IP Library Granted Patent US 7,474,374
Granted Patent B2
US 7,474,374 · App. 11/018,983 · Granted Jan 6, 2009

In-plane-switching-mode LCD device having a higher image quality

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,474,374
App. No.
11/018,983
Granted
Jan 6, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

An in-plane-switching-mode (IPS) LCD device includes a TFT substrate and a CF substrate sandwiching therebetween a liquid crystal (LC) layer, and a pair of polarizing films sandwiching therebetween the TFT and CF substrates and LC layer. The TFT substrate includes a SiNx insulation layer having a higher refractive index compared to the TFT substrate and LC layer. The thickness (d) of the SiNx layer is expressed by d=(100+170×k)±30 where k is an integer not smaller than zero and not larger than 5. The protective layer of the light-incident-side polarizing film near the insulation film has a thickness larger than zero and not larger than 57 μm.

Claims (18)

1. An in-plane-switching-mode liquid crystal display (IPS LCD) device comprising:

a liquid crystal (LC) layer having a first refractive index;

a light-incident-side substrate and a light-emitting-side substrate sandwiching therebetween said LC layer; and

a light-incident-side polarizing film and a light-emitting-side polarizing film sandwiching therebetween said substrates and said LC layer,

said light-incident-side substrate including a substrate body having a second refractive index and an insulation layer overlying said substrate body and having a third refractive index which is higher than said first and second refractive indexes, said insulation layer having a thickness (d nm) substantially satisfying the following relationship:

d=( 100+170× k )±30

where k is an integer not smaller than zero and not larger than 5.

2. The IPS LCD device according to claim 1 , wherein said insulation layer is an SiNx layer.

3. The IPS LCD device according to claim 1 , wherein said light-incident-side substrate further includes another layer interposed between said insulation layer and said substrate body and having a fourth refractive index lower than said third refractive index.

4. The IPS LCD device according to claim 1 , wherein said light-incident-side substrate further includes another layer interposed between said insulation layer and said LC layer and having a fourth refractive index lower than said third refractive index.

5. The IPS LCD device according to claim 4 , wherein said fourth refractive index is substantially equal to said first refractive index.

6. The IPS LCD device according to claim 1 , wherein:

said light-incident-side polarizing film includes a first protective layer, a polarizing layer and a second protective layer which are consecutively disposed from a light incident side of said LCD device; and

said second protective layer has a thickness (t μm), an optical axis in a thickness direction thereof, and a birefringence depending on the thickness thereof, and the thickness of said second protective layer satisfies the following relationship:

0<t≦57.

7. The IPS LCD device according to claim 1 , wherein:

said light-incident-side polarizing film includes a first protective layer, a polarizing layer and a second protective layer which are consecutively disposed from a light incident side of the LCD device; and

said second protective layer has an optical axis in a thickness direction thereof and a birefringence depending on a thickness of thereof, said birefringence being such that an in- plane retardation is larger than zero and not larger than 4.5 nm and an orthogonal retardation is larger than zero and not larger than 45 nm.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 8, 2011
From: NEC LCD TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
To: NLT TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 027189/0174 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 21, 2004
From: NAGAI, HIROSHI; IKENO, HIDENORI
To: NEC LCD TECHNOLOGIES, LTD.
Reel/Frame 016126/0726 →