IP Library Granted Patent US 6,956,632
Granted Patent B2
US 6,956,632 · App. 10/255,145 · Granted Oct 18, 2005

Transflective liquid crystal device with particular stack of reflective, transmissive, and thickness adjusting layers and electronic device using the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,956,632
App. No.
10/255,145
Granted
Oct 18, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

A liquid crystal device 1 includes a transparent first substrate 10 with a first transparent electrode 11 formed on the surface thereof, a transparent second substrate 20 with a second transparent electrode 21 is formed thereon, and a liquid crystal layer 50 . A light reflecting layer 4 defining the reflective display region 31 and the transmissive display region 32 is formed on each pixel region 3 . A layer-thickness adjusting layer 6 where a region corresponding to the transmissive display region 32 constitutes an opening 61 , is formed on the upper layer side of the light reflecting layer 4 . In the layer-thickness adjusting layer 6 , the boundary portion of the reflective display region 31 and the transmissive display region 32 constitutes an inclined surface 60 , and a light shielding film 9 is two-dimensionally superimposed on this boundary region.

Claims (18)

1. A transflective liquid crystal device, comprising:

a first substrate with first transparent electrodes formed above a surface of the first substrate;

a second substrate with second transparent electrodes formed above a surface of the second substrate opposed to said first electrodes;

a liquid crystal layer disposed between said first and second substrates;

a plurality of pixel regions formed at overlapping portions of the first transparent electrodes and the second transparent electrodes, one pixel region including a transmissive display region for transmissive display and a reflective display region for transmissive display and a reflective display region for reflective display separately; and

said first substrate including light reflecting layers substantially corresponding to the reflective display region, layer-thickness adjusting layers each making a layer thickness of said liquid crystal layer in said reflective display region less than a layer thickness of said liquid crystal layer in said transmissive display region, and said first transparent electrodes, stacked in this order from a lower layer side to an upper layer side;

wherein, on at least one of said first and second substrates, a light shielding film is disposed so as to overlap with a boundary region of said reflective display region and said transmissive display region.

2. A transflective liquid crystal device according to claim 1 , wherein said light shielding film is formed on a side of said first transparent substrate.

3. A transflective liquid crystal device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said layer-thickness adjusting layers is arranged so that the boundary region of said reflective display region and said transmissive display region constitutes an inclined surface.

4. A transflective liquid crystal device according to claim 3 , wherein said light shielding film is formed in a region where said light shielding film is two-dimensionally superimposed on said inclined surface of said layer-thickness adjusting layers.

5. A transflective liquid crystal device according to claim 1 , wherein said light shielding film is formed so as to be two-dimensionally superimposed on an edge portion of said light reflecting layer.

6. A transflective liquid crystal device according to claim 1 , wherein each of said transmissive display regions is disposed in an insular shape within said reflective display region.

7. A transflective liquid crystal device according to claim 1 , wherein said reflective display regions and said transmissive display regions are individually provided with a color filter.

8. A transflective liquid crystal device according to claim 1 , wherein a reflective display color filter is formed in each of said reflective display regions, while a transmissive display color filter having a coloring degree higher than that of said reflective display region color filter, is formed in each of said transmissive display regions.

9. A transflective liquid crystal device according to claim 1 , wherein said reflective display region is wider than said transmissive display region.

10. A transflective liquid crystal device according to claim 1 , wherein said reflective display region is narrower than said transmissive display region.

11. A transflective liquid crystal device according to claim 1 , wherein said reflective display region and said transmissive display region are essentially equal in area.

12. An electronic device comprising a transflective liquid crystal device according to claim 1 , in a display portion thereof.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2018
From: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
To: 138 EAST LCD ADVANCEMENTS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 046153/0397 →