Liquid crystal display device having blue phase liquid crystal and particular electrode arrangement

• US 8,395,740 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2010
• Issued: 03/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kubota, Daisuke, Ishitani, Tetsuji, Yamashita, Akio
• Primary Examiner(s): CALEY, MICHAEL H
• Application Number:
  US12/690,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20100195028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 349/141, 349/106, 349/110, 349/139
• US Class Current: 349/141
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134363 for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134381 Hybrid switching mode, i.e. for applying an electric field with components parallel and orthogonal to the substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13793 Blue phases

Abstract

In a liquid crystal display device including a blue phase liquid crystal layer, first and second common electrode layers, which are positioned to face each other, sandwich the blue phase liquid crystal layer therebetween and have opening patterns (slits), and a pixel electrode layer has an opening pattern. The pixel electrode layer is formed over a structure body which projects into the liquid crystal layer from a surface of a first substrate on a liquid crystal layer side, and the pixel electrode layer is positioned between the first and second common electrode layers in the liquid crystal layer. Electric fields are applied between the pixel electrode layer and the first and second common electrode layers, so that the electric fields are formed in the entire liquid crystal layer and liquid crystal molecules can be controlled by using the electric fields.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate;

a liquid crystal layer including a blue phase liquid crystal material between the first substrate and the second substrate;

a structure body provided between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer, the structure body projecting into the liquid crystal layer;

a first electrode layer provided between the liquid crystal layer and the structure body, the first electrode layer having a first opening pattern;

a second electrode layer provided between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer, the second electrode layer having a second opening pattern; and

a third electrode layer provided between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer and overlapped with the second electrode layer, the third electrode layer having a third opening pattern,

wherein the structure body is provided at least partly in the third opening pattern,

wherein a distance between the first electrode layer and the third electrode layer is smaller than a distance between the second electrode layer and the third electrode layer in a thickness direction of the liquid crystal layer, and

wherein a distance between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is substantially the same as the distance between the first electrode layer and the third electrode layer.

2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer, and the third electrode layer are in contact with the liquid crystal layer.

3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer, and the third electrode layer each have a comb shape.

4. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal layer includes a chiral agent.

5. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal layer includes a photocurable resin and a photopolymerization initiator.

6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a thin film transistor is provided between the first substrate and the structure body, and

wherein a chromatic-color light-transmitting resin layer is provided between the thin film transistor and the structure body wherein the insulating film includes a chromatic color light transmitting resin layer.

7. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a thin film transistor is provided between the first substrate and the first structure body, and

wherein the light-blocking layer is provided between the thin film transistor and the liquid crystal layer wherein the insulating film includes the light blocking layer.

8. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the light-blocking layer is provided between the second substrate and the second electrode layer.

9. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a thin film transistor is provided between the first substrate and the structure body, and wherein the first electrode layer is electrically connected to the thin film transistor.

10. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, further comprising a light-blocking layer.

11. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate;

a liquid crystal layer including a blue phase liquid crystal material between the first substrate and the second substrate;

a first structure body provided between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer, the first structure body projecting into the liquid crystal layer;

a first electrode layer provided between the liquid crystal ayer and the first structure body, the first electrode layer having a first opening pattern;

a second structure body provided between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer, the second structure body projecting into the liquid crystal layer;

a second electrode layer provided between the second structure body and the liquid crystal layer, the second electrode layer having a second opening pattern; and

a third electrode layer provided between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer and overlapped with the second electrode layer, the third electrode layer having a third opening pattern,

wherein the first structure body is provided at east partly in the third opening pattern,

wherein a distance between the first electrode layer and the third electrode layer is smaller than a distance between the second electrode layer and the third electrode layer in a thickness direction of the liquid crystal layer, and

wherein a distance between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is substantially the same as the distance between the first electrode layer and the third electrode layer.

12. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer, and the third electrode layer are in contact with the liquid crystal layer.

13. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer, and the third electrode layer each have a comb shape.

14. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the liquid crystal layer includes a chiral agent.

15. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein the liquid crystal layer includes a photocurable resin and a photopolymerization initiator.

16. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, wherein a thin film transistor is provided between the first substrate and the first structure body, and wherein the first electrode layer is electrically connected to the thin film transistor.

17. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 16, wherein a chromatic-color light-transmitting resin layer is provided between the thin film transistor and the first structure body.

18. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 16, further comprising a light-blocking layer,

wherein the light-blocking layer is provided between the thin film transistor and the liquid crystal layer.

19. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 16, further comprising a light-blocking layer,

wherein the light-blocking layer is provided between the second substrate and the second electrode layer.

20. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11, further comprising a light-blocking layer.

21. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate;

a liquid crystal layer including a blue phase liquid crystal material between the first substrate and the second substrate;

a first structure body provided between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer, the first structure body projecting into the liquid crystal layer;

a first electrode layer provided between the liquid crystal layer and the first structure body, the first electrode layer having a first opening pattern;

a second structure body provided between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer, the second structure body projecting into the liquid crystal layer;

a second electrode layer provided between the second structure body and the liquid crystal layer, the second electrode layer having a second opening pattern;

a third structure body provided between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer, the third structure body projecting into the liquid crystal layer; and

a third electrode layer provided between the liquid crystal layer and the third structure body and overlapped with the second electrode layer, the third electrode layer having a third opening pattern,

wherein the first structure body is provided at least partly in the third opening pattern,

wherein a distance between the first electrode layer and the third electrode layer is smaller than a distance between the second electrode layer and the third electrode layer in a thickness direction of the liquid crystal layer, and

wherein a distance between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is substantially the same as the distance between the first electrode layer and the third electrode layer.

22. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 21, wherein the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer, and the third electrode layer are in contact with the liquid crystal layer.

23. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 21, wherein the first electrode layer, the second electrode layer, and the third electrode layer each have a comb shape.

24. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 21, wherein the liquid crystal layer includes a chiral agent.

25. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 21, wherein the liquid crystal layer includes a photocurable resin and a photopolymerization initiator.

26. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 21, wherein a thin film transistor is provided between the first substrate and the first structure body, and wherein the first electrode layer is electrically connected to the thin film transistor.

27. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 26, wherein a chromatic-color light-transmitting resin layer is provided between the thin film transistor and the first structure body.

28. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 26, further comprising a light-blocking layer, wherein the light-blocking layer is provided between the thin film transistor and the liquid crystal layer.

29. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 26, further comprising a light-blocking layer, wherein the light-blocking layer is provided between the second substrate and the second electrode layer.

30. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 26, further comprising a light-blocking layer.