Abstract: In a liquid crystal reflecting device comprising a cell (1) formed by two cell walls (3, 4) spaced apart by spacers (5) to contain a layer (2) of a liquid crystal material, electrode structures (6, 7) on the inner faces of the walls, and a surface alignment on one or both walls to align the liquid crystal material, a diffuse specular reflector is provided by a mirror base layer (21) formed by at least two different materials that are at least partly immiscible relative to one another forming a rough surface onto which a reflective layer (22) is coated. The mirror base layer (21) is formed by at least two different polymer and/or monomer materials that are at least partly immiscible relative to one another. The reflector layer (22) may be a single sheet, formed into a plurality of separate reflector elements, or patterned into electrodes.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a ferroelectric liquid crystal device, the following steps are applied in order to effect spacing apart of two substrates and by spacers. The spacers are applied to a surface of a transfer member, and the transfer member is then pressed onto a receiving surface of one of the substrates. The transfer member is then removed so as to transfer the spacers from the transfer member to the receiving surface at the required positions. Finally the other substrate is pressed onto the spacers on the receiving surface so as to form an assembly of the two substrates spaced apart by the spacers. Such a sequence of steps enables the spacers to be placed in the required positions in a particularly straightforward manner, whilst minimising the number of fabrication steps used in the process.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal display (FLCD), which comprises a cell including a layer of chiral smetic ferroelectric liquid crystal material contained between two substrates and at least one alignment layer for determining the surface alignment of the molecules in the liquid crystal material, is manufactured as follows. After selection of a suitable material for the alignment layer, the cell is filled by introducing liquid crystal material between the substrates to which the alignment layer is applied. After filling of the cell, a heat treatment is applied to the cell by raising the cell to an elevated temperature and maintaining the cell at that temperature for a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal display (FLCD), which comprises a cell including a layer of chiral smetic ferroelectric liquid crystal material contained between two substrates and at least one alignment layer for determining the surface alignment of the molecules in the liquid crystal material, is manufactured as follows. After selection of a suitable material for the alignment layer, the cell is filled by introducing liquid crystal material between the substrates to which the alignment layer is applied. After filling of the cell, a heat treatment is applied to the cell by raising the cell to an elevated temperature and maintaining the cell at that temperature for a predetermined period of time.