Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Seiji Shibahara

Koichi Miyachi

Iichiro Inoue

Shoichi Ishihara

Takako Koide

Akihito Jinda

Kiyoshi Ogishima

A display element having high response property, wide viewing angle property, and high contrast property, and exhibiting a wide driving temperature range and excellent durability and reliability. Between two facing substrates (), a cholesteric liquid crystal layer () made of a liquid crystal material exhibiting a cholesteric phase whose spontaneous twist pitch is shorter than a wavelength of visible light is provided. Facing planes of the substrates () are provided with alignment films () for aligning liquid crystal molecules near the interface of the substrate in a specific direction. Furthermore, the planes are provided with electrodes () for applying an electric field on the cholesteric liquid crystal layer () in a direction substantially parallel to a plane of each substrate. The cholesteric liquid crystal layer () exhibits optical isotropy in the direction parallel to the plane of each substrate when no voltage is applied. Display is performed by applying an electric field on the cholesteric liquid crystal layer () so as to exhibit optical anisotropy in the direction parallel to the plane of each substrate.

Display element and display device

A display panel includes (i) a first substrate and a second substrate, which face each other, (ii) a medium layer being sandwiched between the first and second substrate, and (iii) first electrodes and second electrodes being provided on that side of the first substrate which faces the second substrate, the display panel performing display operation by generating an electric field between the first and second electrodes. The display panel is configured such that the medium layer comprises a medium that is optically isotropic when no electric field is applied thereon, and whose optical anisotropy magnitude is changeable by and according to the electric field applied thereon; and the first and second electrodes are transparent electrodes, and a distance between the first and the second electrodes is shorter than a distance between the first substrate and second substrate. This configuration attains gives the display panel high response speed and high transmissivity.

Display panel and display device having medium whose optical anisotropy magnitude changes according to electric field

Scanning signal lines () and data signal lines () are arranged so as to cross each other, and common signal lines () and the scanning signal lines () are arranged to be parallel to each other. Moreover, a polarlizer () provided to an upper substrate () and a polarlizer () provided to a lower substrate () are arranged such that absorption axial directions () and () cross at an angle that is orthogonal. Moreover, the absorption axial directions () and () are arranged so as to be perpendicular to or parallel to directions in which the data signal lines (), the scanning signal lines (), and the common signal lines () are extended, respectively. This realizes an improved response speed and an increased transmissivity.

Dispay panel and display apparatus

A display element has an arrangement that allows the pixel to have at least two domains in which the medium shows optical anisotropies of different directions when a force (for example, an electric field) is applied or when no force is applied. It is preferable that directions of the optical anisotropies occurred in the respective domains when the electric field is applied respectively have 45 degrees&#xb1;10 degrees with absorption axes of polarizers, and that the directions of the optical anisotropies occurred in the respective domains when the electric field is applied make 90 degrees&#xb1;20 degrees.

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

A display element includes a dielectric material layer, provided between a pair of substrates (substratesand), which is made of a medium showing optical isotropy when no electric field is applied and showing optical anisotropy when an electric field is applied. Further, comb-shaped electrodesandare provided face to face on the substrateso as to be positioned in a surface which faces the substrate. Furthermore, polarizing platesandare respectively provided on rear surfaces with respect to the counter surfaces of the substratesand Thus, it is possible to realize the display element which has a wide driving temperature range, a wide viewing angle property, and a high-speed response property.

Display element and display device, driving method of display element, and program

A display element has a arrangement that allows the pixel to have at least two domains in which the medium shows optical anisotropies of different directions when a force (for example, an electric field) is applied or when no force is applied. It is preferable that directions of the optical anisotropies occurred in the respective domains when the electric field is applied respectively have 45 degrees&#xb1;10 degrees with absorption axes of polarizers, and that the directions of the optical anisotropies occurred in the respective domains when the electric field is applied make 90 degrees&#xb1;20 degrees.

The subject invention provides a display element which achieves reduction in driving voltage. The display element according to the present invention includes substratesand, at least one of which is transparent, and a medium layerheld between the substratesand, the display element further including on the substrateelectrodesandfor generating an electric field in a direction substantially parallel to the substrates so as to apply the electric field to the medium layerto cause optical modulation of the medium; and an alignment filmwhich is provided on the surface of the substrate. With this arrangement, the voltage level is not decreased because of the alignment film, and the driving voltage of the display element does not need to be increased, thereby ensuring reduction of driving 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.

Each of a pair of substrates respectively comprises an electrode and a rubbed alignment film on one surface, while the other surface is provided with a polarizer. The substrates are placed so that the surfaces provided with the alignment films are opposed to each other, and the area between the substrates is filled with a medium to form a material layer. Then, a medium made of a negative-type liquid crystalline compound sing a photopolymerizable monomer and a polymerization initiator is injected into the material layer held between the substrates. Further, ultra violet irradiation is performed with the medium exhibiting a liquid crystal phase, so that the photopolymerized monomer is polymerized, thus forming a polymer chain. In this manner, obtained is a display element, that causes change in degree of optical anisotropy in response to application of electric (external) field, which display element can be driven by a lower intensity electric (external) field.

Display element, display device, and manufacturing method of display element

On one of surfaces of each substrate, an electrode is provided. Then, alignment films, which have been subjected to rubbing treatment, are provided on the respective electrodes so that the alignment films covers the respective electrodes. Moreover, on the other one of the surfaces of each substrate, a polarizer is provided so that its absorption axial direction matches with a rubbing direction of the corresponding alignment film. The substrates face each other so that the rubbing directions of the alignment films respectively provided on the substrates cross each other perpendicularly. A medium having a negative type liquid crystalline property is sealed between the substrates so as to form a material layer. In this way, it is possible to improve contrast and to alleviate coloring phenomenon in a display element in which transmittance is changed by controlling orientational order of molecules.

An electrode is provided on one surface of each of a pair of substrates. On the other surface of each of the substrates, a polarizer is provided. The substrates are assembled together so that their surfaces on which the electrodes are formed face each other. Then, a medium is introduced between the substrates, to form a dielectric material layer. The medium is prepared by mixing a chiral agent in a negative type liquid crystalline compound.

A liquid crystal optical element includes: first and second substrates; a liquid crystal layer provided between the substrates; first and second electrode layers provided on the first and second substrates, respectively, so as to face each other with the liquid crystal layer interposed between them; and first and second switching layers, which are provided between the first electrode layer and the liquid crystal layer and between the second electrode layer and the liquid crystal layer, respectively, and each of which includes molecules changing their orientation directions in response to a voltage applied between the first and second electrode layers. The liquid crystal layer changes its orientation state as the molecules in the first and second switching layers change their orientation directions. Each of the molecules included in one of the first and second switching layers and an associated one of the molecules included in the other switching layer behave as enantiomers.

Liquid crystal optical element and method for fabricating the same

A liquid crystal optical element includes two substrates, a liquid crystal layer, and at least two electrodes. The liquid crystal layer is provided between the substrates and includes liquid crystal molecules and dichroic dye molecules. The at least two electrodes are provided on the substrates so as to face each other with the liquid crystal layer interposed between them, and define one of multiple unit regions. In each unit region, the liquid crystal layer includes first and second liquid crystal regions within a range, which is approximately half or less as long as the wavelength of visible radiation as measured in a direction parallel to the surfaces of the substrates. The orientation directions of each pair of liquid crystal molecules in the first and second liquid crystal regions have azimuthal directions defining an angle of approximately 90 degrees while no voltage is being applied between the electrodes.

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Tenri, Japan

Seiji Shibahara