Liquid crystal display device with spacer in the sealant

• US 8,368,864 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Displays Limited (Japan Display Incorporated), Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagami, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoan C
• Application Number:
  US12/637,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20100149477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 349/153, 349/155, 349/156, 349/190, 445/25
• US Class Current: 349/155
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133514 Colour filters
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1339 Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13394 spacers regularly patterned on the cell subtrate, e.g. walls, pillars G02F1/133377 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13398 Spacer materials; Spacer properties
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1341 Filling or closing of cells

Abstract

In a seal portion of a liquid crystal display device, column spacers are formed on a counter substrate side, organic passivation films are formed so as to face the column spacers on a TFT substrate side, and the gap between the TFT substrate and the counter substrate is controlled by the column spacers and the organic passivation films. A sealing material covers the column spacers and the organic passivation films and is in contact with an inorganic film formed on the TFT substrate on the TFT substrate side. Therefore, the adhesive force of the sealing material is improved to ensure the reliability of the seal portion.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a TFT substrate having pixels each including a pixel electrode and a TFT formed in a matrix to form a display region;

a counter substrate having color filters formed corresponding to the pixels and facing the TFT substrate via a seal portion having sealing material formed at the peripheries of the substrates; and

liquid crystal interposed between the TFT substrate and the counter substrate, wherein

the TFT is covered with at least one of an inorganic passivation film, an organic passivation film, and an inter-layer insulating film,

the gap between the TFT substrate and the counter substrate is defined in the seal portion by first column spacers formed on the counter substrate and at least one of a first island-like organic passivation film, and the inter-layer insulating film formed on the TFT substrate, and

in the seal portion, the sealing material covers the first column spacers and the first island-like organic passivation film and is in contact with at least one of the inorganic passivation film and the inter-layer insulating film on the TFT substrate side.

2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein second column spacers are formed on the counter substrate side outside of the seal portion where the sealing material is formed, and a second island-like organic passivation film is formed so as to face the second column spacers on the TFT substrate side.

3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein second column spacers are formed on the counter substrate side on the display region side of the seal portion where the sealing material is formed, and a second island-like organic passivation film is formed so as to face the second column spacers on the TFT substrate side.

4. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein in the seal portion, semiconductor films are formed like islands on the TFT substrate side.

5. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein in the seal portion, the color filters are formed like islands on the counter substrate side.

6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein the second column spacers are formed on the counter substrate side on the display region side of the seal portion where the sealing material is formed, and the second island-like organic passivation film is formed so as to face the second column spacers on the TFT substrate side.

7. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein in the seal portion, semiconductor films are formed like islands on the TFT substrate side.

8. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 2, wherein in the seal portion, the color filters are formed like islands on the counter substrate side.

9. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, wherein in the seal portion, semiconductor films are formed like islands on the TFT substrate side.

10. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 6, wherein in the seal portion, the color filters are formed like islands on the counter substrate side.

11. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 9, wherein in the seal portion, the color filters are formed like islands on the counter substrate side.

12. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the TFT is covered with the inorganic passivation film and the organic passivation film, and in the seal portion, the sealing material is in contact with the inorganic passivation film on the TFT substrate side.

13. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the TFT is covered with the inorganic passivation film and the organic passivation film, the counter electrode is formed on the organic passivation film, the inter-layer insulating film is formed on the counter electrode, the pixel electrode is formed on the inter-layer insulating film, and in the seal portion, the sealing material is in contact with the inter-layer insulating film on the TFT substrate side.

14. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the TFT substrate is covered with the inorganic passivation film, in the seal portion, first scanning line lead wires and second scanning line lead wires are formed in different layers on the TFT substrate, and in the seal portion, the sealing material is in contact with the inter-layer insulating film on the TFT substrate side.

15. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the TFT substrate is covered with the inorganic passivation film, the inter-layer film is formed on the counter electrode, the pixel electrode is formed on the inter-layer insulating film, and in the seal portion, the first scanning lead wire and second scanning lead wire are formed in different layers on the TFT substrate.