Patent ID: 8330930

Claim:
A liquid crystal display device, comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate which is opposed to the first substrate; a liquid crystal material which is placed between the first substrate and the second substrate; a plurality of column spacers and a first alignment film which are formed above the first substrate; an insulating layer which is formed on the second substrate and a second alignment film which is formed on the insulating layer; and column spacer receiving members which are provided between the insulating layer and the second alignment film in places opposed to the plurality of column spacers, without any layer interposed between the second alignment film and the column spacer receiving members, the column spacer receiving members each being comprised of a material different from both of a material comprising the insulating layer and a material comprising the second alignment film, the column spacer receiving members having rims that are formed in contact with the second alignment film, wherein a thickness of the second alignment film in places above the column spacer receiving members is ⅓ or less of a thickness of the second alignment film in places in which the second alignment film is formed directly on the insulating layer, wherein each of the plurality of column spacers has a substantially flat top facing toward an upper surface of a corresponding one of the plurality of column spacer receiving members which the column spacer is opposed to, and wherein planar dimensions of the substantially flat top of each of the column spacers overlap with and are substantially included entirely within the planar dimensions of the upper surface of the corresponding one of the plurality of column spacer receiving members which it faces a pair of electrodes for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal material, wherein at least one of the pair of electrodes is formed between the insulating layer and the second alignment film, and wherein the column spacer receiving members are each comprised of the same material as a material of the at least one of the pair of electrodes formed between the insulating layer and the second alignment film.