Hitachi, Ltd.

Kishiro Iwasaki

Hisao Yokokura

Katsumi Kondo

Akio Mukoh

Susumu Era

Yasushi Tomioka

Yoshiharu Nagae

Makoto Yoneya

Teruo Kitamura

Tadao Nakata

Hiroshi Sasaki

Yasuo Hanawa

Yutaka Ito

Setsuo Kobayashi

Fumio Nakano

Masato Isogai

Yasuhiko Kando

Mariko Nakamura

Toshikazu Narahara

Hideaki Kawakami

Ryoichi Sudo

Seikichi Tanno

Shunichi Numata

Hiroaki Hachino

Mitsuru Ura

Osamu Asai

Michio Ooue

Kenji Murao

Tadao Nakada

Kooji Fujisaki

Michio Oue

An active-matrix liquid crystal display device includes a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the pair of substrates, a group of electrodes for applying to the liquid crystal layer an electric field substantially parallel to the substrate plane and a plural number of active elements being formed on one of the pair of substrates, and an alignment layer disposed between the liquid crystal layer and at least one of the pair of substrates. The alignment layer is made from polyamic acid obtained by reacting a diamine with an acid anhydride, and the acid anhydride is at least one member selected from the group consisting of 1,2,3,4-cyclopentanetetracarboxylic acid dianhydride, 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid dianhydride, and 1,2,3,4-cyclobutanetetracarboxylic acid dianhydride.

Active-matrix liquid crystal display

An active-matrix liquid crystal display device having a pair of substrates at least one of which is transparent, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the pair of substrates, a group of electrodes for applying to the liquid crystal layer an electric field substantially parallel to the substrate plane and a plural number of active elements being formed on one of the pair of substrates and an alignment layer disposed between the liquid crystal layer and at least one of the pair of substrates. The alignment layer is a photo-reactive material layer, and the photo-reactive material layer is a photo-reactive alignment layer which has been subjected to linearly polarized light irradiation to selectively derive a photochemical reaction and a tilt angle of liquid crystal molecules on the alignment layer surface of the substrate is 3&deg; or less.

An active-matrix liquid crystal display device having a pair of substrates at least one of which is transparent, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the pair of substrates, a group of electrodes for applying to the liquid crystal layer an electric field substantially parallel to the substrate plane and a plural number of active elements being formed on one of the pair of substrates, and an alignment layer disposed between the liquid crystal layer and at least one of the pair of substrates. The alignment layer is a photo-reactive material layer, and the photo-reactive material layer is a photo-reactive alignment layer which has been subjected to linearly polarized light irradiation to selectively derive a photochemical reaction.

An active-matrix liquid crystal display device employing the in-plane switching mode in which an electric field substantially parallel to the substrate surface is applied to the liquid crystals, characterized by weak torsional anchoring of the liquid crystal molecules and the alignment layer surface at the liquid crystal/alignment layer interface to an extent that the extrapolation length which expresses the strength of said torsional anchoring will become not less than 10% of the gap between the substrates. For obtaining such weak torsional anchoring, an organic alignment layer comprising a polymer and/or oligomer having long-chain alkylene and/or fluoro groups, or an inorganic alignment layer formed by oblique evaporation technique, or a photo-reactive alignment layer formed by linearly polarized light irradiation is used.

An optical information recording medium comprising a substrate and formed thereon an information recording layer comprising at least two organic dyes having different chemical structures and continuous playback ability of 10.sup.5 times or more at a playback laser power of 0.5 to 1.5 mW, is excellent in readout light stability (durability) and reflectance.

Optical information recording medium

The present invention aims to provide a deformed toner having a narrow toner particle size distribution, a simple manufacturing method of same, and an imaging apparatus using same. The toner particles are characterized in having an average diameter of d (d is in a range of 4-15 .mu.m), and that a volumetric fraction of the particles having the diameter in a range of d.+-.0.2 d equals to or exceeds 90% of total volume of the particles, and further, when a specific surface area of the toner per 1 cm.sup.3 determined by a BET method is expressed by A (m.sup.2/ g) and a specific gravity of the particle is expressed by D (g/cm.sup.3), A of the particles stands in a range expressed by an equation, 7/(D.multidot.d).ltoreq.A.ltoreq.10/(D.multidot.d). An image having a preferable definition can be obtained by improving a resolution of image by making the particle size distribution of toner particles narrow, and providing the toner having an electrification charge at least 10 .mu.C/g with a narrow distribution.

Toner, method for manufacturing same, and imaging apparatus using same

A ferroelectric liquid crystal device which comprises at least one pair of counterposed substrates, a ferroelectric liquid crystal material provided between the substrates, means for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal material and provided at the substrates, an alignment-controlling layer provided on the surface on the liquid crystal material side of each of the substrates, and a sealing member at the peripheral edges of the substrates, the alignment-controlling layer being a film of an organic polymer whose .beta. dispersion temperature is higher than the curing temperature of a sealant for the sealing member, preferably at least 200.degree. C., has a good alignment state of ferroelectric liquid crystal molecules achieved by cooling alone without any application of an electric field and has good display qualities such as a high contrast.

Ferroelectric liquid crystal device

A liquid crystal display element comprising a pair of substrates, a pair of electrodes provided on the respective substrates, at least one of which is transparent and a liquid crystal layer disposed between said substrates, the liquid crystal layer comprising a nematic liquid crystal, which exhibits a positive dielectric constant anisotropy and contains an optically active substance, the liquid crystal moleccule orientation direction in the liquid crystal layer is twisted in the range of 200.degree. to 250.degree. from the one substrate surface toward the other substrate surface so as to form a helical structure therein. A polyimide orientation film is provided between the electrodes and the liquid crystal layer. The polyimide orientation film is one made of a polyimide prepared by reacting a diamine compound having a long-chain hydrocarbon group or a diamine compound having a trifluoromethyl group with a tetracarboxylic dianhydride and causes a pretilt angle of at least 3.degree. relative to the nematic liquid crystal molecules. The liquid crystal display element of the present invention is free from a scattering domain.

Liquid crystal polyimide alignment free of scattering domains

The element comprises a pair of transparent substrates, a pair of light-transmitting electrodes each provided on the respective substrates, a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer disposed between the pair of substrates and orientation control films for the molecules of the ferroelectric liquid crystal provided between the electrodes and the ferroelectric liquid crystal layer. The orientation control film controls a tile angle of a biphenyle series nematic liquid crystal having biphenyl ring system below 1.5.degree. and causes a uniform molecule orientation characteristic and a memory property for the ferroelectric liquid crystal element of smectic C* liquid crystal and having a liquid crystal layer thickness of even more than 4 .mu.m.

Ferroelectric liquid crystal element with particular alignment film and

A liquid crystal compound of the formula: R.sub.2 --X.sub.1 --Y.sub.1 --C(O)S--Y.sub.2 --Z, wherein R.sub.2 is preferably C.sub.7-14 alkyl; X.sub.1 is --COO-- or --OCO; ##STR1## and Z is --NO.sub.2 or --CN, shows a smectic phase, is large in positive delectric anisotropy and can give a liquid crystal composition suitable for use in a thermal address display device.

Liquid crystal compound and liquid crystal composition including the same

Orientation control films are coated on a pair of transparent substrates on the side contiguous to the ferroelectric liquid crystal layer and rubbed for aligning molecules thereof. The films are made of a polyimide polymer prepared by ring closure by heating and dehydrating of a polyamic acid which is synthesized by condensing, for example, pyromellitic dianhydride with 4,4'-diaminoterphenyl. A contrast ratio of the ferroelectric liquid crystal element is improved while keeping a high response characteristic of the ferroelectric liquid crystal materials.

Ferroelectric liquid crystal cell with rubbed polyimide alignment layer

A liquid crystal optical modulation element is disclosed. The modulation element comprises two transparent substrates positioned so as to face each other; a transparent electrode provided on the facing surface of the transparent substrates; a transparent insulating/orientation control layer provided on each of the facing surfaces of the transparent electrodes, having insulating properties and orientating the liquid crystal molecules in the proximity thereof in a preferential direction substantially parallel to the surfaces of the substrates; a liquid crystal layer exhibiting ferroelectricity, sandwiched between the insulating/orientation control layers; and means for polarizing light passing through said liquid crystal layer. The liquid crystal optical modulation element of the present invention is produced by the steps of coating transparent electrodes onto transparent sbstrates; coating polyimide films so as to cover the transparent electrodes; rubbing the polyimide coating films; positioning the transparent substrates parallel to each other so that the rubbed polyimide coating films face each other so that a liquid crystal cell is thereby assembled; introducing a liquid crystal exhibiting ferroelectricity into the cell thus formed and sealing the cell; and providing polarizers on the external surfaces of the substrates.

Optical modulation element with surface parallel and unidirectional

A liquid crystal display device comprising two substrates being provided in parallel to each other at a given distance and each having a Nesa film on the counterposed surface, at least one of the substrates being transparent, and a liquid crystal being filled between the substrates, the counterposed surfaces of the substrates each being coated with polymer of organosilicone compound having groups reacting with the substrates to a thickness of 300-1,500 .ANG. as an alignment film. The device has thick alignment films and good electrooptical characteristics.

Organosilicone homeotropic alignment layer with OH group

A liquid crystal display device comprises transparent electrode substrates having an aligning coating film of a homogeneous mixture comprising a silanol oligomer modified by an aromatic ring-containing silane group, and an organic polymer at the electrode side, where the heat resistance and adhesiveness of the coating film to the electrode substrates are improved without any undercoating film therebetween.

Growing community of inventors

Hitachiota, Japan

Kishiro Iwasaki