Patent ID: 7230664

Claim:
A liquid crystal display device, comprising: a first substrate, a second substrate, and a vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, the vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer being substantially vertically aligned in the absence of voltage; and a plurality of picture element regions each defined by a first electrode supported by the first substrate and a second electrode supported by the second substrate so as to oppose the first electrode via the liquid crystal layer, wherein: the first substrate includes a first orientation-regulating structure in each of a plurality of the picture element regions, the first orientation-regulating structure exerting an orientation-regulating force so as to form a plurality of liquid crystal domains in the liquid crystal layer, each of the liquid crystal domains taking a radially-inclined orientation in the presence of an applied voltage; and the second substrate includes a second orientation-regulating structure in a region corresponding to at least one of the plurality of liquid crystal domains, the second orientation-regulating structure exerting another orientation-regulating force for orienting liquid crystal molecules in the at least one liquid crystal domain into a radially-inclined orientation at least in the presence of the applied voltage; wherein the first electrode of a particular picture element region includes a plurality of unit solid portions in the picture element region, the first orientation-regulating structure including the plurality of unit solid portions, so that when voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, an inclined electric field is produced along a periphery of each of the plurality of unit solid portions, thereby forming the plurality of liquid crystal domains with radially-inclined orientation in regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of unit solid portions; and wherein each of the plurality of unit solid portions has a shape defined so that the inclined electric field is produced around the unit solid portion so as to form a corresponding liquid crystal domain taking radially-inclined orientation over the unit portion.