Patent · US Expired

Liquid Crystal Display device using liquid crystal having ferrielectric phase between substrates and method for driving the same

US6091478A · kind A · utility

21Cited by
18References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 6, 1998
Grant dateJul 18, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 6, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG09G3/3688
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A liquid crystal layer is sealed between a pair of substrates on which opposite electrodes are formed. The liquid crystal layer is formed of a liquid crystal which exhibits an antiferroelectric phase while the liquid crystal is in a bulk state. When the liquid crystal is sealed between the substrates as the liquid crystal layer, the liquid crystal exhibits a ferrielectric phase wherein liquid crystal molecules aligned in a first state of being aligned in a first direction and liquid crystal molecules aligned in a second state of being aligned in a second direction are present in predetermined order. In accordance with the polarity and magnitude of a voltage applied between the opposite electrodes, the ratio of the number of liquid crystal molecules aligned in the first state to the number of liquid crystal molecules aligned in the second state varies such that the direction of the director of the liquid crystal layer varies continuously. Gradation display can be achieved by detecting a variation in the director through the use of a pair of polarization plates arranged in a crossed Nicols fashion.

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