IP Library Granted Patent US 7,466,380
Granted Patent B2
US 7,466,380 · App. 11/468,076 · Granted Dec 16, 2008

Liquid crystal display and electronic apparatus

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,466,380
App. No.
11/468,076
Granted
Dec 16, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

A structure of a multi-gap liquid crystal display is provided in which high-quality images can be displayed even when the orientation of the crystal molecules is disordered in the border regions between a transmissive display region and a reflective display region and between adjacent pixel regions that can be easily manufactured at low cost. The liquid crystal display has a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. A light-reflecting layer for defining a reflective display region and a transmissive display region is formed in a pixel region. A thickness-adjusting layer having a recess corresponding to the transmissive display region inside an opening is formed above the light-reflecting layer. A color filter overlap is formed at the border region between the reflective display region and the transmissive display region. The color filter overlap is either in direct contact with or distant from the thickness-adjusting layer. The color filter overlap is also formed at the border region between the adjacent pixel regions and is either in direct contact with or distant from the thickness-adjusting layer.

Claims (35)

1. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate;

a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate;

pixels regions that selectively and independently apply voltage to the liquid crystal layer, each pixel region including a reflective display region and a transmissive display region;

a light reflecting layer including the reflective display regions of the pixel regions, the light reflecting layer including an aperture;

a thickness-adjusting layer causing the thickness of the liquid crystal layer at the reflective display regions to be smaller than the thickness of the liquid crystal at the transmissive display regions;

color filters for reflective display formed in the reflective display regions; and

color filters for transmissive display formed in the transmissive display regions;

wherein the color filters for reflective display and the color filters for transmissive display overlap.

2. The display according to claim 1 , wherein the color filters for transmissive display have a higher color intensity than the color filters for reflective display.

3. The display according to claim 1 , wherein the overlap of the color filters for reflective display and the color filters for transmissive display frames the transmissive display region.

4. The display according to claim 3 , wherein the overlap is aligned with a slope corresponding to a border between the reflective display region and the transmissive display region.

5. The display according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness-adjusting layer is formed on the color filters for reflective display and the color filters for transmissive display.

6. The display according to claim 1 , wherein each pixel region is rectangular.

7. The display according to claim 1 , wherein the color filters for reflective display and the color filters for transmissive display are formed on a first substrate side of the liquid crystal layer.

8. The display according to claim 1 , wherein the color filters for reflective display and the color filters for transmissive display are formed on a second substrate side of the liquid crystal layer.

9. An electronic apparatus including the liquid crystal display according to claim 1 .

10. The display according to claim 1 , wherein the overlap is formed by stacking a red filter, a green filter, and a blue filter of the color filter for transmissive display with a blue filter of the color filter for reflective display.

11. The display according to claim 1 , the thickness-adjusting layer including a slope at a border between the reflective display region and the transmissive display region of each pixel region, the color filters for reflective display and the color filters for transmissive display overlap at least at part of the slope of the thickness-adjusting layer between the reflective display regions and the transmissive display regions.

12. The display according to claim 1 , the thickness-adjusting layer, the color filters for reflective display, and the color filters for transmissive display being disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the same one of the first and second substrates.

13. The display according to claim 1 , the thickness-adjusting layer and the light reflecting layer being disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the same one of the first and second substrates.

14. A liquid crystal display comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate;

a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate;

pixels regions that selectively and independently apply voltage to the liquid crystal layer, each pixel region including a reflective display region and a transmissive display region;

a light reflecting layer including the reflective display regions of the pixel regions;

a thickness-adjusting layer causing the thickness of the liquid crystal layer at the reflective display regions to be smaller than the thickness of the liquid crystal at the transmissive display regions;

color filters for reflective display formed in the reflective display regions;

color filters for transmissive display formed in the transmissive display regions; and

a color filter overlap at a position between adjacent pixel regions.

15. The display according to claim 14 , the thickness-adjusting layer including a slope corresponding to a border between the reflective display region and the transmissive display region of each pixel region, the color filters for reflective display and the color filters for transmissive display overlap at least at part of the slope of the thickness-adjusting layer between the reflective display regions and the transmissive display regions.

16. The display according to claim 14 , the color filter overlap including a color filter for reflective display and a color filter for transmissive display.

17. The display according to claim 14 , the color filter overlap including two color filters for transmissive display.

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 →