Method for manufacturing liquid crystal display devices and devices manufactured thereby

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device includes a substrate, a liquid crystal layer, a liquid crystal alignment layer between the substrate and the liquid crystal layer, and a barrier layer between the liquid crystal alignment layer and the liquid crystal layer. A second substrate also includes a liquid crystal alignment layer an a barrier layer formed over the liquid crystal alignment layer. In a particular embodiment, the substrate is a reflective display backplane, and the second substrate is a transparent substrate having a transparent electrode layer. The barrier layers protect the liquid crystal alignment layers from contamination due to the adsorption and/or absorption of impurities. In an example embodiment, the barrier layer is formed using a silane or a silizane reagent. Optionally, the surface of the liquid crystal alignment layer is plasma cleaned prior to or instead of forming the barrier layer.

1 . A liquid crystal display device including: 
 a substrate;    a liquid crystal layer;    a liquid crystal alignment layer between said substrate and said liquid crystal layer, and    a barrier layer between said liquid crystal alignment layer and said liquid crystal layer.    
     
     
         2 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , wherein said substrate is a reflective display backplane.  
     
     
         3 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 2 , wherein said reflective display backplane includes: 
 a silicon substrate;    at least one integrated circuitry layer; and    a plurality of pixel mirrors.    
     
     
         4 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , wherein said substrate is a transparent substrate.  
     
     
         5 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 4 , further comprising a transparent electrode layer formed on said transparent substrate.  
     
     
         6 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , wherein said barrier layer is formed directly on said liquid crystal alignment layer.  
     
     
         7 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 6 , wherein said liquid crystal layer is in direct contact with said barrier layer.  
     
     
         8 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , wherein said device is a vertically aligned, nematic liquid crystal display device.  
     
     
         9 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , wherein said liquid crystal alignment layer is a thin film layer.  
     
     
         10 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , wherein said liquid crystal alignment layer includes an oxide layer.  
     
     
         11 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 10 , wherein said oxide layer includes at least one of SiO or SiO 2 .  
     
     
         12 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , wherein said barrier layer is more resistant to at least one of the absorption or adsorption of impurities than said liquid crystal alignment layer.  
     
     
         13 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , wherein said barrier layer communicates anisotropic properties of said liquid crystal alignment layer to said liquid crystal layer.  
     
     
         14 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , wherein said barrier layer is a monolayer.  
     
     
         15 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 1 , wherein said barrier layer is formed with one of a silane or a silizane.  
     
     
         16 . An LCD device according to  claim 15 , wherein said barrier layer is formed with one of Octyl-Triethoxy-Silane (OTS) or Hexamethyldisilizane (HMDS).  
     
     
         17 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 15 , wherein said barrier layer is formed with a silane.  
     
     
         18 . A liquid crystal display according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a second substrate disposed on an opposite side of said liquid crystal layer as said first substrate;    a second liquid crystal alignment layer between said second substrate and said liquid crystal layer; and    a second barrier layer between said second liquid crystal alignment layer and said liquid crystal layer.    
     
     
         19 . A liquid crystal display according to  claim 18 , wherein: 
 said substrate is a reflective display backplane; and    said second substrate is a transparent substrate.    
     
     
         20 . A liquid crystal display device according to  claim 18 , further comprising a gasket disposed around the perimeter of said liquid crystal layer and abutting at least one of said barrier layer and said second barrier layer.  
     
     
         21 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device comprising the steps of: 
 providing a substrate;    forming a liquid crystal alignment layer over said substrate;    forming a barrier layer over said liquid crystal alignment layer; and    forming a liquid crystal layer over said barrier layer.    
     
     
         22 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 21 , wherein said substrate is reflective display backplane.  
     
     
         23 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 21 , wherein said substrate is a transparent substrate.  
     
     
         24 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 21 , wherein said step of forming said barrier layer over said liquid crystal alignment layer includes forming said barrier layer directly on said liquid crystal alignment layer.  
     
     
         25 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 24 , wherein said step of forming said liquid crystal layer over said barrier layer includes applying said liquid crystal layer in direct contact with said barrier layer.  
     
     
         26 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 21 , wherein: 
 said step of forming said liquid crystal layer includes forming a nematic liquid crystal layer; and    said step of forming said liquid crystal alignment layer includes forming an alignment layer suitable for use in a vertically aligned liquid crystal display device.    
     
     
         27 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 21 , wherein said step of forming said liquid crystal alignment layer includes forming a thin film alignment layer.  
     
     
         28 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 21 , wherein said step of forming said liquid crystal alignment layer includes forming an oxide layer.  
     
     
         29 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 28 , wherein said oxide layer includes at least one of SiO or SiO 2 .  
     
     
         30 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 21 , wherein said step of forming said barrier layer includes forming a layer that is more resistant to at least one of the absorption or adsorption of impurities than said liquid crystal alignment layer.  
     
     
         31 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 21 , wherein said step of forming said barrier layer includes forming a layer that communicates anisotropic properties of said liquid crystal alignment layer to said liquid crystal layer.  
     
     
         32 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 21 , wherein said step of forming said barrier layer includes forming a monolayer on said liquid crystal alignment layer.  
     
     
         33 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 21 , wherein said step of forming said barrier layer includes using at least one of either a silane or a silizane to form said barrier layer.  
     
     
         34 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 33 , wherein said step of forming said barrier layer includes using at least one of either Octyl-Triethoxy-Silane or Hexamethyldisilizane.  
     
     
         35 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 33 , wherein said step of forming said barrier layer includes using a silane to form said barrier layer.  
     
     
         36 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 providing a second substrate;    forming a second liquid crystal alignment layer over said second substrate;    forming a second barrier layer over said liquid crystal alignment layer; and    mounting said second substrate with said second barrier layer facing said barrier layer with said liquid crystal layer disposed there between.    
     
     
         37 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 36 , wherein said substrate is a reflective display backplane and said second substrate is a transparent substrate.  
     
     
         38 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 36 , further comprising positioning a liquid crystal retaining gasket between said substrate and said second substrate such that one portion of said gasket abuts said barrier layer and another portion of said gasket abuts said second barrier layer.  
     
     
         39 . A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device according to  claim 21 , further comprising performing a plasma cleaning process on said alignment layer prior to forming said barrier layer.  
     
     
         40 . A liquid crystal display device including: 
 a substrate;    a liquid crystal layer;    a liquid crystal alignment layer between said substrate and said liquid crystal layer; and    means for protecting said liquid crystal alignment layer from at least one of the absorption and adsorption of contaminants.