Patent ID: 7561238

Claim:
A liquid crystal display device, comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate, said second substrate being transparent; a color filter layer disposed on said first substrate; a liquid crystal layer disposed between said color filter layer and said second substrate, said liquid crystal layer having liquid crystals oriented parallel to said first substrate when no voltage is applied; a plurality of scan signal electrodes and a plurality of picture signal electrodes, said plurality of scan signal electrodes and said plurality of picture signal electrodes oriented perpendicular to and crossing each other, to form a matrix of regions surrounded by said plurality of scan signal electrodes and said plurality of picture signal electrodes; a plurality of thin film transistors at cross positions of said matrix; at least one picture element disposed in each said region; a common electrode and a pixel electrode in each of said at least one picture element, said common electrode being connected with other common electrodes in other picture elements via common electrode lines for providing a reference voltage to the plurality of picture elements, said pixel electrode being connected to a corresponding thin film transistor and being disposed at an opposite side to a position of said common electrode in a region of said picture element, said common electrode and said pixel electrode being disposed between said color filter layer and said liquid crystal, wherein said common electrode is shaped as a grid for surrounding said picture element, said pixel electrode is disposed to cross over said picture element, and a part of said common electrode line is used as said common electrode, and wherein said common electrode is formed so that said plurality of thin film transistors is hidden behind said common electrode when viewed from said second substrate; a transparent insulating separation film disposed between a layer at which said common electrode is disposed and a layer at which said pixel electrode is disposed, an electric field being generated between said common electrode and said pixel electrode though said liquid crystal layer, said electric field being mainly parallel to said first substrate; and an overcoat layer for protecting said color filter layer disposed on said color filter layer, said common electrodes being disposed on said overcoat layer, said transparent insulating separation film being disposed on said common electrodes, and said pixel electrodes being disposed on said transparent insulating separation film.