Electro-optical device and electronic apparatus

Abstract

To provide an electro-optical device having desired display quality.SOLUTION: A liquid crystal display device 300 comprises a pair of substrates, a frame-like seal component 7 provided between the pair of substrates, and a liquid crystal layer Lc provided in the inside of the seal component 7. The seal component 7 includes a first section 71 along a first side H1 of a counter substrate 200 out of the pair of substrates, and a second section 72 along a second side H2 facing the first side H1 of the counter substrate 200, and a thickness t2 of the second section 72 is greater than a thickness t1 of the first section 71.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electro-optical device and an electronic device including the electro-optical device.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional electro-optical device, for example, the one described in Patent Document 1 is known. Patent Document 1 describes a method for manufacturing an electro-optical device that manufactures a plurality of liquid crystal devices by using a one drop filling (ODF) method from a pair of large substrates.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A pair of large substrates may each have a unique warp due to their structure. When the warped large substrates are bonded together, there is a risk that the cell gaps of the individual liquid crystal devices will become uneven due to the influence of the warp.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] An electro-optical device according to an aspect of the present application includes a pair of substrates, a frame-shaped sealant provided between the pair of substrates, and a liquid crystal layer provided inside the sealant. The sealant has a first portion along a first side of one of the pair of substrates and a second portion along a second side of the one substrate facing the first side, and the thickness of the second portion is thicker than the thickness of the first portion.

[0006] An electro-optical device according to one aspect of the present application includes a pair of substrates, a frame-shaped sealing material provided between the pair of substrates, and a liquid crystal layer provided inside the sealing material. The sealing material has a first portion along a first side of one of the pair of substrates and a second portion along a second side of the one substrate that faces the first side. In a plan view, the distance between the first side and the first portion is greater than the distance between the second side and the second portion.

[0007] An electro-optical device according to one aspect of the present application includes a pair of substrates, a frame-shaped sealing material provided between the pair of substrates, and a liquid crystal layer provided inside the sealing material. The sealing material has a first portion along a first side of one of the pair of substrates and a second portion along a second side of the one substrate that faces the first side. In a plan view, the width of the first portion and the width of the second portion are different.

[0008] An electro-optical device according to one aspect of the present application includes a pair of substrates, a frame-shaped sealing material provided between the pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer provided inside the sealing material, and a plurality of columnar members provided between a display region and the sealing material. The sealing material has a first portion along a first side of one of the pair of substrates and a second portion along a second side of the one substrate that faces the first side. The number of the plurality of columnar members is larger between the first portion and the display region than between the second portion and the display region.

[0009] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present application includes the electro-optical device described above.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5A

Figure 5B

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] In each drawing showing the embodiments of the present invention, for ease of viewing each component, the scale of the dimensions may be shown differently depending on the component. In each drawing, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are perpendicular to each other. In the following description, the “X-axis direction” shall indicate the direction parallel to the X-axis, the “Y-axis direction” shall indicate the direction parallel to the Y-axis, and the “Z-axis direction” shall indicate the direction parallel to the Z-axis. In the following description, the “plus side” shall indicate the tip side in the arrow direction of each axis of XYZ, and the “minus side” shall indicate the end side in the arrow direction. In the following description, “plan view” shall mean viewing from the Z-axis direction with respect to the plane including the X-axis and Y-axis.

[0012] 1. Embodiment 1 In this embodiment, an example of a liquid crystal device will be described as the electro-optical device. The liquid crystal device is an active drive type transmissive liquid crystal device provided with a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) as a switching element for each pixel. This liquid crystal device is used, for example, as a light modulation device in a projection display device described later. Note that in this embodiment, the projection display device is an example of an electronic device.

[0013] 1.1. Outline of the Structure of the Liquid Crystal Device FIGS. 1 and 2 show the structure of the liquid crystal device 300 according to this embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the liquid crystal device 300. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a schematic cross-sectional configuration of the liquid crystal device 300 along the line A-A in FIG. 1.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the liquid crystal device 300 includes a device substrate 100 having translucency, a counter substrate 200 having translucency, a sealing material 7 provided in a frame shape, and a liquid crystal layer Lc. "Translucency" means transmittance with respect to visible light, and preferably means that the transmittance of visible light is 50% or more.

[0015] The liquid crystal device 300 has a display region R1 for displaying an image and a peripheral region R2 located outside the peripheral edge of the display region R1 in a plan view. In the display region R1, a plurality of pixels P arranged in a matrix are provided. Note that the shapes of the liquid crystal device 300 and the display region R1 shown in FIG. 1 are rectangular, but other shapes, such as circular, may be used.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the device substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200 are arranged via the sealing material 7 and the liquid crystal layer Lc. In this embodiment, the counter substrate 200 is arranged on the light incident side of the liquid crystal layer Lc, and the device substrate 100 is arranged on the light emission side of the liquid crystal layer Lc. The incident light IL incident on the counter substrate 200 is modulated by the liquid crystal layer Lc and emitted from the device substrate 100 as modulated light ML.

[0017] The element substrate 100 has a substrate 11, a plurality of conductive layers including conductive layers 31 and 32, a plurality of interlayer insulating layers including interlayer insulating layers 21, 22, and 23, a transistor 1, a pixel electrode 10, and an alignment film 12.

[0018] The substrate 11 is a flat plate having translucency and insulating properties. The substrate 11 is, for example, a glass substrate or a quartz substrate.

[0019] The conductive layer 31 is, for example, a scanning line, and the conductive layer 32 is, for example, a common line, and each has a function as a light-shielding layer of the transistor 1. The plurality of conductive layers may include conductive layers as data lines, relay layers, etc. not shown in the figure.

[0020] The conductive layers 31 and 32 are formed of a conductive material having light-shielding properties. As the conductive material having light-shielding properties, for example, metals such as tungsten (W), titanium (Ti), chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), and aluminum (Al), metal nitrides, and metal silicides can be used. Hereinafter, the conductive material having light-shielding properties is the same. "Light-shielding property" means light-shielding property against visible light, preferably, the transmittance of visible light is less than 50%, and more preferably, 10% or less.

[0021] A transistor 1 is disposed between the interlayer insulating layer 21 and the interlayer insulating layer 22. The plurality of interlayer insulating layers including the interlayer insulating layers 21, 22, and 23 have translucency and insulating properties. Each of the plurality of interlayer insulating layers is formed of an inorganic material such as silicon oxide (SiO2), for example.

[0022] The pixel electrode 10 is provided in the display region R1 and has translucency. The pixel electrode 10 is formed of ITO (Indium Tin Oxide). Note that the pixel electrode 10 may be formed of a transparent conductive material such as IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide) and FTO (Fluorine-doped tin Oxide).

[0023] The alignment film 12 has translucency and insulation properties. The alignment film 12 aligns the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer Lc. Examples of the material of the alignment film 12 include silicon oxide or polyimide.

[0024] The counter substrate 200 has a substrate 51, a light-shielding layer 67, a lens layer 61, a protective layer 62, a common electrode 60, and an alignment film 65.

[0025] The substrate 51 is a flat plate having translucency and insulation properties. The substrate 51 is, for example, a glass substrate or a quartz substrate. The substrate 51 has a plurality of lens surfaces 55 each formed of a hemispherical recess. The lens surfaces 55 are provided so as to correspond to the pixel electrodes 10.

[0026] The lens layer 61 is provided so as to fill the lens surfaces 55. The refractive index of the substrate 51 and the lens layer 61 is different, and the lens surfaces 55 constitute microlenses. In the present embodiment, the refractive index of the lens layer 61 is larger than the refractive index of the substrate 51. For example, the material of the substrate 51 is silicon oxide and the refractive index is 1.48, while the material of the lens layer 61 is silicon oxynitride (SiON) and the refractive index is 1.58 to 1.68. The microlens (Micro Lens Array: MLA) can converge the incident light IL and suppress the light blocked by the light-shielding layer, thereby realizing a bright display.

[0027] The protective layer 62 has translucency and insulation properties. The material of the protective layer 62 is an inorganic material such as silicon oxide, for example. The microlens may be formed in two or more layers.

[0028] The common electrode 60 is an electrode arranged to face a plurality of pixel electrodes 10 and can be referred to as a counter electrode. The common electrode 60 is formed of a transparent conductive material such as ITO, IZO, or FTO, for example. The common electrode 60 and the pixel electrode 10 apply an electric field to the liquid crystal layer Lc. The alignment film 65 has translucency and insulation properties.

[0029] The sealing material 7 is disposed between the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200. The sealing material 7 is formed using an adhesive containing various curable resins such as, for example, epoxy resin. The sealing material 7 may include a gap material made of an inorganic material such as glass.

[0030] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the sealing material 7 is disposed offset toward the second side H2 of the counter substrate 200. The first portion 71 of the sealing material 7 is disposed at a position close to the display region R1, and the second portion 72 of the sealing material 7 is disposed at a position away from the display region R1 and close to the second side H2 of the counter substrate 200. The first portion 71 of the sealing material 7 is a portion along the first side H1 of the counter substrate 200, and the second portion 72 of the sealing material 7 is a portion along the second side H2 of the counter substrate 200. The arrangement of the sealing material 7 will be described in Section 1.3. Arrangement of the Sealing Material and Gap between Substrates, which will be described later.

[0031] The liquid crystal layer Lc is disposed in a region surrounded by the element substrate 100, the counter substrate 200, and the sealing material 7. The liquid crystal layer Lc is an electro-optical layer whose optical characteristics change in response to an electric field generated by the pixel electrode 10 and the common electrode 60. The liquid crystal layer Lc is composed of a liquid crystal material containing liquid crystal molecules having positive or negative dielectric anisotropy. The orientation of the liquid crystal molecules changes in response to the electric field applied to the liquid crystal layer Lc. The liquid crystal layer Lc modulates the incident light IL in response to the applied electric field.

[0032] In the peripheral region R2 of the element substrate 100, connection terminals 9, substrate-to-substrate conduction portions 13, and various circuits including a scanning line driving circuit, a data line driving circuit, and an inspection circuit (not shown) are disposed. The connection terminal 9 is a mounting terminal on which an external connection line such as an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuits) (not shown) is mounted. Various signals such as an image signal, a synchronization signal, an inspection signal, a common potential, and a power supply potential are supplied to the connection terminal 9 from the outside via the external connection line. The substrate-to-substrate conduction portion 13 electrically connects the connection terminal 9 and the common electrode 60.

[0033] 1.2. Electrical Configuration of the Element Substrate FIG. 3 is an equivalent circuit diagram showing the electrical configuration of the element substrate 100. As shown in FIG. 3, in the display region R1 of the element substrate 100, a plurality of transistors 1, n scanning lines 3, m data lines 4, m capacitor lines 5, pixel electrodes 10, and capacitor elements 2 are provided. n and m are each integers of 2 or more.

[0034] The transistor 1 is provided corresponding to each intersection of the n scanning lines 3 and the m data lines 4. The pixel electrode 10 is electrically connected to the drain region of the transistor 1. Each of the n scanning lines 3 extends in the X-axis direction, and the n scanning lines 3 are arranged at equal intervals in the Y-axis direction. Each of the n scanning lines 3 is electrically connected to the gate electrode of the corresponding transistor 1. The n scanning lines 3 are electrically connected to the scanning line driving circuit. The scanning line driving circuit supplies scanning signals G1, G2,..., and Gn to the 1st to nth scanning lines 3 in line sequence.

[0035] Each of the m data lines 4 extends in the Y-axis direction, and the m data lines 4 are arranged at equal intervals in the X-axis direction. Each of the m data lines 4 is electrically connected to the source region of the corresponding plurality of transistors 1. The m data lines 4 are electrically connected to the data line driving circuit. The data line driving circuit supplies image signals E1, E2,..., and Em to the 1st to mth data lines 4.

[0036] The n scanning lines 3 and the m data lines 4 are electrically insulated from each other and arranged in a grid pattern in plan view. The region surrounded by two adjacent scanning lines 3 and two adjacent data lines 4 corresponds to the pixel P.

[0037] Each of the m capacitance lines 5 extends in the Y-axis direction, and the m capacitance lines 5 are arranged at equal intervals in the X-axis direction. The capacitance lines 5 are electrically insulated from the data lines 4 and the scanning lines 3 and are arranged at intervals from them. A fixed potential such as a common potential or a ground potential is supplied to the capacitance lines 5 via the connection terminals 9.

[0038] One electrode of the capacitive element 2 is electrically connected to the capacitance line 5. The other electrode of the capacitive element 2 is electrically connected to the pixel electrode 10 and holds the potential of the image signal supplied to the pixel electrode 10.

[0039] 1.3. Arrangement of the sealing material and gap between substrates FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the electro-optical device along the line B-B of FIG. 1, showing the arrangement of the sealing material 7 and the gap between the substrates. The gap between the substrates is the distance between the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 1, the second portion 72 of the sealing material 7 is arranged offset to the second side H2 side of the counter substrate 200. Specifically, the sealing material 7 is arranged such that the intervals d1, d2, d3, d4 satisfy the relationship d1 > d2 and d3 < d4. The interval d1 is the length between the first portion 71 of the sealing material 7 and the first side H1, and the interval d2 is the length between the second portion 72 of the sealing material 7 and the second side H2. The interval d3 is the length between the first portion 71 of the sealing material 7 and the display region R1, and the interval d4 is the length between the second portion 72 of the sealing material 7 and the display region R1.

[0041] Such an arrangement of the sealing material 7 is performed to equalize the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc. If the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc can be equalized, by the ODF method, the same amount of liquid crystal can be dropped into the frames of the sealing material 7 corresponding to each liquid crystal device 300, so that the cell gap of each liquid crystal device 300 can be made the same. Therefore, variations in display quality for each liquid crystal device 300 are suppressed, and uniform display quality is achieved.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 4, the inter-substrate gap of the liquid crystal device 300 is different between the interval g3 at the central portion of the display region R1 and the interval g2 on the second side H2 side of the counter substrate 200 in a normal temperature environment such as when not in use. The interval g3 is the inter-substrate gap at the central portion of the display region R1, and the interval g2 is the inter-substrate gap at the location where the second portion 72 of the sealant 7 is disposed. In other words, the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200 are each warped. The warping of the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200 will be described in detail in the section of 1.5. Manufacturing method described later.

[0043] And, the degree of warping of the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200 varies depending on each liquid crystal device 300. Therefore, in the liquid crystal device 300 of the present embodiment, the position of the sealant 7 is shifted according to the degree of warping to equalize the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc.

[0044] In the liquid crystal device 300 of the present embodiment, the intervals g1, g2, and g3 have the relationship of g3 < g1 < g2. The interval g1 is the inter-substrate gap at the location where the first portion 71 of the sealant 7 is disposed on the first side H1 side of the counter substrate 200. Therefore, the relationship between the thickness t1 of the first portion 71 of the sealant 7 and the thickness t2 of the second portion 72 of the sealant 7 is t1 < t2.

[0045] When the cell gap is defined as the inter-substrate gap in the display region R1, at normal temperature, as shown in FIG. 4, the cell gap is such that the interval g3 at the central portion of the display region R1 is the narrowest. In other words, the display region R1 has a shape in which the central portion is most concave. On the other hand, when the liquid crystal device 300 is in use, the liquid crystal becomes hot due to the incident light IL, and the interval g3 expands. In other words, at high temperature, the recessed portion in the central portion of the display region R1 bulges, and in the display region R1, the cell gap becomes uniform.

[0046] 1.4. Modification FIGS. 5A to 6 illustrate the arrangement of the sealant 7 and the inter-substrate gap regarding the modification. 1.4.1. Modification 1 FIG. 5A is a plan view of Modification 1 of the electro-optical device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line C-C of FIG. 5A.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 5A, in Modification 1, the fourth portion 74 of the sealing material 7 along the fourth side H4 of the counter substrate 200 is disposed offset toward the fourth side H4. Specifically, the sealing material 7 is arranged such that the intervals d5, d6, d7, d8 satisfy the relationship d5>d6 and d7<d8. The interval d5 is the length between the third portion 73 of the sealing material 7 along the third side H3 of the counter substrate 200 and the third side H3, and the interval d6 is the length between the fourth portion 74 of the sealing material 7 along the fourth side H4 of the counter substrate 200 and the fourth side H4. The interval d7 is the length between the third portion 73 of the sealing material 7 and the display region R1, and the interval d8 is the length between the fourth portion 74 of the sealing material 7 and the display region R1.

[0048] As will be described later, the positions of the pair of large substrates 90 in the liquid crystal device 300 of Modification 1 are different from those in the liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 1. By forming the sealing material 7 as described above, the liquid crystal device 300 of Modification 1 can make the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc an appropriate capacitance and realize a liquid crystal device 300 having a desired display quality.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 5B, in the liquid crystal device 300 of Modification 1, at room temperature, the intervals g3, g4, g5 have the relationship g3<g4<g5. The interval g4 is the gap between the substrates on the third side H3 side of the counter substrate 200, and the interval g5 is the gap between the substrates on the fourth side H4 side of the counter substrate 200. Therefore, the relationship between the thickness t3 of the third portion 73 of the sealing material 7 and the thickness t4 of the fourth portion 74 of the sealing material 7 is t3<t4. When the liquid crystal device 300 is in use, as described above, the interval g3 expands, and in the display region R1, the cell gap becomes uniform.

[0050] 1.4.2. Modification 2 FIG. 6 is a plan view of Modification 2 of the electro-optical device of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 6, in Modification 2, the second portion 72 of the sealing material 7 is disposed offset toward the second side H2 of the opposing substrate 200, and the fourth portion 74 of the sealing material 7 is disposed offset toward the fourth side H4 of the opposing substrate 200. Specifically, the sealing material 7 is arranged such that d1>d2, d3<d4, d5>d6, and d7<d8.

[0051] As will be described later, the liquid crystal device 300 of Modification 2 has different positions on the pair of large substrates 90 from those of the liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 1 and the liquid crystal device 300 of Modification 1. By forming the sealing material 7 as described above, the liquid crystal device 300 of Modification 2 can make the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc an appropriate capacitance and realize a liquid crystal device 300 having a desired display quality.

[0052] Although not shown, in the liquid crystal device 300 of Modification 2, at normal temperature, the intervals g1, g2, g3, g4, g5 have the relationship of g3<g1<g2 and g3<g4<g5. When the liquid crystal device 300 is in use, as described above, the interval g3 expands, and in the display region R1, the cell gap becomes uniform.

[0053] 1.5. Manufacturing Method FIGS. 7 to 10 will describe the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal device 300. FIG. 7 is a plan view of a pair of large substrates 90. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line D-D of FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal device 300. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing the bonding process.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 7, the liquid crystal device 300 is formed from a pair of large substrates 90 obtained by bonding large substrates 91 and 92 called wafer substrates. A plurality of liquid crystal devices 300 are formed on the pair of large substrates 90. In the present embodiment, 13 liquid crystal devices 300 are formed on the pair of large substrates 90. On the pair of large substrates 90, a sealing material 7 corresponding to 13 liquid crystal devices 300 is provided in a frame shape.

[0055] Thirteen liquid crystal devices 300 are surrounded by a dummy sealant 8. The dummy sealant 8 includes a first dummy seal 81, a second dummy seal 82, and a connection portion 83. The first dummy seal 81 is provided at an interval d11 from the sealant 7. For manufacturing reasons, the interval d11 is wider than the intervals d9 and d10 between the sealants 7. Preferably for manufacturing, the interval d11 is the same as the interval d9 and / or the interval d10. However, it is difficult to form the dummy sealant 8, which is formed in a separate process from the sealant 7, close to the sealant 7.

[0056] Therefore, in order to make the interval d11 closer to the intervals d9 and d10, the sealants 7 of the liquid crystal devices 301, 305, 306, and 307 arranged closer to the outer side of the large substrate 90 are arranged closer to the first dummy seal 81. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the second portion 72 of the sealant 7 of the liquid crystal device 305 is arranged offset toward the second side H2 of the counter substrate 200. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 7, the fourth portion 74 of the sealant 7 of the liquid crystal device 307 is arranged offset toward the fourth side H4 of the counter substrate 200. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, for the sealant 7 of the liquid crystal device 306, its second portion 72 is arranged offset toward the second side H2 of the counter substrate 200, and its fourth portion 74 is arranged offset toward the fourth side H4.

[0057] After curing the sealant 7 and the dummy sealant 8, the pair of large substrates 90 are cut along the cutting lines L1 and L2 and divided into individual liquid crystal devices 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, etc. The liquid crystal device 305 is an example of the liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 1. The liquid crystal device 307 is an example of the liquid crystal device 300 of Modification 1. The liquid crystal device 306 is an example of the liquid crystal device 300 of Modification 2.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 8, among the liquid crystal devices 303, 304, and 305, the warpage of the large substrates 91 and 92 is different in the pair of large substrates 90. Specifically, the liquid crystal device 305 disposed outside the pair of large substrates 90 has a larger warpage than the liquid crystal device 303 disposed at the center.

[0059] In this embodiment, according to the warpage of the large substrates 91 and 92, in other words, according to the warpage of the counter substrate 200 and the element substrate 100, the positions where the sealing material 7 is disposed are made different among the liquid crystal devices 303, 304, and 305.

[0060] In the liquid crystal device 303, the sealing material 7 is disposed with an interval w33 in the X-axis direction. In the liquid crystal device 304, the sealing material 7 is disposed with an interval w34 in the X-axis direction. In the liquid crystal device 305, the sealing material 7 is disposed with an interval w35 in the X-axis direction. The relationship of the intervals w33, w34, and w35 is w33 < w34 < w35.

[0061] The cell gap g33 of the liquid crystal device 303, the cell gap g34 of the liquid crystal device 304, and the cell gap g35 of the liquid crystal device 305 are the same. The cell gaps g33, g34, and g35 are the inter-substrate gaps at the central portions of the display region R1, respectively.

[0062] By setting w33 < w34 < w35 and g33 = g34 = g35, the capacitances of the respective liquid crystal layers Lc can be made uniform among the liquid crystal devices 303, 304, and 305.

[0063] The sealing material 7 of the liquid crystal device 301 is provided so as to have an interval w31. The interval w31 and the interval w35 of the liquid crystal device 305 have the same width. This is because the cell gap g31 of the liquid crystal device 301 is the same as the cell gap g35, and the liquid crystal devices 301 and 305 are disposed at symmetric positions with the liquid crystal device 303 as the center. Similarly, the width of the sealing material of the liquid crystal device 302 (not shown) has the same width as that of the liquid crystal device 304, and the cell gap of the liquid crystal device 302 is the same as the cell gap g34.

[0064] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal device 300. Step S1 is a wafer substrate preparation process. In step S1, a wafer substrate is prepared. The wafer substrates are a large substrate 91 and a large substrate 92. In the present embodiment, the large substrate 91 includes microlenses formed on one side of the substrate 51, and the large substrate 92 includes a transistor 1 and a plurality of interlayer insulating layers formed on one side of the substrate 11. Due to their formation processes and structures, the large substrate 91 and the large substrate 92 are warped respectively. The large substrate 91 corresponds to the counter substrate 200, and the large substrate 92 corresponds to the element substrate 100.

[0065] Step S2 is a seal drawing process. In step S2, as shown in FIG. 7, a sealing material 7 and a dummy sealing material 8 are drawn on one of the large substrate 91 or the large substrate 92. The sealing material 7 is drawn for each liquid crystal device 300. The dummy sealing material 8 is drawn so as to surround the liquid crystal device 300 starting from the connection portion 83.

[0066] Step S3 is a liquid crystal dropping process. In step S3, using the ODF method, the same amount of liquid crystal is dropped into each of the frames of the plurality of sealing materials 7 drawn in a frame shape.

[0067] Step S4 is a bonding process. In step S4, as shown in FIG. 10, the large substrate 91 and the large substrate 92 are bonded together. The large substrate 91 and the large substrate 92 are warped respectively, and the warpage degrees are different between the large substrate 91 and the large substrate 92.

[0068] Step S5 is a seal curing process. In step S5, the sealing material 7 and the dummy sealing material 8 are cured. FIG. 8 shows a pair of large substrates 90 after the sealing material 7 and the dummy sealing material 8 are cured. The distance between the large substrate 91 and the large substrate 92 is, before bonding, as shown in FIG. 10, the central portion is the widest compared to the outer portions, but after seal curing, as shown in FIG. 8, the outer portion is wider than the central portion.

[0069] Step S6 is a dividing step. In step S6, the pair of large substrates 90 are cut along the cutting lines L1 and L2 shown in FIG. 7 to be divided into individual liquid crystal devices 300. In step S6, a part of the counter substrate 200 is cut so that the connection terminals 9 are exposed.

[0070] As described above, according to the liquid crystal device 300 as the electro - optical device of the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. The liquid crystal device 300 of the present embodiment includes an element substrate 100 and a counter substrate 200 as a pair of substrates, a frame - shaped sealing material 7 provided between the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200, and a liquid crystal layer Lc provided inside the sealing material 7. The sealing material 7 has a first portion 71 along the first side H1 of the counter substrate 200 which is one of the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200, and a second portion 72 along the second side H2 facing the first side H1 of the counter substrate 200. The thickness t2 of the second portion 72 is thicker than the thickness t1 of the first portion 71.

[0071] Thus, in the liquid crystal device 300 of the present embodiment, by making the thickness t2 of the second portion 72 thicker than the thickness t1 of the first portion 71, the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc can be made an appropriate capacitance. Therefore, a liquid crystal device 300 having a desired display quality can be realized.

[0072] In the liquid crystal device 300 of the present embodiment, the distance between the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200 as a pair of substrates is larger for the distance g2 at the location where the second portion 72 is arranged than for the distance g3 at the central portion of the display region R1.

[0073] In this way, in the liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment, by making the interval g2 at the location where the second portion 72 is disposed larger than the interval g3 at the central portion of the display region R1, the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc can be made an appropriate capacitance. Therefore, a liquid crystal device 300 having a desired display quality can be realized.

[0074] In the liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment, the interval between the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200 as a pair of substrates is larger for the interval g1 at the location where the first portion 71 is disposed than for the interval g3 at the central portion of the display region R1.

[0075] In this way, in the liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment, by making the interval g1 at the location where the first portion 71 is disposed larger than the interval g3 at the central portion of the display region R1, the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc can be made an appropriate capacitance. Therefore, a liquid crystal device 300 having a desired display quality can be realized.

[0076] In the liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment, the interval between the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200 as a pair of substrates is larger for the interval g2 at the location where the second portion 72 is disposed than for the interval g1 at the location where the first portion 71 is disposed.

[0077] In this way, in the liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment, by making the interval g2 at the location where the second portion 72 is disposed larger than the interval g1 at the location where the first portion 71 is disposed, the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc can be made an appropriate capacitance. Therefore, a liquid crystal device 300 having a desired display quality can be realized.

[0078] The liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment includes an element substrate 100 and a counter substrate 200 as a pair of substrates, a frame-shaped sealant 7 provided between the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200, and a liquid crystal layer Lc provided inside the sealant 7. The sealant 7 has a first portion 71 along a first side H1 of the counter substrate 200 as one of the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200, and a second portion 72 along a second side H2 facing the first side H1 of the counter substrate 200. In a plan view, the distance d1 between the first side H1 and the first portion 71 is larger than the distance d2 between the second side H2 and the second portion 72.

[0079] In this way, the liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment can make the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc an appropriate capacitance by making the distance d1 larger than the distance d2. Therefore, a liquid crystal device 300 having a desired display quality can be realized.

[0080] In the liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment, in a plan view, the distance d4 between the second portion 72 and the display region R1 is larger than the distance d3 between the first portion 71 and the display region R1. In this way, the liquid crystal device 300 of this embodiment can make the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc an appropriate capacitance by making the distance d4 larger than the distance d3. Therefore, a liquid crystal device 300 having a desired display quality can be realized.

[0081] 2. Embodiment 2 FIG. 11 is a plan view of a liquid crystal device 300 as an electro-optical device according to Embodiment 2. FIG. 11 is a view in which a portion corresponding to the liquid crystal devices 304 and 305 in FIG. 7 is cut out. The same components as those in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

[0082] The liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 2 has a protruding portion 71p and a protruding portion 72p on the sealing material 7, and the width w71 of the protruding portion 71p and the width w72 of the protruding portion 72p are different. Specifically, the width w71 of the protruding portion 71p is larger than the width w72 of the protruding portion 72p. The protruding portion 71p is a portion that protrudes from the main body portion 70 of the sealing material 7 toward the display region R1 in the first portion 71 of the sealing material 7, and the protruding portion 72p is a portion that protrudes from the main body portion 70 of the sealing material 7 toward the display region R1 in the second portion 72 of the sealing material 7.

[0083] In Embodiment 2, by making the widths of the protruding portion 71p and the protruding portion 72p different, the uniformity of the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc is realized. Specifically, the uniformity of the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc between the liquid crystal device 304 and the liquid crystal device 305 formed from the large substrate 90 is realized.

[0084] The width w71 of the protruding portion 71p of the liquid crystal device 304 is larger than the width w71 of the protruding portion 71p of the liquid crystal device 305. Since the capacitances of the liquid crystal layers Lc of the liquid crystal device 304 and the liquid crystal device 305 formed from the same large substrate 90 are different depending on their positions on the large substrate 90, the widths of the protruding portion 71p are changed between the liquid crystal device 304 and the liquid crystal device 305 to equalize the capacitances of the liquid crystal layers Lc.

[0085] The width w72 of the protruding portion 72p of the liquid crystal device 304 is larger than the width w72 of the protruding portion 72p of the liquid crystal device 305. Since the capacitances of the liquid crystal layers Lc of the liquid crystal device 304 and the liquid crystal device 305 formed from the same large substrate 90 are different depending on their positions on the large substrate 90, the widths of the protruding portion 72p are changed between the liquid crystal device 304 and the liquid crystal device 305 to equalize the capacitances of the liquid crystal layers Lc.

[0086] The protruding portion 71p and the protruding portion 72p can be formed, for example, by reducing the drawing speed of the sealing material 7 in the sealing drawing process of step S2 in FIG. 9 of the sealing material 7. The widths w71 and w72 can also be formed to the desired widths by adjusting the drawing speed.

[0087] In Embodiment 2, the first portion 71 of the liquid crystal device 304 and the first portion 71 of the liquid crystal device 305 each have a first extending portion 71e extending toward the first side H1. The second portion 72 of the liquid crystal device 304 and the second portion 72 of the liquid crystal device 305 each have a second extending portion 72e extending toward the second side H2.

[0088] The second extending portion 72e of the liquid crystal device 304 and the first extending portion 71e of the liquid crystal device 305 are connected. Similarly, the first extending portion 71e of the liquid crystal device 304 and the second extending portion 72e of a liquid crystal device 303 (not shown) are connected. In other words, the sealing material 7 is disposed overlapping the cutting line L1. Therefore, in Embodiment 2, the sealing material 7 can be continuously drawn across the plurality of liquid crystal devices 301, 302, 303, 304, 305. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the sealing material 7 is formed in a single stroke drawing pattern PT. First, in the forward path OPT of the drawing pattern PT, the sealing material 7 is continuously drawn from the liquid crystal device 301 toward the liquid crystal device 305 along the fourth side H4 side of each liquid crystal substrate via the second extending portion 72e and the first extending portion 71e. Next, after being folded back at the turning point TPT, in the return path RPT, the sealing material 7 on the third side H3 side of each liquid crystal substrate is continuously drawn from the liquid crystal device 305 toward the liquid crystal device 301 via the first extending portion 71e and the second extending portion 72e. Thus, in this Embodiment 2, since each liquid crystal device includes the first extending portion 71e and the second extending portion 72e, the sealing material 7 can be formed in a single stroke. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the tact time and reduce drawing defects, and a liquid crystal device 300 with excellent productivity can be realized.

[0089] In Embodiment 2, the liquid crystal devices 304 and 305 have different positions where the sealing material 7 is disposed without varying the intervals w34 and w35. Specifically, the interval d1 of the liquid crystal device 305 is wider than the interval d1 of the liquid crystal device 304, and the interval d2 of the liquid crystal device 305 is narrower than the interval d2 of the liquid crystal device 304. In other words, on the large substrate 90, the sealing material 7 of the liquid crystal device 305 located more outward is disposed offset more toward the outside of the large substrate 90 than the liquid crystal device 304. This is for reducing the interval d11 between the first dummy seal 81 and the sealing material 7 as described above.

[0090] As described above, according to the liquid crystal device 300 as the electro-optical device of Embodiment 2, in addition to the effects of Embodiment 1, the following effects can be obtained. The liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 2 includes an element substrate 100 and a counter substrate 200 as a pair of substrates, a frame-shaped sealing material 7 provided between the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200, and a liquid crystal layer Lc provided inside the sealing material 7. The sealing material 7 has a first portion 71 along a first side H1 of the counter substrate 200 as one of the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200, and a second portion 72 along a second side H2 facing the first side H1 of the counter substrate 200. In a plan view, the width w71 of the first portion 71 and the width w72 of the second portion 72 are different.

[0091] Thus, the liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 2 can make the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc an appropriate capacitance by varying the width w71 of the first portion 71 and the width w72 of the second portion 72. Therefore, a liquid crystal device 300 having a desired display quality can be realized.

[0092] In the liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 2, in a plan view, the first portion 71 has a protruding portion 71p protruding from the main body portion 70 of the sealing material 7 toward the display region R1 side.

[0093] Thus, by having the protruding portion 71p, the liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 2 can make the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc an appropriate capacitance. Therefore, a liquid crystal device 300 having a desired display quality can be realized.

[0094] In the liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 2, in plan view, the first portion 71 has a first extending portion 71e extending toward the first side H1, and the second portion 72 has a second extending portion 72e extending toward the second side H2.

[0095] Thus, the liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 2 has the first extending portion 71e and the second extending portion 72e. Therefore, the sealing material 7 can be formed in one stroke. As a result, the tact time can be shortened and drawing defects can be reduced, and a liquid crystal device 300 with excellent productivity can be realized.

[0096] 3. Embodiment 3 FIG. 12 is a plan view of a liquid crystal device 300 as an electro-optical device according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 12 is a view in which a portion corresponding to the liquid crystal devices 304 and 305 in FIG. 7 is cut out, and the same components as those in Embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

[0097] The liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 3 has a columnar member 7c between the display region R1 and the sealing material 7. The columnar member 7c is made of the same material as the sealing material 7. Therefore, the columnar member 7c can be provided in the same process as the sealing material 7. The columnar member 7c may be made of a transparent resist material such as acrylic. The columnar member 7c is provided so as to contact the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200 like a scallop shell, but may be provided so as to contact only one of the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200.

[0098] In the liquid crystal device 304, the columnar member 7c is provided between the first portion 71 of the sealing material 7 and the display region R1, and is not provided between the second portion 72 of the sealing material 7 and the display region R1. In the liquid crystal device 305, the columnar member 7c is provided between the first portion 71 of the sealing material 7 and the display region R1, and is not provided between the second portion 72 of the sealing material 7 and the display region R1. The liquid crystal device 304 and the liquid crystal device 305 each set the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc to an appropriate capacitance by providing the columnar member 7c.

[0099] The number of columnar members 7c in the liquid crystal device 304 and the number of columnar members 7c in the liquid crystal device 305 are different. Specifically, the number of columnar members 7c in the liquid crystal device 305 is larger than the number of columnar members 7c in the liquid crystal device 304. This is because the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc differs between the liquid crystal device 304 and the liquid crystal device 305 depending on the position on the large substrate 90. Therefore, in Embodiment 3, by making the number of columnar members 7c in the liquid crystal device 304 and the number of columnar members 7c in the liquid crystal device 305 different, the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc is made uniform.

[0100] As described above, according to the liquid crystal device 300 as the electro-optical device of Embodiment 3, in addition to the effects of Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2, the following effects can be obtained. The liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 3 includes an element substrate 100 and a counter substrate 200 as a pair of substrates, a frame-shaped sealing material 7 provided between the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200, a liquid crystal layer Lc provided inside the sealing material 7, and a plurality of columnar members 7c provided between the display region R1 and the sealing material 7. The sealing material 7 has a first portion 71 along the first side H1 of the counter substrate 200 as one of the element substrate 100 and the counter substrate 200, and a second portion 72 along the second side H2 facing the first side H1 of the counter substrate 200. The number of the plurality of columnar members 7c is larger in the region between the first portion 71 and the display region R1 than in the region between the second portion 72 and the display region R1.

[0101] Thus, in the liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 3, by making the number of the plurality of columnar members 7c larger between the first portion 71 and the display region R1 than between the second portion 72 and the display region R1, the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc can be made an appropriate capacitance. Therefore, a liquid crystal device 300 having a desired display quality can be realized. Furthermore, since the liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 3 uses the conventionally used frame-shaped sealing material 7, compared with the case of drawing the sealing material 7 in a single stroke as in Embodiment 2, setting the process conditions becomes easier, and the arrangement accuracy of the sealing material 7 can be improved.

[0102] In the liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 3, the plurality of columnar members 7c are provided only in the region between the first portion 71 and the display region R1. Thus, in the liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 3, by providing the plurality of columnar members 7c only between the first portion 71 and the display region R1, the capacitance of the liquid crystal layer Lc can be made an appropriate capacitance. Therefore, a liquid crystal device 300 having a desired display quality can be realized.

[0103] 4. Embodiment 4 FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an electronic device and is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a projection display device 1000 as the electronic device. The projection display device 1000 is, for example, a three-panel projector including three liquid crystal devices 300 described above. The liquid crystal device 300R corresponds to a red display color, the liquid crystal device 300G corresponds to a green display color, and the liquid crystal device 300B corresponds to a blue display color. The control unit 1005 includes, for example, a processor and a memory, and controls the operations of the liquid crystal devices 300R, 300G, and 300B.

[0104] The illumination optical system 1001 supplies red light RL among the emitted light from the illumination device 1002 which is a light source to the liquid crystal device 300R, supplies green light GL to the liquid crystal device 300G, and supplies blue light BL to the liquid crystal device 300B. Each of the liquid crystal devices 300R, 300G, and 300B functions as a light modulation device that modulates the respective color lights RL, GL, and BL supplied from the illumination optical system 1001 according to the display image. The projection optical system 1003 synthesizes the light emitted from the liquid crystal device 300R, the liquid crystal device 300G, and the liquid crystal device 300B and projects it onto the screen 1004.

[0105] As described above, the projection display device 1000 as an electronic device of the present embodiment includes the above-described liquid crystal device 300. Therefore, by adopting the liquid crystal device 300 having a desired display quality, the performance of the projection display device 1000 can be improved.

[0106] Note that the electronic device is not limited to the illustrated three-panel projector. For example, it may be a single-panel, two-panel, or projector provided with four or more liquid crystal devices 300. The electronic device may be a smartphone, PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), camera, television, car navigation device, personal computer, display, electronic paper, calculator, videophone, and POS (Point of sale), printer, scanner, copier, video player, or a device equipped with a touch panel, etc.

[0107] Although the preferred embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The configuration of each part of the present invention can be replaced with any configuration that exhibits the same function as the above-described embodiments, and any configuration can be added.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0108] 1... Transistor, 2... Capacitive element, 3... Scanning line, 4... Data line, 5... Capacitor line, 7... Sealing material, 71... First part, 72... Second part, 73... Third part, 74... Fourth part, 7c... Columnar member, 71e... First extending part, 72e... Second extending part, 71p, 72p... Protruding part, 70... Main body part, 8...Dummy sealing material, 9... Connection terminal, 10... Pixel electrode, 11... Substrate, 12... Alignment film, 21, 22, 23... Interlayer insulating layer, 31... Conductive layer, 32... Conductive layer, 51... Substrate, 55... Lens surface, 60... Common electrode, 61... Lens layer, 62... Protective layer, 65... Alignment film, 67... Light-shielding layer, 8...Dummy sealing material, 81... First dummy seal, 82... Second dummy seal, 83... Connection part, 90... Pair of large substrates, 91... Large substrate, 92... Large substrate, 100... Element substrate, 200... Opposing substrate, 300, 300B, 300G, 300R... Liquid crystal device, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307... Liquid crystal device, 1000... Projection display device, 1001... Illumination optical system, 1002... Illumination device, 1003... Projection optical system, 1004... Screen, 1005... Control unit, E1... Image signal, G1... Scanning signal, H1... First side, H2... Second side, H3... Third side, H4... Fourth side, L1, L2... Cutting line, R1... Display area, R2... Peripheral area, w31, w33, w34, w35... Spacing, w70, w71, w72... Width, g1, g2, g3, g4, g5... Spacing, g31, g33, g34, g35... Cell gap, d1, d2, d3, d4, d5, d6, d7, d8, d9, d10, d11... Spacing, t1, t2, t3, t4... Thickness, Lc... Liquid crystal layer

Claims

1. A pair of substrates, A frame-shaped sealing material provided between the pair of substrates, A liquid crystal layer provided inside the sealing material, and comprising: The sealing material has a first portion along a first side of one of the pair of substrates and a second portion along a second side of the one substrate opposite to the first side. The thickness of the second portion is greater than the thickness of the first portion. An electro-optical device.

2. The distance between the pair of substrates is greater for the location where the second portion is disposed than for the central portion of the display region. The electro-optical device according to claim 1.

3. The distance between the pair of substrates is greater for the location where the first portion is disposed than for the central portion of the display region. The electro-optical device according to claim 2.

4. The distance between the pair of substrates is greater for the location where the second portion is disposed than for the location where the first portion is disposed. The electro-optical device according to claim 1.

5. A pair of substrates, A frame-shaped sealing material provided between the pair of substrates, A liquid crystal layer provided inside the sealing material, and comprising: The sealing material has a first portion along a first side of one of the pair of substrates and a second portion along a second side of the one substrate opposite to the first side. In plan view, the distance between the first side and the first portion is greater than the distance between the second side and the second portion. An electro-optical device.

6. In plan view, the distance between the second portion and the display region is greater than the distance between the first portion and the display region. The electro-optical device according to claim 5.

7. A pair of substrates, A frame-shaped sealing material provided between the pair of substrates, A liquid crystal layer provided inside the sealing material, and comprising: The sealing material has a first portion along a first side of one of the pair of substrates and a second portion along a second side of the one substrate opposite to the first side. In plan view, the width of the first portion and the width of the second portion are different. An electro-optical device.

8. In plan view, the first portion has a protruding portion protruding from the main body portion of the sealing material toward the display region side. The electro-optical device according to claim 7.

9. In plan view, the first portion has a first extending portion extending toward the first side, and the second portion has a second extending portion extending toward the second side. The electro-optical device according to claim 8.

10. A pair of substrates, A frame-shaped sealing material provided between the pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer provided inside the sealing material, and a plurality of columnar members provided between the display region and the sealing material. The sealing material has a first portion along a first side of one of the pair of substrates and a second portion along a second side of the one substrate that faces the first side. The number of the plurality of columnar members is larger in the region between the first portion and the display region than in the region between the second portion and the display region. An electro-optical device. **Claim 11** The plurality of columnar members are provided only in the region between the first portion and the display region. The electro-optical device according to claim 10. **Claim 12** An electronic device including the electro-optical device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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