Patents by Inventor Yasushi Tomioka

Yasushi Tomioka has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9523897
    Abstract: To take measures against the phenomenon of difficulty for the orientation film material to flow into the through-hole when the diameter of through-holes which connects the pixel electrode and the source electrode becomes small. An interlayer insulating film 109 made of SiN is formed on a counter electrode, and a pixel electrode 110 having a slit 1101 is formed on the interlayer insulating film 109. A through-hole 111 which connects the pixel electrode 110 and the source electrode of a TFT has a large opening on the upper side, a small opening on the lower side, and an inner wall extending between the large opening and the small opening. The pixel electrode 110 covers the through-hole 111 on an inner side of the pixel of the through-hole 111 but does not cover a periphery of the large opening of the through-hole on an outer side of the through-hole 111.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Yosuke Hyodo, Yasushi Tomioka, Noboru Kunimatsu, Hidehiro Sonoda, Yasuo Imanishi, Takenori Hirota
  • Patent number: 9519196
    Abstract: To prevent a phenomenon that an alignment film material is difficult to flow into the through-hole where a diameter of a through-hole for connecting between a pixel electrode and a source electrode is reduced. A liquid crystal display device comprising a TFT substrate having pixels each including a common electrode formed on an organic passivation film, an interlayer insulating film formed so as to cover the common electrode, a pixel electrode having a slit and formed on the interlayer insulating film, a through-hole formed in the organic passivation film and the interlayer insulating film, and a source electrode electrically conducted to the pixel electrode via the through-hole. A taper angle at a depth of D/2 of the through-hole is equal to or more than 50 degrees. The pixel electrode covers part of a side wall of the through-hole but does not cover the remaining part of the side wall of the through-hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Tomioka, Toshimasa Ishigaki, Hidehiro Sonoda, Sumito Ueta
  • Publication number: 20160357078
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a TFT substrate, a CF substrate, and a liquid crystal interposed between the TFT substrate and the CF substrate, and drives the liquid crystal in a horizontal electric field. The TFT substrate includes a recess, and the CF substrate includes a columnar protrusion. The protrusion of the CF substrate is fitted to the recess of the TFT substrate so as to function as a stopper for preventing a positional gap between the TFT substrate and the CF substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Yasushi TOMIOKA, Takato HIRATSUKA, Osamu ITOU
  • Publication number: 20160357040
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device having an alignment film subjected to an optical alignment process, the frame area can be reduced while maintaining the reliability of the sealing portion. To achieve this, in the display area, the alignment process is performed with UV light on the alignment film, to form an area in which the alignment film is not formed in the opposing first and second sides, and to form an area in which the amount of UV light irradiation on the alignment film is one fourth or less of the display area in the opposing third and fourth sides. In the first and second sides, the sealing material overlaps the area in which the alignment film is not formed. In the third and fourth sides, the sealing material overlaps the area in which the amount of UV light irradiation is one fourth or less of the display area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Hidehiro SONODA, Noboru KUNIMATSU, Takenori HIROTA, Yosuke HYODO, Yasuo IMANISHI, Yasushi TOMIOKA
  • Patent number: 9507211
    Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal display device which is highly reliable even with a slim frame area. Ina liquid crystal display device having a display area and a frame area, the frame area includes, in an area close to the display area, a flat portion where an organic insulation film, a transparent conductive film, and an alignment film are stacked in this order and, in an area away from the display area, a groove structure formed in the organic insulation film, the groove structure being continuous surrounding the display area. The organic insulation film is less wettable than the transparent conductive film by the alignment film ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Tomioka, Noboru Kunimatsu, Hidehiro Sonoda, Yosuke Hyodo
  • Publication number: 20160327843
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device, a common electrode is formed on an organic passivation film, an interlayer insulating film is formed on the common electrode, a pixel electrode with a slit is formed on the interlayer insulating film, and a through hole is formed in the organic passivation film and the interlayer insulating film, so that the pixel electrode is connected to a source electrode of a TFT through the through hole. Further, the taper angle around the upper base of the through hole is smaller than the taper angle around the lower base. Thus, the alignment film material can easily flow into the through hole when the diameter of the through hole is reduced to connect the pixel and source electrodes, preventing display defects such as uneven brightness due to the absence of the alignment film or due to the alignment film irregularity around the through hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2016
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventors: Yasushi Tomioka, Yosuke Hyodo, Hidehiro Sonoda, Noboru Kunimatsu
  • Patent number: 9482901
    Abstract: The present invention prevents the shaving of an alignment film caused by a columnar spacer in a liquid crystal display device of an IPS method using photo-alignment. A plinth higher than a pixel electrode is formed at a part where a columnar spacer formed over a counter substrate touches a TFT substrate. When an alignment film of a double-layered structure is applied over the pixel electrode and the plinth, the thickness of the alignment film over the plinth reduces by a leveling effect. When photo-alignment is applied in the state, a photodegraded upper alignment film over the plinth disappears and a lower alignment film having a high mechanical strength remains. As a result, it is possible to prevent the shaving of the alignment film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Noboru Kunimatsu, Masaki Matsumori, Hidehiro Sonoda, Yasushi Tomioka, Toshiki Kaneko
  • Patent number: 9470930
    Abstract: Various layer separation states are generated by the combination of a polyamide acid ester and a polyamide acid and a long residual image characteristic cannot be further improved merely by combining them. A liquid crystal display device comprises a substrate, a liquid crystal layer, and an orientation film placed between the substrate and the liquid crystal layer. The orientation film comprises a polyimide precursor having two or more components. In the polyimide precursor, an octanol-water partition coefficient is defined as log P and the difference in log P (? log P) between the two components having most distant log Ps is set so as to fall within a prescribed range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Masaki Matsumori, Shuji Imazeki, Yasushi Tomioka, Noboru Kunimatsu
  • Patent number: 9448448
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a TFT substrate, a CF substrate, and a liquid crystal interposed between the TFT substrate and the CF substrate, and drives the liquid crystal in a horizontal electric field. The TFT substrate includes a recess, and the CF substrate includes a columnar protrusion. The protrusion of the CF substrate is fitted to the recess of the TFT substrate so as to function as a stopper for preventing a positional gap between the TFT substrate and the CF substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Tomioka, Takato Hiratsuka, Osamu Itou
  • Patent number: 9442319
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal composition, a thin film transistor substrate as an insulation substrate on which a thin film transistor for controlling the orientation of the liquid crystal composition is provided, and a color filter substrate which seals the liquid crystal composition between itself and the thin film transistor substrate and controls a wavelength region of the transmitted light. The thin film transistor substrate includes a projection part extending from the thin film transistor substrate to the color filter substrate side, and a wall-like electrode on a wall surface of the projection part, which is one electrode for controlling the orientation of the liquid crystal composition. An insulation film and an orientation film are sequentially laminated on the wall-like electrode continuously from a surface parallel to a substrate surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
    Inventors: Chikae Matsui, Yasushi Tomioka, Takato Hiratsuka
  • Patent number: 9417496
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device, a common electrode is formed on an organic passivation film, an interlayer insulating film is formed on the common electrode, a pixel electrode with a slit is formed on the interlayer insulating film, and a through hole is formed in the organic passivation film and the interlayer insulating film, so that the pixel electrode is connected to a source electrode of a TFT through the through hole. Further, the taper angle around the upper base of the through hole is smaller than the taper angle around the lower base. Thus, the alignment film material can easily flow into the through hole when the diameter of the through hole is reduced to connect the pixel and source electrodes, preventing display defects such as uneven brightness due to the absence of the alignment film or due to the alignment film irregularity around the through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Yasushi Tomioka, Yosuke Hyodo, Hidehiro Sonoda, Noboru Kunimatsu
  • Patent number: 9405152
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display is provided which is capable of reducing the occurrence of defective display due to variations in the initial alignment direction of a liquid crystal alignment control film in a liquid crystal display of an IPS scheme, realizing the stable liquid crystal alignment, providing excellent mass productivity, and having high image quality with a higher contrast ratio. The liquid crystal display has a liquid crystal layer disposed between a pair of substrates, at least one of the substrates being transparent, and an alignment control film formed between the liquid crystal layer and the substrate. At least one of the alignment control films 109 comprises photoreactive polyimide and/or polyamic acid provided with an alignment control ability by irradiation of substantially linearly polarized light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignees: JAPAN DISPLAY INC., PANASONIC LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi Tomioka, Hidetoshi Abe, Katsumi Kondo
  • Publication number: 20160178943
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a sealant and a liquid crystal layer. The first substrate includes a switching element and a pixel electrode. The second substrate includes a first organic insulating film in which a first trench portion is formed, a projection formed beneath the first organic insulating film, and a first barrier layer. The first barrier layer is formed continuously from an inside of the first trench portion to under the projection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Yosuke HYODO, Yasushi TOMIOKA, Takenori HIROTA
  • Patent number: 9360709
    Abstract: A TFT substrate and a counter substrate are bonded via a seal material. Alignment films are applied to entire surfaces of the TFT substrate and the counter substrate so as to realize even thickness of the alignment film. This allows a display region to be formed up to the area around the seal material. The alignment film is photo-alignment processed. An organic film formed of the material which is not photo-aligned is interposed between the alignment film and the seal material. High bonding strength between the organic film and the seal material improves reliability of a seal portion as well as reduces a frame region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Japan Display Inc.
    Inventors: Noboru Kunimatsu, Yasushi Tomioka, Hidehiro Sonoda, Yosuke Hyodo, Yasuo Imanishi
  • Publication number: 20160109771
    Abstract: in a liquid crystal display device, a common electrode is formed on an organic passivation film, an interlayer insulating film is formed on the common electrode, a pixel electrode with a slit is formed on the interlayer insulating film, and a through hole is formed in the organic passivation film and the interlayer insulating film, so that the pixel electrode is connected to a source electrode of a TFT through the through hole. Further, the taper angle around the upper base of the through hole is smaller than the taper angle around the lower base. Thus, the alignment film material can easily flow into the through hole when the diameter of the through hole is reduced to connect the pixel and source electrodes, preventing display defects such as uneven brightness due to the absence of the alignment film or due to the alignment film irregularity around the through hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Yasushi Tomioka, Yosuke Hyodo, Hidehiro Sonoda, Noboru Kunimatsu
  • Publication number: 20160097947
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: a TFT substrate having gate lines and data lines arranged thereon, the gate lines extending in a first direction and arranged in a second direction, the data lines extending in the second direction and arranged in the first direction; a counter substrate having a black matrix and a color filter; and liquid crystals put between the TFT substrate and the counter substrate. Columnar spacers are formed on the counter substrate. Pedestals are formed on portions of the TFT substrate, the portions corresponding to the columnar spacers. A convex portion and a concave portion are present at the top end of the columnar spacer. The pedestal is formed corresponding to the concave portion. The concave portion is opened at the ends thereof and connected to the lateral side of the columnar spacer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Publication date: April 7, 2016
    Inventors: Yasushi TOMIOKA, Noboru KUNIMATSU, Yosuke HYODO, Toshiki KANEKO, Yuko MATSUMOTO
  • Patent number: 9298042
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to enhance transmissivity and the luminance of a screen in an IPS liquid crystal display device. To achieve the object, in the IPS liquid crystal display device according to the present invention, a counter electrode is formed flatly and solidly on an organic passivation film, a pixel electrode having a slit is formed on the counter electrode via an interlayer insulation film, and an alignment film the orientation of which is controlled by optical orientation is formed on the pixel electrode. The transmissivity is enhanced by also making the inside of the contact hole function as a transmissible area for image formation by applying optical orientation to the alignment film in the contact hole to result in enhancement of the luminance of the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
    Inventors: Yasushi Tomioka, Noboru Kunimatsu, Takeshi Sato, Masaki Matsumori
  • Publication number: 20160085119
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including an alignment film which has been optically aligned is configured that the liquid crystal has negative dielectric anisotropy, an absolute value of which is equal to or smaller than 5. The alignment film is subjected to an optical alignment process to exhibit the optical alignment property, and includes a first film located at a side in contact with the liquid crystal, and a second film below the first film, which is not optically aligned to have no alignment property. The alignment film is formed by applying a mixture of a first material for forming the first film and a second material for forming the second film to the substrate. The first material for the alignment film accounts for 10 wt. % or more and less than 40 wt. % of a total weight of the first and the second materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Takenori HIROTA, Yosuke HYODO, Noboru KUNIMATSU, Yasushi TOMIOKA, Hidehiro SONODA
  • Patent number: 9285636
    Abstract: An image retention phenomenon and black unevenness generated after long-time operation in the liquid crystal device are prevented. By using a material having a polyamide acid ester as a precursor less likely to adsorb impurities on a boundary for an alignment film and a material having a dielectric constant anisotropy ?? of 5 or less for liquid crystals, adsorption of an antioxidant dispersed in the liquid crystals is suppressed to prevent oxidation of the liquid crystals. The extent that impurities are intruded into the liquid crystals is reduced by restricting the dielectric constant anisotropy ?? of the liquid crystals to 5 or less, thereby capable of preventing the image retention phenomenon and the black unevenness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignees: Japan Display Inc., Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noboru Kunimatsu, Chikae Matsui, Shigeru Matsuyama, Masaki Matsumori, Yasushi Tomioka, Katsumi Kondo
  • Publication number: 20160041432
    Abstract: In the step of curing a resin for bonding a TFT substrate and a counter substrate each having an alignment film that has been optically aligned by using UV-light, damage to the alignment film due to the UV-light can be prevented without using a light shielding mask. A UV-light absorption layer is formed between each black matrix on the counter substrate. The TFT and counter substrates are sealed at their periphery by a resin that is cured by UV-light radiated from the counter substrate side. Since the absorption layer has a high absorbability to UV-light at a wavelength of 300 nm or less that degrades the alignment film, damage to the alignment film due to the UV-light for curing the resin can be prevented. Thus, provision of a light shielding mask for shielding the UV-light for the display region can be saved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Applicant: JAPAN DISPLAY INC.
    Inventors: Noboru KUNIMATSU, Yuko MATSUMOTO, Yasushi TOMIOKA, Masateru MORIMOTO, Atsuhiro KATAYAMA