Seiko Epson Corporation

Takaaki Tanaka

Yuzuru Sato

Hiroaki Nomura

Yasushi Yamazaki

Akira Inoue

Kenichi Momose

Takeshi Miyashita

A substrate of a liquid crystal display device includes a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode adjacent to the first pixel electrode in a first direction, a third pixel electrode adjacent to the first pixel electrode in a second direction intersecting the first direction, a first alignment film provided in a first gap between the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode to align the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer along the second direction, a second alignment film provided in a second gap between the first pixel electrode and the third pixel electrode to align the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer along the first direction, and a third alignment film provided in the first gap and the second gap while covering the pixel electrodes to align the liquid crystal molecules along a normal of the substrate.

Liquid crystal display device, method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display device and electronic apparatus

An electro-optical device includes a pair of substrates, an electro-optical material sandwiched between the pair of substrates, an electrode on one of the pair of substrates, an inorganic alignment layer disposed on the one of the pair of substrates, and a heat-dissipating layer disposed between the electrode and the inorganic alignment layer on the one of the pair of substrates.

Electro-optical device and electronic apparatus including the same

A liquid crystal device of the present invention includes a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer that is provided between the pair of substrates, a first seal material that is arranged along the periphery of the liquid crystal layer between the pair of substrates and seals the liquid crystal layer, and a second seal material that is arranged along the periphery of the liquid crystal layer between the pair of substrates and has water-hardening properties.

Seal structure, seal method, liquid crystal device, manufacturing method thereof, and projector

To provide a liquid crystal device with a high contrast ratio without deteriorating the aperture ratios of the respective pixels by reducing inferior alignment in liquid crystal, which is caused by alignment films, a liquid crystal device includes an element substrate having active elements and pixel electrodes, a counter substrate arranged to face the element substrate and having counter electrodes that face the pixel electrodes, and a liquid crystal layer arranged between the element substrate and the counter substrate. On the internal surfaces of the element substrate and the counter substrate, the alignment films are made of column-shaped inorganic material structures inclined in a predetermined direction with respect to the surface of the substrates are provided. The liquid crystal is made of liquid crystal molecules having positive dielectric anisotropy. The pre-tilt angle &#x3b8;of the liquid crystal molecules on the alignment film of the element substrate is no less than 10&#xb0; and no more than 45&#xb0; and the pre-tilt angle &#x3b8;of the liquid crystal molecules on the alignment film of the counter substrate is no less than 0&#xb0; and no more than 10&#xb0;.

Liquid crystal display device and electronic apparatus wherein liquid crystal molecules having particular pre-tilt angle

Exemplary embodiments of the invention provide a new structure to reduce alignment defects caused by a problem inherent in an alignment layer without changing the alignment layer itself. According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, in a method for fabricating a liquid crystal device, the liquid crystal device has a pair of substrates, liquid crystal therebetween, and an alignment layer at least on the inner surface of the substrate. The alignment layer is in contact with the liquid crystal. The method includes forming an alignment layer including inorganic columnar structures tilted towards a predetermined direction on the substrate and filling a space between the pair of substrates with the liquid crystal. In filling, the liquid crystal is filled so as to flow on the alignment layer in a direction parallel to the predetermined direction.

Liquid crystal device and electronic apparatus, and method for fabricating liquid crystal device

A liquid crystal device has inorganic alignment layers () disposed on a surface of a liquid crystal layer side of a pair of the substrates, when the range of the average pre-tilt angle &#x3b8; of liquid crystal moleculesof the liquid crystal layer is 5 degrees &#x2266;&#x3b8;&#x2266;20 degrees, twist angle &#x3c6; of the liquid crystal molecules () of the liquid crystal layer, cell gap d, and helical pitch P of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer satisfy the relationship of (0.6/360)&#x3c6;&#x3c;d/P&#x3c;(1.4/360)&#x3c6;, and when the range of the average pre-tilt angle &#x3b8; of liquid crystal moleculesof the liquid crystal layer is &#x3b8;&#x3e;20 degrees, twist angle &#x3c6; of the liquid crystal molecules () of the liquid crystal layer, cell gap d, and helical pitch P of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer satisfy the relationship of (0.8/360)&#x3c6;&#x3c;d/P&#x3c;(1.6/360)&#x3c6;.

Liquid crystal device, projection display device and, manufacturing method for substrate for liquid crystal device

A liquid crystal device has inorganic alignment layers ( ) disposed on a surface of a liquid crystal layer side of a pair of the substrates, when the range of the average pre-tilt angle &thgr; of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer is 5 degrees&lE;&thgr;&lE;20 degrees, twist angle &phgr; of the liquid crystal molecules ( ) of the liquid crystal layer, cell gap d, and helical pitch P of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer satisfy the relationship of (0.6/360)&phgr;<d/P<(1.4/360)&phgr;, and when the range of the average pre-tilt angle &thgr; of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer is &thgr;>20 degrees, twist angle &phgr; of the liquid crystal molecules ( ) of the liquid crystal layer, cell gap d, and helical pitch P of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer satisfy the relationship of (0.8/360)&phgr;<d/P<(1.6/360)&phgr;.

An active-matrix liquid crystal display is composed of an active matrix substrate, a liquid crystal, and an opposite substrate having a common electrode. The active matrix substrate fabricates a first group of pixel electrodes that are aligned and supplied with picture signals of a first polarity, and a second group of pixel electrodes that are aligned to adjoin with the first group of pixel electrodes respectively and are supplied with picture signals of a second polarity. An inorganic orientation film is formed on the surface of the active matrix substrate to provide a first orientation direction (Ra) to its proximal liquid crystal molecules, while an organic orientation film is formed on the surface of the opposite substrate to provide a second orientation direction (Rb), rectangularity crossing the first orientation direction, to its proximal liquid-crystal molecules.

Active-matrix liquid crystal display with line/column inversion drives, and associated electronic device

A method of driving a liquid crystal that has a memory capability, wherein a reset voltage is initially applied to the liquid crystal during a reset period, to bring about a Fre&eacute;dericksz transition in the liquid crystal. During a subsequent selection period, a selection voltage that is selected on the basis of a critical value that brings about one of two metastable states in the liquid crystal is applied to the liquid crystal, and, during a non-selection period that follows the selection period, a non-selection voltage that is less than or equal to a threshold value that maintains two metastable states is applied to the liquid crystal. A delay period is provided between the reset period and the selection period, in order to gain effective timing for applying the selection voltage to the liquid crystal after the application of the reset voltage has been turned off. This shortens the length of the selection period, and hence the write time.

Method of driving a liquid crystal display device

A display characteristic of a high contrast ratio and a high transmittance through the application of a chiral nematic liquid crystal medium switchable between metastable states via Frederick's transition is utilized as a liquid crystal electrooptical element. The electrooptical element employs a white light source and is switchable between metastable states in which the polarization axes of both polarization plates are set to predetermined angles P and A according to the initial state of the liquid crystal medium and the product, R, of the thickness, d, and the difference, .DELTA.n, in the refractive indices of the liquid crystal medium for extraordinary light, n.sub.e, and ordinary light, n.sub.o (.DELTA.n=n.sub.e -n.sub.o).

Electrooptical element switchable between a plurality of metabstable

A high speed multiplex-driven liquid crystal display device is capable of utilizing a bistable nematic liquid crystal medium while maintaining high contrast, fast switching capability and a wide viewing angle. The chiral nematic liquid crystal medium has a twisted structure wherein a first voltage waveform applied in a first time period brings on Frederick's transition followed by a selected second voltage waveform applied in a second time period capable of generating one of two selectable metastable states representing switchable bistable states.

Liquid crystal display device having two metastable states and driving

A method of driving a liquid crystal that has a memory capability, wherein a reset voltage is initially applied to the liquid crystal during a reset period, to bring about a Freedericksz transition in the liquid crystal. During a subsequent selection period, a selection voltage that is selected on the basis of a critical value that brings about one of two metastable states in the liquid crystal is applied to the liquid crystal, and, during a non-selection period that follows the selection period, a non-selection voltage that is less than or equal to a threshold value that maintains two metastable states is applied to the liquid crystal. A delay period is provided between the reset period and the selection period, in order to gain effective timing for applying the selection voltage to the liquid crystal after the application of the reset voltage has been turned off. This shortens the length of the selection period, and hence the write time.

A method of driving a liquid crystal that has a memory capability, wherein a reset voltage is initially applied to the liquid crystal during a reset period, to bring about a Frederick's transition in the liquid crystal. During a subsequent selection period, a selection voltage that is selected on the basis of a critical value that brings about one of two metastable states in the liquid crystal is applied to the liquid crystal, and, during a nonselection period that follows the selection period, a nonselection voltage that is less than or equal to a threshold value that maintains two metastable states is applied to the liquid crystal. A delay period is provided between the reset period and the selection period, in order to gain effective timing for applying the selection voltage to the liquid crystal after the application of the reset voltage has been turned off. This shortens the length of the selection period, and hence the write time.

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Matsumoto, Japan

Takaaki Tanaka