Liquid crystal display device

Abstract

In a liquid crystal display device of the present invention, when a display voltage is applied to picture element electrodes, each picture element electrode forms a plurality of domains in which liquid crystal molecules align themselves in different directions. The picture element electrodes are formed such that their edge portions on the opposite sides of a picture-element-electrode aperture portion formed between the picture element electrodes face parallel to each other with a certain interval. A source bus line is provided along the picture-element-electrode aperture portion formed between the picture element electrodes. The source bus line is disposed beneath the picture element electrodes and at the edge portions of the picture element electrodes by overlapping therewith in a direction of thickness.

1 . A liquid crystal display device comprising: 
 a first substrate having a plurality of picture element electrodes;    a second substrate having a counter electrode and sandwiching a liquid crystal layer with said first substrate; and    a bus line including a gate bus line and a source bus line,    wherein the picture element electrodes are disposed so that edge portions of the picture element electrodes on opposite sides of a picture-element-electrode aperture portion formed between the picture element electrodes face parallel to each other at certain intervals,    wherein the bus line is provided (i) along the picture-element-electrode aperture portion formed between the picture element electrodes, (ii) beneath the picture element electrodes, and (iii) at the edge portions of the picture element electrodes by overlapping with the edge portions in a direction of thickness, and    wherein the bus line selects the picture electrodes to which a display voltage is applied, and in response to the applied display voltage, a plurality of domains with different alignment directions for liquid crystal molecules are formed within a region of each picture element electrode.    
   
   
       2 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the bus line is made of a light-shielding material.  
   
   
       3 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the bus line further includes an auxiliary capacitance line for forming an auxiliary capacitance.  
   
   
       4 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising an interlayer insulating film on the bus line.  
   
   
       5 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the interlayer insulating film has a thickness in a range of not less than 1.5 μm and not more than 3.5 μm.  
   
   
       6 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising picture-element-region alignment regulating means for generating an oblique electric field, the picture-element-region alignment regulating means being provided in a picture element region in which the picture element electrodes are provided.  
   
   
       7 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the picture-element-region alignment regulating means is a picture-element aperture portion formed for each picture element electrode.  
   
   
       8 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the picture-element-region alignment regulating means is a projection formed on the counter electrode and projects into the liquid crystal layer.  
   
   
       9 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the picture-element-region alignment regulating means is a projection that is formed on the counter electrode and in a picture-element aperture portion formed for each picture element electrode, and that projects into the liquid crystal layer.  
   
   
       10 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein a height of the projection projecting into the liquid crystal layer is not less than 1 μm and not more than 1.5 μm.  
   
   
       11 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the bus line is a source bus line.  
   
   
       12 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the bus line is a gate bus line.  
   
   
       13 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein the picture element electrodes and the picture-element-electrode aperture portion are bent in a zigzag fashion, and wherein the source bus line is also bent in a zigzag fashion along the picture-element-electrode aperture portion.  
   
   
       14 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 picture element regions in which the picture element electrodes are provided are arranged in a matrix with a plurality of rows and columns, and    within one frame, a polarity of applied voltage to the liquid crystal layer in a first picture element region arbitrarily selected from the picture element regions is different from a polarity of applied voltage to the liquid crystal layer in a second picture element region which belongs to the same row as the first picture element region and belongs to an adjacent column of the first picture element region.    
   
   
       15 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein, within one frame, a polarity of applied voltage to the liquid crystal layer in a plurality of picture element regions which belong to any column of the picture element regions is reversed every n rows, where n is an integer of 1 or greater.  
   
   
       16 . The liquid crystal display device as set forth in  claim 15 , wherein said n is 1.