Patent ID: 7623210

Claim:
A liquid crystal display apparatus, comprising: a substrate containing switching devices and having a substantially planar major surface; a signal line extending in a first direction; a first insulating layer between said signal line and said substrate; a plurality of pixel electrodes arranged in parallel rows extending in said first direction; a second insulting layer between said signal line and said pixel electrodes and completely encompassing said signal line within a first thickness of said second insulating layer, said second insulating layer having a stripe-shaped surface step in registry with said signal line, said surface step having a top surface at a second thickness facing said pixel electrodes which is parallel to an upper surface of said substrate, said second thickness being greater than said first thickness; a counter substrate; a counter electrode between said counter substrate and said pixel electrodes; a liquid crystal layer between said counter electrode and said pixel electrodes; and a scan line which extends in a second direction perpendicular to said first direction and which is positioned between said substrate and said second insulating layer, wherein, edge portions of each pixel electrode conform about and overlap said top surface and side walls of said surface step, said edge portions extend into said liquid crystal layer; and each pixel electrode is electrically connected to a respective switching device and each such switching device is connected to the scan line and the signal line.