Liquid crystal apparatus and electronic device

• US 20070171319A1
• Filed: 01/12/2007
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Epson Imaging Devices Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Epson Imaging Devices Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Matsushima, Toshiharu, Fujita, Shin
• Application Number:
  US11/652,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20070171319A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/43
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133512 Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix G02F1/136209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134309 characterised by their geometrical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134372 for fringe field switching [FFS] where the common electrode is not patterned
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136213 Storage capacitors associated with the pixel electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136227 Through-hole connection of the pixel electrode to the active element through an insulation layer

Abstract

A liquid crystal apparatus includes a substrate that retains liquid crystal, a switching element provided in the substrate, a first insulating film above the switching element, a first electrode above the first insulating film, a second insulating film above the first electrode, and a second electrode above the second insulating film. The second electrode has a plurality of slits and produces an electric field between the first electrode and the second electrode via each of the slits.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal apparatus comprising:

a common electrode;

a switching element;

a pixel electrode connected to the switching element;

a first insulating film between the common electrode and the pixel electrode; and

a planarized film above the switching element;

wherein the pixel electrode and the common electrode two-dimensionally overlap each other in a display region, and an alignment of liquid crystal is controlled by an electric field produced above the pixel electrode and by an electric field produced between the common electrode and the pixel electrode, and

wherein the common electrode is disposed above the planarized film, the first insulating film is disposed above the common electrode, and the pixel electrode is disposed above the first insulating film.

2. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pixel electrode is electrically coupled to the switching element via a contact hole in the planarized film, and the common electrode has an opening at a position that corresponds to the contact hole.

3. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the common electrode covers a substantially entire surface of the planarized film.

4. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pixel electrode has a slit, and the lateral electric field is produced between the pixel electrode and the common electrode via the slit and the first insulating film.

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

a second insulating film; and

a relay electrode disposed on the second insulating film,

wherein the switching element is a TFT element, the second insulating film is disposed on the TFT element, and the relay electrode electrically couples the TFT element and the pixel electrode together.

6. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the common electrode and the pixel electrode is formed from a transparent material.

22. An electronic device including the liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 1.

7. A liquid crystal apparatus comprising:

a substrate that retains liquid crystal;

a first electrode;

a second electrode; and

a dielectric film between the first electrode and the second electrode,

wherein the first electrode and second electrode are provided in the substrate and two-dimensionally overlap each other,

wherein an alignment of the liquid crystal is controlled by an electric field produced above the second electrode and by an electric field produced between the first electrode and the second electrode,

wherein a storage capacitor is formed between the first electrode and second electrode, and

wherein the dielectric film has a thickness that enables the storage capacitor to have a capacitance of about 100 fF to about 800 fF.

8. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a switching element provided in the substrate; and

a planarized film above the switching element,

wherein the first electrode, the dielectric film, and the second electrode are disposed above the planarized film.

9. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second electrode has a slit, and the lateral electric field is produced between the first electrode and the second electrode via the slit and the dielectric film.

10. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the dielectric film has a thickness that enables the storage capacitor to have a capacitance of about 100 fF to about 600 fF.

11. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the dielectric film has a thickness that enables the storage capacitor to have a capacitance of about 200 fF to about 800 fF.

12. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first electrode is a common electrode, and the second electrode is at least one pixel electrode electrically coupled to the switching element.

13. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first electrode is at least one pixel electrode electrically coupled to the switching element, and the second electrode is a common electrode.

14. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 8, each of the common electrode and the pixel electrode is formed from a transparent material.

15. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a lead connected to the switching element,

wherein the lead is covered with the planarized film.

23. An electronic device including the liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 7.

16. A liquid crystal apparatus comprising:

at least one common electrode;

a plurality of pixel electrodes; and

an insulating film between the common electrode and the plurality of pixel electrodes;

wherein the insulating film is disposed above the plurality of pixel electrodes, and the common electrode is disposed above the insulating film,

wherein an alignment of liquid crystal is controlled by an electric field produced above the common electrode and by an electric field produced between the common electrode and each of the plurality of pixel electrodes, and

wherein the common electrode extends to a gap between the plurality of pixel electrodes.

17. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

a substrate;

a switching element provided in the substrate; and

a planarized film above the switching element,

wherein the pixel electrodes are disposed above the planarized film.

18. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a lead connected to the switching element,

wherein the lead is disposed between the plurality of pixel electrodes, two-dimensionally overlaps the common electrode, and is covered with the planarized film.

19. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the lead is a source line connected to the switching element.

20. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the at least one common electrode includes a plurality of common electrodes provided for the respective pixel electrodes, and

wherein each of the common electrodes is connected to a common electrode line having a resistance smaller than a resistance of the common electrode.

21. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 16, wherein each of the common electrode and the pixel electrodes is formed from a transparent material.

24. An electronic device including the liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 16.