Optical: systems and elements – Optical modulator – Light wave temporal modulation
Reexamination Certificate
2003-06-30
2004-11-23
Dang, Hung Xuan (Department: 2873)
Optical: systems and elements
Optical modulator
Light wave temporal modulation
C359S292000, C349S113000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06822777
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a semi-transparent reflective electro-optic apparatus, electronic equipment using the same, and a method of manufacturing the semi-transparent reflective electro-optic apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to an arrangement of pixels in the semi-transparent reflective electro-optic apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
The related art includes an electro-optic apparatus, such as a liquid crystal apparatus, which is usable as a direct-view-type display for various types of equipment. Of all the types of electro-optic apparatus, for example, in an active matrix liquid crystal apparatus using a TFT as a non-linear pixel-switching element, as shown in FIG.
11
and
FIG. 12
, a TFT array substrate
10
and a counter substrate
20
sandwich liquid crystals
50
used as an electro-optic material. The TFT array substrate
10
is provided with a pixel-switching TFT (Thin Film Transistor)
30
, and a pixel electrode
9
a
composed of a transparent conductive film, such as an ITO film, and electrically connected to the TFT
30
.
In the case of a reflective liquid crystal apparatus, a light-reflecting film
8
a
, which is used to reflect outside light incident from the counter substrate
20
side toward the counter substrate
20
, is formed on the lower layer side of the light-transmitting pixel electrode
9
a
, so that, as indicated by an arrow LA of
FIG. 12
, light incident from the counter substrate
20
side is reflected on the TFT array substrate
10
side, and an image is displayed with light coming out from the counter substrate
20
side (reflection mode).
In the reflective liquid crystal apparatus, however, when light reflected on the light-reflecting film
8
a
has strong light directionality, the dependency on a viewing angle, such as an event that the brightness differs with an angle at which an image is viewed, becomes noticeable. Hence, when a liquid crystal apparatus is fabricated, photosensitive resin, such as acrylic resin, is applied on the surface of an interlayer insulation film
4
or a surface protection film (not shown) formed on the surface thereof, in a thickness of 800 nm to 1500 nm, and a lower layer light-transmitting film
13
a
of a specific pattern made of the photosensitive resin layer is selectively left through the use of the photolithographic technique, so that a concavo-convex pattern
8
g
is provided to the surface of the light-reflecting film
8
a
. If no further treatment is applied, the edge of the lower layer light-transmitting film
13
a
appears directly on the concavo-convex pattern
8
g
. Hence, another layer, that is, an upper layer light-transmitting film
7
a
made of a photosensitive resin layer with high fluidity, is applied and formed atop the lower layer light-transmitting film
13
a
. The concavo-convex pattern
8
g
of an edgeless and smooth shape can be thus provided to the surface of the light-reflecting film
8
a
. For instance, such a concavo-convex pattern is disclosed in JP-A-10-319422.
Of the reflective types of liquid crystal apparatus, in the case of a semi-transparent reflective liquid crystal apparatus capable of display in the transparent mode as well, the light-reflecting film
8
a
is provided with a light-transmitting window
8
d
in a region overlapping the pixel electrode
9
a
on a plane. The region corresponding to the light-transmitting window
8
d
is of a flat plane, because either the lower layer light-transmitting film
13
a
is formed across the entire surface or the lower layer light-transmitting film
13
a
is not formed at all in the region.
In the semi-transparent reflective liquid crystal apparatus arranged in this manner, a backlight device (not shown) is placed on the TFT array substrate
10
side. By allowing light emitted from the backlight device to be incident from the TFT array substrate
10
side, light heading to the light-reflecting film
8
a
does not contribute to display as it is shielded by the light-reflecting film
8
a
as indicated by arrows LB
1
and LB
2
of FIG.
13
. However, as indicated by an arrow LB
0
of FIG.
12
and
FIG. 13
, light heading to the light-transmitting window
8
d
where no light-reflecting film
8
a
is formed passes through the light-transmitting window
8
d
toward the counter substrate
20
, and thereby contributes to display (transparent mode).
Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-377304 discloses a liquid crystal apparatus arranged in this manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the related art semi-transparent reflective liquid crystal apparatus, however, a quantity of display light in the reflection mode and a quantity of display light in the transparent mode are defined totally by the areas of the light-reflecting film
8
a
and the light-transmitting window
8
d
. Hence, there is a problem that when the brightness of display is increased in one mode, the brightness of display in the other mode is sacrificed, and the brightness of display cannot be increased in the both modes.
The invention addresses the above and/or other problems, and provides a semi-transparent reflective electro-optic apparatus capable of increasing a quantity of display light in either of the reflection mode and the transparent mode, and electronic equipment including the same.
In order to address or achieve the above, according to the invention, a semi-transparent reflective electro-optic apparatus is provided including, on a light-transmitting substrate retaining an electro-optic material, a light-transmitting concave and convex forming film which defines specific concave portions and convex portions, and a light-reflecting film formed over the concave and convex forming film, with a light-transmitting window being formed in the light-reflecting film. A back surface of the light-reflecting film includes, in a partial region of a periphery of the light-transmitting window, a light-guiding reflection surface that opposes a surface of the light-reflecting film in a region opposing the partial region with the light-transmitting window in between, so that part of light incident from a back surface side of the light-transmitting substrate is reflected on the light-guiding reflection surface and guided to a surface side of the light-transmitting substrate.
With the semi-transparent reflective electro-optic apparatus to which the invention is applied, display in the reflection mode is possible because the light-reflecting film is formed, and display in the transparent mode is also possible because the light-transmitting window is formed in the light-reflecting film. The back surface of the light-reflecting film includes the light-guiding reflection surface that reflects and guides light incident from the back surface side of the light-transmitting substrate to the surface of the light-reflecting film opposing the light-guiding reflection surface with the light-transmitting window in between. Hence, of the light incident from the back surface side of the light-transmitting substrate on, light that is shielded in the related art by the light-reflecting film and does not contribute to display in the transparent mode is partly reflected on the light-guiding reflection surface and guided to the surface of the light-reflecting film, and thereby contributes to display in the invention. For this reason, a quantity of display light in the transparent mode can be increased without enlarging the area of the light-transmitting window. It is thus possible to enhance the brightness of display in the transparent mode without sacrificing the brightness of display in the reflection mode.
According to the invention, it is preferable that the concave and convex forming film is composed of a lower layer light-transmitting film formed into a specific pattern, and an upper layer light-transmitting film formed on an upper layer side of the lower layer light-transmitting film. When arranged in this manner, even when the lower layer light-transmitting film has edges, the upper layer light-transmitting film eliminat
Dang Hung Xuan
Martinez Joseph
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Seiko Epson Corporation
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