Liquid crystal device and electronic apparatus

Abstract

When a backlight 15 is turned on in a dark environment, white light emerging from the surface of a light guide plate 15 b passes through a polarizer 12 and a retardation film 14, enters the interior of the liquid crystal cell, passes through openings of reflective electrodes 7, and is introduced into a liquid crystal layer 3. The light introduced into the liquid crystal layer 3 passes through a color filter 5, emerges from the liquid crystal cell, and passes through the retardation film 13 and the polarizer 11 towards the exterior. In a lighted environment, the light incident on the polarizer 11 passes through the liquid crystal layer 3, is reflected by the reflective electrode 7, and passes through the polarizer 11 again and is emitted towards the exterior.

1 . A liquid crystal display device comprising: 
 a first substrate;    a second substrate;    a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;    an illumination unit provided on an opposite side of the second substrate than the liquid crystal layer;    a resin layer disposed between liquid crystal layer and the second substrate, the resin layer having an uneven surface;    a reflective electrode provided between the liquid crystal layer and the resin layer, the reflective electrode reflecting incident light for reflective display and conforming to the uneven surface of the resin layer;    an alignment film provided between the liquid crystal layer and the reflective electrode, the alignment film not being subjected to rubbing processing;    a first retardation film provided on an opposite side of the first substrate than the liquid crystal layer;    a first polarizer provided on an opposite side of the first retardation film than the first substrate; and    a second polarizer and a second retardation film provided on the opposite side of the second substrate than the liquid crystal layer side, the second polarizer and the second retardation film transmitting at least a portion of light from the illumination unit into the liquid crystal layer.    
   
   
       2 . The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , a diffuser being disposed between the first retardation film and the first substrate.  
   
   
       3 . The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , further comprising color filters formed from a plurality of colored layers.  
   
   
       4 . The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , further including a control unit that controls voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer, the control unit applying a first voltage to the liquid crystal layer to display a certain image during reflective-mode display wherein incident light is used for display, and a second voltage to the liquid crystal layer to display the same certain image during transmission-mode display wherein light from the illumination unit is used for display, the first voltage being different from the second voltage.  
   
   
       5 . The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 4 , the control unit switching from the first voltage to the second voltage when the illumination unit is illuminated.  
   
   
       6 . A liquid crystal display device comprising: 
 a first substrate;    a second substrate;    a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate;    an illumination unit provided on an opposite side of the second substrate than the liquid crystal layer;    a reflective electrode and an adjacent reflective electrode interposed between the liquid crystal layer and the second substrate, the reflective electrode being separated from the adjacent reflective electrode by a gap; and    a transparent electrode that overlaps in plan view the reflective electrode and the adjacent reflective electrode and the gap between the reflective electrode and the adjacent reflective electrode.    
   
   
       7 . The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 6 , the reflective electrode and the adjacent reflective electrode having an elongated shape extending in a longitudinal direction, the liquid crystal layer including the liquid crystal molecules aligned in an alignment direction in the vicinity of the reflective electrodes, the alignment direction forming an angle ψ with the longitudinal direction of the reflective electrodes that is in a range of 30°≦ψ≦30°.  
   
   
       8 . The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 6 , the reflective electrode and the adjacent reflective electrode having an elongated shape extending in a longitudinal direction and each having a rectangular shaped opening that extends substantially parallel with longitudinal direction, the rectangular shaped openings having a width in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the width being wider than the gap.  
   
   
       9 . The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 6 , further comprising light-shading sections that overlap the gap between the reflective electrode and the adjacent reflective electrode in plan view.  
   
   
       10 . The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 6 , further comprising a driving unit that drives to apply a voltage between the reflective electrode and the transparent electrode during bright display and does not drive to apply a voltage during dark display.  
   
   
       11 . The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 a retardation film disposed on an opposite side of the second substrate than the liquid crystal layer; and    a polarizer disposed on an opposite of the second retardation film than the second substrate.    
   
   
       12 . The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 6 , the reflective electrode and the adjacent reflective electrode having uneven surfaces.  
   
   
       13 . The liquid crystal display device according to  claim 6 , further comprising a voltage application unit that applies a different voltage to the liquid crystal layer when performing a reflection-mode display than when performing a transmission-mode display for the same image.  
   
   
       14 . A liquid crystal device comprising: 
 a first transparent substrate;    a second transparent substrate;    a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates;    a transparent electrode interposed between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer;    a reflective electrode interposed between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer, the reflective electrode overlaps the transparent electrode at a substantially rectangular-shaped overlapping region that extends in a longitudinal direction, the reflective electrode including a rectangular-shaped slit opening with a long side and a short side, the long side of the slit extending in the longitudinal direction of overlapping region; and    an illumination unit disposed on an opposite side of the second substrate than the liquid crystal layer, the illumination unit emitting light that is transmitted through the slit opening of the reflective electrode into the liquid crystal layer.    
   
   
       15 . A normally-black mode liquid crystal device for performing a transmission mode display and a reflection mode display, the liquid crystal device comprising: 
 a first substrate;    a second substrate;    a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate;    a reflection film that reflects light for the reflection mode display; and    a voltage application unit that selectively applies voltage to the liquid crystal layer, a dark mode being achieved when the voltage application unit does not apply voltage to the liquid crystal, the reflection factor of the reflection mode display being greater than a transmission factor of the transmission mode display when the voltage application unit applies a voltage that achieves a maximum reflection factor during the reflection mode display.    
   
   
       16 . The liquid crystal device according to  claim 15 , the reflection film is provided in between the liquid crystal layer and the second substrate.  
   
   
       17 . The liquid crystal device according to  claim 16 , a region where reflection the transmission mode display is performed is in a non-overlapping condition with reflection film.  
   
   
       18 . The liquid crystal device according to  claim 16 , wherein the reflection film serves as an electrode for applying voltage to the liquid crystal layer.  
   
   
       19 . The liquid crystal device according to  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a first polarizer provided on an opposite side of the liquid crystal layer than the first substrate; and    a second polarizer provided at an opposite side of the liquid crystal layer than the second substrate.    
   
   
       20 . The liquid crystal device according to  claim 15 , further comprising a transparent electrode provided in between the liquid crystal layer and the first substrate.  
   
   
       21 . The liquid crystal device according to  claim 15 , further comprising an illumination unit provided on an opposite side of the second substrate than the liquid crystal layer.