Patent ID: 8854581

Claim:
A liquid crystal display device including a plurality of pixels arrayed in a matrix, the liquid crystal display device comprising: a TFT substrate including pixel electrodes respectively formed in correspondence with the plurality of pixels, TFTs respectively formed in correspondence with the plurality of pixels, and an insulating layer having a contact hole formed therein for electrically connecting a drain electrode of each of the TFTs and each of the pixel electrodes to each other; a counter substrate including a counter electrode facing the pixel electrodes; and a liquid crystal layer located between the TFT substrate and the counter substrate, the liquid crystal layer containing liquid crystal molecules having a negative dielectric anisotropy; wherein: the pixel electrodes each include a peripheral portion, an island portion including a portion which electrically contacts the drain electrode in the contact hole, and a plurality of branch portions extending from the peripheral portion; the plurality of branch portions include a plurality of first branch portions extending in a first direction, a plurality of second branch portions extending in a second direction, a plurality of third branch portions extending in a third direction, and a plurality of fourth branch portions extending in a fourth direction; the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and the fourth direction are different from each other; a first region in which the liquid crystal molecules are aligned along the first branch portions at the time of voltage application, a second region in which the liquid crystal molecules are aligned along the second branch portions at the time of voltage application, a third region in which the liquid crystal molecules are aligned along the third branch portions at the time of voltage application, and a fourth region in which the liquid crystal molecules are aligned along the fourth branch portions at the time of voltage application are formed by the first branch portions, the second branch portions, the third branch portions and the fourth branch portions; and when seen in a direction vertical to a surface of the TFT substrate, the island portion is surrounded by the first region, the second region, the third region and the fourth region; and the island portion is electrically connected to the peripheral portion by a connection portion other than the plurality of branch portions but not by any of the plurality of branch portions, or electrically connected to the peripheral portion by only one of the first branch portions, only one of the second branch portions, only one of the third branch portions or only one of the fourth branch portions.