Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Kazuhiro Inoue

Norio Koma

Masaaki Aota

Kazuyuki Maeda

Masayuki Kametani

Tsutomu Yamada

Masashi Mitsui

Nobuhiko Oda

Satoshi Ishida

Shinji Ogawa

Tohru Yamashita

Yoshihiro Furuta

Hiroaki Kouno

Eiji Tamaoka

A vertical alignment liquid crystal layer is sealed between a first substrate having a first electrode and a second substrate having a second electrode, each pixel region has a reflective region and a transmissive region, and a gap adjusting section is provided on one of sides of the first substrate and the second substrate which sets a thickness (gap) d of the liquid crystal layer which controls a phase difference of incident light to the liquid crystal layer so that a gap dr in the reflective region is smaller than a gap dt in the transmissive region. An alignment controller which divides alignment of the liquid crystal within a pixel region is provided in the pixel region on at least one of the sides of the first substrate and the second substrate. It is also possible to optimize by changing the gap in red, green, and blue.

Transflective liquid crystal display device and color liquid crystal display device

An orientation controller which divides a pixel into a plurality of different priority alignment regions and an additional orientation controller are provided in a pixel. The additional orientation controller is provided at least at an end of a pixel of a long-side alignment region formed along the long side of the pixel among the divided alignment regions, for example, around a center position of the long side of the pixel. The additional orientation controller can be realized, for example, by forming a cutout pattern in a side of a first electrode (pixel electrode) forming a part of the pixel. Because the alignment direction is also controlled by the additional orientation controller, the alignment of liquid crystal in this region is stabilized.

Liquid crystal display device

A vertical alignment liquid crystal layer is sealed between a first substrate having a first electrode and a second substrate having a second electrode, each pixel region has a reflective region and a transmissive region, and a gap adjusting section is provided on one of sides of the first substrate and the second substrate which sets a thickness (gap) of the liquid crystal layer which controls a phase difference of incident light to the liquid crystal layer so that a gap in the reflective region is smaller than a gap in the transmissive region. An alignment controller which divides alignment of the liquid crystal within a pixel region is provided in the pixel region on at least one of the sides of the first substrate and the second substrate. It is also possible to optimize by changing the gap in red, green, and blue.

A reflective layer for reflecting light incident from a second substrate side and transmitting through a second electrode made of ITO or the like is formed above a first substrate, a switching element provided for each pixel, and an insulating film covering the switching element, the reflective layer being insulated from the switching element. A first electrode having a work function similar to the second electrode and made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO is formed more proximate to a liquid crystal layer than is the reflective layer and is connected to the switching element. The thickness of the first electrode is set to 100 &#x212b; or less or in a range approximately from 750 &#x212b; to 1250 &#x212b;. Alternatively, the switching element maybe connected to the reflective electrode, the first electrode and the reflective electrode which are formed with an insulating film therebetween may be capacitively coupled, and the first electrode may be driven by the reflective electrode via the capacitor.

Liquid crystal display apparatus having reflective layer

Liquid crystal display apparatus having a transparent layer covering a reflective layer

A liquid crystal display comprising a liquid crystal and a polyimide alignment layer for orienting the liquid crystal, wherein the polyimide alignment layer has a plurality of regions which are at different imidiation ratios, whereby liquid crystal portions corresponding to the respective regions are oriented at different pretilt angles which are responsive to the imidiation ratios.

Liquid crystal display and method of preparing the same

Growing community of inventors

Mizuho, Japan

Kazuhiro Inoue