Liquid crystal display device

• US 20080266511A1
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Displays Limited (Japan Display Incorporated), Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shimizu, Hiromasa, Hamamoto, Tatsuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,826,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/156
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence

Abstract

In order to prevent irreversible deformation of column-shaped spacers which retain the gap between a pair of substrates between which the liquid crystal layer of a liquid crystal display device is interposed, spacers which assist in preventing such irreversible deformation are newly provided. According to the invention, two or more kinds of spacers which differ in height from a reference surface are disposed on one of the pair of substrates. In addition, a step pattern with which the spacers are to come into contact is formed in advance on the other of the pair of substrates so that the heights of the spacers can be made different.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer;

a second substrate;

a plurality of gate signal lines and a plurality of drain signal lines which are formed on the second substrate;

a plurality of pixel regions which are defined in a pair of the gate signal lines and a pair of the drain signal lines;

at least one spacer region having a plurality of spacers and being formed on the first substrate and located in-between adjacent pixel regions, heights of the spacers in the spacer region from the first substrate being substantially the same;

two metal layers sandwiching an insulating layer are formed in a position facing one spacer in the spacer region on the second substrate; and

only one of the two metal layer and the insulating layer are formed in another position facing another spacer in the spacer region on the second substrate.

2. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein when the first substrate is not subjected to an external force and not elastically deformed, said one spacer in the spacer region touches a corresponding position on the second substrate, and said another spacer in the spacer region does not touch a corresponding position on the second substrate.

3. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the spacers in the spacer region are formed on a black matrix.

4. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein one of the two metal layers constitutes a part of one of the drain signal lines.

5. A liquid crystal display device, according to claim 4, wherein a width of the drain signal line is wider than a width of the respective spacer.

6. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first substrate;

a liquid crystal layer;

a second substrate;

a plurality of gate signal lines and a plurality of drain signal lines which are formed on the second substrate;

a plurality of pixel regions which are defined in a pair of the gate signal lines and a pair of the drain signal lines;

at least one spacer region having a plurality of spacers and being formed on the first substrate and located in-between adjacent pixel regions, heights of the spacers in the spacer region from the first substrate being substantially the same; and

at least a metal layer, an insulation layer and a semiconductor layer formed in a position facing one spacer in the spacer region on the second substrate,

wherein the semiconductor layer is not formed in a position facing another spacer in the spacer region on the second substrate.

7. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, wherein when the first substrate is not subjected to an external force and not elastically deformed, said one spacer in the spacer region touches a corresponding position on the second substrate, and said another spacer in the spacer region does not touch a corresponding position on the second substrate.

8. A liquid crystal display device according to, claim 6, wherein the spacers in the spacer region are formed on a black matrix.

9. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, wherein said metal layer constitutes a part of one of the gate signal lines.

10. A liquid crystal display device according to claim 9, wherein a width of the gate signal line is wider than a width of the respective spacer.