Liquid crystal device and electronic apparatus

• US 7,688,408 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Japan Display West Incorporated (Japan Display Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Epson Imaging Devices Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Murai, Ichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): KIANNI, KAVEH C
• Application Number:
  US11/532,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20070064178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 349/114, 349/108
• 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 1/133555 Transflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133784 by rubbing
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence

Abstract

There is provided a liquid crystal device, wherein a liquid crystal layer is interposed between a first substrate and a second substrate, and at least a display pixel corresponding to a colored region of a color from blue to green in a visible light region of which the color varies depending on a wavelength is included, wherein at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate has a spacer which defines the thickness of the liquid crystal layer and an alignment film which is subjected to a rubbing process in a predetermined direction, and wherein a relative positional relationship between the spacer and the display pixel is defined such that a region of the alignment film, which is not subjected to the rubbing process due to existence of the spacer at the time of the rubbing process, is positioned in the display pixel corresponding to the colored region of the color from blue to green.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal device, comprising:

a liquid crystal layer interposed between a first substrate and a second substrate;

a plurality of pixels including a first pixel corresponding to a color of a blue color series, a second pixel corresponding to a color of a red color series, a third pixel corresponding to a color of a green color series, and a fourth pixel corresponding to a complementary color of the blue color series, the red color series or the green color series;

a spacer which defines a thickness of the liquid crystal layer, the spacer being formed to one of the first substrate and the second substrate which is subjected to a rubbing process; and

a domain region formed near the spacer, the domain region being unable to align liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer,

wherein the domain region overlaps the fourth pixel; and

wherein an area of the fourth pixel is less than an area of each of the other pixels.

2. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reflective region for reflective display;

a transmissive region for transmissive display; and

a step-difference forming film which is provided at a position corresponding to the reflective region,

wherein the spacer is provided on the step-difference forming film.

3. The liquid crystal device according to claim 2, wherein the fourth pixel has a colored region corresponding to the respective color, and wherein the pixel has a region where no colored region is provided.

4. The liquid crystal device according to claim 3, wherein the domain region is positioned in the region where no colored region is provided.

5. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a gate line;

a source line; and

a switching element which is connected to the gate line and the source line;

wherein the fourth pixel includes a pixel electrode that is connected to the switching element, and

wherein the spacer overlaps at least one of the gate line, the source line, the switching element and the pixel electrode.

6. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, further comprising a light shielding film provided at a position corresponding to the domain region.

7. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, further comprising a light shielding film that compartments the fourth pixel, wherein the light shielding region has a part which is not provided at a position corresponding to the domain region.

8. The liquid crystal device according to claim 2, wherein the fourth pixel has a colored region corresponding to the respective color, and wherein the optical concentration of the colored region provided in correspondence with the reflective region is less than that provided in correspondence with the transmissive region.

9. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the fourth pixel has a colored region that includes a transmissive region for transmissive display, and

wherein the other of the pixels, among the plurality of pixels, includes both the transmissive region for transmissive display and the reflective region for reflective display.