Display apparatus and process for production thereof

Abstract

A display apparatus is constituted by a planar optical modulation device comprising a transparent substrate and a plurality of pixels disposed thereon so as to be each capable of optical modulation thereat, and a masking member disposed on the transparent substrate and with spacings. The making member includes a layer of a metal compound containing C, O and a metal element. The masking member is effective in reducing a degree of reflection of external light (from a viewer side) while maintaining a sufficient light-interrupting property, thus resulting in a display apparatus exhibiting good display performances.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A display apparatus, comprising: 
 a planar optical modulation device comprising a transparent substrate and a plurality of pixels disposed thereon so as to be each capable of optical modulation thereat, and    a masking member disposed on the transparent substrate and with spacings,    wherein said making member includes a layer of a metal compound containing C, O and a metal element.    
     
     
         2 . A display apparatus according to  claim 1 , which further comprises a plurality of color filters disposed in alignment with the pixels and on the transparent substrate at the spacings of said masking member.  
     
     
         3 . A display apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said masking member comprises a first portion located at a first boundary between the transparent substrate and said masking member and having a first refractive index and a first extinction coefficient, and a second portion located at a second boundary opposite to the first boundary and having a second refractive index larger than the first refractive index and a second extinction coefficient larger than the first extinction coefficient.  
     
     
         4 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said masking member comprises at least a first layer disposed on the transparent substrate and a second layer disposed on the first layer, the first layer having a refractive index n 1 and an extinction coefficient k 1  and the second layer having a refractive index n 2  and an extinction coefficient k 2  satisfying the following relationships: 
       n 1 <n 2  and k 1 <k 2 . 
     
     
         5 . An apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said masking layer further comprises a third layer disposed on the second layer and having a refractive index n 3  and an extinction coefficient k 3 , the refractive index n 1  being equal to or smaller than the refractive index n 2  or n 3  and the extinction coefficient k 1  being equal to or smaller than the extinction coefficient k 2  or k 3 .  
     
     
         6 . An apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the refractive indices n 1 , n 2  and n 3  and the extinction coefficients k 1 , k 2  and k 3  satisfy the following relationships: 
       n 1 <n 2 , n 3 <n 2 , k 1 <k 2  and k 3 <k 2 . 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein said masking member has a refractive index and a extinction coefficient respectively increase continuously with an increasing distance from the transparent substrate.  
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said metal element comprises Mo.  
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said metal element comprises Mo and Ta.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , which further comprises another transparent substrate disposed opposite to and in substantially parallel with the transparent substrate, and a liquid crystal disposed between the transparent substrates.  
     
     
         11 . An apparatus according to  claim 10 , which further comprises illumination means disposed on the back side of said another transparent substrate.  
     
     
         12 . A display apparatus, comprising: 
 a planar optical modulation device comprising a transparent substrate and a plurality of pixels disposed thereon so as to be each capable of optical modulation thereat, and    a masking member disposed with spacings and including a first layer disposed on the transparent substrate, a second layer disposed on the first layer and a third layer disposed on the second layer,    wherein each of the first to third layers comprises a layer of a metal compound containing a metal element and at least one of C and  0 .    
     
     
         13 . A display apparatus according to  claim 12 , which further comprises a plurality of color filters disposed in alignment with the pixels and on the transparent substrate at the spacings of said masking member.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 ,. wherein each of the first to third layers contains C.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein each of the first to third layers contains O.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein each of the first to third layers contains C and O.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the first layer has a refractive index n 1  and an extinction coefficient k 1 , the second layer has a refractive index n 2  and an extinction coefficient k 2 , and the third layer has a refractive index n 3  and an extinction coefficient k 3 ; the refractive index n 1  being equal to or smaller than the refractive index n 2  or n 3  and the extinction coefficient k 1  being equal to or smaller than the extinction coefficient k 2  or k 3 .  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the refractive indices n 1 , n 2  and n 3  and the extinction coefficients k 1 , k 2  and k 3  satisfy the following relationships: 
       n 2 <n 1 <n 3  and k 2 <k 1 <k 3 . 
     
     
         19 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the first layer contains Mo.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein said second layer contains Al or Si.  
     
     
         21 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the first layer contains Mo and Ta.  
     
     
         22 . An apparatus according to  claim 12 , which further comprises another transparent substrate disposed opposite to and in substantially parallel with the transparent substrate, and a liquid crystal disposed between the transparent substrates.  
     
     
         23 . An apparatus according to  claim 22 , which further comprises illumination means disposed on the back side of said another transparent substrate.  
     
     
         24 . An apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said masking member includes a first layer disposed on the transparent substrate and comprising a metal compound containing C, O and a metal element and includes a second layer disposed on the first layer and comprising a metal element.  
     
     
         25 . An apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the first layer has a carbon content and an oxygen content each being substantially uniform in a direction of its thickness.  
     
     
         26 . An apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the first layer has a carbon content and an oxygen content each decreasing from the transparent substrate side toward the second layer side in a direction of its thickness.  
     
     
         27 . An apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein said masking member further comprises a third layer disposed on the second layer and containing C, O and a metal element.  
     
     
         28 . An apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the third layer contains a metal element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Cr, Al, Ta and W.  
     
     
         29 . An apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the third layer contains Mo.  
     
     
         30 . An apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the first layer contains a metal element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Cr, Al, Ta and W.  
     
     
         31 . An apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the second layer contains a metal element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Cr, Al, Ta and W.  
     
     
         32 . An apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the first layer contains Mo.  
     
     
         33 . An apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the second layer contains Mo.  
     
     
         34 . An apparatus according to  claim 24 , wherein the first layer has an extinction coefficient k satisfying the following relationship: 0.2≦k≦1.0.  
     
     
         35 . An apparatus according to  claim 24 , which further comprises another transparent substrate disposed opposite to and in substantially parallel with the transparent substrate, and a liquid crystal disposed between the transparent substrates.  
     
     
         36 . An apparatus according to  claim 35 , which further comprises an illumination means disposed on the back side of said another transparent substrate.  
     
     
         37 . A process for producing a displaying apparatus of the type comprising a planar optical modulation device comprising a transparent substrate and a plurality of pixels disposed thereon so as to be each capable of optical modulation thereat, and a masking member disposed on the transparent substrate and with spacings; said process comprising: 
 a sputtering step wherein a layer of a metal compound comprising C, O and a metal element is formed on a transparent substrate by sputtering with an ambient gas including C, O and Ar.    
     
     
         38 . A process for producing a display apparatus of the type comprising a planar optical modulation device comprising a transparent substrate and a plurality of pixels disposed thereon so as to be each capable of optical modulation thereat, and a masking member disposed with spacings and including a first layer, a second layer and a third layer; said process comprising the steps of: 
 forming the first layer on a transparent substrate by sputtering,    forming the second layer on the first layer by sputtering, and    forming the third layer on the second layer by sputtering;    wherein the first to third layers are respectively formed by using an ambient gas comprising Ar and at least one of C and O,    the first and third layers are respectively formed by using a target of a first metal element, and    the second layer is formed by using a target of a second metal element.    
     
     
         39 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein the first metal element comprises Mo and the second metal element comprises Al or Si.  
     
     
         40 . A process according to claim  40 , wherein the first metal element is an alloy of Mo and Ta.  
     
     
         41 . A process according to  claim 38 , wherein the ambient gas comprises a mixture gas of Ar and CO 2  in the steps for forming the first to third layers.  
     
     
         42 . A process according to  claim 37  or  38 , wherein said sputtering is performed by changing a sputtering power so as to provide an objective layer with a prescribed refractive index and a prescribed extinction coefficient.  
     
     
         43 . A process for producing a display apparatus of the type comprising a planar optical modulation device comprising a transparent substrate and a plurality of pixels disposed thereon so as to be each capable of optical modulation thereat, and a masking member disposed with spacings and including a first layer and a second layer; said process comprising the steps of: 
 forming the first layer on the transparent substrate by sputtering with a target comprising a metal element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Cr, Al, Ta, Mo and W and with an ambient gas comprising a mixture gas of Ar and CO 2 , and    forming the second layer on the first layer by sputtering with a target comprising a metal element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Cr, Al, Ta, Mo and W and with an ambient gas of Ar.