Abstract: A liquid crystal display unit produces image carrying light through a liquid crystal layer having a positive anisotropy of refractive index; an optically compensating layer with a negative anisotropy of refractive index is provided on an optical path of the image carrying light so as to compensate the optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal, and the image carrying light is incident onto an optically diffusing layer after the optical compensation so as to widen the viewing angle of the liquid crystal display unit without deterioration of image contrast.

Abstract: A high-quality thin-film transistor array. The gate insulating film below the pixel electrode is etched off in its entirely or along a slit extending along a drain bus line in order to simultaneously remove the residual a-Si produced due to defective patterning. The insulating film is interposed between a drain bus line and a pixel electrode to form a boundary separating layer therebetween. The reject ratio is suppressed by reducing the occurrence of point defects of semi-bright spots, ascribable to capacitative coupling to the pixel electrodes as a result of interconnection of the residual a-Si produced by defective patterning to the drain bus line.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display unit produces image carrying light through a liquid crystal layer having a positive anisotropy of refractive index; an optically compensating layer with a negative anisotropy of refractive index is provided on an optical path of the image carrying light so as to compensate the optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal, and the image carrying light is incident onto an optically diffusing layer after the optical compensation so as to widen the viewing angle of the liquid crystal display unit without deterioration of image contrast.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display unit produces image carrying light through a liquid crystal layer having a positive anisotropy of refractive index; an optically compensating layer with a negative anisotropy of refractive index is provided on an optical path of the image carrying light so as to compensate the optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal, and the image carrying light is incident onto an optically diffusing layer after the optical compensation so as to widen the viewing angle of the liquid crystal display unit without deterioration of image contrast.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display unit produces image carrying light through a liquid crystal layer having a positive anisotropy of refractive index; an optically compensating layer with a negative anisotropy of refractive index is provided on an optical path of the image carrying light so as to compensate the optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal, and the image carrying light is incident onto an optically diffusing layer after the optical compensation so as to widen the viewing angle of the liquid crystal display unit without deterioration of image contrast.

Abstract: An active matrix liquid crystal display has a thin film transistor array which includes scanning lines, signal lines, pixel electrodes, and display thin film transistors. This active matrix liquid crystal display includes, around the image region of the thin film transistor array, a scanning line reference potential line, surge protecting circuits for connecting the scanning lines with the scanning line reference potential line, a signal line reference potential line, and surge protecting circuits for connecting the signal lines with the signal line reference potential line. When a surge voltage is applied to the scanning line or signal line, electric charge is let go to the scanning line reference potential line or signal line reference potential line, respectively. Arbitrary reference potentials can be applied to the scanning line reference potential line and signal line reference potential line. The surge protecting circuit includes two two-terminal thin film transistors.

Abstract: A pixel electrode and a counter electrode of an active matrix liquid crystal display unit are respectively covered with orientation layers differently rubbed, one end portion of the pixel electrode forms an accumulating capacitor together with a gate line and a gate insulating layer inserted therebetween, and the one end portion is varied in width along the gate line so as to confine a disclination line into the liquid crystal over the gate line.

Abstract: A high-quality thin-film transistor array. The gate insulating film below the pixel electrode is etched off in its entirely or along a slit extending along a drain bus line in order to simultaneously remove the residual a-Si produced due to defective patterning. The insulating film is interposed between a drain bus line and a pixel electrode to form a boundary separating layer therebetween. The reject ratio is suppressed by reducing the occurrence of point defects of semi-bright spots, ascribable to capacitative coupling to the pixel electrodes as a result of interconnection of the residual a-Si produced by defective patterning to the drain bus line.

Abstract: A pixel electrode and a counter electrode of an active matrix liquid crystal display unit are respectively covered with orientation layers differently rubbed, one end portion of the pixel electrode forms an accumulating capacitor together with a gate line and a gate insulating layer inserted therebetween, and the one end portion is varied in width along the gate line so as to confine a disclination line into the liquid crystal over the gate line.

Abstract: An active matrix liquid display system where two scanning lines are successively selected within one horizontal scanning period, by which display voltages are written on pixels lined up in a horizontal direction, and the voltage supplied to a signal line when an even number display pixel is selected and the voltage supplied to a signal line when an odd number display pixel is selected are switched according to a gradation voltage generated from a gradation power source. Accordingly, when there is implemented a dot inversion drive in the active matrix liquid display system where there are less number of signal line drive circuits, and when a former stage pixel is subjected to modulation due to interpixel parasitic capacitance, it is possible to equalize an electric voltage of the former stage pixel being modulated as a latter stage pixel is being written with an electric voltage of the latter stage pixel, owing to revision of a gradation voltage of the former stage pixel.

Abstract: A thin film transistor of an active matrix liquid crystal display unit has a gate electrode continued to a gate terminal supplied with a gate control signal, a gate insulating layer formed beneath the gate electrode and the gate terminal, source and drain electrodes formed between the gate insulating layer and an insulating layer and an amorphous silicon layer extending on the insulating layer between the source and drain electrodes, and a silicide layer is inserted between the insulating layer and the gate insulating layer so as to enhance the adhesion therebetween.

Abstract: A gate electrode is disposed on a transparent insulating substrate, a gate wiring is connected to the gate electrode, and source and drain electrodes are disposed on a semiconductor thin film which is disposed on the gate electrode interposing an insulating film formed on the gate electrode, thereby forming a thin film transistor. In an active matrix type liquid crystal display device using this thin film transistor, a transparent pixel electrode connected to the source electrode is formed on the insulating film, and in a region where a drain wiring is adjacent to the transparent pixel electrode, the drain wiring is disposed under the insulating film on which the transparent pixel electrode is formed, whereby a lateral direction electric field caused by the drain wiring is reduced and reverse tilt region due to the lateral direction electric field is narrowed. Therefore, a penetration of a disinclination to the transparent pixel electrode is controlled so that an increase in an opening ratio can be achieved.

Abstract: In a liquid crystal display apparatus, the gamma characteristics of an image signal is changed each two frames, so that a driving voltage obtained from the changed gamma characteristics is applied to a liquid crystal. A wide viewing field angle can electrically be realized.

Abstract: A thin-film transistor (TFT) array for preventing the light reflected inside a liquid crystal panel from entering a channel layer, while suppressing an increase of stray capacitance. A light shading film and an antireflection film atop source and drain electrodes are made of semiconductor layers and are spaced from each other on a TFT. The reduction in reflected light prevents an increase in an off current and therefore improves the quality of a liquid crystal display.

Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device including first and second substrate members, a layer of a liquid crystal material between the first and the second substrate members, an active switching element formed on the first substrate member, a pixel electrode connected to the active switching element and which has first and second portions, a primary signal line connected to the pixel electrode, a secondary signal line adjacent to the primary signal line with the pixel electrode interposed therebetween, a scanning line connected to the pixel electrode, the first portion of the pixel electrode is nearer to the primary signal line than to the secondary signal line while the second portion of the pixel electrode is nearer to the secondary signal line than to the primary signal line.

Abstract: An active matrix liquid crystal display apparatus comprises a liquid crystal panel having a plurality of pixel electrodes, a vertical driver circuit and upper and lower horizontal driver circuits for driving the liquid crystal panel. A sample hold circuit receives a video signal for level-shifting, amplifying and holding the received video signal and outputs a reduced frequency signal, and a gamma conversion circuit receives an output of the sample hold circuit for gamma-converting the received signal. A data inverting circuit receives an output of the gamma conversion circuit for selectively generating a data signal inverted in comparison with a predetermined constant voltage and a non-inverted data signal. A controller controls vertical driver circuit, the upper and lower horizontal driver circuits, the sample hold circuit, the gamma conversion circuit and the data inverting circuit.

Abstract: A method for a thin-film transistor employed as a liquid crystal display includes the steps of selectively forming a gate electrode on a substrate, covering the gate electrode and the substrate with a gate insulating film, forming a semiconductor channel layer on the gate insulating film, forming on the channel layer a semiconductor contact layer of a first conductivity type having first, second and third portions, forming source and drain electrodes respectively on the first and second portions of the contact layer, removing the third portion of the contact layer to expose a part of the channel layer, and forming a semiconductor region of a second conductivity type at the part of the channel layer.

Abstract: So as to make a composing unit (R7, 33) produce a composite signal of a drive voltage for use in producing a driving signal for an LCD having a liminance versus drive voltage characteristic curve approximated by a nonlinear curve generated by a concatenation of at least first through third linear function curves, an analog nonlinear operation circuit (15) comprises first through third amplifier Circuits (31)(1)-31(3)) for generating first through third function voltages in correspondence to the first through the third linear function curves. The amplifier circuits are typically differential amplifiers particularly when the operation circuit is applied to gamma compensation of television video signal for a CRT into a gamma compensated signal which is for the LCD and is produced as the composite signal.

Abstract: An input terminal is connected to bases of first and second transistors. Collectors of the first and fourth transistors are connected to a power-source terminal. Collectors of the second and third transistors are grounded. A base of the third transistor is connected to an emitter of the first transistor. A base of the fourth transistor is connected to an emitter of the second transistor. One terminal of the capacitor is grounded and the other terminal thereof is connected to emitters of the third and fourth transistors and an input of an output buffer whose output is connected to an output terminal. A collector of a fifth transistor is connected to the power-source terminal and a base thereof is connected to the output terminal. A collector of a sixth transistor is grounded and a base thereof is connected to the output terminal. A first constant-current source is connected to an emitter of the fifth transistor and a base of the fourth transistor.

Abstract: A signal level converting circuit includes an input terminal supplied with an input signal, a reference terminal supplied with a reference voltage, a differential circuit having a first input node, a second input node and an output node, a first level-shift circuit including a first emitter-follower transistor and coupled between the input terminal and the first input node of the differential circuit to level-shift the input signal and supply a level-shifted signal to the first input node, and a second level-shift circuit including a second emitter-follower transistor and coupled between the reference terminal and the second input node of the differential circuit to level-shift the reference voltage and supply a level shifted reference voltage to the second input node.