IP Library Granted Patent US 8,797,496
Granted Patent B2
US 8,797,496 · App. 13/550,632 · Granted Aug 5, 2014

Liquid crystal display device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,797,496
App. No.
13/550,632
Granted
Aug 5, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

In a liquid crystal display device, a TFT substrate retains a contact hole that is formed in a passivation film, and is for connecting the TFT and the pixel electrode. And an opposite substrate retains a columnar spacer for ensuring a cell gap, and a columnar projection for misalignment prevention formed at a position corresponding to a position of the contact hole. Accordingly, misalignment between the TFT substrate and the opposite substrate is suppressed, occurrence of uneven brightness due to misalignment between pixel regions and a bright spot caused by shaving of an orientation film is prevented, and a favorable image is obtained.

Claims (33)

1. A liquid crystal display device, comprising:

a thin-film transistor (TFT) substrate in which a pixel electrode, and a TFT are formed in a matrix;

an opposite substrate in which a color filter is formed at a position corresponding to a position of the pixel electrode and that is arranged with a predetermined gap with the TFT substrate; and

a liquid crystal retained in the gap; wherein

the TFT substrate retains a contact hole that is formed in a passivation film, and is for connecting the TFT and the pixel electrode;

the opposite substrate retains a columnar spacer for ensuring a cell gap, and a columnar projection for misalignment prevention formed at a position corresponding to a position of the contact hole; and

the number of the columnar projection is less than the number of the columnar spacer.

2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein the passivation film includes an organic passivation film.

3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein the passivation film is comprised only of an inorganic passivation film.

4. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein a difference Δh between height h 1 of the columnar projection and height h 2 of the columnar spacer is equal to or less than depth z of the contact hole.

5. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 4 , wherein the columnar projection abuts on a bottom part of the contact hole when an excessive force is applied thereto.

6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein height h 1 of the columnar projection is larger than a cell gap d, and is smaller than a sum of the cell gap d and depth z of the contact hole.

7. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein the contact hole has an inclining part diameter of which is larger at an upper part.

8. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein a diameter of a top part of the columnar projection is smaller than a diameter of an upper part of the contact hole.

9. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the columnar projection is smaller than a cross-sectional area of the columnar spacer.

10. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , which is an in-plane switching (IPS) liquid crystal display device.

11. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , which is a twisted nematic (TN) or vertical alignment (VA) liquid crystal display device.

12. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a thin-film transistor (TFT) substrate in which a pixel electrode, and a TFT are formed in a matrix;

an opposite substrate in which a color filter is formed at a position corresponding to a position of the pixel electrode and that is arranged with a predetermined gap with the TFT substrate; and

a liquid crystal retained in the gap; wherein

the TFT substrate retains a contact hole that is formed in a passivation film, and is for connecting the TFT and the pixel electrode;

the opposite substrate retains a columnar spacer for ensuring a cell gap, and a columnar projection for misalignment prevention formed at a position corresponding to a position of the contact hole; and

density of the columnar projection is higher at a peripheral area of a liquid crystal panel than at a center region of the liquid crystal panel.

13. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 12 , wherein the columnar spacer is arranged substantially uniformly over an entire screen of the liquid crystal panel.

14. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 12 , wherein the columnar spacer is formed at a position other than the position corresponding to the position of the contact hole.

15. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a thin-film transistor (TFT) substrate in which a pixel electrode, and a TFT are formed in a matrix;

an opposite substrate in which a color filter is formed at a position corresponding to a position of the pixel electrode and that is arranged with a predetermined gap with the TFT substrate; and

a liquid crystal retained in the gap; wherein

the TFT substrate retains a contact hole that is formed in a passivation film, and is for connecting the TFT and the pixel electrode;

the opposite substrate retains a columnar spacer for ensuring a cell gap, and a columnar projection for misalignment prevention formed at a position corresponding to a position of the contact hole; and

an interval between the columnar projections is larger than an interval between the columnar spacers.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 22, 2025
From: JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
To: MAGNOLIA WHITE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 072130/0313 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 3, 2014
From: JAPAN DISPLAY EAST, INC.
To: JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
Reel/Frame 032151/0853 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 17, 2012
From: TOMIOKA, YASUSHI; KUNIMATSU, NOBORU; SONODA, HIDEHIRO; IMANISHI, YASUO; IGETA, KOICHI
To: JAPAN DISPLAY EAST INC.
Reel/Frame 028561/0061 →