Electro-optical device, method for fabricating the same, and electronic apparatus

Abstract

An electro-optical device includes a pair of substrates including a first substrate and a second substrate, an electro-optical material sandwiched between the pair of substrates, a shading film having a predetermined pattern which is at least partially embedded in the first substrate at the surface facing the electro-optical material, display electrodes which are placed on the second substrate at the surface facing the electro-optical material, and lines connected to the display electrodes directly or through switching elements. In accordance with the electro-optical device having such a shading film, it is possible to reduce or prevent coating defects in an alignment layer, nonuniform rubbing treatment to the alignment layer, and cracking of a counter electrode due to the steps in the upper layers resulting from the formation of the shading film.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electro-optical device, comprising: 
 a pair of substrates including a first substrate and a second substrate;    an electro-optical material disposed between the pair of substrates;    a shading film having a predetermined pattern, the shading film being at least partially embedded in the first substrate at a surface facing the electro-optical material;    display electrodes disposed above the second substrate at the surface facing the electro-optical material; and    switching elements provided corresponding to the display electrodes.    
     
     
         2 . The electro-optical device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a planarizing layer which is flush with a surface of the shading film provided above the first substrate, or which is an upper layer to the shading film.  
     
     
         3 . The electro-optical device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an alignment layer which is an uppermost layer to the shading film provided above the first substrate.  
     
     
         4 . An electro-optical device, comprising: 
 a pair of substrates including a first substrate and a second substrate;    an electro-optical material disposed between the pair of substrates;    a shading film having a predetermined pattern, the shading film being formed on the first substrate at a surface facing the electro-optical material;    display electrodes disposed above the second substrate at the surface facing the electro-optical material;    switching elements provided at positions corresponding to the display electrodes; and    a planarizing layer which is flush with a surface of the shading film provided above the first substrate or which is an upper layer to the shading film.    
     
     
         5 . The electro-optical device according to  claim 4 , the planarizing layer being formed by chemical mechanical polishing (CMP).  
     
     
         6 . The electro-optical device according to  claim 4 , the planarizing layer being a spin-on-glass (SOG) film.  
     
     
         7 . The electro-optical device according to  claim 4 , further comprising a color filter and an overcoat layer formed on top of the color filter, the color filter and the overcoat layer being provided above the first substrate above or below the shading film, a surface of the overcoat layer being planarized.  
     
     
         8 . The electro-optical device according to  claim 4 , the shading film being placed in a recess formed in the first substrate.  
     
     
         9 . The electro-optical device according to  claim 4 , the shading film being placed in a recess formed in an interlayer insulating film provided above the first substrate.  
     
     
         10 . The electro-optical device according to  claim 4 , further comprising an overcoat layer which is an upper layer to the shading film.  
     
     
         11 . The electro-optical device according to  claim 4 , further comprising an alignment layer as an outermost layer above the first substrate.  
     
     
         12 . The electro-optical device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a display electrode placed above the first substrate at the surface facing the electro-optical material.  
     
     
         13 . The electro-optical device according to  claim 12 , the display electrode placed above the first substrate being a transparent counter electrode formed in the entire image display region.  
     
     
         14 . The electro-optical device according to  claim 1 , further comprising microlenses provided above the first substrate.  
     
     
         15 . The electro-optical device according to  claim 1 , the shading film including a plurality of layers.  
     
     
         16 . The electro-optical device according to  claim 15 , the plurality of layers including at least one of an aluminum layer, a chromium layer, and a chromium oxide layer.  
     
     
         17 . A method for fabricating an electro-optical device, comprising: 
 forming a shading film having a predetermined pattern so as to be partially embedded in a first substrate at a surface to be facing an electro-optical material;    forming display electrodes above a second substrate at a surface to be facing the electro-optical material;    forming switching elements corresponding to the display electrodes;    bonding the first substrate and the second substrate with each other around peripheries thereof; and    injecting the electro-optical material into a space between the bonded first and second substrates.    
     
     
         18 . A method for fabricating an electro-optical device, comprising: 
 forming a shading film having a predetermined pattern above a first substrate at a surface to be facing an electro-optical material;    performing planarization treatment on the same plane as the surface of the shading film provided above the first substrate or on the level above the shading film;    forming display electrodes above a second substrate at a surface to be facing the electro-optical material;    forming switching elements corresponding to the display electrodes;    bonding the first substrate and the second substrate with each other around peripheries thereof; and    injecting the electro-optical material into a space between the bonded first and second substrates.    
     
     
         19 . An electronic apparatus, comprising: 
 the electro-optical device according to  claim 1.