US 7,321,409 B2
Transflective liquid crystal device and electronic apparatus using the same
Ichiro Murai, Chino (Japan); and Tomoyuki Itoh, Okaya (Japan)
Assigned to Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on May 16, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/129,460.
Application 11/129460 is a division of application No. 10/440274, filed on May 19, 2003, granted, now 6,977,701.
Claims priority of application No. 2002-151379 (JP), filed on May 24, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2005/0213005 A1, Sep. 29, 2005
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G02F 1/1335 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 349—114 3 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A transflective liquid crystal device, comprising:
a first transparent substrate having first transparent electrodes and pixel switching elements formed on a surface in a matrix;
a second transparent substrate having second transparent electrodes formed on a surface facing the first transparent electrodes;
a liquid crystal layer held between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate;
a light reflecting layer formed on the first transparent substrate, the light reflecting layer having a reflection display region formed in a pixel in which the first transparent electrode faces the second transparent electrode and a transmission display region formed in the remaining region of the pixel, the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate being formed such that a layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer in the reflection display region is thinner than the layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer in the transmission display region;
a columnar protrusion formed on a surface facing the liquid crystal layer of at least one of the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate, the columnar protrusion defining the substrate gap between the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate by protruding from one of the substrates and abutting against the other substrate; and
a layer-thickness adjusting layer formed on the surface facing the liquid crystal layer of one transparent substrate of the first transparent substrate and the second transparent substrate such that the layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer in the reflection display region becomes thinner than the layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer in the transmission display region,
the layer-thickness adjusting layer being formed on the second transparent substrate, and including a color filter for transmission display which is thinly formed in the transmission display region, and a color filter for reflection which is formed thicker in the reflection display region than the color filter for transmission display in the pixel.