The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 05, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 23, 1998
Yasuhiro Kume, Nara, JP;
Kenji Hamada, Toki, JP;
Masahiko Kondo, Nara-ken, JP;
Takashi Kurihara, Tajimi, JP;
Masato Imai, Tajimi, JP;
Kazuyuki Endo, Tajimi, JP;
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A liquid crystal display device of the present invention includes: first and second substrates; a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates; a plurality of pillar-like spacers for defining a gap between the first and second substrates; a plurality of electrodes provided on a side of each of the first and second substrates which faces the liquid crystal layer, for applying a voltage through the liquid crystal layer; and a plurality of pixel regions defined by the plurality of electrodes. The liquid crystal layer has liquid crystal molecules having a negative dielectric anisotropy. A vertical alignment layer is provided on a surface of each of the first and second substrates which faces the liquid crystal layer and on surfaces of the pillar-like spacers. The liquid crystal layer includes a plurality of liquid crystal regions defined by the plurality of pillar-like spacers. Each of the pixel regions includes at least one of the liquid crystal regions. The liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal regions are aligned substantially perpendicular to the surfaces of the first and second substrates in an absence of an applied voltage and in axial symmetry in a presence of an applied voltage.