Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Takako Takebe

Kazufumi Ogawa

Takaiki Nomura

Tadashi Otake

Tsuyoshi Uemura

Tadashi Ootake

A liquid crystal display element having pretilt angles and anchoring energies with respect to liquid crystal molecules that differ between a pair of opposed substrates, a liquid crystal display element having pretilt angles and anchoring energies with respect to liquid crystal molecules that vary at a same substrate, and an optically anisotropic film having a plurality of optically different regions is provided. Thus, a liquid crystal display element that has improved display characteristics, response, and the like can be obtained. Methods of producing such liquid crystal display elements and such an optically anisotropic film are provided. The production methods are simply carried out utilizing the irradiation of polarized light. Thus, the present invention is of great value to industry.

Liquid crystal display element, optically anisotropic film, and production methods of the same

The present invention is characterized in that an underlying layer solution containing a hydrolyzable compound represented byX&#x2014;(SiOX)&#x2014;SiX(where X is at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of a halogen, an alkoxy group, and an isocyanate group and n is an integer equal to or more than 0) is brought into contact with a surface of a base material, the underlying layer solution is dried at a temperature less than 300&#xb0; C. to form an underlying layer, a solution containing a silane-based compound is brought into contact with a surface of the underlying layer to cause chemical adsorption of the molecules of the silane-based compound to the surface of the underlying layer, and the base material is sintered at a temperature of 300&#xb0; C. or more. This improves the water repellency, resistance, and heat resistance of a functional film composed of the silane-based compound, which is for modifying the properties of the surface of the base material.

Functional film, method of fabricating the same, liquid crystal display device using functional film, and method of fabricating the same

Liquid crystal display element including an optically anisotropic film having at least two regions with different orientation anisotropies, and production methods of the same

A thin film forming chemical absorption material including at least a functional group of the formula CF &mdash;CF &mdash;CH &mdash;O&mdash;(benzene)&mdash;CH&equals;CH&mdash;C(O)&mdash;(benzene)&mdash; and a &mdash;SiX group (X represents halogen) as an end group bonded by siloxane bond. The chemical absorption material can form a monomolecular thin-film having photosensitive groups that are transparent and stable in a visible light region and cause photochemical reaction in an ultraviolet region. A liquid crystal alignment film includes an aggregation of adsorption molecules chemically absorbed directly on a surface with electrodes or chemically adsorbed indirectly thereon through another material layer having a characteristic group the formula above and a &mdash;O&mdash;Si bond group at a molecular end group. The liquid crystal alignment film is uniformly and strongly anchored on the substrate, has excellent thermal alignment stability, alignment controllability, and a film thickness permitting formation with good productivity.

Thin-film forming chemical adsorption material, producing method thereof and applications thereof

A novel chemical adsorbate compound capable of forming a monomolecular thin film is provided. The chemical adsorbate compound is transparent and stable in the visible light range, and has a photosensitive group which causes a photochemical reaction in the ultraviolet light range. Utilizing the chemical adsorbate compound, a liquid crystal alignment film is also provided. The liquid crystal alignment film has an excellent thermal stability and alignment control performance. Utilizing liquid crystal alignment film, a liquid crystal display device is further provided. The liquid crystal display device achieves wide viewing angles and clear display images at small driving voltages. These are achieved by, as one example, providing a chemical adsorbate compound including a chalcone derivative having a COO group at the 4&prime; position in the chalcone skeleton and an &mdash;SiX group, where X is a halogen, at the molecular end adjacent to the COO group. Another example of the chemical adsorbate compound is a compound in which a linear hydrocarbon group is ether-linked at the 4 position of the benzene ring in the chalcone skeleton and an &mdash;SiX group, where X is a halogen, is ether-linked to the hydrocarbon group.

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Katano, Japan

Takako Takebe