Electrooptical device

Abstract

An electrooptical device includes a first substrate; a second substrate, a plurality of spacers maintaining a distance between the first substrate and the second substrate; a pixel electrode provided on the first substrate; a conductive layer overlapping a part of the pixel electrode; a protrusion covered with the pixel electrode; a counter electrode opposed to the pixel electrode; a first alignment film provided on the pixel electrode and having a first opening in a portion overlapping the protrusion; a second alignment film provided on the counter electrode and having a second opening in the portion overlapping the protrusion; and a liquid crystal layer provided between the first alignment film and the second alignment film, and a distance from the bottom surface to the top surface in the protrusion is smaller than a distance from the bottom surface to the top surface in the spacer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrooptical device comprising:
 a first substrate;   a second substrate opposed to the first substrate;   a plurality of spacers maintaining a distance between the first substrate and the second substrate;   a pixel electrode provided on the first substrate;   a conductive layer provided at a first substrate side of the pixel electrode and overlapping a part of the pixel electrode;   a protrusion provided on the first substrate, protruding toward the second substrate, and covered with the pixel electrode;   a counter electrode provided on the second substrate and opposed to the pixel electrode;   a first alignment film provided on the pixel electrode and having a first opening in a portion overlapping the protrusion;   a second alignment film provided on the counter electrode and having a second opening in a portion overlapping the protrusion; and   a liquid crystal layer provided between the first alignment film and the second alignment film.   
     
     
         2 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 some of the plurality of spacers are arranged at a corner of the pixel electrode.   
     
     
         3 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the second opening is wider than the top surface of the protrusion.   
     
     
         4 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 3 , wherein
 when a portion of the second substrate is pressed, the counter electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode in a portion opposed to the top surface of the protrusion.   
     
     
         5 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second conductive layer provided between the protrusion and the first substrate, and having a light-shielding property, 
 wherein the conductive layer and the second conductive layer are provided at a same layer. 
 
     
     
         6 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 an insulating layer provided between the pixel electrode and the conductive layer. 
 
     
     
         7 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the pixel electrode, the conductive layer, and the insulating layer form a capacitive element,   the pixel electrode is a first capacitive electrode of the capacitive element, and   the conductive layer is a second capacitive electrode of the capacitive element.   
     
     
         8 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the insulating layer has an opening in a part of a region overlapping the pixel electrode and the conductive layer.   
     
     
         9 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the pixel electrode is in a floating state, and   a voltage is not directly applied to the pixel electrode when the pixel electrode and the counter electrode are not electrically connected.   
     
     
         10 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a voltage applied to the conductive layer is lower than a voltage applied to the counter electrode, and a predetermined voltage is applied to the pixel electrode through the conductive layer when the pixel electrode and the counter electrode are not electrically connected.   
     
     
         11 . An electrooptical device comprising:
 a first substrate;   a second substrate opposed to the first substrate;   a spacer maintaining a distance between the first substrate and the second substrate;   a pixel electrode provided on the first substrate;   a conductive layer provided at a first substrate side of the pixel electrode and overlapping a part of the pixel electrode;   a counter electrode provided on the second substrate;   a protrusion covered with one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode, the protrusion being provided between the first substrate and the second substrate so that a first distance between a first region of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode is smaller than a second distance between a second region of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode, and overlapping the first region of the pixel electrode in a planar view;   a first alignment film provided on a portion of the pixel electrode;   a second alignment film provided on a portion of the counter electrode; and   a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate and in contact with the pixel electrode and the counter electrode in the first region.   
     
     
         12 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the spacer is arranged at a corner of the pixel electrode.   
     
     
         13 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the first alignment film has a first opening in a portion overlapping the protrusion,   the second alignment film has a second opening in a portion overlapping the protrusion, and   the second opening is wider than the top surface of the protrusion.   
     
     
         14 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 13 , wherein
 when a portion of the second substrate is pressed, the counter electrode is electrically connected to the pixel electrode in a portion opposed to the top surface of the protrusion.   
     
     
         15 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 11  further comprising:
 a second conductive layer provided between the protrusion and the first substrate, and having a light-shielding property, 
 wherein the conductive layer and the second conductive layer are provided at a same layer. 
 
     
     
         16 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 11  further comprising:
 an insulating layer provided between the pixel electrode and the conductive layer. 
 
     
     
         17 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the pixel electrode, the conductive layer, and the insulating layer form a capacitive element,   the pixel electrode is a first capacitive electrode of the capacitive element, and   the conductive layer is a second capacitive electrode of the capacitive element.   
     
     
         18 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 17 , wherein
 the insulating layer has an opening in a part of a region overlapping the pixel electrode and the conductive layer.   
     
     
         19 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the pixel electrode is in a floating state, and   a voltage is not directly applied to the pixel electrode when the pixel electrode and the counter electrode are not electrically connected.   
     
     
         20 . The electrooptical device according to  claim 11 , wherein
 a voltage applied to the conductive layer is lower than a voltage applied to the counter electrode, and a predetermined voltage is applied to the pixel electrode through the conductive layer when the pixel electrode and the counter electrode are not electrically connected.