Liquid crystal display device and method for producing same

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a pair of substrates;

a liquid crystal layer that contains liquid crystal molecules and is disposed between the pair of substrates;

an alignment film between the liquid crystal layer and at least one of the pair of substrates, the alignment film containing a polyamic acid or a polyimide with an imidization ratio of less than 100%, and

a monomolecular film between the liquid crystal layer and the alignment film,

wherein the polyamic acid or the polyimide of the alignment film includes a photo-reactive functional group,

wherein the monomolecular film includes a structure that is derived from a silane-based surfactant that contains the following chemical formula (1) or (3):

Cl 3 Si—(CR 1 2 ) n —CR 2 3   (1),

or

Cl 3 Si—(CR 1 2 ) n —NH 2   (3),

wherein each R 1 is the same as or different from each other, wherein each R 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom,

wherein each R 2 is the same as or different from each other, wherein each R 2 represents a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom, and wherein n represents an integer of 3 to 17,

wherein the monomolecular film is a single layer formed of a same material that covers and is in contact with the entire surface of the alignment film so that the silane-based surfactant included in the monomolecular film reacts with carboxyl groups in the alignment film, to form a covalent bond that is between a structure derived from a carboxyl group in the alignment film and silicon in a structure derived from the silane-based surfactant, and is represented by the following chemical formula (2):

thereby lowering the concentration of residual carboxyl groups contained in the alignment film without changing the imidization ratio, and

wherein a pretilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules satisfies at least one of 0°<θ≦8° and 81°<θ≦90° due to the alignment film having undergone a photo-alignment treatment after forming the monomolecular film, which results in minimal changes in aligning ability of the alignment film.

2. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the silane-based surfactant contains a group represented by the following formula (3):

—(CH 2 ) n —NH 2   (3)

wherein n represents an integer of 3 to 17.

3. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein a pretilt angle θ of the liquid crystal molecules satisfies 0°<θ≦8°.

4. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the polyamic acid or the polyimide of the alignment film includes a first monomer unit and a second monomer unit, the first monomer unit having a side chain with the photo-reactive functional group, and the second monomer unit having a side chain without the photo-reactive functional group.

5. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the silane-based surfactant contains a linear alkyl group represented by the following formula (4):

—(CH 2 ) n —CH 3   (4),

wherein n represents an integer of 3 to 11.

6. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein at least one of R 1 and R 2 in formula (1) is a fluorine atom.

7. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the silane-based surfactant contains a linear alky group represented by the following formula (5):

—(CH 2 ) n —CF 3   (5)

wherein n represents an integer of 3 to 17.

8. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein the silane-based surfactant contains a linear alkyl group represented by the following formula (6):

—(CH 2 ) n-1 —CF 2 CF 3   (6)

wherein n represents an integer of 3 to 17.

9. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1 , wherein the imidization ratio is in the range of 20 to 80% to minimize DC image sticking effects by reducing a residual DC voltage, and the silane-based surfactant included in the monomolecular film is adsorbed on carboxyl groups in the alignment film to improve a voltage holding ratio (VHR) by lowering the concentration of residual carboxyl groups contained in the alignment film when compared to a liquid crystal display device without said monomolecular film.

10. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a pair of substrates;

a liquid crystal layer between the pair of substrates, the liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal molecules;

an alignment film between the liquid crystal layer and at least one of the pair of substrates, the alignment film containing a polyamic acid or a polyimide with an imidization ratio in the range of 20 to 80%, which results in reduced residual DC voltage; and

a monomolecular film between the liquid crystal layer and the alignment film,

wherein the polyamic acid or the polyimide of the alignment film includes a photoreactive functional group,

wherein the monomolecular film includes a structure that is derived from a silane-based surfactant that contains the following chemical formula (1) or (3):

Cl 3 Si—(CR 1 2 ) n —CR 2 3   (1),

or

Cl 3 Si—(CR 1 2 ) n —NH 2   (3),

wherein each R 1 is the same as or different from each other, wherein each R 1 represents a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom,

wherein each R 2 is the same as or different from each other, wherein each R 2 represents a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom, and wherein n represents an integer of 3 to 17,

wherein the monomolecular film is a single layer formed of a same material that covers and is in contact with the entire surface of the alignment film so that the silane-based surfactant included in the monomolecular film reacts with carboxyl groups in the alignment film to form a covalent bond that is between a structure derived from a carboxyl group in the alignment film and silicon in a structure derived from the silane-based surfactant, and is represented by the following chemical formula (2):

wherein a pretilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules satisfies at least one of 0°<θ≦8° and 81°<θ≦90° due to the alignment film having undergone a photo-alignment treatment after forming the monomolecular film, which results in minimal changes in aligning ability of the alignment film,

wherein the silane-based surfactant included in the monomolecular film is configured to be adsorbed on carboxyl groups in the alignment film to thus lower the concentration of residual carboxyl groups contained in the alignment film, which results in improved voltage holding ratio (VHR), and

wherein the residual DC voltage is less than or equal to 150 mV, and the VHR is more than or equal to 98.0%.

11. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 10 , wherein the liquid crystal display device is capable of operating under one of TN mode and IPS mode, the imidization ratio of the alignment film is in the range of 50 to 80%, and a pretilt angle θ of the liquid crystal molecules satisfies 0°<θ≦8° due to the alignment film having undergone a photo-alignment treatment after forming the monomolecular film, which results in minimal changes in aligning ability of the alignment film.

12. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 11 , wherein the silane-based surfactant comprises a chlorosilane-based surfactant that contains the following chemical formula (7) or (8):

Cl 3 —Si—(CH 2 ) n —CH 3   (7)

Cl 3 —Si—(CH 2 ) n —NH 2   (8)

wherein n represents an integer of 3 to 11.

13. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 10 , wherein the liquid crystal display device is capable of operating under one of VA mode, RTN mode and TBA mode, the imidization ratio of the alignment film is in the range of 20 to 50%, and a pretilt angle θ of the liquid crystal molecules satisfies 81°<θ≦90° due to the alignment film having undergone a photo-alignment treatment after forming the monomolecular film, which results in minimal changes in aligning ability of the alignment film.

14. The liquid crystal display device according to claim 13 , wherein the silane-based surfactant comprises a chlorosilane-based surfactant that contains the following chemical formula (7) or (9):

Cl 3 —Si—(CH 2 ) n —CH 3   (7)

Cl 3 —Si—(CH 2 ) n —CF 3   (9)

wherein n represents an integer of 3 to 11.