Liquid-crystal display device and method of fabricating the same

Abstract

A liquid-crystal display device makes it possible to attach an optical element to a liquid-crystal display panel with high positional accuracy while avoiding or minimizing the enlargement of the picture-frame region (i.e., the non-display region) induced by the formation of markers on the panel and the increase of the fabrication cost. The panel comprises a main substrate, an opposite substrate, and a liquid crystal enclosed in a gap between the main and opposite substrates, wherein a polarizer plate is attached at least to the opposite substrate. Markers for attaching an optical element to the panel are formed at positions that overlap with the polarizer plate in a non-display region on the main or opposite substrate. Alignment direction regulators regulate the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules to a predetermined direction in the vicinities of the markers, allowing light to pass through at least the opposite substrate.

1 . A liquid-crystal display device comprising:
 a liquid-crystal display panel comprising a main substrate, an opposite substrate, and a liquid crystal enclosed in a gap between the main substrate and the opposite substrate, wherein a polarizer plate is attached at least to the opposite substrate;   markers to be used in an attachment operation of an optical element to the panel, the markers being formed at positions that overlap with the polarizer plate in a non-display region on the main substrate or the opposite substrate; and   alignment direction regulators for regulating an alignment direction of molecules of the liquid crystal to a predetermined direction in vicinities of the markers, thereby allowing light to pass through at least the opposite substrate.   
   
   
       2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the panel is designed to operate in the normally white mode; and
 an alignment film that overlaps with the markers is provided for the alignment direction regulators.   
   
   
       3 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the panel is designed to operate in the normally black mode; and
 the alignment direction regulators differentiate the alignment direction of the molecules of the liquid crystal in the vicinities of the markers from that of the molecules of the liquid crystal in a display region.   
   
   
       4 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the panel is designed to operate in the normally black mode; and
 the alignment direction regulators are recesses or protrusions extending along a different direction from the alignment direction of the molecules of the liquid crystal in the display region, where the recesses or protrusions are formed on a film in contact with the liquid crystal in the vicinities of the markers.   
   
   
       5 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the panel is designed to operate in the normally black mode; and
 each of the alignment direction regulators is at least one electrode located in the vicinity of each of the markers, where the alignment direction of the molecules of the liquid crystal in the vicinities of the markers is differentiated from that of the molecules of the liquid crystal in the display region by applying a voltage to the electrodes.   
   
   
       6 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the panel is of the reflective type or the semi-transmissive type; and
 the markers are made of a same material as that of reflecting members.   
   
   
       7 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the markers has a plan shape designed in such a way that at least one of edges of the marker extends along the alignment direction of the molecules of the liquid crystal. 
   
   
       8 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the markers is located on a side or edge of the panel where a liquid-crystal injection hole of the panel is present. 
   
   
       9 . A method of fabricating a liquid-crystal display device comprising a liquid-crystal display panel and an optical element attached to the panel, wherein the panel includes a main substrate, an opposite substrate, a liquid crystal enclosed in a gap between the main substrate and the opposite substrate, and a polarizer plate attached at least to the opposite substrate:
 the method comprising the steps of:   forming markers, which are used in an attachment operation of the optical element to the panel, at positions that overlap with the polarizer plate in a non-display region on the main substrate or the opposite substrate;   forming alignment direction regulators for regulating an alignment direction of molecules of the liquid crystal to a predetermined direction in vicinities of the markers, thereby allowing light to pass through at least the opposite substrate, wherein the alignment direction regulators are located on the panel; and   attaching the optical element to the panel while reading the markers by way of the polarizer plate.   
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the panel is designed to operate in the normally white mode; and
 an alignment film is formed in such a way as to overlap with the markers in the step of forming the alignment direction regulators.   
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the panel is designed to operate in the normally black mode; and
 the alignment direction regulators are formed to differentiate the alignment direction of the molecules of the liquid crystal in the vicinities of the markers from that of the molecules of the liquid crystal in the display region in the step of forming the alignment direction regulators.   
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the panel is designed to operate in the normally black mode; and
 recesses or protrusions are formed in such a way as to extend along a different direction from the alignment direction of the molecules of the liquid crystal in the display region in the step of forming the alignment direction regulators, where the recesses or protrusions are formed on a film in contact with the liquid crystal in the vicinities of the markers.   
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the panel is designed to operate in the normally black mode;
 at least one electrode is formed in the vicinity of each of the markers in the step of forming the alignment direction regulators; and   in the step of attaching the optical element to the panel, the optical element is attached to the panel in the state where a voltage is applied to the electrodes to differentiate the alignment direction of the molecules of the liquid crystal in the vicinities of the markers from that of the molecules of the liquid crystal in the display region.   
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the panel is of the reflective type or the semi-transmissive type; and
 the markers are made of a same material as that of reflecting members in the step of forming the markers.   
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein in the step of forming the markers, each of the markers is formed to have a plan shape designed in such a way that at least one of edges of the marker extends along the alignment direction of the molecules of the liquid crystal. 
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein in the step of forming the markers, at least one of the markers is located on a side or edge of the panel where a liquid-crystal injection hole of the panel is present.