JP2011053552A - Liquid crystal display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a liquid crystal display device in which a spherical spacer can be disposed at a desired position with high accuracy by using an inkjet method or a printing method. <P>SOLUTION: The liquid crystal display device includes: an array substrate 100 which includes a switching element 12, a wiring line 13, a color layer 14 covering the switching element and the wiring line and having a contact hole 17 formed therein reaching the switching element, and a pixel electrode formed on the color layer and electrically connected to the switching element through the contact hole formed in the color layer, and which has a first region 53 where at least a portion of the wiring line is disposed and a second region 54 including the circumference of a region 18C where the contact hole is formed and the first region and having different hydrophilicity from that of the first region; a counter substrate 200 disposed opposite to the array substrate with a liquid crystal layer 40 interposed therebetween; and a spherical spacer 50 disposed in the first region. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device having a spherical spacer provided by an ink jet method or a printing method.

  The liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates facing each other with a gap, and a liquid crystal layer held in the gap between the pair of substrates. Spacers for keeping the distance between the substrates constant are arranged in the gap between the pair of substrates.

  In recent years, liquid crystal display devices using spherical spacers as spacers have been disclosed. For example, when adopting an inkjet method in which a dispersion medium containing spherical spacers is discharged toward a predetermined position on the substrate, the spherical spacers deviate from the predetermined positions, and the spherical spacers cannot be accurately placed at the target positions. was there. Therefore, it is required to increase the arrangement accuracy of the spherical spacers by the ink jet method or the printing method.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for discharging a dispersion medium liquid in which spherical spacers are dispersed into a pixel electrode contact hole by an ink jet method. In particular, in Patent Document 1, the dispersion medium liquid contains an adhesive, or the surface of the spherical spacer is coated with an adhesive in advance, so that the spherical spacer is deposited on the bottom surface of the contact hole as the dispersion medium evaporates. A technique for bonding is disclosed.

JP 2006-208728 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display device which can arrange spherical spacers at a desired position with high accuracy using an ink jet method or a printing method.

  The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a switching element, a wiring, a colored layer that covers the switching element and the wiring and that has a contact hole reaching the switching element, and is provided on the colored layer and the colored layer. A pixel electrode connected to the switching element through a contact hole formed in the first electrode, a first region in which at least a part of the wiring is disposed, a region in which the contact hole is formed, and the first electrode An array substrate having a second region including a periphery of one region and having a hydrophilicity different from that of the first region, a counter substrate opposed to the array substrate with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween, And a spherical spacer provided on the first region.

  According to the present invention, since the arrangement accuracy of the spherical spacers can be increased, it is possible to obtain a liquid crystal display device in which the distance between the pair of substrates arranged opposite to each other is uniform and the image quality is good.

It is a perspective view which shows a liquid crystal display device. It is the enlarged view of the cross section cut | disconnected along the II-II line | wire of the liquid crystal display device shown in FIG. 1 based on Example 1 of this invention. It is a plane enlarged view which shows the spherical spacer vicinity of the liquid crystal display device which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is an enlarged view which shows the IV-IV line cross section of FIG. It is an enlarged view which shows the cross section of spacer vicinity of the array substrate of the liquid crystal display device which concerns on Example 2 of this invention. It is a plane enlarged view which shows the spacer vicinity of the array board | substrate of the liquid crystal display device which concerns on Example 3 of this invention.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a liquid crystal display device.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal display device 1 has a pair of rectangular flat plates (array substrate 100, counter substrate 200) provided opposite to each other and a circuit substrate 30 provided on the array substrate 100. is doing. One end of the array substrate 100 extends outward from the counter substrate 200, and the circuit board 30 is connected to the extended one end. The liquid crystal display device 1 has a display area DA for displaying an image. The circuit board 30 supplies drive signals to the pixels constituting the display area DA.

  The liquid crystal display device according to the first embodiment employs a so-called Vertically aligned (VA) mode in which liquid crystal molecules are aligned perpendicular to the main surface of a substrate in a state where no voltage is applied.

  2 is an enlarged view showing a section taken along line II-II of the liquid crystal display device shown in FIG. 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the array substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200 are bonded together by a sealing material 41 disposed in the peripheral portion of one opposing main surface. A spherical spacer 50 is interposed between the array substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200. The liquid crystal layer 40 is accommodated in a gap formed between the array substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200 by the spherical spacer 50. That is, the liquid crystal layer 40 is held in the gap between the array substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200.

  A light shielding layer 42 is provided inside the sealing material 41. The display area DA is inside the light shielding layer 42. Polarizing plates 60a and 60b are provided on the outer surfaces of the array substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200, which are the other main surfaces (surfaces opposite to the one main surface facing each other).

  For the sealing material 41, a photocurable or thermosetting resin is used. A black resin is used for the light shielding layer 42.

  The array substrate 100 is formed by using an insulating substrate 10 having optical transparency such as glass. The array substrate 100 has a plurality of wirings (source lines, gate lines) (not shown) inside the display area DA on the main surface of the insulating substrate 10 on the liquid crystal layer 40 side, and intersections between the source lines and the gate lines. And a plurality of switching elements 12 arranged in the. A semiconductor layer 12SC of the switching element 12 is disposed on the insulating substrate 10. On the array substrate 100, a first interlayer film 11 is provided so as to cover the semiconductor layer 12SC of the switching element 12. The first interlayer film 11 includes a first insulating film 111 provided on the insulating substrate 10 and a second insulating film 112 provided on the first insulating film 111.

  On the first insulating film 111, the gate electrode 12G of the switching element 12 is disposed on the semiconductor layer 12SC of the switching element 12. The gate electrode 12G is covered with a second insulating film 112. The second insulating film 112 is disposed on the first insulating film 111. On the second insulating film 112, the source electrode 12S and the drain electrode 12D of the switching element 12 are disposed. The source electrode 12S is formed so as to penetrate the first interlayer film 11. The source electrode 12S is in contact with the source region of the semiconductor layer 12SC. The drain electrode 12D is formed so as to penetrate the first interlayer film 11. The drain electrode 12D is in contact with the drain region of the semiconductor layer 12SC.

  A colored layer 14 is provided on the source electrode 12 </ b> S, the drain electrode 12 </ b> D, and the second insulating film 112. On the colored layer 14, a second interlayer film 15, a pixel electrode 16, and an alignment film 18a are stacked in this order.

  The switching element 12 is configured by a thin film transistor including a semiconductor layer 12SC formed of, for example, amorphous silicon or polysilicon. The gate line arranged in the same layer as the gate electrode 12G and the source line arranged in the same layer as the source electrode 12S and the like are formed using a metal such as aluminum or molybdenum, for example.

  The colored layer 14 includes a red colored layer 14R, a green colored layer 14G, and a blue colored layer 14B that are periodically arranged. Each of the red colored layer 14R, the green colored layer 14G, and the blue colored layer 14B is disposed so as to correspond to one switching element 12. A second interlayer film 15 made of a transparent resin is provided on the colored layer 14.

  A pixel electrode 16 is provided on the second interlayer film 15. A contact hole 17 penetrating the colored layer 14 and the second interlayer film 15 is formed on the position where the switching element 12 is provided. The contact hole 17 connects the pixel electrode 16 on the colored layer 14 and the drain electrode 12D of the switching element 12 below the colored layer 14. The pixel electrode 16 is made of transparent conductive material such as ITO (indium tin oxide) or IZO (indium zinc oxide).

  The array substrate 100 is further provided with an alignment film 18 a formed of a polyimide material that controls liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 40 on the surface in contact with the liquid crystal layer 40. The alignment film 18 a is disposed on the pixel electrode 16.

  On the other hand, the counter substrate 200 is formed using an insulating substrate 20 having light transmissivity such as glass. A counter electrode 21 is provided on one main surface of the insulating substrate 20 of the counter substrate 200. The counter electrode 21 faces the pixel electrode 16 of the array substrate 100. The counter electrode 21 is made of the same transparent conductive material as the pixel electrode 16. The counter substrate 200 is further provided with an alignment film 18b formed of a polyimide-based material that controls the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 40 on the surface in contact with the liquid crystal layer 40. The alignment film 18 b is disposed on the counter electrode 21.

  A spherical spacer 50 is disposed on the alignment film 18 a of the array substrate 100. That is, the spherical spacer 50 is disposed between the alignment film 18 a of the array substrate 100 and the alignment film 18 b of the counter substrate 200. The array substrate 100 faces the counter substrate 200 through the spherical spacer 50.

  The alignment film 18a of the array substrate 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view showing the vicinity of the spherical spacer 50 of the liquid crystal display device. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a cross section taken along line IV-IV in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the array substrate 100 includes a first region 53 in which at least a part of the wiring 13 is disposed, a region 18 </ b> C in which the contact hole 17 is formed, and a second region surrounding the first region 53. The region 54 is provided. When the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is formed is in the first region 53, the first region 53 is a region excluding the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is formed. The alignment film 18 a is disposed over the first region 53 and the second region 54.

  FIG. 3 shows a state in which the ink material 51 including the spherical spacer 50 is applied to the first region 53 on the alignment film 18a. The ink material 51 is volatile and hydrophilic. The ink material 51 includes spherical spacers 50 with a uniform density. When the ink material 51 including the spherical spacer 50 is applied to the first region 53 on the alignment film 18a and then heated, the ink material is volatilized, and the spherical spacer 50 is formed on the alignment film 18a to which the ink material 51 is applied. Stay in the first region 53. That is, the spherical spacer 50 is disposed in the first region 53. Here, specifically, the first region 53 is a region (indicated by a broken line) excluding the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is formed from the region 18G where the gate line 13G is disposed. Specifically, the second region 54 is a region surrounding the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is formed and the region 18G where the gate line 13G is disposed. Here, the spherical spacer 50 is arranged in a region where the gate line 13G and the source line 13S, which are the first region 53, intersect.

  As a material of the spherical spacer 50, for example, polystyrene or polychlorinated biphenyl is used.

  FIG. 4 shows a state in which the ink material 51 including the spherical spacer 50 is applied to the first region 53 on the alignment film 18a. As shown in FIG. 4, in the region where the pixel electrode 16 is disposed, the height of the array substrate 100 from the insulating substrate 10 is higher than the region where the pixel electrode 16 is not disposed. Here, the ink material 51 including the spherical spacer 50 is disposed in a region where the pixel electrode 16 is not disposed, and is disposed in a region where the height from the insulating substrate 10 is low. By heating and volatilizing the ink material 51 including the spherical spacer 50, the spherical spacer 50 remains in the first region 53. Therefore, the spherical spacer 50 is disposed in a region where the pixel electrode 16 is not disposed, and the insulating substrate It is arranged in a region where the height from 10 is low.

  The liquid crystal display device 1 according to the first embodiment employs the VA mode as described above. Therefore, as the polyimide-based material for the alignment film 18a and the alignment film 18b, a material having a property of aligning liquid crystal molecules perpendicularly to one main surface of the array substrate 100 in a state where no voltage is applied is used. In this embodiment, a material in which a hydrophobic side chain is introduced into a polyimide chain molecule is used. Such polyimide molecules are arranged so that the straight chain is perpendicular to one main surface of the array substrate 100. The surfaces of the alignment film 18a and the alignment film 18b are hydrophobic.

  In the alignment film 18a, the second region 54 is formed of hydrophobic, chain-like polyimide molecules as described above. That is, the region surrounding the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is formed and the region 18G where the gate line 13G is disposed (that is, the region other than the region 18G where the gate line 13G is disposed) is a hydrophobic and chain-like polyimide-based material. Formed by molecules. For this reason, regions other than the region 18C in which the contact hole 17 is formed and the region 18G in which the gate line 13G is disposed are not easily compatible with the ink material 51. The region of the alignment film 18a that is not easily compatible with the ink material 51 is referred to as a high contact angle region 54 (second region) having a high contact angle.

  Here, the contact angle is determined by the balance of the surface tension between the ink material 51 and the alignment film 18a. The contact angle is so small that the ink material 51 is easily adapted to the alignment film 18a. Further, the contact angle is so large that the ink material 51 is not easily adapted to the alignment film 18a.

  On the other hand, in the alignment film 18a, the first region 53, that is, the region excluding the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is formed from the region 18G where the gate line 13G is arranged is formed by the cut chain molecules. Since the hydrophobicity is weaker than that of the chain molecule, the ink material 51 is easily compatible. A region obtained by removing the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is formed from the region 18G where the gate line 13G is disposed is called a low contact angle region 53 (first region) having a low contact angle.

  A method of forming the alignment film 18a having the low contact angle region 53 and the high contact angle region 54 is as follows. First, the material of the polyimide-based alignment film 18a is applied to one surface so as to cover the pixel electrode 16. Next, the region 18G in which the gate line 13G is arranged except for the region 18C in which the contact hole 17 is formed is irradiated with light such as ultraviolet rays. The region irradiated with this light is the low contact angle region 53.

  In the region of the alignment film 18a irradiated with light (low contact angle region 53), the intramolecular bonds of the chain-like polyimide molecules forming the alignment film 18a are broken by applying light energy. As a result, the number of hydrophobic side chains of the molecules forming the surface of the alignment film 18a is reduced, and the hydrophobicity of the surface of the alignment film 18a in the region irradiated with light is weakened. That is, the low contact angle region 53 is less hydrophobic than the region not irradiated with light (the high contact angle region 54).

  The ink material 51 used in Example 1 is hydrophilic. Therefore, the low contact angle region 53, whose hydrophobicity is weaker than the high contact angle region 54, is easier to become familiar with the ink material 51.

  By the way, the strong hydrophobicity corresponds to the weak hydrophilicity. In addition, the weak hydrophobicity corresponds to the strong hydrophilicity.

  By irradiating the alignment film 18 a with light in this way, the alignment film 18 a has two different properties, a low contact angle region 53 that is easily compatible with the ink material 51 and a high contact angle region 54 that is not easily compatible with the ink material 51. Has a region.

  In such an alignment film 18a, when the ink material 51 including the spherical spacer 50 is applied to the low contact angle region 53 by the ink jet method or the printing method, the ink material 51 remains in the low contact angle region 53 that is easy to adjust. Subsequently, when the ink material 51 is volatilized by heating, a spherical spacer remains in a portion where the ink material 51 has been applied. After the ink material 51 volatilizes, the outline of the ink material 51 remains.

  In this way, since the spherical spacer 50 can be accurately arranged in the low contact angle region 53, the distance between the array substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200 can be kept uniform by the spherical spacer 50. Therefore, a high-quality liquid crystal display device can be obtained.

  The reason why the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is formed is excluded from the low contact angle region 53 is that the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is formed is more concave than the surrounding region. That is, in the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is formed, the height of the array substrate 100 from the insulating substrate 10 is lower than the region surrounding the contact hole 17. Although the diameter of the spherical spacer 50 is smaller than the depth of the contact hole 17, if the spherical spacer 50 is buried in the contact hole 17, the array substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200 cannot be maintained at a predetermined interval. Therefore, if the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is disposed is removed from the low contact angle region 53, the spherical spacer 50 can be prevented from being buried in the contact hole 17. Accordingly, the applied spherical spacer 50 can serve to maintain the distance between the array substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200, and there is no concern that the distance between the array substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200 may be uneven.

  Further, since the spherical spacer 50 is disposed in the low contact angle region 53 which is a region obtained by removing the region surrounding the contact hole 17 from the region 18G where the gate line 13G is disposed, the light transmission region 18L (lower layer) of the alignment film 18 is disposed. In addition, the gate line 13G and the source line 13S are not provided, and no contact hole 17 is provided. Therefore, by arranging the spherical spacer 50, there is no concern that the light quality is prevented by preventing light from being transmitted through the colored layer 14.

  The low contact angle region 53 of the alignment film 18a that controls the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 40 has a weak surface hydrophobicity, but there is no concern that display defects will occur due to this. This is because the low contact angle region 53 is a region where the gate line 13G formed of metal is disposed, and thus light does not pass therethrough. That is, since the low contact angle region 53 is a region through which light does not transmit, the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 40 in the low contact angle region 53 is not recognized from the outside of the liquid crystal display device. Therefore, even if the action of controlling the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 40 in the low contact angle region 53 is weak, there is no fear of causing a display defect of the liquid crystal display device. Since the light transmission region 18L is a part of the high contact angle region 54, the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules is not disturbed in this region. Therefore, even if the liquid crystal display device has the low contact angle region 53, there is no risk of display failure.

  Since the source line 13S is also formed of a metal like the gate line 13G and does not transmit light, the low contact angle region 53 may include a region 18S having the source line 13S. In the first embodiment, the low contact angle region 53 is a region where the contact hole 17 excludes the formation region 18C from the region 18G where the gate line 13G is disposed. This is because the gate line 13G is wider than the source line 13S in the first embodiment. When the low contact angle region 53 is formed in the region 18S having the thin source line 13S, depending on the amount of the ink material 51, the low contact angle region 53 cannot flow within the low contact angle region 53 and flows out to the high contact angle region 54 side. Therefore, there is a risk that a display defect of the liquid crystal display device may occur. For this reason, the ink material 51 can be more accurately applied to the low contact angle region 53 by forming the low contact angle region 53 in the region 18G having the gate line 13G in the lower layer.

  Further, the low contact angle region 53 is not limited to a region as shown in FIG. 3, that is, a region obtained by removing the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is formed from the region 18G where the gate line 13G is disposed, and at least a spherical spacer. If the contact angle with the ink material 51 is small in the region where the 50 is to be provided, the present invention can be implemented in other regions.

  The liquid crystal display device of Example 1 is of the so-called color fill-on-array (COA) type in which the colored layer 14 is provided on the array substrate 100 side having the wirings 13, but the colored layer 14 is the counter substrate 200. The present invention can also be applied to a liquid crystal display device of the type provided on the side.

  In Example 1, a hydrophilic material is used as the ink material 51, but a hydrophobic material can also be used. However, in this case, it is necessary to reverse the region on the alignment film 18a where the light is irradiated and the region where the light is not irradiated as in the first embodiment. That is, since the surface of the alignment film 18a is originally hydrophobic, the alignment film 18a is easily compatible with the hydrophobic ink material, and when irradiated with light, the hydrophobicity is weakened, so that the alignment film 18a is not easily compatible with the hydrophobic ink material 51. Therefore, contrary to Example 1, by irradiating light to the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is arranged and the region other than the region 18G having the gate line 13G which is the high contact angle region 54, the hydrophobicity is weakened. It becomes difficult to blend with the ink material 51. On the other hand, by not irradiating light to the region excluding the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is formed from the region 18G having the gate line 13G which is the low contact angle region 53, the ink material 51 is more familiar than the high contact angle region 54. It becomes easy. Thereby, the same effect as Example 1 is acquired.

  A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a cross section taken along line II-II of the liquid crystal display device of FIG. 1 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

  The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a spacer arrangement film 52 is provided on the alignment film 18a in the low contact angle region 53 of the alignment film 18a.

  Further, the operation mode of the liquid crystal display device is not limited to the VA mode, and the liquid crystal display device can be implemented for other modes such as a TN mode, an STN mode, and an IPS mode. Since the structure other than the alignment film 18a and the spacer arrangement film 52 is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The structure of the liquid crystal display device in Example 2 is as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, spacers are arranged in the region except the region 18G where the contact hole 17 is formed from the region 18G where the gate line 13G is disposed in the low contact angle region 53 of the alignment film 18a provided on the array substrate 100. An application film 52 is provided. That is, the spacer arrangement film 52 is not provided in the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is arranged. The spherical spacer 50 is disposed on each low contact area 53, that is, on the spacer arrangement film 52.

  Since the spherical spacer 50 contained in the hydrophilic ink material 51 is applied to the spacer arrangement film 52, a material that is more compatible with the ink material 51 than the surface of the alignment film 18 is used. In the second embodiment, as an example, a surfactant is used for the spacer arrangement film 52. Here, since the spacer arrangement film 52 is provided in the low contact angle region 53, that is, the region 18C other than the region 18 where the gate line 13G is disposed and the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is disposed, the ink material 51 is provided. Easy to get used to. On the other hand, the spacer arrangement film 52 is not provided in the high contact angle region 54, that is, the region other than the region 18 where the gate line 13G is disposed and the region 18C where the contact hole 17 is disposed. Hard to get used to.

  In Example 2 as described above, when the volatile ink material 51 including the spherical spacer 50 is applied toward the low contact angle region 53 by the ink jet method or the printing method, the ink material 51 is easily adapted to the low contact. Stay in the corner area 53. Next, when the ink material 51 is heated and volatilized, the spherical spacer 50 remains in the portion where the ink material 51 was located. That is, the spherical spacer 50 is located on the low contact angle region 53.

  In this way, the spherical spacer 50 can be accurately arranged on the upper layer of the gate line 13G. Since the spherical spacer 50 is not arranged in the contact hole 17 or the light transmission region of the spacer arrangement film 52, the effect of not deteriorating the image quality can be obtained as in the first embodiment.

  The alignment film 18a used in an operation mode other than the VA mode may not change the contact angle with the ink material 51 even when irradiated with light. When such an alignment film 18a is used, the contact angle with the ink material on the alignment film 18a can be changed by providing the spacer arrangement film 52 that is more compatible with the ink material 51 than the alignment film 18a. Can do. Therefore, according to the second embodiment, the spherical spacers 50 can be accurately arranged not only in the VA mode but also in a liquid crystal display device adopting a TN mode, an STN mode, an IPS mode, or the like.

  In Example 2, a surfactant is used as the material for the spacer arrangement film 52. However, if the material is more compatible with the ink material 51 than the surface of the alignment film 18, other materials are used. Is also possible.

  A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view showing the vicinity of the spherical spacer 50 of the array substrate 100.

  The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the spherical spacer 50 is disposed in a region where the region 18G where the gate line 13G where the low contact angle region 53 is disposed and the region 18S where the source line 13S is disposed overlap. The spherical spacer 50 is surrounded by a high contact angle region 54 (second region). The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a layer formed of a polyimide-based material or the like is disposed in the high contact angle region 54.

  In addition, the operation mode of the liquid crystal display device is not limited to the VA mode, and the liquid crystal display device can be implemented in a case where a TN mode, STN mode, IPS mode, or the like is adopted. Further, since the structure other than the alignment film 18a and the high contact angle region 54 is the same as that of the first embodiment, the same portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In Example 3, the high contact angle region 54 is a portion that intersects the region 18S in which the source line 13S is disposed in the region 18C in which the contact hole 17 is formed and the region 18G in which the gate line 13G is disposed. It is the both ends of. A layer formed of a material having a higher contact angle with the ink material 51 than the alignment film 18 is provided in the high contact angle region 54. As a material for this layer, for example, a polyimide-based material containing a lot of hydrophobic side chains used in Example 1 is used. The high contact angle region 54, that is, the portion around the portion where the region 18 </ b> G where the gate line 13 </ b> G is disposed and the region 18 </ b> S where the source line 13 </ b> S is disposed does not easily blend with the ink material 51.

  On the other hand, the low contact angle region 53 is a region other than the high contact angle region 54. In the low contact angle region 53, for example, a portion where the region 18G in which the gate line 13G is disposed and the region 18S in which the source line 13S is disposed is more familiar with the ink material 51 than in the high contact angle region 54.

  The spherical spacer 50 is disposed at a portion where the region 18G where the gate line 13G which is the low contact angle region 53 is disposed and the region 18S where the source line 13S is disposed intersect.

  In Example 3, when the ink material 51 including the spherical spacer 50 is applied to a portion where the region 18G where the gate line 13G which is the low contact angle region 53 is disposed and the region 18S where the source line 13S is disposed, Since the portion to which the ink material 51 is applied is surrounded by the high contact angle region 54, the ink material 51 stays on the low contact angle region 53, which is inside the high contact angle region 54 and is easily compatible with the ink material 51. Then, the spherical spacer 50 is accurately disposed in the low contact angle region 53 by volatilizing the ink material 51 by heating.

  As described above, the spherical spacer 50 does not include a region in which the high contact angle region 54 has the contact hole 17, so that the gap between the array substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200 is not uneven. In addition, the light transmission region 18L outside the region surrounded by the high contact angle region 54 does not protrude. Therefore, light that attempts to pass through the pixel electrode 16 is not hindered and image quality is not deteriorated. As described above, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained in the third embodiment.

  Depending on the operation mode employed by the liquid crystal display device, even if it is difficult to create a region where the contact angle between the alignment film 18a and the ink material 51 is different due to light or the like, according to the third embodiment, the contact with the ink material 51 is possible. Two regions with different corners can be created. Therefore, at a position where the ink material 51 is desired to be applied, the ink material 51 can be arranged with high accuracy by making the contact angle with the ink material 51 smaller than in other regions. Accordingly, since the spherical spacer 50 remaining after the ink material 51 is volatilized is disposed in the portion where the ink material 51 was located, the spherical spacer 50 can be disposed with high accuracy.

  In Example 3, the surfactant is used as the material having a higher contact angle with the ink material 51 than the alignment film 18a. However, the material is less compatible with the ink material 51 than the surface of the alignment film 18a. Other materials can be used if present.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Liquid crystal display device 10 Array substrate 11 1st insulating layer 12 Switching element 14 Colored layer 14R Red colored layer 14G Green colored layer 14B Blue colored layer 15 Second insulating layer 16 Pixel electrode 17 Contact hole 18 Alignment film 18G Area 18S having lines Area 18L having source lines in the lower layer Light transmitting area 20 Counter substrate 21 Counter electrode 30 Circuit board 40 Liquid crystal layer 41 Sealing material 42 Light shielding layer 50 Spherical spacer 51 Ink material 52 Spacer arrangement film 53 Low contact angle area 54 High contact angle region 60a Polarizing plate 60b Polarizing plate DA Display region

Claims (5)

A switching element, a wiring, a colored layer covering the switching element and the wiring and having a contact hole reaching the switching element, and a contact hole provided on the colored layer and formed in the colored layer A pixel electrode connected to the switching element, and includes a first region in which at least a part of the wiring is disposed, a region in which the contact hole is formed, and a periphery of the first region. An array substrate having a second region different in hydrophilicity from the first region;
A counter substrate facing the array substrate with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween,
A liquid crystal display device comprising: a spherical spacer provided on the first region. The array substrate is further disposed on the surface in contact with the liquid crystal layer over the first region and the second region, and has higher hydrophilicity than the second region in the first region; Comprising an alignment film for controlling liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer;
The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the spherical spacer is provided on the alignment film in the first region. The array substrate is further arranged on the surface in contact with the liquid crystal layer over the first region and the second region and controls liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer, and the alignment in the first region. A spacer arrangement film disposed on the film and having higher hydrophilicity than the alignment film disposed in the second region,
The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the spherical spacer is provided on the spacer arrangement film in the first region.   The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the spherical spacer is disposed so as to be surrounded by the second region.   The liquid crystal display device according to claim 1, wherein the first region and the second region have different hydrophilicity by irradiating the alignment film with light.

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