# US 10,120,242 B2 · Liquid crystal display device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,120,242 B2 - Document ID: US10120242B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/555,045 - Filed: 2016-02-17 - Published: 2018-02-22 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-03-20 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Applicants: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Shunichi Suwa; Masashi Miyakawa; Chikashi Kobayashi; Yoji Nagase; Kunihiko Nagamine - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120242B2 ## CPC - G02F 1/1343: Electrodes {(reflective electrodes G02F1/133553)} - G02F 1/133512: {Light shielding layers, e.g. black matrix (G02F1/136209 takes precedence)} - G02F 1/133514: {Colour filters} - G02F 1/133528: {Polarisers} - G02F 1/133602: {Direct backlight} - G02F 1/133707: {Structures for producing distorted electric fields, e.g. bumps, protrusions, recesses, slits in pixel electrodes} - G02F 1/134363: {for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]} - G09G 3/18: using liquid crystals - G09G 3/3648: {using an active matrix (G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence)} - G02F 1/133371: {Cells with varying thickness of the liquid crystal layer} - G09G 2310/0264: Details of driving circuits - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) ## Abstract A liquid crystal display device includes a plurality of arranged pixels. Each of the pixels includes: a first substrate and a second substrate; a first electrode provided on a counter face of the first substrate, the counter face facing the second substrate; a second electrode provided on a counter face of the second substrate, the counter face facing the first substrate; and a liquid crystal layer that contains liquid crystal molecules, and is sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate. The liquid crystal molecules are given a pre-tilt. The first electrode includes a base layer 150 that contains a plurality of recesses and protrusions, and transparent conductive material layers 135 and 145. The first transparent conductive material layer 135 connected to a first power supply portion is formed on protrusion top faces 151 of the base layer 150. The second transparent conductive material layer 145 connected to a second power supply portion is formed on recess bottom faces 152 of the base layer 150. The first transparent conductive material layer 135 and the second transparent conductive material layer 145 are separated from each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A liquid crystal display device, comprising: a plurality of pixels, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes: a first substrate and a second substrate; a first electrode provided on a counter face of the first substrate, the counter face facing the second substrate; a second electrode provided on a counter face of the second substrate, the counter face facing the first substrate; and a liquid crystal layer that contains liquid crystal molecules, wherein the liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the liquid crystal molecules are given a pre-tilt, the first electrode includes a base layer that contains a plurality of recesses and a plurality of protrusions, a first transparent conductive material layer, and a second transparent conductive material layer, the first transparent conductive material layer connected to a first power supply portion is formed on protrusion top faces of the base layer, the second transparent conductive material layer connected to a second power supply portion is formed on recess bottom faces of the base layer, and the first transparent conductive material layer and the second transparent conductive material layer are separated from each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first transparent conductive material layer formed on the protrusion top faces of the base layer and the second transparent conductive material layer formed on the recess bottom faces of the base layer are separated from each other via sides of the base layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions includes a stem protrusion that passes through a pixel central portion and radially extends, and a plurality of branch protrusions that extends from the stem protrusion toward a pixel peripheral portion, and wherein the plurality of recesses includes a stem recess that is provided in the pixel peripheral portion in a frame shape and surrounds the plurality of protrusions, and branch recesses that extend from the stem recess and are positioned between the plurality of branch protrusions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions includes a stem protrusion that is provided on a pixel peripheral portion in a frame shape, and a plurality of branch protrusions that extends from the stem protrusion toward a pixel inner portion, and wherein the plurality of recesses includes a stem recess that passes through a pixel central portion and radially extends, and branch recesses that extend from the stem recess toward the pixel peripheral portion, and are positioned between the plurality of branch protrusions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 3, wherein a (X, Y) coordinate system is defined by an X axis and a Y axis that are straight lines passing through the pixel central portion and extending in parallel with the pixel peripheral portion, the plurality of branch protrusions occupying a first quadrant extend in parallel with a direction where a Y coordinate value increases as an X coordinate value increases, the plurality of branch protrusions occupying a second quadrant extend in parallel with a direction where a Y coordinate value increases as an X coordinate value decreases, the plurality of branch protrusions occupying a third quadrant extend in parallel with a direction where a Y coordinate value decreases as an X coordinate value decreases, and the plurality of branch protrusions occupying a fourth quadrant extend in parallel with a direction where a Y coordinate value decreases as an X coordinate value increases. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein a black matrix is provided, and a projected image of a part of the first substrate positioned between the plurality of pixels and a projected image of the pixel peripheral portion, and a projected image of the black matrix overlap with each other. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first power supply portion is connected to a first driving circuit, and the second power supply portion is connected to a second driving circuit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 7, further comprising: a first orientation film that covers the first electrode, and a second orientation film that covers the second electrode, wherein a pre-tilt is given to the liquid crystal molecules by reaction of a photosensitive group that constitutes at least the first orientation film under application of a determined electric field to the liquid crystal layer in accordance with application of voltage from the first power supply portion to the first transparent conductive material layer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 7, further comprising: a first orientation film that covers the first electrode, and a second orientation film that covers the second electrode, wherein a pre-tilt is given to the liquid crystal molecules by reaction of polymerizable monomers contained in the liquid crystal layer under application of a determined electric field to the liquid crystal layer in accordance with application of voltage from the first power supply portion to the first transparent conductive material layer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 7, wherein voltages are applied from the first power supply portion to the first transparent conductive material layer, and from the second power supply portion to the second transparent conductive material layer during image display. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first power supply portion and the second power supply portion are connected to a driving circuit, the first power supply portion includes a first capacity portion, and the second power supply portion includes a second capacity portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of protrusions has a double layer structure constituted by a lamination of a first insulation layer and a second insulation layer from bottom to top, and an etching speed of the first insulation layer is higher than an etching speed of the second insulation layer in etching the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer. ### Claim 13 A liquid crystal display device, comprising: a plurality of pixels, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes: a first substrate and a second substrate; a first electrode that is provided on a counter face of the first substrate, the counter face facing the second substrate, and includes a plurality of slits; a second electrode that is provided on a counter face of the second substrate, the counter face facing the first substrate; and a liquid crystal layer that contains liquid crystal molecules, wherein the liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the liquid crystal molecules are given a pre-tilt, a high dielectric material layer is formed on the counter face of the first substrate, and the first electrode is provided above or below the high dielectric material layer. ### Claim 14 A liquid crystal display device, comprising: a plurality of pixels, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes: a first substrate and a second substrate; a first electrode and a second electrode that are provided on a counter face of the first substrate, the counter face facing the second substrate, such that the first electrode and the second electrode are disposed away from each other; and a liquid crystal layer that contains liquid crystal molecules, wherein the liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein a high dielectric material layer is formed on the counter face of the first substrate, and at least the first electrode is provided above or below the high dielectric material layer.