A liquid crystal display device having two carrier plates each having a first surface supporting electrically conducting electrode layers, the plates being hermetically sealed together with the first surfaces in facing relationship to form a chamber receiving a liquid crystal layer characterized by a covering layer disposed on each of the first surfaces. In the preferred embodiment, each of the first surfaces is provided with an obliquely vapor deposited aligning layer inbetween the conducting layer and the covering layer which covering layer has a thickness no greater than 0.05 microns and preferably less than 0.02 microns. The covering layer may be a silane derivative bonded by chemosorption on the aligning layer, a nitride such as silicon nitride, or an oxide. In producing the display device, a method which includes vapor depositing aligning layer on the first surface of each carrier plate subsequent to applying the electrical conducting electrode layers and prior to sealing the plates includes the improvement of applying the covering layer. The covering layer may be applied by sputtering-on process, by pyrolytic process, by a resinate technique, by immersion of a material and by reacting with a material applied to the surface to be coated.