JP4470973B2 - Liquid crystal device and electronic device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a transflective liquid crystal device provided with a layer thickness adjusting film for defining a layer thickness of a liquid crystal layer in a reflective display region. The present invention also relates to an electronic apparatus using the liquid crystal device.

  Currently, liquid crystal devices are widely used in electronic devices such as mobile phones and portable information terminals. For example, it is used as a display device that displays information about electronic devices. This liquid crystal device controls the voltage applied to a liquid crystal layer provided between a pair of substrates for each pixel, thereby controlling the orientation of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer for each pixel and transmitting the polarized light through the liquid crystal layer. Is modulated for each pixel, whereby an image is displayed on the surface of one of the substrates.

  Conventionally, a transflective liquid crystal device is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this liquid crystal device, a reflective display area is formed by a common wiring functioning as a reflector, a transmissive display area is formed by an area without the common wiring, and a driving voltage is selectively applied to electrodes in each of the areas. Thus, the reflective display and the transmissive display are selectively performed.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-338256 (Page 6, FIG. 2)

  In the liquid crystal device disclosed in Patent Document 1, light passing through the transmissive display area passes through the liquid crystal layer once, whereas light passing through the reflective display area passes through the liquid crystal layer twice. The retardation (Δnd: where Δn is the refractive index phase difference and d is the thickness of the liquid crystal layer) is different between the reflected light and the transmitted light, and the display characteristics of the reflective display and the transmissive display may become non-uniform. Conceivable. In order to compensate for this retardation difference, in the liquid crystal device of Patent Document 1, a built-in retardation plate as a layer thickness adjusting film for adjusting the layer thickness (d) of the liquid crystal layer is provided in the reflective display region. .

  The liquid crystal device of Patent Document 1 is a so-called lateral electric field type liquid crystal device having a configuration in which two electrodes of a pixel electrode and a common electrode are formed on a single substrate. It is provided on a substrate facing the substrate on which the electrodes are formed. The liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer are arranged in a homogeneous alignment by rubbing alignment films provided on both of the pair of substrates.

  The layer thickness adjusting film has a step surface at the boundary between the reflective display region and the transmissive display region, and the step surface is an inclined surface. This inclined surface is inevitably formed when the layer thickness adjusting film is formed based on the photolithography method. In the liquid crystal device of Patent Document 1, the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film extends in a direction perpendicular to the signal wiring. In Patent Document 1, some examples are shown regarding the angle formed between the extending direction of the stepped surface of the layer thickness adjusting film and the rubbing direction for aligning liquid crystal molecules, and the extension of the stepped surface is included therein. It is disclosed that the direction and the rubbing direction are 75 ° or 90 °. However, nothing is said about the azimuthal relationship between the rubbing direction and the step surface, that is, whether rubbing is performed from the direction facing the step surface or from the peak to the valley of the step surface. .

  The inventor conducted an experiment on the orientation relationship between the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film and the rubbing direction, and if the orientation relationship is not set appropriately, sufficient alignment force can be obtained on the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film. First, it was found that the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules is disturbed, and the contrast may be lowered based on the disorder of the alignment.

  The present invention has been made on the basis of the above knowledge, and in a transflective liquid crystal device and an electronic apparatus using the same, an orientation relationship between a layer thickness adjusting film provided in a reflective display region and rubbing It is an object to obtain a high-quality display with high contrast by optimizing.

The liquid crystal device according to the present invention includes a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other, a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the first substrate sandwiching the liquid crystal layer. The second substrate is provided in a partial area in the sub-pixel that constitutes a control unit for driving display, and is provided in a reflective display area that performs display by reflected light, and in another area in the sub-pixel. A transmissive display area for displaying with a transmissive light; and a layer thickness provided on the second substrate corresponding to the reflective display area and defining a layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer different from that of the transmissive display area An adjustment film, an alignment film that is provided between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer so as to cover the layer thickness adjustment film and is rubbed in the same direction in the reflective display area and the transmissive display area ; The layer thickness adjusting film includes the reflective display region and When having a step surface at the boundary with the transparent display region, the rubbing is performed from the direction facing the step surface, and the angle formed between the extending direction of the step surface and the rubbing direction is α, 70 ° ≦ α ≦ 110 °.

  As is well known, rubbing is performed by rubbing the alignment film surface with a rubbing member. According to the liquid crystal device of the present invention, the rubbing faces the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film, that is, from the valley (transmission display region) side to the mountain portion (reflection display region) side of the step surface. Since it is performed within an angle range of 70 ° to 110 ° (that is, 90 ° ± 20 °), a strong rubbing strength can be imparted to the step surface, an alignment force can be increased, and alignment unevenness can be prevented. As a result, high contrast can be secured. Contrary to the present invention, when rubbing is performed from the peak portion to the valley portion of the step surface, the rubbing strength applied to the step surface is weakened, which may cause a display defect. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since a strong rubbing strength can be imparted to the stepped surface, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a display defect due to a rubbing defect.

  Further, according to the experiment by the present inventor, when the rubbing angle with respect to the extending direction of the step surface is smaller than 70 °, a display failure that is considered to be caused by the rubbing failure is observed. In addition, when the rubbing angle with respect to the extending direction of the stepped surface was larger than 110 °, a display defect considered to be caused by the rubbing defect was observed. Therefore, in order to prevent a display defect from being deteriorated due to a reduction in rubbing strength, it is desirable that the rubbing angle with respect to the extending direction of the step surface is defined within a range of 70 ° to 110 °.

  Next, in the liquid crystal device according to the present invention, it is desirable that the step surface is an inclined surface inclined at an angle smaller than 90 ° with respect to the substrate surface of the second substrate. The layer thickness adjusting film is generally formed on the second substrate by a patterning method based on a photolithography method. In this case, an inclined surface is inevitably formed at the end portion (that is, the step portion) of the layer thickness adjusting film. When rubbing such an inclined surface, in order to give a strong rubbing force to the inclined surface, the rubbing is preferably performed from the direction facing the inclined surface. It is desirable to be carried out within an angle range of 70 ° to 110 ° with respect to the extending direction of.

Next, in the liquid crystal device according to the present invention, the first electrode and the second electrode for forming an electric field can be provided on the first substrate. The second electrode may have a plurality of electrode linear portions arranged in parallel with a gap. When the angle formed between the extending direction of the gap and the rubbing direction is β, it is preferable that 5 ° ≦ β ≦ 20 °.

  Thus, by providing two electrodes of the first electrode and the second electrode on one substrate, and the second electrode has a plurality of electrode linear portions arranged in parallel with a gap, the substrate can be obtained. An electric field (so-called lateral electric field) can be formed in a plane parallel to the. Such an operation mode is known as an FFS (Fringe Field Switching) mode, an IPS (In-Plane Switching) mode, or the like. In this operation mode, the angle between the extending direction of the gap provided in the second electrode (and hence the extending direction of the electrode linear portion) and the rubbing direction is restricted within a range of 5 ° to 20 °, thereby turning on. It is possible to stabilize the change in orientation during voltage application and reduce the threshold voltage at which the change in orientation occurs. The electric field direction is a direction orthogonal to the extending direction of the gap and the electrode linear portion, and the rubbing direction is set to 5 ° to 20 ° with respect to the extending direction of the gap. That is, the rubbing is performed at an angle of ° to 70 °.

  The gap and the electrode linear portion may be provided only on the second electrode, or may be provided on both the first electrode and the second electrode. When the gap and the electrode linear portion are provided only on the second electrode and the first electrode is a planar electrode (so-called solid electrode), the electrode linear portion overlaps the other planar electrode in plan view. Become. Even when the gap and the electrode linear portion are provided in both the first electrode and the second electrode, both the electrode linear portions can be overlapped with each other in plan view. As described above, the operation mode realized by the electrode structure in which the electrode linear portion provided on one electrode overlaps the other electrode in plan view is the FFS mode. On the other hand, an electrode structure in which a gap and an electrode linear portion are provided in both the first electrode and the second electrode, and an interval is formed between the electrode linear portions without overlapping both electrodes in a plan view. Is an IPS mode.

  Next, in the liquid crystal device according to the present invention in which the second electrode is provided with a gap and an electrode linear portion, the gap between the second electrodes has a linear shape extending in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel, and the rubbing direction. Is inclined by 5 ° to 20 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the subpixel, and the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film preferably extends in parallel with the lateral direction of the subpixel. According to this configuration, since the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film extends in parallel with the short direction of the sub-pixel, an effect is obtained that the pattern shape on the substrate is simple and easy to form.

  Next, in the liquid crystal device according to the present invention in which the second electrode is provided with a gap and an electrode linear portion, the gap between the second electrodes has a linear shape extending in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel, and the rubbing direction. Is inclined by 5 ° to 20 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel, and the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film is inclined with respect to the lateral direction of the sub-pixel in a state perpendicular to the rubbing direction. It is desirable to extend. According to this configuration, since the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film is exactly 90 ° with respect to the rubbing direction, a strong rubbing force can be applied to the step surface, and the occurrence of poor alignment of liquid crystal molecules can be reliably prevented. .

  Next, in the liquid crystal device according to the present invention in which the second electrode is provided with a gap and an electrode linear portion, the gap of the second electrode is bent at an intermediate position of the second electrode in the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel. A gap in one region from the intermediate position of the second electrode is inclined 5 ° to 20 ° counterclockwise with respect to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel in plan view, and the intermediate position of the second electrode The gap in the other region is inclined 5 ° to 20 ° in a clockwise direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel in plan view, the rubbing direction is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel, and the layer thickness It is desirable that the step surface of the adjustment film extends in parallel with the short direction of the sub-pixel.

  According to this configuration, since two domains having a symmetrical gap inclination are provided in one subpixel, the visibility of display in a high viewing angle region can be improved, and viewing angle characteristics are further improved. Further, since the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film is accurately 90 ° with respect to the rubbing direction, a strong rubbing force can be applied to the step surface, and the occurrence of alignment failure of liquid crystal molecules can be reliably prevented.

  Next, in the liquid crystal device according to the present invention in which the second electrode is provided with a gap and an electrode linear portion, the gap between the second electrodes has a linear shape extending in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel, and the rubbing direction. Is inclined by 5 ° to 20 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel, and the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film is inclined with respect to the lateral direction of the sub-pixel in a state perpendicular to the rubbing direction. It is desirable to extend in a straight line between a plurality of subpixels. According to this configuration, the slope of the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film is not a pattern that is repeated for each sub-pixel, but a pattern that is repeated for each of the plurality of sub-pixels. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the rubbing intensity from being uneven at the boundary portion between the individual sub-pixels.

  In the case where the liquid crystal device according to the present invention has a color filter including colored films of a plurality of colors, for example, R (red), G (green), and B (blue), the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film It is desirable that the plurality of sub-pixels when the pixel is extended linearly between the plurality of sub-pixels is a single pixel having a set of sub-pixels corresponding to the colored films of the plurality of colors. For example, when one pixel is composed of four colors of R, G, B, and blue-green, the slope of the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film continues linearly within one pixel corresponding to the four colors. It is desirable.

  Next, in the liquid crystal device according to the present invention, a switching element can be provided on the first substrate, and an on voltage and an off voltage are applied to the liquid crystal layer in the sub-pixel by turning on / off the switching element. Can do. As the switching element, a three-terminal switching element such as a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) element or a two-terminal switching element such as a TFD (Thin Film Diode) can be used. In general, the switching element is connected to a scanning line or a signal line, and the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel is preferably parallel to the extending direction of the scanning line or the signal line.

  Next, in the liquid crystal device according to the present invention in which two electrodes of the first electrode and the second electrode are provided on the first substrate which is one substrate, the layer thickness adjusting film includes a retardation film, The retardation (Δnd) of the retardation film is preferably a half wavelength. The optimum retardation (Δnd) of the reflective display area is a broadband quarter wavelength. In the present invention, the layer thickness adjusting film is provided on the second substrate corresponding to the reflective display region. The retardation film of the layer thickness adjusting film and the liquid crystal layer are used to set the retardation of the reflective display region to a quarter wavelength of a broadband that is optimal for reflective display.

  Next, an electronic apparatus according to the present invention includes the liquid crystal device according to the present invention described above. Examples of the electronic device include a mobile phone and a portable information terminal. According to the liquid crystal device of the present invention, since display defects due to rubbing defects can be eliminated, high-quality display can be obtained even in an electronic device formed using the liquid crystal device.

(First Embodiment of Liquid Crystal Device)
Hereinafter, as an example of a liquid crystal device, an embodiment of the present invention will be described by taking as an example a case where the present invention is applied to an active matrix liquid crystal device capable of transflective color display. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a liquid crystal device using a channel-etched type single-gate polysilicon TFT element as a switching element. In the liquid crystal device according to the present embodiment, an FFS (Fringe Field Switching) mode, which is one of the transverse electric field type operation modes, is employed. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In the drawings used in the following description, the dimensions of a plurality of constituent elements may be shown in different ratios from actual ones in order to easily show the characteristic portions.

  FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a liquid crystal device according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, the liquid crystal device 1 includes a liquid crystal panel 2 and a lighting device 3. Regarding the liquid crystal device 1, the side on which the arrow A is drawn is the observation side, and the illumination device 3 is disposed on the opposite side to the observation side with respect to the liquid crystal panel 2 and functions as a backlight. The illuminating device 3 includes an LED (Light Emitting Diode) 4 as a light source and a light guide 5 formed of a translucent resin. The light emitted from the LED 4 is taken into the light guide 5 from the light incident surface 5a of the light guide 5, and is supplied to the liquid crystal panel 2 as planar light from the light output surface 5b. The lighting device 3 may not be a point light source such as the LED 4 but may be a line light source such as a cold cathode tube.

  The liquid crystal panel 2 includes an element substrate 8 as a first substrate and a color filter substrate 9 as a second substrate, which are bonded to each other by a rectangular or square-shaped (that is, frame-shaped) sealing material 7 when viewed from the direction of arrow A. . The element substrate 8 as the first substrate is an element substrate 8 on which a switching element is formed. The color filter substrate 9 as the second substrate is a color filter substrate 9 on which a color filter is formed. In this embodiment, the color filter substrate 9 is disposed on the observation side, and the element substrate 8 is disposed on the back as viewed from the observation side. The sealing material 7 is formed of, for example, a thermosetting or ultraviolet curable resin, such as an epoxy resin, and is formed in a desired annular shape by, for example, screen printing.

  A plurality of parallel scanning lines 11 are provided extending in the row direction X in a region surrounded by the sealing material 7 inside the liquid crystal panel 2. A plurality of parallel signal lines 12 are provided extending in the column direction Y. A plurality of dot-shaped (that is, island-shaped) regions surrounded by the plurality of scanning lines 11 and the plurality of signal lines 12 are arranged in a matrix (so-called matrix) as viewed from the direction of the arrow A. A subpixel P is provided in each of these regions. A display region V is formed by arranging these sub-pixels P in a matrix. In FIG. 1, the sub-pixel P is schematically shown in an enlarged manner than the actual one. The row direction X and the column direction Y are directions that become the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, respectively, when the observer views the image display on the liquid crystal panel 2.

  The sub-pixel P is a region serving as a switching unit for bright display (white display) and dark display (black display), and a plurality of sub-pixels P are gathered to form one pixel serving as a display unit. For example, subpixels P are formed corresponding to each of R (red), G (green), and B (blue), and three subpixels P corresponding to R, G, and B3 colors are gathered. One pixel is formed. In addition, subpixels P of four colors obtained by adding one color (for example, blue green) to the three colors R, G, and B may be collected to form one pixel. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that one pixel is formed by R, G, and B subpixels.

  The element substrate 8 has a projecting portion that projects to the outside of the color filter substrate 9, and the driving IC 10 uses COF (Chip On Glass) using an ACF (Anisotropic Conductive Film) on the projecting portion. ) Implemented by technology. The driving IC 10 receives a control signal from an external control circuit, supplies a scanning signal to the scanning line 11, and supplies a data signal to the signal line 12. The driving IC 10 is not limited to being connected to the liquid crystal panel 2 by the COG technique, but can be connected to the liquid crystal panel 2 via an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) substrate.

  FIG. 2 shows a state in which the planar structure in the vicinity of one pixel (three subpixels) on the element substrate 8 of FIG. 1 is viewed from the substrate normal direction on the liquid crystal layer side. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the planar structure in the vicinity of one pixel (three subpixels) of the color filter substrate 9 shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from the normal direction of the substrate on the observation side (that is, the side opposite to the liquid crystal layer). . That is, FIG. 3 shows a state in which the color filter substrate 9 is viewed from the same side as FIG. FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional structure along the column direction Y of one subpixel P according to the Z4-Z4 line in FIGS. FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional structure along the row direction X of one subpixel P according to the Z5-Z5 line in FIGS.

  In FIG. 1, a gap having a predetermined thickness, that is, a so-called cell gap is formed between the element substrate 8 and the color filter substrate 9. The thickness of the cell gap is maintained by a gap material included in the sealing material 7 and a spacer (not shown) placed on the surface of the element substrate 8 or the color filter substrate 9. The spacer may be formed by dispersing spherical members on the element substrate 8 or the color filter substrate 9, or may be formed as a photo spacer on the element substrate 8 or the color filter substrate 9 by photolithography. As shown in FIG. 2, the photo spacer 6 is provided at a position that does not interfere with the display.

  The cell gap G formed as described above is indicated by the symbol G in FIG. Liquid crystal is injected into the cell gap G to form a liquid crystal layer 14. In this embodiment, a nematic liquid crystal having positive dielectric anisotropy (Δε> 0) is used as the liquid crystal. The liquid crystal layer thickness is 5 μm. Reference numeral 14a schematically shows liquid crystal molecules 14a included in the liquid crystal. The liquid crystal layer 14 is aligned in a homogeneous alignment by rubbing.

  The element substrate 8 includes a first light-transmitting substrate 15 that is rectangular or square when viewed from the normal direction of the substrate. The first translucent substrate 15 is made of translucent glass, translucent plastic, or the like, for example. A first polarizing plate 16 is attached to the outer surface of the first light transmissive substrate 15. On the other hand, the color filter substrate 9 includes a second light-transmitting substrate 17 that is rectangular or square when viewed from the substrate normal direction. The second translucent substrate 17 is formed of, for example, translucent glass, translucent plastic, or the like. A second polarizing plate 18 is attached to the outer surface of the second light transmissive substrate 17.

  A gate line 20 and a common line 21 are provided on the inner surface (that is, the liquid crystal side surface) of the first translucent substrate 15. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of gate lines 20 are formed extending in the row direction X in parallel with each other. A plurality of common lines 21 are formed extending in the row direction X in parallel with the gate lines 20. The gate line 20 functions as the scanning line 11 in FIG.

  A gate insulating film 22 is formed on the first translucent substrate 15 so as to cover the gate line 20 and the common line 21. Then, a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) element 23 as a switching element is formed on the gate insulating film 22, and a source line 24 (see FIG. 2) orthogonal to the gate line 20 on the gate insulating film 22. Is formed. The source line 24 functions as the signal line 12 in FIG.

  In FIG. 4, the TFT element 23 is formed as a channel etch type polysilicon TFT having a bottom gate structure and a single gate structure. The TFT element 23 includes a gate electrode 20 a that is a part of the gate line 20, a gate insulating film 22, a semiconductor film 26 formed using polysilicon, a source electrode 27, and a drain electrode 28. The source electrode 27 and the drain electrode 28 are electrode terminals of the TFT element 23 which is a switching element. The source electrode 27 is branched from the source line 24 as shown in FIG. Although the TFT element 23 of this embodiment has a bottom gate structure, it can also be a top gate structure.

  In FIG. 4, a passivation film 29 as a protective film, which is a planar resin film for covering the TFT element 23 and the source line 24, is provided on the gate insulating film 22, and further a resin film 30 is provided thereon. It has been. A reflective film 31 is provided on the resin film 30. The reflective film 31 is provided in a strip shape in the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 4 across the plurality of sub-pixels. A common electrode 32 as a first electrode is provided on the reflective film 31. The common electrode 32 is formed in a rectangular surface shape (so-called solid shape) that is long in the column direction Y when viewed from the substrate normal direction. The common electrode 32 is connected to the common line 21 through a through hole 33 provided in the resin film 30, the passivation film 29, and the gate insulating film 22.

  A capacitive insulating film 35 is provided on the common electrode 32, a pixel electrode 36 as a second electrode is provided on the capacitive insulating film 35, and an alignment film 37 is provided thereon. The pixel electrode 36 is connected to the drain electrode 28 of the TFT element 23 through a through hole 38 provided in the capacitor insulating film 35, the resin film 30, and the passivation film 29. The outer edge shape of the pixel electrode 36 viewed from the substrate normal direction is generally a rectangular shape that is long in the column direction Y. As shown in FIG. 2, the pixel electrode 36 has a plurality of electrode linear portions 41 arranged in parallel with slits 40 that are linear gaps. The slit 40 and the electrode linear portion 41 extend linearly in the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel P (that is, the column direction Y).

  In the present embodiment, the source line 24 which is a signal line in FIG. 2 is connected to the source electrode 27 of the TFT element 23, and the drain electrode 28 of the TFT element 23 is connected to the pixel electrode 36. Alternatively, the drain electrode may be connected to the signal line, and the source electrode may be connected to the pixel electrode 36.

  Since the common electrode 32 has a planar shape, the electrode linear portion 41 of the pixel electrode 36 overlaps the common electrode 32 in plan view from the substrate normal direction. In the present embodiment, the slit 40 is formed as a closed opening, but the slit 40 may have a shape in which one end is opened. In this case, the pixel electrode 36 has a comb shape. Further, the slit 40 may have a shape in which both side edges are open.

In FIG. 4, the reflective film 31 is formed by, for example, photoetching Cr (chromium), Al (aluminum), or the like. Desirably, a concavo-convex pattern for scattering light is formed on the surface of the reflective film 31. This concavo-convex pattern can be made, for example, by forming a concavo-convex pattern on the surface of the resin film 30 by photolithography and forming a reflective film 31 on the concavo-convex pattern. The common electrode 32 and the pixel electrode 36 are formed by subjecting a light-transmitting metal oxide such as ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) to a photo-etching process. The gate insulating film 22, the passivation film 29, the resin film 30, and the capacitor insulating film 35 are made of, for example, acrylic resin, SiN (silicon nitride), SiO ₂ (silicon oxide), or the like. The alignment film 37 is made of, for example, polyimide.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the common electrode 32 and the pixel electrode 36 that are a pair of electrodes are provided on the element substrate 8 that is a single substrate, and a predetermined voltage is applied between the electrodes. Thus, an electric field parallel to the surface of the element substrate 8, a so-called lateral electric field, is formed, and the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules 14 a in the liquid crystal layer 14 is controlled in the substrate parallel plane by the lateral electric field. In the present embodiment, a region corresponding to the reflective film 31 is the reflective display region R, and a region where the common electrode 32 and the pixel electrode 36 overlap in a plan view other than the reflective display region R is the transmissive display region T.

  Next, in FIG. 4, a colored film 43 constituting a color filter is formed on the inner surface (that is, the liquid crystal side surface) of the second light transmitting substrate 17, and a light shielding film 44 is formed around the colored film 43. Each colored film 43 is formed in a rectangular or square dot shape (that is, an island shape) corresponding to the sub-pixel P as shown in FIG. A plurality of the colored films 43 are arranged in a matrix in the row direction X and the column direction Y. The light shielding film 44 is formed in a lattice shape surrounding the colored films 43. The light shielding film 44 usually shields light from areas other than the reflective display area R and the transmissive display area T.

  Each of the colored films 43 is set to an optical characteristic that allows one of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) to pass through, and the colored films 43 of R, G, and B are arranged in a stripe arrangement. Yes. In this specification, the reference numerals (R), (G), and (B) attached to the colored film 43 indicate that the color of the colored film is red, green, and blue, respectively. The stripe arrangement is an arrangement in which the same colors R, G, and B are arranged in the column direction Y, and R, G, and B are alternately arranged one by one in the row direction X one by one. Instead of the stripe arrangement, the colored films 43 of the respective colors can be arranged in other arrangements, for example, a mosaic arrangement or a delta arrangement. The optical characteristics of the colored film 43 are not limited to the three colors of R, G, and B, but may be three colors of C (cyan), M (magenta), and Y (yellow), or other It can also be four or more colors. The light shielding film 44 is formed as a resin film by overlapping two or three colors of colored films 43 of different colors. However, the light shielding film 44 can also be formed of a metal film such as Cr.

  The R, G, and B colored regions are a red-based hue colored region, a green-based hue colored region, and a blue-based colored region in a visible light amount region (380 to 780 nm) in which the hue changes according to the wavelength. This is an area composed of hue colored areas. For example, “B” is a colored region having a wavelength peak of 415 nm to 500 nm, “G” is a colored region having a wavelength peak of 485 nm to 535 nm, and “R” is a colored region having a wavelength peak of 600 nm or more. Of course, since the present invention does not limit the colored region, any other wavelength region can be selected as necessary.

  4 and 5, an overcoat layer 45 is formed on the coloring film 43 and the light shielding film 44. A retardation film 46 as a layer thickness adjusting film is provided on the overcoat layer 45 in the region facing the reflective film 31 on the element substrate 8 (that is, the reflective display region R). An alignment film 47 is provided on the overcoat layer 45 so as to cover the retardation film 46.

  The colored film 43 is formed, for example, by patterning a material obtained by mixing a photosensitive resin material with a pigment or a dye based on a photolithography method. The overcoat layer 45 is made of, for example, an acrylic resin. The alignment film 47 is made of polyimide. The overcoat layer 45 functions as a protective film that prevents the constituent material of the color filter from being mixed into the liquid crystal and a flattening film that flattens the surface of the color filter.

  The retardation film 46 is formed so that, for example, a liquid crystal polymer is uniformly formed with a thickness of 2 μm to 3 μm, and then a portion corresponding to the reflective display region R remains by a patterning method based on a photolithography method. Both ends of the retardation film 46 are stepped surfaces 46a, and the stepped surfaces 46a are formed as inclined surfaces in the patterning process based on the photolithography method. The step surface 46a extends from the surface of the overcoat layer 45 in a strip shape in the row direction X (perpendicular to the paper surface) at an angle of 90 ° or less.

  The step surface 46a is indicated by a broken line in FIG. 3, and is indicated by a virtual line in FIG. In FIG. 2, the step surface 46 a and the edge of the reflective film 31 are drawn slightly shifted from each other, but actually, the step surface 46 a substantially overlaps the edge of the reflective film 31 in plan view. In order to set the retardation (Δnd) of the reflective display region R in the reflective display region R to a quarter wavelength of the wideband optimum for reflective display by the retardation film 46 and the liquid crystal layer, the retardation (Δnd) of the retardation film 46 is The retardation (Δnd) of the liquid crystal layer in the reflective display region R is set to a quarter wavelength at a half wavelength.

  The phase difference film 46 is set to have a film thickness such that the retardation (Δnd) of the liquid crystal in the reflective display region R is a quarter wavelength. When an appropriate liquid crystal layer thickness in the reflective display region R cannot be obtained due to the film thickness of the retardation film 46 itself as the layer thickness adjusting film, it is used as a mask when forming the retardation film 46 based on the photolithography method. Instead of removing all the resist used, it is sufficient to leave an appropriate film thickness.

  Although not shown, the retardation film 46 can be provided separately from the layer thickness adjusting film instead of being shared. For example, the retardation film 46 can be provided on the surface of the color filter substrate 9 on the liquid crystal side, and another retardation film 46 can be provided on the outer surface of the color filter substrate 9. In this case, the rubbing direction applied to the color filter substrate 9 is performed from the direction facing the step surface 46 a of the retardation film 46. The retardation film 46 provided on the outer side of the color filter substrate 9 may be formed by adhering a film-like retardation film, not by patterning according to a photolithography method.

  FIG. 6 shows the relationship of the shaft arrangement. Reference numeral 140 indicates the extending direction of the slit 40 as the gap between the pixel electrodes 36 in FIG. 2 (and hence the extending direction of the electrode linear portion 41). Reference numeral R1 indicates the rubbing direction on the element substrate 8 side in FIG. Reference numeral R2 indicates the rubbing direction on the color filter substrate 9 side in FIG. Reference numeral 146a indicates the extending direction of the step surface 46a of the retardation film 46 as the layer thickness adjusting film in FIG. Reference numeral 116 indicates the direction of the transmission axis of the first polarizing plate 16 on the backlight side in FIG. Reference numeral 118 indicates the direction of the transmission axis of the second polarizing plate 18 on the observation side in FIG.

  The axial arrangement relationship will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The slit 40 of the pixel electrode 36 in FIG. 2 extends in the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel P (vertical direction in FIG. 2) (direction 140 in FIG. 6). An angle β in the rubbing direction R1 on the element substrate 8 side with respect to the slit 40 is defined as β = 5 ° (direction R1 in FIG. 6). The rubbing direction R2 on the color filter substrate 9 side in FIG. 3 is antiparallel to the rubbing direction R1 on the element substrate 8 side (direction R2 in FIG. 6), and a retardation film as a layer thickness adjusting film 46 from the direction facing the stepped surface 46a (see the direction 146a in FIG. 6). The step surface 46a extends in the row direction X, and extends in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the slit 40 (that is, the electrode linear portion 41) of the pixel electrode 36 in FIG. Therefore, the angle α formed by the rubbing direction R2 on the color filter substrate side in FIG. 3 and the step surface 46a of the retardation film 46 is α = 85 °.

  In FIG. 4, the transmission axes of the first polarizing plate 16 on the element substrate 8 side (backlight side) and the second polarizing plate 18 on the color filter substrate 9 side (observation side) are perpendicular to each other (direction 116 in FIG. 6). And the direction 118), the transmission axis 118 of the second polarizing plate 18 on the observation side is perpendicular to the rubbing directions R1 and R2, and the transmission axis 116 of the first polarizing plate 16 on the backlight side is parallel to the rubbing directions R1 and R2. It is.

  When transmissive display is performed in the liquid crystal device 1 of the present embodiment, planar light emitted from the light emitting surface 5b of the light guide 5 of the illumination device 3 in FIG. 1 is supplied into the transmissive display region T in FIG. Is done. The supplied light is converted into linearly polarized light by the first polarizing plate 16 and enters the liquid crystal layer 14. When the off-voltage is applied, the polarization oscillation direction is parallel to the liquid crystal alignment direction (see reference numerals 116, R 1, and R 2 in FIG. 6), so that no phase difference is given by the liquid crystal layer 14. This linearly polarized light is absorbed by the second polarizing plate 18 and is not emitted to the outside. Thereby, dark display with low transmittance can be realized. When an on-voltage is applied, the phase of the polarized light incident on the liquid crystal layer 14 is modulated by the liquid crystal layer 14, passes through the second polarizing plate 18, and is emitted to the outside for a bright display. In this embodiment, since the orientation of liquid crystal molecules is controlled in the plane parallel to the substrate when an on-voltage is applied, bright display with a wide viewing angle is realized as compared with the case of vertical electric field control in which the orientation is controlled in the vertical direction. In addition, since the retardation film 46 does not exist in the transmissive display region T, an excessive phase difference does not occur in the viewing angle direction, and a dark display with a wide viewing angle can be realized.

  On the other hand, when reflective display is performed, light is supplied from the outside to the color filter substrate 9. This light is converted into linearly polarized light by the second polarizing plate 18, passes through the liquid crystal layer 14, is reflected by the reflective film 31, and then passes through the second polarizing plate 18 again toward the viewer.

  In the reflective display region R, when an off voltage is applied, the light that has passed through the second polarizing plate 18, the retardation film 46, and the liquid crystal layer 14 becomes circularly polarized light and enters the reflective film 31. The polarized light that has entered the second polarizing plate 18 again after being reflected is absorbed by the second polarizing plate 18 and is not emitted to the outside. Thereby, dark display with low transmittance can be realized. When an on-voltage is applied, the phase of the polarized light incident on the liquid crystal layer 14 is modulated by the liquid crystal layer 14, passes through the second polarizing plate 18, and is emitted to the outside for a bright display.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the rubbing R2 is performed at an angle α = 85 ° from the direction facing the step surface 46a of the retardation film 46 in FIG. A strong rubbing strength can be imparted, an alignment force can be increased, and alignment unevenness can be prevented. As a result, a high contrast can be secured at the level difference surface 46a. Contrary to the present embodiment, when rubbing is performed from the peak portion to the valley portion of the step surface 46a, the rubbing strength applied to the step surface 46a is weakened, which may cause display defects. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, since a strong rubbing strength can be imparted to the step surface 46a, it is possible to prevent a display defect due to a rubbing defect.

  In the present embodiment, the rubbing angle α with respect to the step surface 46a is α = 85 °, but this may be changed according to the angle β of the rubbing directions R1 and R2 with respect to the slit 40. In the case of the FFS mode, the angle β of the rubbing directions R1 and R2 with respect to the slit 40 is preferably in the range of 5 ° to 20 °. The step surface 46a is set to an appropriate angle with respect to the rubbing directions R1 and R2. According to the experiments by the present inventors, the rubbing angle α with respect to the extending direction of the stepped surface 46a is larger than 70 ° (= 90 ° -20 °) and smaller than 110 ° (= 90 ° + 20 °). Then, it was found that no display defect that might be caused by a rubbing defect occurred.

  Next, in FIG. 4, the step surface 46 a of the retardation film 46 as a layer thickness adjusting film is an inclined surface that is inclined at an angle smaller than 90 ° with respect to the substrate surface of the color filter substrate 9. By performing rubbing from the direction facing the step surface 46a as in the present embodiment, it was possible to impart a good rubbing strength to the step surface 46a.

  Next, in FIG. 2, the rubbing direction R1 on the element substrate 8 side is set to an angle of β = 5 ° with respect to the extending direction of the slit 40 of the pixel electrode 36. The rubbing direction R2 on the color filter substrate 9 side in FIG. 3 is antiparallel (anti-parallel). With this angular relationship, the effect of stabilizing the orientation change when the on-voltage is applied and reducing the threshold voltage at which the orientation change occurs can be obtained. The same effect was obtained when the angle α formed between the slit of the pixel electrode and the rubbing direction was in the range of 5 ° to 20 °.

  The above-described embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 is an FFS mode liquid crystal device that is a mode having an electrode structure in which the electrode linear portion 41 of the pixel electrode 36 overlaps the common electrode 32 in plan view. The present invention is not limited to this FFS mode, but can be applied to an IPS mode liquid crystal device. In the IPS mode, the common electrode 32 is also provided with slits and electrode linear portions, and the electrode linear portion 41 of the pixel electrode 36 and the electrode linear portion of the common electrode 32 do not overlap each other in plan view. In this mode, a predetermined interval, for example, an interval larger than the layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer 14 is provided.

  Next, in this embodiment, the slit 40 of the pixel electrode 36 in FIG. 2 has a linear shape extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the subpixel P (vertical direction in FIG. 2), and the rubbing direction R1 is the longitudinal direction of the subpixel P. The step surface 46a of the retardation film 46 in FIG. 3 extends in parallel with the short direction of the sub-pixel P. This configuration is effective for simplifying the shape of the retardation film 46 on the color filter substrate 9.

(Second Embodiment of Liquid Crystal Device)
7 and 8 show a second embodiment of the liquid crystal device according to the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is that the retardation film 46 as a layer thickness adjusting film formed on the color filter substrate 9 is modified to have a shape seen from the normal direction of the substrate. Is added. In this embodiment, the same members as those in FIGS. 2 and 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

  In FIG. 7, the slit 40 as a gap provided in the pixel electrode 36 extends linearly in the longitudinal direction (column direction Y) of the sub-pixel P. A retardation film 46 as a layer thickness adjusting film is provided on the color filter substrate 9 of FIG. In the first embodiment described above, as shown in FIG. 3, the step surface 46a of the retardation film 46 extends in parallel to the short direction (row direction X) of the sub-pixel P, and further, the step surface 46a was connected in a straight line across the plurality of sub-pixels P. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the step surface 46a of the retardation film 46 is not parallel to the short direction (row direction X) of the sub-pixel P in each sub-pixel P. Inclined and extended. Each step surface 46a is connected in a step shape at a boundary portion between adjacent sub-pixels P. As a whole, the step surface 46a is formed in a sawtooth shape.

  In FIG. 7, the angle β of the rubbing direction R1 on the element substrate 8 side with respect to the extending direction of the slits 40 (column direction Y) is set to β = 5 °. In the rubbing direction R2 on the color filter substrate 9 side in FIG. 8, the angle α with respect to the step surface 46a of the retardation film 46 as the layer thickness adjusting film is set to α = 90 °. The rubbing direction R1 on the element substrate 8 side in FIG. 7 is in an antiparallel relationship with the rubbing direction on the color filter substrate 9 side.

  According to the present embodiment, since the step surface 46a of the retardation film 46 is accurately α = 90 ° with respect to the rubbing direction R2, a strong rubbing force can be applied to the step surface 46a, and alignment defects of liquid crystal molecules occur. Can be reliably prevented. Note that the angle β of the rubbing directions R1 and R2 with respect to the extending direction of the slit 40 can take a value in the range of β = 5 ° to 20 ° in order to obtain liquid crystal molecule alignment for the FFS mode. . Even when the β angle changes within this angle range, the angle β formed by the rubbing directions R1, R2 and the step surface 46a is preferably 90 °.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the element substrate 8 and the color filter substrate 9 are arranged so that the stepped surface 46 a inclined of the retardation film 46 projects to the outside of the end side of the reflective film 31 in plan view. It is pasted together. However, the end side of the reflective film 31 may coincide with the step surface 46a in plan view.

(Third embodiment of liquid crystal device)
9 and 10 show a third embodiment of the liquid crystal device according to the present invention. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 in that the slits as the gaps provided in the pixel electrodes and the shape of the electrode linear portions are modified and the rubbing direction is changed accordingly. It is. In this embodiment, the same members as those in FIGS. 2 and 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

  In FIG. 9, the pixel electrode 36 includes a plurality of slits 40 as a plurality of gaps and a plurality of electrode linear portions 41 arranged with the slits 40 interposed therebetween. The slit 40 of the pixel electrode 36 has a shape that is bent at an intermediate position of the pixel electrode 36 in the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel P, and the slit 40 in one region (upward in FIG. 9) from the intermediate position of the pixel electrode 36 is a plan view. Thus, it is inclined 5 ° counterclockwise with respect to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel P. Further, the slit 40 in the other (lower) region from the intermediate position of the pixel electrode 36 is inclined by 5 ° in the clockwise direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel P in plan view.

  The rubbing direction R1 on the element substrate 8 side is parallel to the longitudinal direction (column direction Y) of the sub-pixels P. The rubbing direction R2 on the color filter substrate 9 side in FIG. 10 is antiparallel to the rubbing direction R1 on the element substrate side. The angle β formed by the slit 40 and the rubbing directions R1 and R2 is β = 5 °.

  A step surface 46 a of a retardation film 46 as a layer thickness adjusting film provided on the color filter substrate 9 extends in parallel with the short direction (row direction X) of the sub-pixel P. This direction is a direction perpendicular to the source line 24 on the element substrate 8 and parallel to the gate line 20. The angle α of the rubbing directions R1 and R2 with respect to the step surface 46a of the retardation film 46 is α = 90 °. The rubbing R2 on the color filter substrate 9 side is performed from the direction facing the step surface 46a of the retardation film 46. The slit 40 is provided with an angle of 85 ° with respect to the step surface 46 a of the retardation film 46.

  According to the present embodiment, since two domains in which the inclination of the slit 40 is axisymmetric are provided in one sub-pixel P, the visibility of display in a high viewing angle region can be improved, and the viewing angle characteristics are further improved. To do. Further, since the step surface 46a of the retardation film 46 is accurately 90 ° with respect to the rubbing directions R1 and R2, a strong rubbing force can be applied to the step surface 46a, and the occurrence of alignment failure of liquid crystal molecules can be reliably prevented. it can.

(Fourth Embodiment of Liquid Crystal Device)
11 and 12 show a fourth embodiment of the liquid crystal device according to the present invention. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is that the retardation film 46 as a layer thickness adjusting film formed on the color filter substrate 9 is modified to have a shape seen from the normal direction of the substrate. Is added. In this embodiment, the same members as those in FIGS. 2 and 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

  In FIG. 11, the pixel electrode 36 includes a plurality of slits 40 as a plurality of gaps and a plurality of electrode linear portions 41 arranged with the slits 40 interposed therebetween. The slit 40 has a linear shape extending parallel to the longitudinal direction (column direction Y) of the sub-pixel P. The rubbing directions R1 and R2 are inclined by 5 ° to 20 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel P. That is, the angle β formed by the slit 40 and the rubbing directions R1 and R2 is 5 ° ≦ β ≦ 20 °.

  The step surface 46a of the retardation film 46 is inclined with respect to the short direction (row direction X) of the sub-pixel P in a state where an angle α formed by the step surface 46a and the rubbing direction R2 is α = 90 °. It is extended. Further, the step surface 46a is not inclined independently in each sub-pixel P, but the three sub-pixels 43 (R), 43 (G), and 43 (B) are set as one set in the set. It extends in a straight line. That is, the step surface 46a extends in a straight line between the plurality of sub-pixels P. According to this configuration, the slope of the step surface 46a of the retardation film 46 is not a pattern that repeats for each sub-pixel P, but a pattern that repeats for each of the plurality of sub-pixels P. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the rubbing intensity from being uneven at the boundary portion of each sub-pixel P.

  In the present embodiment, R, G, and B are set as one set, and the step surface 46a is repeatedly inclined. However, when the sub-pixels constituting one pixel are a combination other than R, G, and B3 colors. Changes the shape of the stepped surface 46a as appropriate according to the combination. For example, when one pixel is composed of four colors of R, G, B, and blue-green, the linear inclination of the step surface 46a is continuously repeated for each pixel corresponding to the four colors.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the step surface 46 a of the retardation film 46 is provided in an inclined state, and the end side of the reflective film 31 is provided in parallel with the row direction X. That is, the stepped surface 46a and the end side of the reflective film 31 are in a mismatched state in plan view. However, the edge of the reflective film 31 may be inclined so as to coincide with the step surface 46a in plan view.

(Other embodiments)
The liquid crystal device according to the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims.
For example, although the TFT element is used as the switching element in the above embodiment, a three-terminal switching element other than the TFT element can also be used. Further, a two-terminal switching element such as TFD (Thin Film Diode) may be used.
In the above embodiment, the FFS mode having an electrode structure in which the electrode linear portion of the pixel electrode and the common electrode overlap each other in plan view is illustrated. However, in the present invention, the IPS mode, that is, the electrode linear portions of the pixel electrode and the electrode linear portions of the common electrode do not overlap in plan view, and a space is provided between the electrode linear portions in the substrate parallel direction. The present invention can also be applied to a display mode having an electrode structure.

(First Embodiment of Electronic Device)
Hereinafter, an embodiment of an electronic apparatus according to the invention will be described. In addition, this embodiment shows an example of this invention and this invention is not limited to this embodiment. FIG. 13 shows an embodiment of an electronic apparatus according to the invention. The electronic apparatus shown here includes a liquid crystal device 101 as an electro-optical device and a control circuit 102 that controls the liquid crystal device 101. The liquid crystal device 101 includes a liquid crystal panel 103 and a drive circuit 104. The control circuit 102 includes a display information output source 105, a display information processing circuit 106, a power supply circuit 107, and a timing generator 108.

  The display information output source 105 includes a memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage unit such as various disks, a tuning circuit that tunes and outputs a digital image signal, and various clock signals generated by the timing generator 108. The display information processing circuit 106 is supplied with display information such as a predetermined format image signal.

  The display information processing circuit 106 includes a number of well-known circuits such as an amplification / inversion circuit, a rotation circuit, a gamma correction circuit, a clamp circuit, and the like, executes processing of input display information, and converts an image signal into a clock signal CLK. At the same time, it is supplied to the drive circuit 104. Here, the drive circuit 104 is a generic term for an inspection circuit and the like together with a scanning line drive circuit and a data line drive circuit. The power supply circuit 107 supplies a predetermined power supply voltage to each of the above components.

  The liquid crystal device 101 is configured using, for example, the liquid crystal device 1 shown in FIGS. According to the liquid crystal device 1, since a high-quality display with high contrast can be realized by appropriately setting the rubbing direction with respect to the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film, the electronic device using the liquid crystal device 1 also has high quality. Can be realized.

(Second Embodiment of Electronic Device)
FIG. 14 shows a mobile phone which is another embodiment of the electronic apparatus according to the invention. A cellular phone 110 as an electronic device shown here includes a main body 111 and a display body 112 that can be opened and closed with respect to the main body 111. The display unit 112 is provided with a display device 113 and a receiver 114. Various displays relating to telephone communication are displayed on the display screen 115 of the display device 113. A control unit for controlling the operation of the display device 113 is stored inside the main body unit 111 or the display body unit 112 as a part of the control unit that controls the entire mobile phone or separately from the control unit. The The main body unit 111 is provided with an operation button 119 and a transmission unit 117.

  The display device 113 is configured using, for example, the liquid crystal device 1 shown in FIGS. According to the liquid crystal device 1, a high-quality display with high contrast can be realized by appropriately setting the rubbing direction with respect to the step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film. Quality display can be realized.

The electronic device of the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims.
For example, the present invention is not limited to a mobile phone, but a personal computer, a liquid crystal television, a viewfinder type or a monitor direct-view type video tape recorder, a car navigation device, a pager, an electronic notebook, a calculator, a word processor, a workstation, a videophone device, The present invention can be applied to various electronic devices such as a POS terminal, a digital still camera, and an electronic book.

1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a liquid crystal device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a main part of one substrate of the liquid crystal device of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a main part of the other substrate of the liquid crystal device of FIG. 1. Sectional drawing according to the Z4-Z4 line | wire of FIG.2 and FIG.3. Sectional drawing according to Z5-Z5 line of FIG.2 and FIG.3. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an axial arrangement relationship of optical axes in the liquid crystal device of FIG. 1. The top view which shows the principal part of the board | substrate used by other embodiment of the liquid crystal device which concerns on this invention. The top view which shows the principal part of the board | substrate facing the board | substrate of FIG. The top view which shows the principal part of the board | substrate used with further another embodiment of the liquid crystal device which concerns on this invention. The top view which shows the principal part of the board | substrate facing the board | substrate of FIG. The top view which shows the principal part of the board | substrate used with further another embodiment of the liquid crystal device which concerns on this invention. The top view which shows the principal part of the board | substrate facing the board | substrate of FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an electronic device according to the present invention. The perspective view which shows the mobile telephone which is other Embodiment of the electronic device which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Liquid crystal device, 2 ... Liquid crystal panel, 3 ... Illumination device, 4 ... LED, 5 ... Light guide, 6 ... Photo spacer, 7 ... Sealing material, 8 ... Element substrate, 9 ... Color filter substrate, 10 ... For drive IC, 11 ... scanning line, 12 ... signal line, 14 ... liquid crystal layer, 15 ... first translucent substrate, 16 ... first polarizing plate, 17 ... second translucent substrate, 18 ... second polarizing plate, 20 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Gate line, 20a ... Gate electrode, 21 ... Common line, 22 ... Gate insulating film, 23 ... TFT element as switching element, 24 ... Source line, 26 ... Semiconductor film, 27 ... Source electrode, 28 ... Drain electrode, 29 ... passivation film as protective film, 30 ... resin film, 31 ... reflective film, 32 ... common electrode as first electrode, 33 ... through hole, 35 ... capacitive insulating film, 36 ... pixel electrode as second electrode, 37 ... Alignment film, 38 ... Through hole, 4 ... Slits as gaps, 41 ... Linear electrode portions, 43 ... Colored films, 44 ... Light-shielding films, 45 ... Overcoat layers, 46 ... Phase difference films as layer thickness adjusting films, 46a ... Step surfaces, 47 ... Alignment films DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 ... Liquid crystal device 102 ... Control circuit 103 ... Liquid crystal panel 110 ... Cell-phone as an electronic device, G ... Cell gap, P ... Sub pixel, R ... Reflection display area, R1, R2 ... Rubbing direction, T ... Transparent display area, V... Display area.

Claims (11)

A first substrate and a second substrate facing each other;
A liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate;
A reflective display region that is provided in a partial region in a sub-pixel that constitutes a control unit of drive display by the first substrate and the second substrate sandwiching the liquid crystal layer and performs display by reflected light;
A transmissive display region that is provided in another region within the sub-pixel and performs display by transmitted light;
A layer thickness adjusting film provided on the second substrate corresponding to the reflective display region and defining a layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer different from that of the transmissive display region;
An alignment film which is provided between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer so as to cover the layer thickness adjusting film and is rubbed in the same direction in the reflective display region and the transmissive display region ;
The layer thickness adjusting film has a stepped surface at the boundary between the reflective display area and the transmissive display area,
The rubbing is performed from the direction facing the step surface, and when the angle formed by the extending direction of the step surface and the rubbing direction is α,
70 ° ≦ α ≦ 110 °
A liquid crystal device characterized by the above.   2. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the step surface is an inclined surface that is inclined at an angle smaller than 90 [deg.] With respect to the substrate surface of the second substrate. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1 or 2,
A first electrode and a second electrode provided on the first substrate and forming an electric field;
The second electrode has a plurality of electrode linear portions arranged in parallel with a gap,
When the angle between the extending direction of the gap and the rubbing direction is β,
5 ° ≦ β ≦ 20 °
A liquid crystal device characterized by the above. The liquid crystal device according to claim 3.
The gap between the second electrodes has a linear shape extending in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel,
The rubbing direction is inclined by 5 ° to 20 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel,
A stepped surface of the layer thickness adjusting film extends in parallel with the lateral direction of the sub-pixel. The liquid crystal device according to claim 3.
The gap between the second electrodes has a linear shape extending in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel,
The rubbing direction is inclined by 5 ° to 20 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel,
The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein the stepped surface of the layer thickness adjusting film extends in a direction perpendicular to the rubbing direction so as to be inclined with respect to the short direction of the sub-pixel. The liquid crystal device according to claim 3.
The gap between the second electrodes is bent at an intermediate position of the second electrode in the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel, and the gap in one region from the intermediate position of the second electrode is the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel in plan view. The gap in the other region from the intermediate position of the second electrode is 5 ° to 20 ° counterclockwise with respect to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel in plan view. Tilt,
The rubbing direction is a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixels.
A stepped surface of the layer thickness adjusting film extends in parallel with the lateral direction of the sub-pixel. The liquid crystal device according to claim 3.
The gap between the second electrodes has a linear shape extending in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel,
The rubbing direction is inclined by 5 ° to 20 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel,
The step surface of the layer thickness adjusting film extends obliquely with respect to the short direction of the sub-pixel in a state perpendicular to the rubbing direction, and extends linearly between the plurality of sub-pixels. A liquid crystal device characterized by that.   The liquid crystal device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, further comprising a switching element provided on the first substrate, the switching element being connected to a scanning line or a signal line, The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinal direction of the sub-pixel is a direction parallel to an extending direction of the scanning line or the signal line.   9. The liquid crystal device according to claim 3, wherein the layer thickness adjusting film includes a retardation film, and the retardation of the retardation film is a half wavelength. Liquid crystal device.   10. The liquid crystal device according to claim 3, wherein the electrode linear portion of the second electrode overlaps the first electrode in plan view. 11.   An electronic apparatus comprising the liquid crystal device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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