Liquid crystal devices and electronic equipment

Abstract

To provide a liquid crystal device that can suppress the degradation of liquid crystals. [Solution] The liquid crystal apparatus 300 comprises a liquid crystal layer Lc, a pixel electrode 30, a vapor-deposited film 11 between the liquid crystal layer Lc and the pixel electrode 30 having a column c11 along the thickness direction Td of the pixel electrode 30, a vapor-deposited film 12 between the liquid crystal layer Lc and the vapor-deposited film 11 having a column c12 along a direction d1 having an angle θ1 with respect to the thickness direction Td, and a vapor-deposited film 13 between the liquid crystal layer Lc and the vapor-deposited film 12, formed such that its film thickness t3 is thinner than that of the vapor-deposited film 12 and having a column c13 along a direction d2 having an angle θ2 greater than the angle θ1 with respect to the thickness direction Td.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid crystal device and an electronic device including the liquid crystal device.

Background Art

[0002] A liquid crystal device including an alignment film made of a vapor deposition film formed of an inorganic material as an alignment film for aligning liquid crystal is known. The liquid crystal device described in Patent Document 1 has an underlayer film formed on a pixel electrode and an alignment film provided on the underlayer film. The underlayer film and the alignment film are each a vapor deposition film formed of an inorganic material. The underlayer film is a vertical vapor deposition film having columnar structures arranged in a state where the angle formed with the substrate surface is perpendicular. The alignment film is an oblique vapor deposition film having columnar structures arranged in a state where the angle formed with the substrate surface is oblique. The underlayer film is a film having a greater thickness and denser than the alignment film, and prevents moisture from entering the pixel electrode.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Since the oblique vapor deposition film has a low film density, liquid crystal infiltrates into internal voids, and silanol groups (SiOH) are formed at the interface. And the silanol groups have high reactivity, particularly high photochemical reactivity, and may react with the liquid crystal to deteriorate the liquid crystal. A liquid crystal device according to one aspect of the present application is a liquid crystal device including an alignment film containing an oblique vapor deposition film, and an object thereof is to suppress deterioration of the liquid crystal.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A liquid crystal apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a liquid crystal layer, an electrode, a first vapor-deposited film having a first column along the thickness direction of the electrode between the liquid crystal layer and the electrode, a second vapor-deposited film having a second column along a first direction having a first angle with respect to the thickness direction between the liquid crystal layer and the first vapor-deposited film, and a third vapor-deposited film formed between the liquid crystal layer and the second vapor-deposited film such that it is thinner than the second vapor-deposited film and has a third column along a second direction having a second angle greater than the first angle with respect to the thickness direction.

[0006] An electronic device according to one aspect of the present application comprises the liquid crystal device described above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A plan view of the liquid crystal device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal device along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] A wiring diagram showing the circuit configuration of a liquid crystal display device. [Figure 4] A partially enlarged plan view of area IV in Figure 1. [Figure 5] A partial cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal device along the VV line in Figure 4. [Figure 6A] A side view showing the structure of the orientation film. [Figure 6B] A plan view showing the structure of the orientation film. [Figure 7A] A side view showing the structure of the orientation film of Comparative Example 1. [Figure 7B] A plan view showing the structure of the orientation film of Comparative Example 1. [Figure 8] A flowchart illustrating the manufacturing method of the orientation film. [Figure 9] An explanatory diagram showing the planar structure inside the chamber where the orientation film is deposited. [Figure 10] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for depositing an oriented film in a chamber. [Figure 11] Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for depositing an oriented film in a chamber. [Figure 12] A table showing the film deposition conditions for vapor-deposited films. [Figure 13] Side view showing the structure of the vapor deposition film according to the modified example. [Figure 14] Table showing the film formation conditions of the vapor deposition film according to the modified example. [Figure 15] Schematic diagram showing an example of an electronic device according to Embodiment 2.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, for ease of viewing each component, the scale of the dimensions may be varied depending on the component.

[0009] Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis orthogonal to each other will be appropriately used for explanation. Also, one direction along the X-axis is denoted as the X1 direction, and the direction opposite to the X1 direction is denoted as the X2 direction. One direction along the Y-axis is denoted as the Y1 direction, and the direction opposite to the Y1 direction is denoted as the Y2 direction. One direction along the Z-axis is denoted as the Z1 direction, and the direction opposite to the Z1 direction is denoted as the Z2 direction. Hereinafter, viewing in the Z1 direction or Z2 direction is referred to as "plan view", and viewing from the perpendicular direction with respect to the cross section including the Z-axis is referred to as "cross-sectional view".

[0010] 1. Embodiment 1 The liquid crystal device 300 is an active drive type transmissive liquid crystal device provided with a TFT (Thin Film Transistor) as a switching element for each pixel P. The liquid crystal device 300 may be a reflective liquid crystal device or a transflective liquid crystal device.

[0011] The liquid crystal device 300 is used, for example, as a light modulation device in the projection display device 1000 described later. In the embodiment, the projection display device 1000 is an example of an electronic device.

[0012] 1.1. Regarding the planar and cross-sectional structures of the liquid crystal device Figure 1 is a plan view showing the planar structure of the liquid crystal device 300. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal device 300, showing the approximate cross-sectional structure of the liquid crystal device 300 along the line II-II in Figure 1.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the liquid crystal device 300 includes a light-transmitting element substrate 100, a light-transmitting opposing substrate 200 positioned opposite the element substrate 100, a frame-shaped sealing member 8 provided between the element substrate 100 and the opposing substrate 200, and a liquid crystal layer Lc. "Light-transmitting" means transmittance to visible light, preferably a visible light transmittance of 50% or more.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the liquid crystal display device 300 has a display area A1 for displaying an image and an outer area A2 located outside the display area A1. Display area A1 is provided with multiple pixels P arranged in a matrix. The pixels P are provided in accordance with their intersections with scan lines 3 and data lines 4, which will be described later.

[0015] The outer region A2 is provided with a scan line drive circuit 6, a data line drive circuit 7, a sealing member 8, and terminals 9, etc. The shape of the liquid crystal device 300 and the display area A1 shown in Figure 1 is rectangular, but it may be other shapes, such as circular.

[0016] The scan line drive circuit 6 supplies a scan signal to the pixel P. In Embodiment 1, the scan line drive circuit 6 is provided along each of the two opposing short sides of the display area A1 of the element substrate 100. The scan line drive circuit 6 may consist of only one of these sides.

[0017] The data line driving circuit 7 is provided along the long side of the display area A1 of the element substrate 100 and supplies image signals to the pixels P.

[0018] Multiple terminals 9 are arranged along the long side of the element substrate 100. These terminals 9 are mounting terminals on which external connection lines, such as FPCs (Flexible Printed Circuits) (not shown), are mounted. Various signals, such as image signals, synchronization signals, inspection signals, common potential, and power supply potential, are supplied to each of the terminals 9 from the outside via the external connection lines.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the element substrate 100 and the opposing substrate 200 are arranged with a liquid crystal layer Lc in between. In Embodiment 1, a counter substrate 200 is placed on the light incidence side of the liquid crystal layer Lc, and an element substrate 100 is placed 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 element substrate 100 as modulated light ML.

[0020] The element substrate 100 includes a base body 50, an interlayer insulating layer 40 provided on the base body 50, a pixel electrode 30 provided on the interlayer insulating layer 40, and an alignment film 10 provided on the pixel electrode 30.

[0021] The substrate 50 is, for example, a glass substrate or a quartz substrate. The interlayer insulating layer 40 is formed from an inorganic material such as silicon oxide. The interlayer insulating layer 40 includes multiple insulating layers, and between the multiple insulating layers, transistors 1, scan lines 3, data lines 4, and capacitance lines 5, which will be described later, are provided.

[0022] A pixel electrode 30 is provided for each pixel P. The pixel electrode 30 is made of a light-transmitting conductive material such as ITO (Indium tin oxide) or IZO (Indium zinc oxide). The orientation film 10 is an inorganic orientation film consisting of a vapor-deposited film of an inorganic material. Examples of inorganic materials that can be used include SiO, SiO2, TiO2, MgO, Al2O3, etc.

[0023] The opposing substrate 200 includes a base body 80, an insulating layer 70 provided on the surface of the base body 80 facing the pixel electrode 30, a common electrode 60 provided on the insulating layer 70, and an alignment film 20 provided on the common electrode 60, etc.

[0024] The substrate 80 is, for example, a glass substrate or a quartz substrate. The insulating layer 70 is formed from an inorganic material such as silicon oxide. The common electrode 60 is an electrode positioned opposite to the multiple pixel electrodes 30, and can be described as a counter electrode. The common electrode 60 is made of the same material as the pixel electrodes 30.

[0025] A common potential is supplied to the common electrode 60 from the outside via terminal 9 and wiring (not shown) and a conductive portion between the substrate. The common electrode 60 and the pixel electrode 30 apply an electric field to the liquid crystal layer Lc corresponding to the common potential of the common electrode 60 and the pixel potential of the pixel electrode 30.

[0026] The alignment film 20, like the alignment film 10, is an inorganic alignment film made of a vapor-deposited film of an inorganic material. In Embodiment 1, the alignment film 10 and the alignment film 20 are each composed of six stacked vapor-deposited films. In Embodiment 1, the configuration of the vapor-deposited films in each layer of the alignment film 10 and the alignment film 20 is devised in order to suppress the degradation of the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal layer Lc. The configuration of the alignment film 10 and the alignment film 20 will be described in Section 1.3 below.

[0027] The sealing member 8 is placed between the element substrate 100 and the opposing substrate 200. The sealing member 8 is formed using an adhesive containing various curable resins, such as epoxy resin. The sealing member 8 may also include a gap material made of an inorganic material such as glass.

[0028] The liquid crystal layer Lc is located within the region enclosed by the element substrate 100, the opposing substrate 200, and the sealing member 8. The liquid crystal layer Lc is an electro-optic layer whose optical properties change in response to the electric field provided by the pixel electrode 30 and the common electrode 60. The liquid crystal layer Lc modulates the incident light IL in response to the applied electric field.

[0029] The liquid crystal layer Lc consists of liquid crystal containing liquid crystal molecules Lm with negative dielectric anisotropy. The liquid crystal molecules Lm are aligned substantially vertically by alignment films 10 and 20. Furthermore, the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules Lm changes according to the electric field applied to the liquid crystal layer Lc. In this way, the liquid crystal apparatus 300 is configured as a normally black VA mode liquid crystal apparatus 300.

[0030] 1.2. Circuit configuration of liquid crystal devices Figure 3 is a wiring diagram showing the circuit configuration of the liquid crystal device 300, and shows the circuit configuration provided on the element substrate 100. As shown in Figure 3, the display area A1 of the element substrate 100 is provided with multiple transistors 1, n scan lines 3, m data lines 4, m capacitance lines 5, pixel electrodes 30, and capacitance elements 2. n and m are integers of 2 or greater.

[0031] Pixels P are provided corresponding to each intersection of n scan lines 3 and m data lines 4. Each of the n scan lines 3 is supplied with a scan signal G1, G2, ..., Gn from the scan line drive circuit 6. Each of the m data lines 4 is supplied with image signals E1, E2, ..., Em from the data line drive circuit 7. A common potential is supplied to the capacitance line 5 via terminal 9.

[0032] 1.3. About the composition of the orientation film The configurations of the alignment film 10 and the alignment film 20 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7B. Figure 4 is a partially enlarged plan view of region IV in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a partially cross-sectional view of the liquid crystal apparatus 300 along the VV line in Figure 4. The VV line is parallel to the clear viewing direction Bd, and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along the clear viewing direction Bd. Figure 6A is a side view showing the structure of the alignment film 10, illustrating the image of the stacked structure of the column c10 constituting the alignment film 10. Figure 6B is a plan view showing the structure of the alignment film 10, illustrating the image of the stacked structure of the column c10 constituting the alignment film 10. Figure 7A is a side view showing the structure of the alignment film 101 of Comparative Example 1, illustrating the image of the stacked structure of the column c101 constituting the alignment film 101. Figure 7B is a plan view showing the structure of the alignment film 101 of Comparative Example 1, illustrating the image of the stacked structure of the column c101 constituting the alignment film 101.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, the bright viewing direction Bd is the direction in which the bright viewing direction of pixel P appears brightest in three-dimensional space when displaying white, with the pixel P as the starting point. In other words, it is the direction when the bright viewing direction of pixel P is projected onto the pixel electrode 30.

[0034] As shown in Figure 5, the liquid crystal molecules Lm are oriented in a direction along the clear viewing direction Bd. Furthermore, the liquid crystal molecules Lm are oriented in a direction along the deposition direction Vd of the alignment film 10 and alignment film 20, which will be described later. Therefore, the clear viewing direction Bd and the deposition direction Vd of the alignment film 10 and alignment film 20 are parallel in a plan view. The deposition direction Vd will be explained in section 1.4 below. In Embodiment 1, the clear viewing direction Bd is the direction from the lower left to the upper right in Figure 4 in a plan view.

[0035] The liquid crystal molecules Lm are oriented by the alignment films 10 and 20 so that their long axes are tilted along the viewing direction Bd by a predetermined pre-tilt angle. When an electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer Lc, the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules Lm tilt along the viewing direction at an angle corresponding to the strength of the electric field, as shown by the dashed line.

[0036] The alignment film 10 is composed of six vapor-deposited films 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 stacked in order from the pixel electrode 30 side. The bottommost first layer vapor-deposited film 11 is a vertical layer consisting of a vertical vapor-deposited film, and the vapor-deposited films 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 from the second to the top sixth layer are oblique layers consisting of oblique vapor-deposited films. In Embodiment 1, the pixel electrode 30 is an example of an electrode, vapor-deposited film 11 is an example of a first vapor-deposited film, vapor-deposited film 12 is an example of a second vapor-deposited film, vapor-deposited film 13 is an example of a third vapor-deposited film, vapor-deposited film 14 is an example of a fourth vapor-deposited film, vapor-deposited film 15 is an example of a fifth vapor-deposited film, and vapor-deposited film 16 is an example of a sixth vapor-deposited film.

[0037] The deposited films 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 are formed such that the first layer, deposited film 11, has the highest film density, and the film density decreases as you move upwards. In other words, deposited film 11 is the densest film with the narrowest vacancies Gp, while deposited film 16 is the most porous film with the widest vacancies Gp. By forming a relatively low-density film on top of a relatively high-density film in this way, the defects in the low-density film can be reduced. In other words, an improvement in density can be achieved.

[0038] The voids Gp are gaps between adjacent columns c10, and are open voids on the liquid crystal layer Lc side. The vapor-deposited films 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 formed by the vapor deposition method have a film density of about 80% of the ideal film density, so there are voids equivalent to the remaining 20%, or in other words, voids due to the absence of atoms. These voids are not evenly scattered, but rather, due to the nature of vapor deposition, a certain degree of aggregation occurs. As a result, columnar structures grow in the formed vapor-deposited films 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, and the voids are concentrated between them, forming the voids Gp.

[0039] The alignment film 20 is composed of six vapor-deposited films 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 stacked in order from the common electrode 60 side. The bottommost first layer vapor-deposited film 21 is a vertical layer consisting of a vertical vapor-deposited film, and the vapor-deposited films 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 from the second to the top sixth layer are oblique layers consisting of oblique vapor-deposited films. In Embodiment 1, the common electrode 60 is an example of an electrode, vapor-deposited film 21 is an example of a first vapor-deposited film, vapor-deposited film 22 is an example of a second vapor-deposited film, vapor-deposited film 23 is an example of a third vapor-deposited film, vapor-deposited film 24 is an example of a fourth vapor-deposited film, vapor-deposited film 25 is an example of a fifth vapor-deposited film, and vapor-deposited film 26 is an example of a sixth vapor-deposited film.

[0040] The vapor-deposited films 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 are formed such that the first layer, vapor-deposited film 21, has the highest film density, and the film density decreases as you move upwards. In other words, vapor-deposited film 21 is the densest film with the narrowest vacancies Gp, while vapor-deposited film 26 is the most porous film with the widest vacancies Gp.

[0041] The film densities of the deposited films 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 can be controlled by using the deposition conditions described later.

[0042] The film densities of the deposited films 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 can be indirectly confirmed by cross-sectional TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) images of the oriented film 10. In the cross-sectional TEM images, the deposited films 11 and 21, which have high film densities, are displayed in the darkest colors, and the colors become lighter as the film density decreases, with deposited films 16 and 26 displayed in the lightest colors.

[0043] The orientation film 10 consists of an assembly of multiple columns c10 grown in a columnar shape by depositing inorganic material vertically or obliquely. As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the columns c10 have a columnar structure. The columns c10 can also be described as having a columnar structure.

[0044] The reason why column c10 has a columnar structure is as follows: During deposition, the deposited particles are melted and heated by an electron beam, and when the sublimated particles land on the film surface with their energy, they undergo rearrangement and try to form a stable state by combining with other nearby deposited particles. Therefore, if the number of deposited particles that land is insufficient, aggregation occurs and grows starting from randomly generated nuclei, resulting in the formation of a columnar structure.

[0045] As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, column c10 is formed by stacking columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16, each having a columnar structure, in that order. Columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16 can also be described as having columnar structures. In Embodiment 1, column c11 is an example of a first column, column c12 is an example of a second column, column c13 is an example of a third column, column c14 is an example of a fourth column, column c15 is an example of a fifth column, and column c16 is an example of a sixth column.

[0046] The formation of column c10 begins with the formation of a columnar structure of the starting column c11. Then, using column c11 as a nucleus, the columnar structure of column c12 is formed on top of column c11. Next, the columnar structure of column c13 is formed on top of column c12, the columnar structure of column c14 is formed on top of column c13, the columnar structure of column c15 is formed on top of column c14, and the columnar structure of column c16 is formed on top of column c15.

[0047] Columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16 each have a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, where the lower base on the pixel electrode 30 side is longer than the upper base on the liquid crystal layer Lc side, and the upper base on the liquid crystal layer Lc side is shorter than the lower base on the pixel electrode 30 side. Also, in a plan view, columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16 each have an area on the pixel electrode 30 side that is larger than the area on the liquid crystal layer Lc side, and an area on the liquid crystal layer Lc side that is smaller than the area on the pixel electrode 30 side. In other words, columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16 each have a shape like a frustum of a cone or a frustum of a pyramidal pyramid.

[0048] Since columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16 each have a shape like a frustum of a cone or a frustum of a pyramid, columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16 become narrower as you move towards the upper layers. Consequently, the voids Gp between adjacent columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16 become wider as you move towards the upper layers.

[0049] The vapor-deposited film 11 consists of multiple columns c11, the vapor-deposited film 12 consists of multiple columns c12, the vapor-deposited film 13 consists of multiple columns c13, the vapor-deposited film 14 consists of multiple columns c14, the vapor-deposited film 15 consists of multiple columns c15, and the vapor-deposited film 16 consists of multiple columns c16. Furthermore, the columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16 that make up each of the vapor-deposited films 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 become narrower as they go higher up. Therefore, the vapor-deposited films 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 are formed such that the first layer, vapor-deposited film 11, has the highest film density, and the film density decreases as you go higher up.

[0050] The vapor-deposited film 11 has a film thickness t1, the vapor-deposited film 12 has a film thickness t2 that is thinner than the film thickness t1 of vapor-deposited film 11, the vapor-deposited film 13 has a film thickness t3 that is thinner than the film thickness t2 of vapor-deposited film 12, the vapor-deposited film 14 has a film thickness t4 that is thinner than the film thickness t3 of vapor-deposited film 13, the vapor-deposited film 15 has a film thickness t5 that is thinner than the film thickness t4 of vapor-deposited film 14, and the vapor-deposited film 16 has a film thickness t6 that is thinner than the film thickness t5 of vapor-deposited film 15. The film thicknesses t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, and t6 can also be rephrased as the heights of columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16.

[0051] Columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16 each have a trapezoidal shape, with a wider lower base on the pixel electrode 30 side and a narrower upper base on the liquid crystal layer Lc side. Because the growth of columnar structures is limited to the locations where their nuclei are generated, the columnar structures become thinner as they go higher up the layer. Therefore, columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16 each form a trapezoidal shape. Consequently, the voids Gp between adjacent columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16 become wider as they go higher up the layer.

[0052] Column c11 has a columnar structure aligned with the thickness direction Td of the pixel electrode 30. The thickness direction Td may also be described as the direction normal to the substrate surface of the element substrate 100.

[0053] Column c12 has a columnar structure along a direction d1 having an angle θ1 with respect to the thickness direction Td. In Embodiment 1, angle θ1 is an example of a first angle, and direction d1 is an example of a first direction.

[0054] Column c13 has a columnar structure along a direction d2 having an angle θ2 greater than angle θ1 with respect to the thickness direction Td. In Embodiment 1, angle θ2 is an example of a second angle, and direction d2 is an example of a second direction.

[0055] Column c14 has a columnar structure along direction d3, which has an angle θ3 greater than angle θ2 with respect to the thickness direction Td. In Embodiment 1, angle θ3 is an example of a third angle, and direction d3 is an example of a third direction.

[0056] Column c15 has a columnar structure along a direction d4 having an angle θ4 greater than angle θ3 with respect to the thickness direction Td. In Embodiment 1, angle θ4 is an example of a fourth angle, and direction d4 is an example of a fourth direction.

[0057] Column c16 has a columnar structure along direction d5, which has an angle θ5 greater than angle θ4 with respect to the thickness direction Td. In Embodiment 1, angle θ5 is an example of a fifth angle, and direction d5 is an example of a fifth direction.

[0058] Thus, columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16 are arranged so as to be sequentially offset from column c11 in a plan view, and are formed so that the inclination gradually increases from the bottom vertical layer. As a result, the narrowing of the columnar structure is suppressed compared to a structure that does not have such a structure, for example, the one described in Comparative Example 1, which will be described later. In other words, the configuration of Embodiment 1 suppresses the tendency of each columnar structure of columns c11, c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16 to taper compared to the one described in Comparative Example 1, which will be described later.

[0059] Therefore, according to Embodiment 1, the pores Gp are narrower compared to those described in Comparative Example 1, which will be described later. In other words, the number of silanol groups formed at the interfaces of the deposited films 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 is suppressed, and thus the degradation of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer Lc is suppressed.

[0060] The alignment film 20, like the alignment film 10, consists of an assembly of multiple columns c20 grown in a columnar shape by depositing inorganic material vertically or obliquely. Like the column c10, the column c20 has a columnar structure. The column c20 can also be described as having a columnar structure.

[0061] Column c20 is formed by stacking columns c21, c22, c23, c24, c25, and c26, each having a columnar structure, in that order. Columns c21, c22, c23, c24, c25, and c26 can also be described as having columnar structures. In Embodiment 1, column c21 is an example of a first column, column c22 is an example of a second column, column c23 is an example of a third column, column c24 is an example of a fourth column, column c25 is an example of a fifth column, and column c26 is an example of a sixth column.

[0062] The formation of column c20 begins with the formation of a columnar structure of the starting column c21. Then, using column c21 as a nucleus, the columnar structure of column c22 is formed on top of column c21. Next, the columnar structure of column c23 is formed on top of column c22, the columnar structure of column c24 is formed on top of column c23, the columnar structure of column c25 is formed on top of column c24, and the columnar structure of column c26 is formed on top of column c25.

[0063] Columns c21, c22, c23, c24, c25, and c26 each have a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, where the lower base on the common electrode 60 side is longer than the upper base on the liquid crystal layer Lc side, and the upper base on the liquid crystal layer Lc side is shorter than the lower base on the common electrode 60 side. Furthermore, in a plan view, columns c21, c22, c23, c24, c25, and c26 each have a larger area on the common electrode 60 side than the liquid crystal layer Lc side, and a smaller area on the liquid crystal layer Lc side than the common electrode 60 side. In other words, columns c21, c22, c23, c24, c25, and c26 each have a shape resembling a frustum of a cone or a frustum of a pyramidal pyramid.

[0064] Since columns c21, c22, c23, c24, c25, and c26 each have a shape like a frustum of a cone or a frustum of a pyramid, columns c21, c22, c23, c24, c25, and c26 become narrower as you move towards the upper layers. Therefore, the voids Gp between adjacent columns c21, c22, c23, c24, c25, and c26 become wider as you move towards the upper layers.

[0065] The vapor-deposited film 21 consists of multiple columns c21, the vapor-deposited film 22 consists of multiple columns c22, the vapor-deposited film 23 consists of multiple columns c23, the vapor-deposited film 24 consists of multiple columns c24, the vapor-deposited film 25 consists of multiple columns c25, and the vapor-deposited film 26 consists of multiple columns c26. Furthermore, the columns c21, c22, c23, c24, c25, and c26 that make up each of the vapor-deposited films 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 become narrower as they go higher up. Therefore, the vapor-deposited films 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 are formed such that the first layer, vapor-deposited film 21, has the highest film density, and the film density decreases as you go higher up.

[0066] Similar to column c10, columns c21, c22, c23, c24, c25, and c26 are formed such that the slope gradually increases from the bottom vertical layer. Therefore, according to Embodiment 1, the vacancies Gp are narrower compared to Comparative Example 1. In other words, the number of silanol groups formed at the interfaces of the evaporated films 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 is suppressed, and thus the degradation of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer Lc is suppressed.

[0067] 1.3.1. About Comparative Example 1 Figures 7A and 7B show the alignment film 101 of Comparative Example 1. In Figures 7A and 7B, the alignment film 101 is shown on the element substrate side, but the opposing substrate 200 side is configured similarly.

[0068] In Comparative Example 1, the alignment film 101 is composed of six deposited films 111, 121, 131, 141, 151, and 161 stacked sequentially from the pixel electrode 30 side. The alignment film 101 is also composed of multiple columns c101. Column c101 consists of columns c111, c121, c131, c141, c151, and c161, each having a columnar structure.

[0069] In Comparative Example 1, the orientation film 101 has vertically deposited films for the first to third layers 111, 121, and 131, and obliquely deposited films for the fourth to sixth layers 141, 151, and 161. Each of columns c111, c121, and c131 has a columnar structure along the thickness direction Td. Each of columns c141, c151, and c161 has a columnar structure along the direction d10 which has an angle θ10 with respect to the thickness direction Td.

[0070] The sum of the film thicknesses t11, t21, and t31 from the first to third layers of the alignment film 101 in Comparative Example 1 is the same as the sum of the film thicknesses t1, t2, and t3 from the first to third layers of the alignment film 10 in Embodiment 1, and the sum of the film thicknesses t41, t51, and t61 from the fourth to sixth layers of the alignment film 101 in Comparative Example 1 is the same as the sum of the film thicknesses t4, t5, and t6 from the fourth to sixth layers of the alignment film 10 in Embodiment 1.

[0071] Specifically, in Comparative Example 1, the film thickness t11, t21, and t31 of the first to third layers of the alignment film 101 were set to 12.5 nm per layer, totaling 37.5 nm for all three layers, and the film thickness t41, t51, and t61 of the fourth to sixth layers were set to 7 nm per layer, totaling 21 nm for all three layers, and the angle θ10 of column c161 was set to the same angle θ5 as the angle of column c16 in Embodiment 1. In this case, the time until deposition of liquid crystal degradation products was observed on the pixel electrode 30 in the alignment film 10 of Embodiment 1 showed an improvement of about 20% compared to Comparative Example 1.

[0072] 1.4. Method for manufacturing orientation films Next, the manufacturing method of the alignment film 10 will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 12. The manufacturing method of the alignment film 20 will be omitted, but the alignment film 20 can be manufactured in the same manner as the alignment film 10.

[0073] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the manufacturing method of the orientation film 10. Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the planar structure inside the chamber 501 of the vacuum deposition apparatus 500 for depositing the orientation film 10. Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the method for depositing the orientation film 10 inside the chamber 501. Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the method for depositing the orientation film 10 inside the chamber 501. Figure 12 is a table showing the film deposition conditions for deposited films 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.

[0074] As shown in Figure 8, the method for manufacturing the oriented film 10 includes a first vapor deposition film formation step S1 for forming a vapor deposition film 11, a second vapor deposition film formation step S2 for forming a vapor deposition film 12, a third vapor deposition film formation step S3 for forming a vapor deposition film 13, a fourth vapor deposition film formation step S4 for forming a vapor deposition film 14, a fifth vapor deposition film formation step S5 for forming a vapor deposition film 15, and a sixth vapor deposition film formation step S6 for forming a vapor deposition film 16.

[0075] Each of the deposited films 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 of the orientation film 10 is formed in the chamber 501 of the vacuum deposition apparatus 500 shown in Figures 9 to 11. As shown in Figure 9, an electron beam generator 510 and an evaporation source 520 heated by the electron beam emitted from the electron beam generator 510 are provided at the center of the chamber 501.

[0076] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, a quartz crystal oscillator 530 and a thick film monitor 540 are provided above the evaporation source 520 in the chamber 501. The thick film monitor 540 monitors the thickness of the film formed by the deposited particles scattered from the evaporation source 520 by monitoring changes in the vibration characteristics of the quartz crystal oscillator 530.

[0077] Inside the chamber 501 are several substrate holders 550, each holding a wafer substrate (not shown). The wafer substrate has multiple element substrates 100 on which pixel electrodes 30 are formed, or multiple opposing substrates 200 on which common electrodes 60 are formed. In Embodiment 1, six substrate holders 550 are arranged in the chamber 501 at six deposition positions P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6, which are provided at equal angular intervals around an axis L0 extending upward from the evaporation source 520.

[0078] In each of steps S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, and S6, the six substrate holders 550 sequentially move in a clockwise direction Md to the six deposition positions P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6, and stop at each deposition position P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6 for a predetermined time. Then, deposition is performed at each deposition position P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6.

[0079] In this way, by performing film deposition in each step S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, and S6, while going through each deposition position P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, and P6, uniform film deposition can be achieved in each substrate holder 550.

[0080] The substrate holder 550 has an opening 551. The wafer substrate is held within the substrate holder 550 so as to be able to swing in directions R1d and R2d, and as it passes through the opening 551, it receives deposited particles from the deposition direction Vd through the opening 551. The deposition direction Vd represents the trajectory of the deposited particles scattered from the evaporation source 520.

[0081] The substrate holder 550 can change the elevation angle Ea, and in Embodiment 1, film deposition is performed while changing the elevation angle Ea in each step S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6. The elevation angle Ea is the angle between the thickness direction Td and the deposition direction Vd, as shown in Figures 10 and 11. In Figure 10, the thickness direction Td and the deposition direction Vd are parallel, and the elevation angle Ea is 0°.

[0082] Figure 12 shows the film deposition conditions set in the vacuum deposition apparatus 500 for each process S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, and S6. Specifically, Figure 12 shows the set values ​​for the main film deposition parameters during deposition: pressure, elevation angle Ea, melt rate, and film thicknesses t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, and t6.

[0083] The pressure indicates the pressure inside chamber 501. The pressure is set to a higher value as the process progresses towards the formation of the upper layers. In other words, the vacuum level inside chamber 501 decreases as the process progresses towards the formation of the upper layers.

[0084] In Embodiment 1, the pressure is 2.0 × 10⁻¹⁰ in the first deposition film formation step S1 for forming the first deposition film 11 and the second deposition film formation step S2 for forming the second deposition film 12. -3 Set to Pa.

[0085] In steps S2, S3, S4, S5, and S6, which form the orthorhombic layer vapor-deposited films 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, the pressure is set to be higher as the process of forming the upper layer vapor-deposited film progresses. In Embodiment 1, the pressure is 3.0 × 10⁻¹⁰ in the third vapor-deposited film formation step S3, which forms the vapor-deposited film 13 as the third vapor-deposited film. -3 In the fourth deposition film formation step S4, which is set to Pa and forms a deposition film 14 as the fourth deposition film, 4.5 × 10 -3 In the fifth deposition film formation step S5, which is set to Pa and forms a deposition film 15 as the fifth deposition film, the setting is 5.0 × 10 -3 In the sixth deposition film formation step S6, which is set to Pa and forms a deposition film 16 as the sixth deposition film, 5.5 × 10 -3 Set to Pa.

[0086] The elevation angle Ea is set to a larger value as the formation process of the upper layers progresses. In the first vapor deposition film formation step S1, as shown in Figure 10, the elevation angle Ea of the substrate holder 550 is set so that the thickness direction Td and the deposition direction Vd are parallel, in other words, the elevation angle Ea is 0°.

[0087] In steps S2, S3, S4, S5, and S6, the angle of the substrate holder 550 is set so that the elevation angle Ea is 15°, 30°, 41°, 44°, and 47°, respectively.

[0088] In terms of melting rate, the melting rates of the upper layers S4, S5, and S6 are set to be lower than those of the lower layers S1, S2, and S3. In Embodiment 1, the melting rates of the upper layers S1, S2, and S3 are set to 1.5 nm / second, and the melting rates of the lower layers S4, S5, and S6 are set to 1.0 nm / second.

[0089] The film thicknesses t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, and t6 of the evaporated films 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 are formed such that the film thickness t1 of the bottom layer evaporated film 11 is the thickest, and the thicknesses decrease as the layers get higher. In Embodiment 1, the film thicknesses t1 is 13.5 nm, t2 is 12.5 nm, t3 is 11.5 nm, t4 is 8 nm, t5 is 7 nm, and t6 is 6 nm.

[0090] Thus, the pressure, elevation angle Ea, melt rate, and film thickness t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, and t6 settings are all configured so that the deposition conditions become more porous as the process progresses. Therefore, the deposited films 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 are formed such that the first layer, deposited film 11, has the highest film density, and the film density decreases as the layers progress upwards.

[0091] In Embodiment 1, a preferred example of the alignment film 10 was described as consisting of one vertical layer and five oblique layers, but the alignment film 10 is not limited to this. For example, the alignment film 10 may consist of one vertical layer and two oblique layers, as shown in the modified example in the next section. Alternatively, the alignment film 10 may consist of one vertical layer and three, four, or six or more oblique layers.

[0092] 1.5. Variations Next, the orientation film 102 according to the modified example will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. Figure 13 is a side view showing the structure of the orientation film 102 according to the modified example, illustrating the image of the stacked structure of the column c102 that constitutes the orientation film 102. Figure 14 is a table showing the film deposition conditions for the orientation film 102 according to the modified example.

[0093] The oriented film 102 in the modified example consists of an assembly of multiple columns c102 grown in a columnar shape by depositing inorganic material vertically or obliquely. The columns c102 have a columnar structure. The columns c102 can also be described as having a columnar structure.

[0094] Column c102 is formed by stacking columns c112, c122, and c132, each having a columnar structure, in that order. Columns c112, c122, and c132 can also be described as having columnar structures. In the modified example, column c112 is an example of the first column, column c122 is an example of the second column, and column c132 is an example of the third column.

[0095] The formation of column c102 begins with the formation of the starting column c112, followed by the formation of the columnar structure of column c122 on top of column c112, using column c112 as a nucleus. Next, the columnar structure of column c132 is formed on top of column c122.

[0096] Columns c112, c122, and c132 each have a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape, where the lower base on the pixel electrode 30 side is longer than the upper base on the liquid crystal layer Lc side, and the upper base on the liquid crystal layer Lc side is shorter than the lower base on the pixel electrode 30 side. Furthermore, in a plan view, columns c112, c122, and c132 each have a larger area on the pixel electrode 30 side than the area on the liquid crystal layer Lc side, and a smaller area on the liquid crystal layer Lc side than the area on the pixel electrode 30 side. In other words, columns c112, c122, and c132 each have a shape resembling a frustum of a cone or a frustum of a pyramidal pyramid.

[0097] Since columns c112, c122, and c132 each have a shape resembling a frustum of a cone or a frustum of a pyramid, columns c112, c122, and c132 become narrower as they move towards the upper layers. Consequently, the voids Gp between adjacent columns c112, c122, and c132 become wider as they move towards the upper layers.

[0098] The vapor-deposited film 112 consists of multiple columns c112, the vapor-deposited film 122 consists of multiple columns c122, and the vapor-deposited film 132 consists of multiple columns c132. Furthermore, the columns c112, c122, and c132 that make up each of the vapor-deposited films 112, 122, and 132 become narrower as they go higher up. Therefore, the vapor-deposited films 112, 122, and 132 are formed such that the first layer, vapor-deposited film 112, has the highest film density, and the film density decreases as you go higher up.

[0099] The vapor-deposited film 112 has a film thickness t12, the vapor-deposited film 122 has a film thickness t22 which is thinner than the film thickness t12 of vapor-deposited film 112, and the vapor-deposited film 132 has a film thickness t32 which is thinner than the film thickness t22 of vapor-deposited film 122. The film thicknesses t12, t22, and t32 can also be rephrased as the heights of columns c112, c122, and c132.

[0100] Columns c112, c122, and c132 each have a trapezoidal shape, with a wider lower base on the pixel electrode 30 side and a narrower upper base on the liquid crystal layer Lc side. Because the growth of columnar structures is limited to the locations where nuclei are generated, the columnar structures become thinner as they go higher up the layer. Therefore, columns c112, c122, and c132 each form a trapezoidal shape. Consequently, the pores Gp between adjacent columns c112, c122, and c132 become wider as they go higher up the layer.

[0101] Column c112 has a columnar structure along the thickness direction Td of the pixel electrode 30. Column c122 has a columnar structure along direction d12, which has an angle θ12 with respect to the thickness direction Td. In the modified example, angle θ12 is an example of a first angle, and direction d12 is an example of a first direction.

[0102] Column c132 has a columnar structure along direction d22, which has an angle θ22 greater than the angle θ12 with respect to the thickness direction Td. In the modified example, angle θ22 is an example of a second angle, and direction d22 is an example of a second direction.

[0103] Thus, columns c112, c122, and c132 are arranged so as to be sequentially offset from column c112 in a plan view, and are formed so that the inclination gradually increases from the bottom vertical layer. As a result, the narrowing of the columnar structure is suppressed compared to a structure without such a configuration. In other words, the modified configuration suppresses the tendency for each columnar structure of columns c112, c122, and c132 to taper, similar to the first embodiment described above.

[0104] Therefore, according to the modified embodiment, the pores Gp become narrower, similar to Embodiment 1 described above. In other words, the number of silanol groups formed at the interfaces of the deposited films 112, 122, and 132 is suppressed, thereby suppressing the degradation of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer Lc.

[0105] As shown in Figure 14, the pressure inside the chamber 501 when forming the orientation film 102 in the modified example is set to a higher value as the upper layer is formed, similar to Embodiment 1. In the modified example, the pressure is 2.0 × 10⁻⁶ in the step of forming the vapor-deposited film 112 as the first vapor-deposited film. -3 The setting is Pa, and in the process of forming the second deposited film 122, the setting is 5.0 × 10 -3 The setting is Pa, and in the process of forming the deposited film 132 as the third deposited film, 5.5 × 10 -3 Set to Pa.

[0106] In the modified example, the elevation angle Ea when forming the orientation film 102 is set to a larger value as the upper layer formation process progresses, similar to Embodiment 1. In the modified example, the elevation angle Ea is set to 0° in the process of forming the first vapor-deposited film 112, to 44° in the process of forming the second vapor-deposited film 122, and to 47° in the process of forming the third vapor-deposited film 132.

[0107] In the modified example, the melting rate when forming the orientation film 102 is set to a lower melting rate in the upper layer process than in the lower layer process, similar to Embodiment 1. In the modified example, the melting rate is set to 1.5 nm / second in the process of forming the first vapor-deposited film 112, and to 1.0 nm / second in the process of forming the second vapor-deposited film 122 and the process of forming the third vapor-deposited film 132.

[0108] The film thicknesses t12, t22, and t32 of the deposited films 112, 122, and 132 are formed such that the bottom layer, deposited film 112, is the thickest, and the thickness decreases as the layers get higher. In a modified example, the film thicknesses t12 is 12.5 nm, t22 is 7.5 nm, and t32 is 6.5 nm.

[0109] In the modified alignment film 102, the time until deposition of liquid crystal degradation material was observed on the pixel electrode 30 showed an improvement of about 10% compared to Comparative Example 2 (not shown). Here, the alignment film of Comparative Example 2 has a thickness of 12.5 nm for the single vertical layer, the same as the deposited film 112, a thickness of 14 nm for the two oblique layers, the same as the sum of the deposited films 122 and 132, and the angle of each column in the two oblique layers is the same as the angle θ22 of column c132.

[0110] As described above, the liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 1 provides the following advantages. The liquid crystal apparatus 300 of Embodiment 1 comprises a liquid crystal layer Lc, a pixel electrode 30 as an electrode, a vapor-deposited film 11 as a first vapor-deposited film having a column c11 as a first column along the thickness direction Td of the pixel electrode 30 between the liquid crystal layer Lc and the pixel electrode 30, a vapor-deposited film 12 as a second vapor-deposited film having a column c12 as a second column along a direction d1 as a first direction having an angle θ1 as a first angle with respect to the thickness direction Td between the liquid crystal layer Lc and the vapor-deposited film 11, and a vapor-deposited film 13 as a third vapor-deposited film having a column c13 as a third column along a direction d2 as a second direction having an angle θ2 as a second angle greater than the angle θ1 with respect to the thickness direction Td, formed between the liquid crystal layer Lc and the vapor-deposited film 12, with a film thickness t3 thinner than the vapor-deposited film 12.

[0111] Thus, in Embodiment 1, the alignment film 10 has a vertical layer made of a vapor-deposited film 11, and an oblique layer made of a vapor-deposited film 12 and a vapor-deposited film 13 on the vapor-deposited film 11, which have columns that are inclined more obliquely towards the upper layer and have thinner films towards the upper layer. Therefore, according to Embodiment 1, a liquid crystal apparatus 300 can be realized in which the liquid crystal layer Lc can be properly aligned and the degradation of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer Lc can be suppressed.

[0112] In the liquid crystal apparatus 300 of Embodiment 1, the alignment film 10 includes a fourth vapor-deposited film 14 having a column c14 as a fourth column along a third direction d3 having an angle θ3 as a third angle greater than the second angle θ2 with respect to the thickness direction Td, between the liquid crystal layer Lc and the vapor-deposited film 13 as a third vapor-deposited film; a fifth vapor-deposited film 15 having a column c15 as a fifth column along a fourth direction d4 having an angle θ4 as a fourth angle greater than the angle θ3 with respect to the thickness direction Td, between the liquid crystal layer Lc and the vapor-deposited film 14; and a sixth vapor-deposited film 16 having a column c16 as a sixth column along a fifth direction d5 having an angle θ5 as a fifth angle greater than the angle θ4 with respect to the thickness direction Td.

[0113] Thus, in Embodiment 1, the alignment film 10 has, as an oblique layer, deposited films 14, 15, and 16 on the deposited film 13, which have columns that are more obliquely inclined towards the top. Therefore, according to Embodiment 1, a liquid crystal apparatus 300 can be realized in which the liquid crystal layer Lc can be properly aligned and the degradation of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer Lc can be suppressed.

[0114] In the liquid crystal apparatus 300 of Embodiment 1, the film thickness t4 of the fourth vapor-deposited film 14 is thinner than the film thickness t3 of the third vapor-deposited film 13, the film thickness t5 of the fifth vapor-deposited film 15 is thinner than the film thickness t4 of the vapor-deposited film 14, and the film thickness t6 of the sixth vapor-deposited film 16 is thinner than the film thickness t5 of the vapor-deposited film 15.

[0115] Thus, in Embodiment 1, the alignment film 10 has deposited films 14, 15, and 16 on the deposited film 13, the thickness of which decreases as the layers get higher (t4, t5, t6). Therefore, according to Embodiment 1, a liquid crystal apparatus 300 can be realized in which the liquid crystal layer Lc can be properly aligned and the degradation of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer Lc can be suppressed.

[0116] In the liquid crystal apparatus 300 of Embodiment 1, column c12 as the second column, column c13 as the third column, column c14 as the fourth column, column c15 as the fifth column, and column c16 as the sixth column are arranged so as to be sequentially offset in the same direction from column c11 in a plan view.

[0117] Thus, in Embodiment 1, the columns c12, c13, c14, c15, and c16 constituting the oblique layer are arranged so as to be sequentially offset along the same direction relative to column c11 in a plan view. Therefore, according to Embodiment 1, a liquid crystal apparatus 300 can be realized in which the liquid crystal layer Lc can be properly aligned and the degradation of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer Lc can be suppressed.

[0118] 2. Embodiment 2 Figure 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an electronic device, and is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of a projection-type display device 1000 as an electronic device. The projection display device 1000 is, for example, a three-panel projector equipped with three of the above-described liquid crystal displays 300. Liquid crystal display 300R corresponds to the red display color, liquid crystal display 300G corresponds to the green display color, and liquid crystal display 300B corresponds to the blue display color. The control unit 1005 includes, for example, a processor and memory, and controls the operation of the liquid crystal displays 300R, 300G, and 300B.

[0119] The illumination optical system 1001 supplies red light RL from the light source illumination device 1002 to the liquid crystal device 300R, green light GL to the liquid crystal device 300G, and blue light BL to the liquid crystal device 300B. Each liquid crystal device 300R, 300G, and 300B functions as an optical modulator that modulates the respective colored lights RL, GL, and BL supplied from the illumination optical system 1001 according to the displayed image. The projection optical system 1003 combines the light emitted from the liquid crystal display unit 300R, the liquid crystal display unit 300G, and the liquid crystal display unit 300B and projects it onto the screen 1004.

[0120] As described above, the projection-type display device 1000 as an electronic device of Embodiment 2 includes the liquid crystal display device 300 described above. Therefore, according to Embodiment 2, the performance of the projection display device 1000 can be improved by adopting the liquid crystal device 300 of Embodiment 1.

[0121] The electronic device is not limited to the three-chip projector exemplified. For example, it may be a single-chip, two-chip, or projector equipped with four or more liquid crystal displays 300. Furthermore, the electronic device may also include smartphones, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), cameras, televisions, car navigation systems, personal computers, displays, e-paper devices, calculators, video phones, and POS (Point of Sale) systems, printers, scanners, copiers, video players, or devices with touch panels.

[0122] Although preferred embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Furthermore, the configuration of each part of the present invention can be replaced with any configuration that performs a similar function to that of the embodiments described above, and any configuration can be added. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0123] 1...Transistor, 2...Capacitance element, 3...Scan line, 4...Data line, 5...Capacitance line, 6...Scan line drive circuit, 7...Data line drive circuit, 8...Sealing material, 9...Terminal, 10...Alignment film, 11,12,13,14,15,16...Deposition film, c10,c11,c12,c13,c14,c15,c16...Column, 20...Alignment film, 21,22,23,24,25,26... Vapor deposition film, c20, c21, c22, c23, c24, c25, c26…column, θ1, θ2, θ3, θ4, θ5…angle, Ea…elevation angle, 30…pixel electrode, 40…interlayer insulating layer, 50…substrate, 60…common electrode, 70…insulating layer, 80…substrate, 100…element substrate, 200…counter substrate, 300, 300B, 300G, 300R…liquid crystal device, 500…vacuum deposition device 501...Chamber, 510...Electron beam generator, 520...Evaporation source, 530...Quartz oscillator, 540...Thick film monitor, 550...Substrate holder, 551...Aperture, 1000...Projection type display device, 1001...Illumination optical system, 1002...Illumination device, 1003...Projection optical system, 1004...Screen, 1005...Control unit, Td...Thickness direction, d1, d2, d3, d 4,d5...direction, t1,t2,t3,t4,t5,t6...film thickness, A1...display area, A2...outer area, E1...image signal, G1...scanning signal, P1,P2,P3,P4,P5,P6 ...Deposition position, Md, R1d, R2d...Direction, 102...Alignment film, 112,122,132...Deposited film, c102,c112,c122,c132...Column, θ12,θ22...Angle

Claims

1. The liquid crystal layer, Electrodes and, An orientation film comprising: a first vapor-deposited film having a first column aligned with the thickness direction of the electrode between the liquid crystal layer and the electrode; a second vapor-deposited film having a second column aligned with a first direction having a first angle with respect to the thickness direction between the liquid crystal layer and the first vapor-deposited film; and a third vapor-deposited film formed between the liquid crystal layer and the second vapor-deposited film such that its thickness is thinner than that of the second vapor-deposited film, and having a third column aligned with a second direction having a second angle greater than the first angle with respect to the thickness direction. Liquid crystal display (LCD) device.

2. The alignment film comprises: a fourth vapor-deposited film having a fourth column aligned in a third direction having a third angle greater than the second angle with respect to the thickness direction between the liquid crystal layer and the third vapor-deposited film; a fifth vapor-deposited film having a fifth column aligned in a fourth direction having a fourth angle greater than the third angle with respect to the thickness direction between the liquid crystal layer and the fourth vapor-deposited film; and a sixth vapor-deposited film having a sixth column aligned in a fifth direction having a fifth angle greater than the fourth angle with respect to the thickness direction between the liquid crystal layer and the fifth vapor-deposited film. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The thickness of the fourth vapor-deposited film is thinner than the thickness of the third vapor-deposited film, the thickness of the fifth vapor-deposited film is thinner than the thickness of the fourth vapor-deposited film, and the thickness of the sixth vapor-deposited film is thinner than the thickness of the fifth vapor-deposited film. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth columns are arranged so as to be sequentially offset from the first column in the same direction when viewed from above. The liquid crystal apparatus according to claim 2.

5. An electronic device comprising a liquid crystal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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