Optical modulation element

• US 5,327,272 A
• Filed: 03/25/1992
• Issued: 07/05/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Maruyama, Tomoko, Murakami, Tomoko, Fujiwara, Ryoji, Maruyama, Akio, Kaneko, Shuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/857,509
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 359/74, 359/75, 359/76, 359/77, 359/78, 359/79, 359/84, 359/56, 359/87
• US Class Current: 349/173
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/58 Dopants or charge transfer agents
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133711 by organic films, e.g. polymeric films
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133784 by rubbing
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133796 having conducting property
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/141 using ferroelectric liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/30 Gray scale
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/20 Conductive material dispersed in non-conductive organic material organic macromolecular compounds or compositions C08

Abstract

An optical modulation element, in which a pixel surrounding a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer and an column shaped orientation layer is formed between a pair of electrodes. The orientation layer is formed by a high-molecular polymer in which an ultrafine granular conductive substance may be dispersed. External voltage applied across the electrodes in response to gradation signals performs gradation drivings.

Claims

1. An optical modulation element having a plurality of pixels, said optical modulation element comprising:

a pair of substrates each having a plurality of electrodes thereon,

a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer disposed between said pair of substrates, and

means for applying an external voltage between said electrodes in response to gradation signals to perform gradation drivings,

wherein said optical modulation element further comprises;

a conductive polymer layer with conductive fine granular tin oxide doped with Sb, and

a column-shaped orientation layer on and partially exposing said polymer layer.

2. An optical modulation element according to claim 1, wherein

said high-molecular polymer is a high-molecular polymer in which a ultrafine granular substance is dispersed.

3. An optical modulation element according to Claim 1, wherein

said high-molecular polymer has a specific resistance of 10⁸ -2×

10¹¹ Ω

·

cm and a dielectric constant of 20 dielectric constant or more.

4. An optical modulation element according to Claim 1, wherein

said ferroelectric liquid crystal layer includes a dopant for providing a low resistance therefor.

5. An optical modulation element having a pixel, said optical modulation element comprising:

a pair of substrates having an electrode on at least one of said pair of substrates with a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer disposed between said pair of substrates, and

means for applying an external voltage to said electrode in order to modulate said pixel,

wherein said optical modulation element further comprises;

a conductive polymer layer with conductive fine granular tin oxide doped with Sb, and

a column-shaped orientation layer on and partially exposing said polymer layer.

6. An optical modulation element according to claim 5, wherein said column-shaped orientation layer is an inorganic oxide oblique deposition layer.

7. An optical modulation element according to claim 5, wherein said liquid crystal layer comprises a chiral smectic liquid crystal.

8. An optical modulation element according to claim 7, wherein said chiral smectic liquid crystal layer includes a dopant for providing a low resistance thereto.

9. An optical modulation element according to claim 5, wherein the diameter of said fine granular tin oxide with Sb is at most 100 Å

.