Patent · US Expired

Ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal device having a bistable alignment state providing two stable orientation states

US4932758A · kind A · utility

58Cited by
8References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 16, 1988
Grant dateJun 12, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 16, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG02F1/1416
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal device having an improved impact resistance and an improved contrast is provided by using a pair of substrates provided with uniaxial alignment axes which are parallel and identical in direction with each other. A ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal is disposed between the pair of substrates so as to assume a higher-temperature alignment state and a lower-temperature alignment state on temperature decrease in its ferroelectric smectic phase placed in a bistable alignment state. The ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal is further placed in the lower-temperature alignment state which is characterized by having an inclination of forming a connected pair of a lightning defect and a hair pin defect coming after the lightning defect.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.