident as viewed from the semiconductor layer, it is possible to more effectively prevent the occurrence of light leakage current in the semiconductor element. As described above, in the present invention, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of light leakage current in the semiconductor element by changing the optical path of the light source light by the microlens. However, the semiconductor element is still irradiated with the light source light to some extent. There is a risk of it.

  However, in this aspect, as described above, the lower light-shielding layer is provided in order to more reliably prevent the occurrence of light leakage current in the semiconductor element. Thus, the semiconductor element is double protected so that the light source light does not enter.

  In another aspect of the electro-optical device according to the aspect of the invention, the microlens unit may include a first microlens layer and a second microlens layer provided on the upper layer side of the first microlens layer. Is formed.

  According to this aspect, the microlens portion is formed to have two microlens layers. That is, the microlens of this aspect has a so-called double lens structure. The microlens part has a curved surface in each of the first microlens layer on the lower layer side (that is, the light incident side) and the second microlens layer on the upper layer side (that is, the light emission side). The optical path of the light source light can be accurately controlled.

  If the condensing degree of the lens is increased so that the focal length is shortened, the thickness of the lens layer can be reduced. However, if condensing is strengthened, the spread of the emitted light is increased. On the other hand, if the configuration is such that the first microlens layer strongly condenses and the second microlens layer returns to parallel, the microlens as a whole as compared with the case where it is formed by only one microlens layer. The thickness of the part can be reduced. If the microlens portion becomes too thick, there is a possibility that an error such as a focal length of the microlens becomes large. On the other hand, according to this aspect, since the thickness of the microlens portion can be reduced, the alignment of the microlens can be performed very suitably.

  In another aspect of the electro-optical device of the present invention, the microlens portion is formed so as to have a plurality of microlenses for one pixel.

  According to this aspect, since the size of each microlens can be reduced, the focal length can be reduced with a similar curved surface. Accordingly, the focal length error can be reduced. In addition, it is easier to form many small lenses than to form one relatively large lens. Therefore, simplification of the manufacturing process can be realized.

  In order to solve the above problems, an electronic apparatus according to the present invention includes the above-described electro-optical device according to the present invention (including various aspects thereof).

  According to the electronic apparatus of the present invention, since the electro-optical device according to the present invention described above is included, a projection display device, a television set, a mobile phone, an electronic notebook, a word processor capable of performing high-quality display. Various electronic devices such as a viewfinder type or a monitor direct view type video tape recorder, a workstation, a videophone, a POS terminal, and a touch panel can be realized. In addition, as an electronic apparatus of the present invention, for example, an electrophoretic device such as electronic paper can be realized.

  The effect | action and other gain of this invention are clarified from the form for implementing invention demonstrated below.

1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of an electro-optical device according to a first embodiment. It is the HH 'sectional view taken on the line of FIG. FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram of various elements and wirings in a plurality of pixels constituting an image display region of the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a specific configuration of the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a process cross-sectional view (part 1) illustrating the manufacturing process of the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment in order. FIG. 9 is a process cross-sectional view (part 2) illustrating the manufacturing process of the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment in order. FIG. 9 is a process cross-sectional view (part 3) illustrating the manufacturing process of the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment in order. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a positional relationship among members of the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view (part 1) illustrating a configuration of an electro-optical device according to a comparative example. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view (part 2) illustrating the configuration of an electro-optical device according to a comparative example. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a specific configuration of an electro-optical device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a modification of the electro-optical device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a specific configuration of an electro-optical device according to a third embodiment. It is a top view which shows the structure of the projector which is an example of the electronic device to which the electro-optical apparatus is applied.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Electro-optical device>
The electro-optical device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following embodiments, a liquid crystal device of a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) active matrix driving system with a built-in driving circuit will be described as an example of the electro-optical device of the present invention.

<First Embodiment>
First, the overall configuration of the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of the electro-optical device according to the present embodiment, and FIG.

  1 and 2, in the electro-optical device according to the present embodiment, a TFT array substrate 10 and a counter substrate 20 are disposed to face each other. The TFT array substrate 10 is, for example, a transparent substrate such as a quartz substrate or a glass substrate, a silicon substrate, or the like. In the present embodiment, a microlens is formed on the TFT array substrate 10 in particular, but the illustration is omitted here for convenience of explanation. The micro lens will be described in detail later. The counter substrate 20 is a transparent substrate such as a quartz substrate or a glass substrate. A liquid crystal layer 50 is sealed between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20. The liquid crystal layer 50 is made of, for example, a liquid crystal in which one or several types of nematic liquid crystals are mixed, and takes a predetermined alignment state between a pair of alignment films.

  The TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 are bonded to each other by a sealing material 52 provided in a sealing region located around the image display region 100 provided with a plurality of pixel electrodes.

  The sealing material 52 is made of, for example, an ultraviolet curable resin, a thermosetting resin, or the like for bonding the two substrates, and is applied on the TFT array substrate 10 in the manufacturing process and then cured by ultraviolet irradiation, heating, or the like. It is. In the sealing material 52, a gap material such as glass fiber or glass beads for dispersing the distance between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20 (that is, the inter-substrate gap) to a predetermined value is dispersed. Note that the gap material may be arranged in the image display region 100 or a peripheral region located around the image display region 100 in addition to or instead of the material mixed in the seal material 52.

  A data line driving circuit 101 and an external circuit connection terminal 102 are provided along one side of the TFT array substrate 10 in a region located outside the sealing region in which the sealing material 52 is disposed in the peripheral region. The scanning line driving circuit 104 is provided along two sides adjacent to the one side. Further, in order to connect the two scanning line driving circuits 104 provided on both sides of the image display region 100 in this way, a plurality of wirings 105 are provided along the remaining side of the TFT array substrate 10.

  In a region facing the four corners of the counter substrate 20 on the TFT array substrate 10, vertical conduction terminals 106 for connecting the two substrates with a vertical conduction material are arranged. Thus, electrical conduction can be established between the TFT array substrate 10 and the counter substrate 20.

  In FIG. 2, on the TFT array substrate 10, a layered structure is formed in which pixel switching TFTs as drive elements, wiring lines such as scanning lines and data lines are formed. Although the detailed configuration of this laminated structure is not shown in FIG. 2, pixel electrodes 9a made of a transparent material such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) are provided on the laminated structure with a predetermined pattern for each pixel. It is formed in an island shape.

  The pixel electrode 9 a is formed in the image display region 100 on the TFT array substrate 10 so as to face the counter electrode 21. On the surface of the TFT array substrate 10 facing the liquid crystal layer 50, that is, on the pixel electrode 9a, an alignment film 16 is formed so as to cover the pixel electrode 9a.

  On the counter substrate 20, a counter electrode 21 made of a transparent material such as ITO is formed so as to face the plurality of pixel electrodes 9a. On the counter substrate 20, in order to perform color display in the image display region 100, a color filter (not shown in FIG. 2) may be formed in a region including a part of the opening region and the non-opening region. Good. An alignment film 22 is formed on the counter electrode 21 on the counter surface of the counter substrate 20.

  When the electro-optical device according to the present embodiment operates, light source light is incident on the liquid crystal layer 50 from the TFT array substrate 10 side, and the incident light source light is transmitted according to the alignment state of the liquid crystal layer 50. An image is displayed in the image display region 100 by emitting the display light to the counter substrate 20 side.

  In addition to the above-described drive circuits such as the data line drive circuit 101 and the scanning line drive circuit 104, the image signal on the image signal line is sampled on the TFT array substrate 10 shown in FIGS. Sampling circuit that supplies lines, precharge circuit that supplies pre-charge signals of a predetermined voltage level to multiple data lines in advance of image signals, inspection of quality, defects, etc. of the electro-optical device during production or shipment An inspection circuit or the like may be formed.

  Next, an electrical configuration of the pixel portion of the electro-optical device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram of various elements, wirings, and the like in a plurality of pixels formed in a matrix forming the image display area of the electro-optical device according to this embodiment.

  In FIG. 3, a pixel electrode 9 a and a TFT 30 are formed in each of a plurality of pixels formed in a matrix that forms the image display region 100. The TFT 30 is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 9a, and performs switching control of the pixel electrode 9a during the operation of the electro-optical device according to the present embodiment. The data line 6a to which the image signal is supplied is electrically connected to the source of the TFT 30. The image signals S1, S2,..., Sn to be written to the data lines 6a may be supplied line-sequentially in this order, or may be supplied for each group to a plurality of adjacent data lines 6a. May be.

  The scanning line 11 is electrically connected to the gate of the TFT 30, and the electro-optical device according to the present embodiment pulses the scanning signals G 1, G 2,. Gm is applied in this order in a line sequential manner. The pixel electrode 9a is electrically connected to the drain of the TFT 30, and the image signal S1, S2,... Supplied from the data line 6a is closed by closing the switch of the TFT 30 serving as a switching element for a certain period. Sn is written at a predetermined timing. A predetermined level of image signals S1, S2,..., Sn written in the liquid crystal as an example of the electro-optical material via the pixel electrode 9a is held for a certain period with the counter electrode formed on the counter substrate. The

  The liquid crystal constituting the liquid crystal layer 50 (see FIG. 2) modulates light and enables gradation display by changing the orientation and order of the molecular assembly depending on the applied voltage level. For example, in the normally white mode, the transmittance for incident light is reduced according to the voltage applied in units of each pixel. In the normally black mode, the transmittance is applied in units of each pixel. As a result, the transmittance for incident light is increased, and light having a contrast corresponding to an image signal is emitted from the electro-optical device as a whole.

  In order to prevent the image signal held here from leaking, a storage capacitor 70 is added in parallel with the liquid crystal capacitor formed between the pixel electrode 9a and the counter electrode 21 (see FIG. 2). The storage capacitor 70 is a capacitive element that functions as a storage capacitor that temporarily holds the potential of each pixel electrode 9a in response to supply of an image signal. One electrode of the storage capacitor 70 is electrically connected to the drain of the TFT 30 in parallel with the pixel electrode 9a, and the other electrode is electrically connected to the capacitor line 300 having a fixed potential so as to have a constant potential. ing. According to the storage capacitor 70, the potential holding characteristic of the pixel electrode 9a is improved, and the display characteristics such as improvement of contrast and reduction of flicker can be improved.

  Next, a more specific configuration of the electro-optical device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a specific configuration of the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 4, the scale of each layer / member is different for each layer / member so that each layer / member can be recognized on the drawing.

  4, the electro-optical device according to this embodiment includes a liquid crystal layer 50 sandwiched between a TFT array substrate 10 and a counter substrate 20. On the TFT array substrate 10, each circuit element of the pixel portion described with reference to FIG. 3 is structured as a conductive film that is patterned and laminated. More specifically, the scanning line 11, the semiconductor layer 30a constituting the TFT 30, the data line 6, and the pixel electrode 9 are stacked in this order from the lower layer side on the TFT array substrate 10. Further, a base insulating film 40 is provided between the scanning line 11 and the semiconductor layer 30a, a first interlayer insulating film 41 is provided between the semiconductor layer 30a and the data line 6, and the data line 6 and the pixel electrode are provided. 9 is provided with a second interlayer insulating film 42. Here, a conductive layer, a light shielding layer, an interlayer insulating film, etc. (not shown) may be present.

  The semiconductor layer 30a is an example of the “semiconductor element” in the present invention, and includes, for example, polysilicon. The semiconductor layer 30a is configured to have, for example, a source region, a drain region, and a channel region located between the source region and the drain region. Further, the semiconductor layer 30a may be configured to have an LDD (Lightly Doped Drain) region by adjusting the impurity implantation concentration.

  For example, the scanning line 11 is electrically connected by a contact hole to a gate electrode (not shown) provided to face the upper layer side of the semiconductor layer 30a via a gate insulating film or the like. The TFT 30 includes a gate electrode electrically connected to the scanning line 11 and a semiconductor layer 30a. Alternatively, the TFT 30 may be configured as a bottom gate type TFT in which a portion of the scanning line 11 facing the channel region of the semiconductor layer 30 a functions as the gate electrode of the TFT 30. The scanning line 11 includes a light-shielding material and has a function of preventing light source light from entering the semiconductor layer 30a. That is, the scanning line 11 according to the present embodiment is an example of the “lower light shielding layer” in the present invention.

  The data line 6 includes a conductive material such as aluminum, and is electrically connected to the source region of the semiconductor layer 30a through a contact hole opened in the first interlayer insulating film 41.

  The pixel electrode 9 is electrically connected to the drain region of the semiconductor layer 30 a through a contact hole opened in the first interlayer insulating film 41 and the second interlayer 42.

  The scanning line 11, the semiconductor layer 30a, and the data line 6 are provided in a non-opening area on the TFT array substrate 10 excluding an opening area for each pixel. The open area is an area that emits light contributing to display for each pixel in the image display area 100 (see FIG. 1), and the non-open area is an area of the image display area 100 excluding the open area, That is, it is an area where light contributing to display is not emitted for each pixel in the image display area 100. The non-opening region typically has a lattice-like planar shape that separates the opening regions for each pixel from each other.

  In this embodiment, in particular, the microlens unit 200 is provided on the TFT array substrate 10. The microlens unit 200 includes a plurality of microlenses on a substrate surface of the TFT array substrate 10 on which the pixel electrodes 9 and the like are provided (that is, a substrate surface different from the substrate surface on which incident light is incident on the TFT array substrate 10). A lens 210 is formed.

  Here, a manufacturing process of the microlens unit 200 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIGS. 5 to 7 are process cross-sectional views sequentially showing the manufacturing process of the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the positional relationship of each member of the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment.

  5 to 7, in the manufacturing process of the microlens unit 200, first, the curved surface forming the microlens 210 is patterned on the first layer 10 a that is a part of the TFT array substrate 10. Subsequently, when the curved surface forming the microlens 210 is formed on the first layer 10a, the second layer 10b having a refractive index different from that of the first layer 10a is laminated thereon. The surface of the second layer 10b is flattened by a flattening process such as a CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) process. Each member such as the scanning line 11, the semiconductor 30a, and the data line 6a is laminated on the flattened second layer 10b as shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 8, particularly in the electro-optical device according to the present embodiment, the microlens unit 200 scans the microlens 210 with the focal length f, the pixel pitch p, the distance from the microlens 210 to the scanning line 11, and the scanning. When the width of the line 11 is w, it is formed so as to have a portion that satisfies the following formula (1) in a portion that becomes a non-opening region.

f ≦ pl / w (1)
If comprised in this way, the optical path can be controlled so that the light source light which permeate | transmitted the micro lens 210 may not inject into the semiconductor element 30a. That is, it is possible to prevent the light leakage current from being generated when the light source light is incident on the semiconductor element 30a. The focal length f of the microlens can be adjusted as appropriate by changing the material, thickness, surface curvature, etc. of the microlens, for example.

  Furthermore, according to the microlens unit 200 described above, light that is about to enter the non-opening region from one substrate surface side of the TFT array substrate 10 is refracted and condensed toward the opening region for each pixel. Can do. For example, the light incident on the TFT array substrate 10 is refracted in a direction as indicated by an arrow in FIG. Therefore, the utilization efficiency of light incident from the light source (in other words, the light transmittance in each pixel) can be increased.

  Next, further effects brought about by the electro-optical device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 in addition to FIG. 9 and 10 are cross-sectional views illustrating the configuration of the electro-optical device according to the comparative example.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9, consider a comparative example in which the microlens unit 200 is provided on the counter substrate 20 side. It is assumed that the light source light is incident not from the TFT array substrate 10 side but from the counter substrate 20 side.

  In the electro-optical device according to the comparative example shown in FIG. 9, when the TFT array substrate 10 side and the counter substrate 20 are attached to each other, it is required to consider alignment errors so that the relative positional relationship is accurate. . That is, it is required to adjust the relative positional relationship between the microlens portion 200 on the counter substrate 20 side and the member that defines the non-opening region on the TFT array substrate 10 side.

  On the other hand, in the electro-optical device according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 4, since the microlens portion 200 is provided on the TFT array substrate 10, it is not necessary to consider such an alignment error. Therefore, the alignment of the microlens unit 200 can be performed with extremely high accuracy. By increasing the alignment accuracy of the microlens unit 200, the light transmittance in each pixel can be improved.

  Furthermore, in the electro-optical device according to the comparative example illustrated in FIG. 9, it is required to provide a light shielding film 23 such as a black matrix on the counter substrate 20. On the other hand, in the electro-optical device according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the light shielding film 23 as shown in FIG. 9 is not provided (in other words, at least the counter electrode 21 and the alignment film are provided on the counter substrate 20 side). Therefore, the device can be easily manufactured, and the number of steps in the manufacturing process can be reduced and the yield can be improved.

  Next, consider a comparative example in which the microlens portion 200 is provided separately from the TFT array substrate 10 side as shown in FIG. That is, a case where the microlens unit 200 is provided as the microlens substrate 500 and the microlens substrate 500 is attached to the TFT array substrate 10 is considered.

  In the electro-optical device according to the comparative example illustrated in FIG. 10, since the microlens unit 200 is provided as the microlens substrate 500, an alignment error is taken into account when the microlens substrate 500 is bonded to the TFT array substrate 10. Is required. That is, the same problem as the comparative example shown in FIG. 9 also occurs in the comparative example shown in FIG.

  Furthermore, in the electro-optical device according to the comparative example shown in FIG. 10, the distance between the microlens 210 and the scanning line 11 (that is, the member that defines the non-opening region) is increased by the thickness of the microlens substrate 500. End up. As this distance increases, the alignment error described above becomes larger. On the other hand, in the electro-optical device according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the distance between the microlens 210 and the scanning line 11 can be made relatively small. Therefore, the alignment of the micro lens unit 200 can be performed with extremely high accuracy.

  As described above, according to the electro-optical device according to the first embodiment, the use efficiency of light can be extremely effectively increased by increasing the positional accuracy of the microlens with respect to the opening region and the non-opening region. Therefore, the quality of the display image can be improved.

Second Embodiment
Next, an electro-optical device according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a specific configuration of the electro-optical device according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the electro-optical device according to the second embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in the configuration of a part of the microlens unit, and the other configurations are substantially the same. Therefore, in the second embodiment, portions different from the first embodiment will be described in detail, and descriptions of other overlapping portions will be omitted as appropriate.

  In FIG. 11, the electro-optical device according to the second embodiment is configured by including two microlens portions 200 on the TFT array substrate 10. Specifically, the TFT array substrate 10 is formed with a first microlens layer 200a and a second microlens layer 200b. The first microlens layer 200a is formed as a convex lens, and the second microlens layer 200b is formed as a concave lens.

  Since the microlens part 200 has two layers, the light condensed by the first microlens layer 200a is diffused by the second microlens layer 200b as shown by the arrows in FIG. Is also feasible. If the condensing degree of the lens is increased so that the focal length is shortened, the thickness of the lens layer can be reduced. However, if condensing is strengthened, the spread of the emitted light is increased. On the other hand, if the configuration is such that the first microlens layer 200a condenses strongly and the second microlens layer 200b returns to the parallel state, as a whole, as compared to the case where only one microlens layer is formed. It is possible to reduce the thickness of the microlens unit 200.

  If the microlens portion 200 becomes too thick, there is a possibility that an error such as a focal length of the microlens 210 may increase. On the other hand, in the electro-optical device according to the second embodiment, since the thickness of the microlens portion 200 can be reduced, the alignment of the microlens 210 can be performed very suitably.

  As shown in FIG. 12, both the first microlens layer 200a and the second microlens layer 200b may be formed as convex lenses. The refractive index of the microlens 210 is determined by the difference in refractive index between the two materials having the microlens 210 as a boundary. Therefore, the shape of the microlens can be set as appropriate, and both the first microlens layer 200a and the second microlens layer 200b may be formed as concave lenses, or the first microlens layer 200a may be a concave lens, The second microlens layer 200b may be formed as a convex lens.

  As described above, according to the electro-optical device according to the second embodiment, the use efficiency of light can be more effectively increased by including the two microlens layers. Therefore, it is possible to improve the quality of the display image higher.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, an electro-optical device according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a specific configuration of the electro-optical device according to the third embodiment. Note that the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment described above in a part of the configuration of the microlens unit, and the other configurations are substantially the same. Therefore, in the third embodiment, portions different from the first embodiment will be described in detail, and description of other overlapping portions will be omitted as appropriate.

  In FIG. 13, the electro-optical device according to the third embodiment is configured such that the microlens unit 200 has a plurality of microlenses 210 for one pixel. Therefore, as compared with the first and second embodiments described above, the configuration is such that many smaller microlenses 210 are formed.

  By reducing the size of the microlens 210, the focal length of the microlens 210 can be reduced even with a similar curved surface. Accordingly, the focal length error can be reduced. In addition, it is easier to form many small microlenses 210 than to form one relatively large one. Therefore, the manufacturing process can be simplified.

  As described above, according to the electro-optical device according to the third embodiment, the light use efficiency can be increased more effectively, and the manufacturing process can be simplified.

<Electronic equipment>
Next, the case where the liquid crystal device which is the above-described electro-optical device is applied to various electronic devices will be described. FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the projector. Hereinafter, a projector using the liquid crystal device as a light valve will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 14, a lamp unit 1102 including a white light source such as a halogen lamp is provided inside the projector 1100. The projection light emitted from the lamp unit 1102 is separated into three primary colors of RGB by four mirrors 1106 and two dichroic mirrors 1108 arranged in the light guide 1104, and serves as a light valve corresponding to each primary color. The light enters the liquid crystal panels 1110R, 1110B, and 1110G.

  The configurations of the liquid crystal panels 1110R, 1110B, and 1110G are the same as those of the liquid crystal device described above, and are driven by R, G, and B primary color signals supplied from the image signal processing circuit. The light modulated by these liquid crystal panels enters the dichroic prism 1112 from three directions. In the dichroic prism 1112, R and B light is refracted at 90 degrees, while G light travels straight. Therefore, as a result of the synthesis of the images of the respective colors, a color image is projected onto the screen or the like via the projection lens 1114.

  Here, paying attention to the display images by the liquid crystal panels 1110R, 1110B, and 1110G, the display image by the liquid crystal panel 1110G needs to be horizontally reversed with respect to the display images by the liquid crystal panels 1110R and 1110B.

  Since light corresponding to the primary colors R, G, and B is incident on the liquid crystal panels 1110R, 1110B, and 1110G by the dichroic mirror 1108, it is not necessary to provide a color filter.

  In addition to the electronic device described with reference to FIG. 14, a mobile personal computer, a mobile phone, an LCD TV, a viewfinder type, a monitor direct-view type video tape recorder, a car navigation device, a pager, an electronic device Examples include notebooks, calculators, word processors, workstations, videophones, POS terminals, and devices with touch panels. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to these various electronic devices.

  In addition to the liquid crystal devices described in the above embodiments, the present invention includes a reflective liquid crystal device (LCOS), a plasma display (PDP), a field emission display (FED, SED), an organic EL display, and a digital micromirror device. (DMD), electrophoresis apparatus and the like are also applicable.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit or idea of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and an electro-optical device with such a change. In addition, an electronic apparatus including the electro-optical device is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  6a ... data line, 9a ... pixel electrode, 10 ... TFT array substrate, 11 ... scanning line, 20 ... counter substrate, 21 ... counter electrode, 30 ... TFT, 30a ... semiconductor layer, 40 ... base insulating film, 41 ... first Interlayer insulating film, 42 ... second interlayer insulating film, 50 ... liquid crystal layer, 100 ... image display region, 200 ... microlens portion, 210 ... microlens.

Claims (9)

A substrate,
In the substrate, a switching element formed on the first surface side of the substrate;
In the substrate, a light-shielding wiring formed on the first surface side of the substrate;
A microlens portion comprising a plurality of layers formed on the substrate,
The light-shielding wiring is provided so as to cover the switching element on the incident side of the light source light as viewed from the switching element,
The microlens part is
A first layer refractive index that Do from the substrate Ri first refractive index der,
A second layer formed between the first layer and the light-shielding wiring and having a second refractive index different from the first refractive index;
A third layer formed between the second layer and the light-shielding wiring and having a third refractive index different from the second refractive index,
In the microlens part, at least a part of light incident from the second surface side opposite to the first surface side is condensed between the first layer and the second layer , and An electro-optical device formed to be diffused between the second layer and the third layer. The electro-optical device according to claim 1.
The first layer of the microlens part is formed so as to be recessed from the first surface side toward the second surface side ,
The electro-optical device, wherein the second refractive index is larger than the first refractive index. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,
The second layer of the microlens part is formed so as to protrude from the second surface side toward the first surface side ,
The electro-optical device, wherein the third refractive index is larger than the second refractive index. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,
The second layer of the microlens part is formed so as to be recessed from the first surface side toward the second surface side ,
The electro-optical device, wherein the third refractive index is smaller than the second refractive index. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,
The microlens unit forms a first lens between the first layer and the second layer, and forms a second lens between the second layer and the third layer. An electro-optical device. The electro-optical device according to claim 5.
The electro-optical device is characterized in that the microlens portion is formed such that the curvature of the first lens and the curvature of the second lens are the same. The electro-optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The electro-optical device, wherein the microlens unit is formed so that the first refractive index and the third refractive index are the same. The electro-optical device according to claim 1,
A pixel electrode formed on the first surface side of the substrate,
A counter substrate disposed opposite to the substrate;
A liquid crystal formed between the substrate and the counter substrate;
At least part of the light incident on the portion overlapping the light-shielding wiring on the second surface side from a direction perpendicular to the second surface side of the substrate is between the first layer and the second layer. The electro-optical device is characterized in that the light is condensed and diffused between the second layer and the third layer and emitted from the counter substrate. The electro-optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
An electronic device comprising: a light source that irradiates light on the second surface side .

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