Liquid crystal display device

A vertical alignment liquid crystal display device including a plurality of pixels each having a transmissive region for transmissive display and a reflective region for reflective display surrounding the transmissive region, the vertical alignment liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a first substrate;
• a second substrate;
• a liquid crystal layer which is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate;
• a backlight which is arranged to face a surface of the second substrate opposite to the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer;
• a first transparent electrode which is formed on the first substrate and functions as a counter electrode;
• an insulating layer which is formed on at least either the first substrate or the second substrate and provided with an aperture such that the wall surface of the insulating layer facing to the aperture forms a sloping face which is inclined to form an acute angle with the substrate on which the insulating layer is formed;
• a second transparent electrode which is arranged on part of the second electrode corresponding to the transmissive region and functions as a pixel electrode;
• a reflective electrode which is arranged on part of the second substrate corresponding to the reflective region and connected to the second transparent electrode at least at the periphery of the transmissive region and functions as a pixel electrode;
• an orientation control means which is arranged on part of either the first substrate or the second substrate located at the center of the transmissive region;
• and
• a light shield which prevents light emitted by the backlight from reaching a viewer through discontinuity regions included in a portion of the liquid crystal layer corresponding to the aperture, the discontinuity, regions being regions where the orientation of liquid crystal molecules controlled by the orientation control means is discontinuous from the orientation of liquid crystal molecules above the sloping face of the insulating layer,
• the transmissive region performing transmissive display by transmitting light coming from the backlight through the aperture in the insulating layer,
• the reflective region performing reflective display by reflecting ambient light;
• wherein the aperture is rectangular when viewed in cross section parallel to the substrate on which the insulating layer is formed;
• and
• wherein the light shield comprises four light shields arranged proximate the four corners, respectively, of the aperture.

A vertical alignment liquid crystal display device including a plurality of pixels each having a transmissive region for transmissive display and a reflective region for reflective display surrounding the transmissive region, the vertical alignment liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a first substrate;
• a second substrate;
• a liquid crystal layer which is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate;
• a backlight which is arranged to face a surface of the second substrate opposite to the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer;
• a first transparent electrode which is formed on the first substrate and functions as a counter electrode;
• an insulating layer which is formed on at least either the first substrate or the second substrate and provided with an aperture such that the wall surface of the insulating layer facing to the aperture forms a sloping face which is inclined to form an acute angle with the substrate on which the insulating layer is formed;
• a second transparent electrode which is arranged on part of the second electrode corresponding to the transmissive region and functions as a pixel electrode;
• a reflective electrode which is arranged on part of the second substrate corresponding to the reflective region and connected to the second transparent electrode at least at the periphery of the transmissive region and functions as a pixel electrode;
• an orientation control means which is arranged on part of either the first substrate or the second substrate located at the center of the transmissive region;
• and
• a light shield which prevents light emitted by the backlight from reaching a viewer through discontinuity regions included in a portion of the liquid crystal layer corresponding to the aperture, the discontinuity regions being regions where the orientation of liquid crystal molecules controlled by the orientation control means is discontinuous from the orientation of liquid crystal molecules above the sloping face of the insulating layer, and wherein at least a majority of said light shield is located interior of an inside periphery of said sloping face of the aperture in each of said pixels;
• the transmissive region performing transmissive display by transmitting light coming from the backlight through the aperture in the insulating layer;
• the reflective region performing reflective display by reflecting ambient light;
• and
• wherein the light shield is arranged within the periphery of the aperture and a predetermined distance away from the edge of the reflective electrode arranged around the periphery of the aperture.

A vertical alignment liquid crystal display device including a plurality of pixels each having a transmissive region for transmissive display and a reflective region for reflective display surrounding the transmissive region, the vertical alignment liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a first substrate;
• a second substrate;
• a liquid crystal layer which is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate;
• a backlight which is arranged to face a surface of the second substrate opposite to the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer;
• a first transparent electrode which is formed on the first substrate and functions as a counter electrode;
• an insulating layer which is formed on at least either the first substrate or the second substrate and provided with an aperture such that the wall surface of the insulating layer facing to the aperture forms a sloping face which is inclined to form an acute angle with the substrate on which the insulating layer is formed;
• a second transparent electrode which is arranged on part of the second electrode corresponding to the transmissive region and functions as a pixel electrode;
• a reflective electrode which is arranged on part of the second substrate corresponding to the reflective region and connected to the second transparent electrode at least at the periphery of the transmissive region and functions as a pixel electrode;
• an orientation control means which is arranged on part of either the first substrate or the second substrate located at the center of the transmissive region;
• a light shield arranged along at least part of the periphery of the aperture to prevent light emitted by the backlight from reaching a viewer, and wherein at least a majority of said light shield is located interior of an inside periphery of said sloping face of the aperture in each of said pixels;
• the transmissive region performing transmissive display by transmitting light coming from the backlight through the aperture in the insulating layer,
• the reflective region performing reflective display by reflecting ambient light;
• and
• wherein the light shield is arranged within the periphery of the aperture and a predetermined distance away from the edge of the reflective electrode arranged around the periphery of the aperture.

A vertical alignment liquid crystal display device including a plurality of pixels each having a transmissive region for transmissive display and a reflective region for reflective display surrounding the transmissive region, the vertical alignment liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a first substrate;
• a second substrate;
• a liquid crystal layer which is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate;
• a backlight which is arranged to face a surface of the second substrate opposite to the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer;
• a first transparent electrode which is formed on the first substrate and functions as a counter electrode;
• an insulating layer which is formed on at least either the first substrate or the second substrate and provided with an aperture such that the wall surface of the insulating layer facing to the aperture forms a sloping face which is inclined to form an acute angle with the substrate on which the insulating layer is formed;
• a second transparent electrode which is arranged on part of the second electrode corresponding to the transmissive region and functions as a pixel electrode;
• a reflective electrode which is arranged on part of the second substrate corresponding to the reflective region and connected to the second transparent electrode at least at the periphery of the transmissive region and functions as a pixel electrode;
• an orientation control means which is arranged on part of either the first substrate or the second substrate located at the center of the transmissive region;
• a light shield arranged along at least part of the periphery of the aperture to prevent light emitted by the backlight from reaching a viewer,
• the transmissive region performing transmissive display by transmitting light coming from the backlight through the aperture in the insulating layer,
• the reflective region performing reflective display by reflecting ambient light;
• wherein the aperture is rectangular when viewed in cross section parallel to the substrate on which the insulating layer is formed;
• and
• wherein the light shield comprises four light shields arranged proximate the four corners, respectively, of the aperture.

A vertical alignment liquid crystal display device including a plurality of pixels each having a transmissive region for transmissive display and a reflective region for reflective display surrounding the transmissive region, the vertical alignment liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a first substrate;
• a second substrate;
• a liquid crystal layer which is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate;
• a backlight which is arranged to face a surface of the second substrate opposite to the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer;
• a first transparent electrode which is formed on the first substrate and functions as a counter electrode;
• an insulating layer which is formed on at least either the first substrate or the second substrate and provided with an aperture such that the wall surface of the insulating layer facing to the aperture forms a sloping face which is inclined to form an acute angle with the substrate on which the insulating layer is formed;
• a second transparent electrode which is arranged on part of the second electrode corresponding to the transmissive region and functions as a pixel electrode;
• a reflective electrode which is arranged on part of the second substrate corresponding to the reflective region and connected to the second transparent electrode at least at the periphery of the transmissive region and functions as a pixel electrode;
• an orientation control means which is arranged on part of either the first substrate or the second substrate located at the center of the transmissive region;
• wherein:
• the transmissive region performs transmissive display by transmitting light coming from the backlight,
• the reflective region performs reflective display by reflecting ambient light,
• the aperture has a polygonal cross-sectional shape in direction parallel to the substrate on which the insulating layer is formed, and
• at a corner region of the aperture, a light shield preventing light emitted by the backlight from reaching a viewer is provided, and wherein the light shield comprises different material than the reflective electrode.