Transflective liquid crystal display device with substrate having greater height in reflective region

• US 6,850,298 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2002
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Narutaki, Yozo, Konishi, Ikuji, Akebi, Yasunobu, Fujimori, Kohichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Robert H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schechter, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US10/260,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20030063244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 349/107, 349/108, 349/114
• US Class Current: 349/114
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133371 Cells with varying thickness of the liquid crystal layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133553 Reflecting elements associated to illuminating devices G02F1/133605
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133555 Transflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/09 transflective

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes: a first substrate; a second substrate; a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate; and a plurality of picture element regions for displaying an image. Each of the plurality of picture element regions includes a transmission region in which an image is displayed in a transmission mode by using light that is coming from the side of the first substrate, and a reflection region in which an image is displayed in a reflection mode by using light that is coming from the side of the second substrate. The height of a surface of the second substrate on the side closer to the liquid crystal layer in the reflection region is greater than that in the transmission region, while the height of a surface of the first substrate on the side closer to the liquid crystal layer in the reflection region is substantially equal to that in the transmission region.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate;

a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate; and

a plurality of picture element regions for displaying an image, wherein;

at least one of the plurality of picture element regions includes a transmission region in which an image is displayed in a transmission mode by using light that is coming from a side of the first substrate, and a reflection region in which an image is displayed in a reflection mode by using light that is coming from a side of the second substrate;

a height of a surface of the second substrate on a side closer to the liquid crystal layer in at least part of the reflection region is greater than that in the transmission region;

while a height of a surface of the first substrate on a side closer to the liquid crystal layer in the reflection region is substantially equal to that in the transmission region;

the second substrate includes a color filter layer provided in the transmission region and in the reflection region;

a thickness of the color filter layer in at least a portion of the reflection region is smaller than that in the transmission region;

the second substrate includes a transparent substrate, and a first transparent dielectric layer formed between the transparent substrate and the color filter layer in at least a portion of the reflection region; and

the color filter layer is provided on one side of the second substrate that is closer to the liquid crystal layer; and

a second transparent dielectric layer is formed on the color filter layer in the reflection region.

2. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the liquid crystal layer in the reflection region is about ½

of that in the transmission region.

3. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, wherein the first transparent dielectric layer and/or the second transparent dielectric layer have a function of diffusing light.

4. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate;

a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate; and

a plurality of picture element regions for displaying an image, wherein;

at least one of the plurality of picture element regions includes a transmission region in which an image is displayed in a transmission mode by using light that is coming from a side of the first substrate, and a reflection region in which an image is displayed in a reflection mode by using light that is coming from a side of the second substrate;

a height of a surface of the second substrate on a side closer to the liquid crystal layer in at least part of the reflection region is greater than that in the transmission region, while a height of a surface of the first substrate on a side closer to the liquid crystal layer in the reflection region is substantially equal to that in the transmission region; and

the second substrate includes a color filter layer provided in the transmission region and in the reflection region; and

the color filter layer includes at least one opening in a portion of the reflection region.

5. The liquid crystal display device of claim 4, wherein the at least one opening in the color filter layer is a plurality of openings.

6. The liquid crystal display device of claim 4, wherein:

the color filter layer is provided on one side of the second substrate that is closer to the liquid crystal layer; and

the second substrate includes a first transparent dielectric layer formed in the at least one opening in the color filter layer, and a second transparent dielectric layer formed on the color filter layer and on the first transparent dielectric layer in the reflection region.

7. The liquid crystal display device of claim 6, wherein the first transparent dielectric layer and the second transparent dielectric layer are formed integrally.

8. The liquid crystal display device of claim 6, wherein the first transparent dielectric layer and/or the second transparent dielectric layer have a function of diffusing light.

9. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate;

a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate;

plurality of picture element regions for displaying an image, wherein;

at least one of the plurality of picture element regions includes a transmission region in which an image is displayed in a transmission mode by using light that is coming from a side of the first substrate, and a reflection region in which an image is displayed in a reflection mode by using light that is coming from a side of the second substrate;

a height of a surface of the second substrate on a side closer to the liquid crystal layer in at least part of the reflection region is greater than that in the transmission region, while a height of a surface of the first substrate on a side closer to the liquid crystal layer in the reflection region is substantially equal to that in the transmission region; and

the second substrate includes a color filter layer provided in the transmission region and in the reflection region; and

the color filter layer in the reflection region is made of a material that is different from that of the color filter layer in the transmission region.

10. The liquid crystal display device of claim 9, wherein:

the color filter layer is provided on one side of the second substrate that is closer to the liquid crystal layer; and

a thickness of the color filter layer in the reflection region, which is made of a material different from that of the color filter layer in the transmission region, is larger than that of the color filter layer in the transmission region.

11. The liquid crystal display device of claim 9, wherein the color filter layer is provided on one side of the second substrate that is closer to the liquid crystal layer, and the second substrate includes a transparent dielectric layer formed on the color filter layer in the reflection region.

12. The liquid crystal display device of claim 11, wherein the transparent dielectric layer has a function of diffusing light.

13. The liquid crystal display device of claim 9, wherein the color filter layer in the reflection region has a function of diffusing light.

14. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate;

a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate; and

a plurality of picture element regions for displaying an image, wherein;

at least one of the plurality of picture element regions includes a transmission region in which an image is displayed in a transmission mode by using light that is coming from a side of the first substrate, and a reflection region in which an image is displayed in a reflection mode by using light that is coming from a side of the second substrate;

a height of a surface of the second substrate on a side closer to the liquid crystal layer in at least part of the reflection region is greater than that in the transmission region, while a height of a surface of the first substrate on a side closer to the liquid crystal layer in the reflection region is substantially equal to that in the transmission region; and

wherein the second substrate includes a transparent substrate, a color filter layer provided on one side of the transparent substrate that is closer to the liquid crystal layer, and a transparent dielectric layer formed on the color filter layer in the reflection region, wherein the transparent dielectric layer has a function of diffusing light.

15. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate;

a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate; and

a plurality of picture element regions for displaying an image, wherein;

each of the plurality of picture element regions includes a transmission region in which an image is displayed in a transmission mode by using light that is coming from a side of the first substrate, and a reflection region in which an image is displayed in a reflection mode by using light that is coming from a side of the second substrate;

a height of a surface of the second substrate on a side closer to the liquid crystal layer in the reflection region is greater than that in the transmission region; and

the second substrate includes a transparent substrate, a color filter layer provided on one side of the transparent substrate that is closer to the liquid crystal layer, a first transparent dielectric layer formed on the transparent substrate in at least a portion of the reflection region and covered or surrounded by the color filter layer, and a second transparent dielectric layer provided in the reflection region so as to be located closer to the liquid crystal layer than the first transparent dielectric layer and the color filter layer.

16. The liquid crystal display device of claim 15, wherein the first transparent dielectric layer is formed between the transparent substrate and the color filter layer and is covered by the color filter layer.

17. The liquid crystal display device of claim 15, wherein:

the color filter layer includes at least one opening in a portion of the reflection region; and

the first transparent dielectric layer is formed in the at least one opening and is surrounded by the color filter layer.

18. The liquid crystal display device of claim 17, wherein the first transparent dielectric layer and the second transparent dielectric layer are formed integrally.

19. The liquid crystal display device of claim 15, wherein a height of a surface of the first substrate on a side closer to the liquid crystal layer in the reflection region is substantially equal to that in the transmission region.