Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid crystal cell including one or more compensator layers interposed between a constraint and liquid crystal. Each compensator layer contains a transparent amorphous polymeric birefringent material having an out-of plane birefringence more negative than ?0.005 or more positive than +0.005.

Abstract: The image display device has a display section formed of plural pixels and a control section which controls the display section, and is provided with nonvolatile phase-change type pixel memories in respective ones of the pixels, or is provided with a nonvolatile phase-change type frame memory in the control section. Each of the nonvolatile phase-change type pixel memories is formed of one or more switches and a variable-resistance memory element fabricated from a chalcogenide material for storing display data for at least a specified period of time. The nonvolatile phase-change type frame memory is formed of one or more switches and a variable-resistance memory element fabricated from a chalcogenide material for retaining display data for one frame.

Abstract: Disclosed is a laminate with a reduced tendency for curling in a hard coat layer. The laminate comprises a transparent substrate and a hard coat layer provided on the transparent substrate. The hard coat layer is formed of a cured product of a composition comprising a mixture of pentaerythritol acrylate with an isocyanurate ethoxy-modified diacrylate.

Abstract: Adhesive layers are formed on the two opposing surfaces of a transparent support. At least one of the adhesive layers is made of a material of which the cured state may be changed. The adhesive layer is irradiated with light and a lens sheet is then pressed against the adhesive layer. The adhesive layer is cured. In this illustrative way, a laminate film of the lens sheet fixed to the transparent support via the adhesive layer may be obtained. The laminate film may be bonded to a polarizing plate on the viewer's side of a liquid crystal display element via the other adhesive layer.

Abstract: There is provided a laminate comprising a hard coat layer having the outermost surface to which slipperiness has been imparted. The laminate comprises a transparent substrate and a hard coat layer provided on said transparent substrate. The hard coat layer is formed of a cured product of a composition comprising a fluorine-modified urethane acrylate and/or a polydimethylsiloxane having a polyether-modified acryl or polyether group.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical compensation plate having an optical compensation layer in which cracks occurring due to an applied pressure is suppressed. By applying a curable adhesive agent onto at least one surface of the optical compensation layer and curing the adhesive, an anti-cracking layer is formed directly on the surface of the optical compensation layer. The occurrence of cracks in the optical compensation layer can be prevented by this anti-cracking layer. The optical compensation layer preferably is a layer having a cholesteric structure, and the constituent material thereof is preferably a non-liquid crystal polymer formed by polymerizing aligned liquid crystal monomers or an aligned liquid crystal polymer.

Abstract: The invention relates to aligned emissive polymer blended with at least one chromophore with rigid-rod-type or discotic asymmetric molecular structure; to film incorporating such polymer blends; to devices incorporating such polymers blends or films, and to uses thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to light polarizers and devices for displaying information based on said polarizers, in particular to a liquid crystal indicating (LCI) element, and can be used on flat liquid-crystal displays, including those of the projection type, luminairs, optical modulators, matrix systems of light modulation, etc. The objective of the invention is to provide a highly efficient polarizer providing an improved brightness and color saturation of an LCI element based on such polarizer. This objective is to be attained by using, in manufacture of a polarizer and an LCI element based on such polarizer, at least one birefringent anisotropically absorbing layer having at least one refraction index that grows as the polarized light wavelength increases., i.e., having the abnormal dispersion. The use of said layer allows creation of polarizers of both the dichroic and interference types.

Abstract: An optical film, which includes a laminate of a base and a birefringent layer, and which is excellent in adhesiveness between the base and the birefringent layer, is provided. The birefringent layer is formed on the base by: coating a material of the birefringent layer on the base so as to form a coating film; stretching/shrinking the base so as to stretch/shrink the coating film; and solidifying the material of the coating film. The material is dispersed or dissolved previously in a solvent and coated in a form of solution, where the solvent used exhibits solubility with respect to the base, and in the coating step, the solvent is infiltrated into a part of the interior of the base, thereby obtaining an optical film with excellent adhesiveness between the base and the birefringent layer.

Abstract: A photo-alignment material, a liquid crystal display device using the photo-alignment material, and a manufacturing method. The photo-alignment material is a polymer having a photo-reactive ethenyl group on a main chain. When used as a photo-alignment layer, the photo-alignment material enables improved alignment stability against external shocks, light, and heat. The liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer formed between the first and second substrates, and a photo-alignment layer formed at least on the first substrate, with the photo-alignment layer formed from a photo-alignment material having an ethenyl group at a main chain.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a conductive organic thin film having organic molecules that include at one end a terminal bonding group that is covalently bonded to a substrate surface, a conjugate bonding group that is located at any portion of the organic molecules and that is polymerized with other molecules, and a polar functional group that does not include active hydrogen and that is located at any portion between the terminal bonding group and the conjugate bonding group, wherein the organic molecules are oriented and their conjugate bonding groups are polymerized, forming a conduction network. The conductivity (?) of the conductive organic thin film at room temperature (25° C.) is at least 5.5×105 S/cm, and preferably at least 1×107 S/cm, without dopants, having significantly higher conductivity than metals such as gold and silver. In particular, a film of polypyrrole or polythienylene conjugate bonds that is polymerized through polymerization through electrolytic oxidation has high conductivity.

Abstract: A multilayer compensator includes one or more polymeric first layers and one or more polymeric second layers. The first layers comprise a polymer having an out-of-plane (?nth) birefringence not more negative than ?0.01 or not more positive than +0.01. The second layers comprise an amorphous polymer having an out-of-plane birefringence more negative than ?0.01 or more positive than +0.01. An overall in-plane retardation (Rin) of the multilayer compensator is greater than 20 nm and the out-of-plane retardation (Rth) of the multilayer compensator is more negative than ?20 nm or more positive than +20 nm. The in-plane retardation (Rin) of the one or more first layers is 30% or less of the overall in-plane retardation (Rin) of the multilayer compensator.

Abstract: The curable pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet A of this invention comprises an optically transparent substrate on which the curable pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 2 is layered on and integrated therewith. The curable pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 2 comprises a curable pressure-sensitive adhesive composite comprising a cationically-polymerizable compound, a polymer and a photocationic polymerization initiator. Surface roughness Rt of a surface of the curable pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is 2 ?m or less.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a conductive organic thin film having organic molecules that include at one end a terminal bonding group that is covalently bonded to a substrate surface, a conjugate bonding group that is located at any portion of the organic molecules and that is polymerized with other molecules, and a polar functional group that does not include active hydrogen and that is located at any portion between the terminal bonding group and the conjugate bonding group, wherein the organic molecules are oriented and their conjugate bonding groups are polymerized, forming a conduction network. The conductivity (?) of the conductive organic thin film at room temperature (25° C.) is at least 5.5×105 S/cm, and preferably at least 1×107 S/cm, without dopants, having significantly higher conductivity than metals such as gold and silver. In particular, a film of polypyrrole or polythienylene conjugate bonds that is polymerized through polymerization through electrolytic oxidation has high conductivity.

Abstract: An edge-sealed, encapsulated environmentally sensitive device. The device includes at least one initial barrier stack, an environmentally sensitive device, and at least one additional barrier stack. The barrier stacks include at least one decoupling layer and at least one barrier layer. The environmentally sensitive device is sealed between the at least one initial barrier stack and the at least one additional barrier stack. A method of making the edge-sealed, encapsulated environmentally sensitive device is also disclosed.

Abstract: An active matrix type liquid crystal display apparatus has a pair of substrates, at least one of the substrates being transparent; a liquid crystal layer arranged between the pair of substrates; and electrode structure for generating an electric field having a dominant component parallel to a surface of the substrate and passing through the liquid crystal layer, the electrode structure being formed on one of the pair of substrates; a pair of alignment layers formed on respective surfaces in contact with the liquid crystal layer of the pair of substrates; and a pair of polarizing plates arranged so as to sandwich the pair of substrates, wherein the glass transition temperature Tg of a boundary surface between said liquid crystal layer and the alignment layer is higher than the nematic-isotropic phase transition temperature T(N-I) of a liquid crystal composite forming the liquid crystal layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a device that acts as an optical switch to control the intensity of a light beam through the action of a second control beam. This behavior is achieved through photoinduced anisotropy that develops in a monomolecular layer coating the inside surfaces of a liquid crystal cell. One of the surfaces is permanently aligned prior to assembly by illuminating the surface with polarized light in the presence of oxygen. The other surface retains reversible behavior, adapting anisotropy according to the orientation of the polarization of the control beam. Accordingly, an optically controlled liquid crystal light valve is provided that does not require contact-rubbing methods in order to permanently align one of the layers coating an inside surface of the cell.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display which has spacers reliably joined with a pair of substrates of the liquid crystal display by using spacers adapted to the purpose with respect to material, structure, method of joining with the substrates, etc. A pair of substrates can be reliably joined with spacers, and the strength of the liquid crystal display against an external pressure as well as display characteristics can be thereby improved. A manufacturing methods for such a liquid crystal display is also disclosed.

Abstract: A phase retarder comprises one cellulose ester film. The retardation value of the film represented by Re450 measured at the wavelength of 450 nm is in the range of 100 to 125 nm. The retardation value of the film represented by Re590 measured at the wavelength of 590 nm is in the range of 120 to 160 nm. The retardation values represented by Re450 and Re590 satisfy the condition of Re590?Re450?2 nm. An aromatic compound having at least two aromatic rings is incorporated in the film as a retardation increasing agent to obtain ?/4 in the wide wavelength region defined above. A phase retarder can also give ?/2 in a wide wavelength region in the same manner.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a multilayer compensator comprising one or more polymeric A layers and one or more polymeric B layers, wherein said A layers comprise a polymer having an out-of-plane birefringence not more negative than ?0.01, said B layers comprise an amorphous polymer having an out-of-plane birefringence more negative than ?0.01, and the overall in-plane retardation (Rin) of said multilayer compensator is greater than 20 nm and the out-of-plane retardation (Rth) of said multilayer compensator is more negative than ?20 nm wherein the process employs laminating layers or coating the layers from solvent.