Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.

Kiyoshi Ogishima

Masumi Kubo

Takashi Ochi

Akihiro Yamamoto

Kazuhiro Maekawa

Koichi Miyachi

Akihito Jinda

Naoshi Yamada

Katsuhiko Morishita

Tetsuhiro Yamaguchi

Shinji Shimada

Toshimitsu Konuma

Takeshi Nishi

Yoshitaka Yamamoto

Masahiro Adachi

Iichiro Inoue

Takahiro Tsuji

Seiji Shibahara

Yutaka Takafuji

Shoichi Ishihara

Takako Koide

Yoko Katsuya

Keizoh Watanabe

The liquid crystal display device of this invention includes picture element regions each defined by a first electrode provided on a first substrate and a second electrode provided on a second substrate so as to oppose the first electrode via a liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween. In each of the picture element regions, the first electrode includes a solid portion and a nonsolid portion. The liquid crystal display device further includes a pair of polarizing plates disposed with polarization axes thereof crossing each other substantially perpendicularly. The polarization axis of one of the pair of polarizing plates is substantially parallel to a direction in which the solid portion extends. When a voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, in each of the picture element regions, liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are in a radially-inclined orientation state.

Liquid crystal display device

A plurality of display elements each includes two signal lines: Sand S. An electrode, which is one of the electrodes constituting an element capacitor Cp, is connected to the signal line Svia a switching element TFT, while the other electrodeis connected to the signal line Svia a switching element S. The gate electrodes of the switching elements TFTand TFTare connected to a single common scanning line G. With this structure the drive voltage applied to the element capacitor can be increased even when a TFT has a limited withstand pressure.

Display device

The liquid crystal display device of this invention includes a plurality of picture element regions each defined by a first electrode provided on a face of a first substrate facing a liquid crystal layer and a second electrode provided on a second substrate so as to oppose the first electrode via the liquid crystal layer sandwiched therebetween. In each of the picture element regions, the first electrode has a plurality of openings and a solid portion, the liquid crystal layer is in a vertical orientation state when no voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, and when a voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, a plurality of liquid crystal domains each in a radially-inclined orientation state are respectively formed in the plurality of openings and the solid portion by inclined electrode fields generated at respective edge portions of the openings of the first electrode.

Liquid crystal display device with sub-picture element electrodes electrically separated from each other

A display element according to the present invention is provided with a pair of substrates, at least one of which is transparent; a medium between the substrates, wherein optical anisotropy magnitude of the medium is changeable by and according to an electric field applied thereon; at least one pair of electrodes for applying, on the medium, the electric field substantially parallel to the substrates; and a shielding electrode overlapping at least a display portion of at least one of the substrates, and used for shielding the display element from static electricity.

Display device producing display by changing shape of refractive index ellipsoid of medium by applying electric field to medium

The liquid crystal display device of this invention includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer including liquid crystal molecules having negative dielectric anisotropy disposed between the two substrates. In each of a plurality of picture-element regions, the liquid crystal layer has a plurality of liquid crystal regions different in the direction in which liquid crystal molecules tilt upon application of a voltage. At least one of the first and second substrates has a light-shield layer overlapping at least part of boundary region defined as regions separating the plurality of liquid crystal regions from each other. The part of the boundary region overlapping the light-shield layer is a region permitting liquid crystal molecules surrounding the region to tilt so that the ends of the liquid crystal molecules closer to the substrate having the light-shield layer go away from the region upon application of a voltage.

Multi-domain liquid crystal display device

The liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, and includes a plurality of picture element regions each defined by a first electrode provided on one side of the first substrate that is closer to the liquid crystal layer and a second electrode provided on the second substrate so as to oppose the first electrode via the liquid crystal layer. The first substrate includes a first orientation-regulating structure in each of the plurality of picture element regions, the first orientation-regulating structure exerting an orientation-regulating force so as to form a plurality of liquid crystal domains in the liquid crystal layer, each of the liquid crystal domains taking a radially-inclined orientation in the presence of an applied voltage. The second substrate includes a second orientation-regulating structure in a region corresponding to at least one of the plurality of liquid crystal domains, the second orientation-regulating structure exerting an orientation-regulating force for orienting liquid crystal molecules in at least one liquid crystal domain into a radially-inclined orientation at least in the presence of an applied voltage.

A display element of the present invention includes: a pair of substrates at least one of which is transparent; a medium layer, made of a medium sandwiched between the substratesandwhose magnitude of an optical anisotropy is changed by applying an electric field; and at least a pair of electrodes applying to the medium layer an electric field which is substantially parallel to the substrates. The electrodes are provided above the substrate via insulating layers each of which is formed in a convex shape. Therefore, a maximal electric field region generated by the electrodes is separated from interfaces of the substrates.

Display element and display device

A liquid crystal display device includes picture element regions defined each by a first electrode and a second electrode opposing the first electrode via the liquid crystal layer therebetween. The first electrode includes, in each picture element region, a plurality of unit solid portions arranged in a first direction, whereby the liquid crystal layer takes a vertical alignment in the absence of an applied voltage, and forms a liquid crystal domain taking a radially-inclined orientation in each unit solid portion by an inclined electric field produced around the unit solid portion in response to an applied voltage. The picture element regions are arranged in a matrix pattern including a rows extending in the second direction different from the first direction and columns extending in the first direction, and picture elements adjacent to each other in the second direction are driven with voltages of opposite polarities in each frame.

Liquid crystal display with radially-inclined liquid crystal in unit solid portions arranged in a single direction

Liquid crystal display device having multiple domains with radially inclined LC molecules

Growing community of inventors

Mie, Japan

Kiyoshi Ogishima