Liquid crystal display with three domains wherein molecules in the third domain are substantially vertically aligned regardless of voltage application

A liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a pair of substrates, each having an electrode on an inner surface of said substrate, wherein one of said substrates in said pair includes a driving element for controlling a voltage applied to said display cell:
• an alignment film on each said electrode;
• a liquid crystal material between said alignment films;
• a plurality of display cells in said liquid crystal material, each controlled by a voltage applied from said electrodes, each display cell comprising:
• a plurality of domains, each having a mutually different pre-tilt angle, said pre-tilt angle being determined by said alignment films forming said domains;
• and
• a separator region provided along a boundary of said domains, for preventing influence from a pre-tilt angle of an adjacent domain, wherein liquid crystal molecules in said separator region are aligned substantially vertically with respect to said alignment film and are substantially stably maintained in said substantially vertical alignment regardless of the voltage application, even when substantially no voltage is applied thereto;
• wherein alignment films having larger pre-tilt angles than at least one other alignment film are facing each other across said separator region, between said paired substrates;
• and further wherein at least one of said alignment films with a larger pre-tilt angle than at least one other alignment film includes a depression at said boundary, and said depression is formed in a protection layer for protecting said driving element.

A liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a first and a second substrate in a pair arranged to face each other, wherein one of said substrates in said pair includes a driving element for controlling a voltage applied to a display cell formed of a plurality of domains;
• electrodes arranged on inner surfaces of each of said substrates;
• liquid crystal sealed in a gap between said substrates, the liquid crystal having a negative dielectric an isotropy, said liquid crystal being controlled by a voltage applied thereto via said electrodes, molecules in said liquid crystal being aligned substantially vertically when applied with substantially no voltage thereto, a majority of said molecules being aligned so as to tilt towards one of said substrates when said voltage is applied thereto;
• an alignment film arranged on each said electrode on each said substrate, each of said alignment films being a vertical alignment film for substantially vertically aligning said liquid crystal, said alignment films forming a plurality of said domains within each of said display cells, wherein each of said domains has a different pre-tilt angle;
• and
• said liquid crystal further comprising a region for stabilizing said alignment at a boundary between adjacent domains within said single cell, wherein said liquid crystal molecules in said region for stabilizing are substantially vertically aligned and are substantially stably maintained in said substantially vertical alignment regardless of whether or not a voltage is being applied thereto;
• wherein alignment films having larger pre-tilt angles than at least one other alignment film are facing each other across said region for stabilizing the alignment, between said paired substrates;
• and further wherein at least one of said alignment films with a larger pre-tilt angle than at least one other alignment film includes a depression at said boundary, and said depression is formed in a protection layer for covering said driving element.