Liquid crystal device
First Claim
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1. A liquid crystal device comprising a pair of base plates and a liquid crystal interposed between the pair of base plates;
- said liquid crystal showing a smectic phase and a cholesteric phase at a higher temperature than that giving the smectic phase and being capable of causing successive phase transition from the cholesteric phase through a smectic A phase to a chiral smectic phase having a non-spiral structure on temperature decrease;
a face of at least one of said pair of base plates having been provided with a function of preferentially orienting the axes of the liquid crystal molecules contacting the face in one direction.
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Abstract
A liquid crystal showing a cholesteric phase at a higher temperature than the temperature giving a smectic phase is interposed between a pair of base plates to give a liquid crystal device. At least one of the base plates has a face to which an orientation controlling function is imparted for preferentially orienting the liquid crystal molecules in contact with the face in one direction.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A liquid crystal device comprising a pair of base plates and a liquid crystal interposed between the pair of base plates;
- said liquid crystal showing a smectic phase and a cholesteric phase at a higher temperature than that giving the smectic phase and being capable of causing successive phase transition from the cholesteric phase through a smectic A phase to a chiral smectic phase having a non-spiral structure on temperature decrease;
a face of at least one of said pair of base plates having been provided with a function of preferentially orienting the axes of the liquid crystal molecules contacting the face in one direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- said liquid crystal showing a smectic phase and a cholesteric phase at a higher temperature than that giving the smectic phase and being capable of causing successive phase transition from the cholesteric phase through a smectic A phase to a chiral smectic phase having a non-spiral structure on temperature decrease;
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10. A liquid crystal device comprising a pair of base plates and a liquid crystal interposed between the pair of base plates;
- said liquid crystal showing a smectic phase and a cholesteric phase at a higher temperature than that giving the smectic phase and being capable of causing phase transition from the cholesteric phase to the smectic phase on temperature decrease;
a face of only one of the base plates having been provided with a function of preferentially orienting the axes of the liquid crystal molecules contacting the face in one direction. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
- said liquid crystal showing a smectic phase and a cholesteric phase at a higher temperature than that giving the smectic phase and being capable of causing phase transition from the cholesteric phase to the smectic phase on temperature decrease;
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19. A liquid crystal device comprising a pair of base plates and a liquid crystal interposed between the pair of base plates;
- said liquid crystal showing a smectic phase and a cholesteric phase at a higher temperature than that giving the smectic phase and being capable of causing phase transition from the cholesteric phase to the smectic phase on temperature decrease;
a face of at least one of the pair of base plates having a film formed thereon by the oblique vapor deposition of an inorganic insulating material to thereby provide the face with a function of preferentially orienting the axes of the liquid crystal molecules contacting the face in one direction. - View Dependent Claims (20)
- said liquid crystal showing a smectic phase and a cholesteric phase at a higher temperature than that giving the smectic phase and being capable of causing phase transition from the cholesteric phase to the smectic phase on temperature decrease;
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21. A liquid crystal device comprising a pair of base plates and a liquid crystal interposed between the pair of base plates;
- said liquid crystal showing a smectic phase and a cholesteric phase at a higher temperature than that giving the smectic phase and being capable of causing phase transition from the cholesteric phase to the smectic phase on temperature decrease;
a face of at least one of the pair of base plates having been obliquely etched to thereby provide the face with a function of preferentially orienting the axes of the liquid crystal molecules contacting the face in one direction. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
- said liquid crystal showing a smectic phase and a cholesteric phase at a higher temperature than that giving the smectic phase and being capable of causing phase transition from the cholesteric phase to the smectic phase on temperature decrease;
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25. A liquid crystal apparatus comprising:
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(a) a liquid crystal device comprising matrix electrodes which in turn comprise scanning electrodes and signal electrodes forming picture elements at respective intersections thereof, having a ferroelectric liquid crystal in a chiral smectic phase interposed between the scanning electrodes and the signal electrodes, said ferroelectric liquid crystal providing a smectic A phase and a cholesteric phase at a higher temperature than that giving the chiral smectic phase, and being capable of causing a successive phase transition of the cholesteric phase, the smectic A phase and the chiral smectic phase on temperature decrease;
the molecular axes of the liquid crystal being aligned in one direction when it is in the smectic A phase in the course of temperature decrease;(b) a driving unit for successively applying a scanning signal to the scanning electrodes and for applying to said signal electrodes, in synchronism with the scanning signal, a first signal for orienting the liquid crystal in the chiral smectic phase to the first stable state to provide picture elements in a bright state, or a second signal for orienting the liquid crystal in the chiral smectic phase to the second stable state to provide picture elements in a dark state;
said first signal comprising a first pulse for orienting the liquid crystal in the chiral smectic phase to the first stable state, and said second signal comprising a second pulse for orienting the liquid crystal in the chiral smectic phase to the second stable state, said second pulse having a polarity opposite to that of the first pulse; and(c) a pair of polarizers arranged in cross nicols. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification