Vertically-aligned liquid crystal display with a small domain

• US 6,600,539 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2001
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Song, Jang-Kun
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ERDEM, FAZLI
• Application Number:
  US09/879,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20010050746A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 349/130, 349/143, 349/122, 349/178, 349/106, 349/128, 349/129, 349/156, 349/160, 349/134, 349/139
• US Class Current: 349/130
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133707 Structures for producing distorted electric fields, e.g. bumps, protrusions, recesses, slits in pixel electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134336 Matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1393 the birefringence of the liquid crystal being electrically controlled, e.g. ECB-, DAP-, HAN-, PI-LC cells G02F1/1396, G02F1/141 take precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is a liquid crystal display comprising first and second substrates provided opposing one another; a liquid crystal layer made of liquid crystal material that is injected between the first and second substrates; pixel electrodes and a common electrode formed on at least one of the substrates, the pixel electrodes and common electrode generating an electric field that acts on the liquid crystal layer; and domain formation means for controlling a slanting direction of liquid crystal molecules within the liquid crystal layer, wherein m is an integer satisfying the following:

h/2(π/wp)^½−2≦m≦h/2(π/wp)^½+2

where m is a number of domains formed by dividing the pixel electrodes by the domain formation means, w is a length of a first direction of the pixel electrodes, h is a length of a second direction of the pixel electrodes, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, and p is a width of a second direction of the domain formation means.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display, comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate provided opposing one another;

a liquid crystal layer made of liquid crystal material injected between the first substrate and the second substrate;

pixel electrodes and a common electrode formed on at least one of the substrates, the pixel electrodes and the common electrode generating an electric field that acts on the liquid crystal layer; and

domain formation means for controlling a slanting direction of liquid crystal molecules within the liquid crystal layer,

wherein m is an integer satisfying the following;

2. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein the domain formation means are a first aperture pattern and a second aperture pattern formed respectively in the common electrode and the pixel electrodes.

3. The liquid crystal display of claim 2, wherein the first aperture pattern and the second aperture pattern are formed alternately.

4. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein the domain formation means are a first protrusions and a second protrusion formed respectively on the first substrate and the second substrate.

5. The liquid crystal display of claim 4, wherein the first protrusions and the second protrusions are arranged alternately.

6. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein the domain formation means are an aperture pattern formed in the pixel electrodes and a protrusion formed on the first substrate.

7. The liquid crystal display of claim 6, wherein apertures of the aperture pattern and the protrusion are arranged alternately.

8. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein h=3w and p=w/10.

9. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, wherein if a length of a direction vertical to liquid crystal directors of the domains divided by the domain formation means is denoted by α

, and a length of a direction parallel to the liquid crystal directors of the domains is denoted by β

, β

/α

≦

⅓

.

10. A liquid crystal display, comprising:

a first substrate and a second substrate provided opposing one another;

a liquid crystal layer made of liquid crystal material injected between the first substrate and the second substrate;

pixel electrodes and a common electrode formed on at least one of the substrates, the pixel electrodes and the common electrode generating an electric field that acts on the liquid crystal layer; and

domain formation means for controlling a slanting direction of liquid crystal molecules within the liquid crystal layer,

wherein the domain formation means includes first direction means and second direction means according to an alignment direction, and wherein the pixel electrodes are divided into a first region corresponding to a position of the first direction means and a second region corresponding to a position of the second direction means, and

wherein m is an integer satisfying the following;

11. The liquid crystal display of claim 10, wherein the domain formation means are a first aperture pattern and a second aperture pattern formed respectively in the common electrode and the pixel electrodes.

12. The liquid crystal display of claim 11, wherein the first aperture pattern and the second aperture pattern are formed alternately.

13. The liquid crystal display of claim 10, wherein the domain formation means are a first protrusions and a second protrusion formed respectively on the first substrate and the second substrate.

14. The liquid crystal display of claim 13, wherein the first protrusions and the second protrusions are arranged alternately.

15. The liquid crystal display of claim 10, wherein the domain formation means are an aperture pattern formed in the pixel electrodes and a protrusion formed on the first substrate.

16. The liquid crystal display of claim 15, wherein apertures of the aperture pattern and the protrusion are arranged alternately.

17. The liquid crystal display of claim 10, wherein h=1.5w and p=w/10.

18. The liquid crystal display of claim 10, wherein if a length of a direction vertical to liquid crystal directors of the domains divided by the domain formation means is denoted by α

, and a length of a direction parallel to the liquid crystal directors of the domains is denoted by β

, β

/α

≦

⅓

.