Having Particular Deposited Structure (e.g., Angled, Plural Layered) Produced By Vapor Deposition Patents (Class 349/125)
  • Patent number: 8373810
    Abstract: A micro-array of optical vortex retarders is provided by forming an alignment layer having a plurality of discrete alignment patches with different orientations. A layer of birefringent material, including one of a liquid crystal and a liquid crystal polymer precursor material, is provided adjacent to the alignment layer. The aligning orientation and position of each discrete alignment patch in the plurality of discrete alignment patches is selected to induce the layer of birefringent material to form at least one optical vortex retarder adjacent to a substantially non-oriented region of the alignment layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: JDS Uniphase Corporation
    Inventors: David M. Shemo, Scott McEldowney
  • Patent number: 8358391
    Abstract: We disclose a new method of preparing liquid crystal alignment layers that can produce controllable pretilt angles from near 0 to near 90°. It is based on the stacking of two alignment materials sequentially, with the first one being continuous and the second one being discontinuous leaving part of the first layer exposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Hoi Sing Kwok, Yuet Wing Li, Chung Yung Lee
  • Patent number: 8355103
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are an integrated O film for improving a viewing angle of a TN-LCD, and a polarizer plate and TN-LCD including the same. Also disclosed herein are a compensation film which is capable of improving a contrast characteristic at a front side and an inclination angle and minimizing a color variation according to a viewing angle in a dark state, and a polarizer plate and TN-LCD including the same. The integrated O film includes a transversely-stretched negative biaxial (B) film and a positive O film laminated on the transversely-stretched negative B film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Byoung-Kun Jeon, Sergey Belyaev, Chang-Hun Yun, Moon-Soo Park
  • Patent number: 8325315
    Abstract: Electric power is applied to a static charge dissipating line to apply a pixel voltage to a pixel electrode. A common voltage is applied to a common electrode. The common voltage is applied to the common electrode through a shorting pad formed on the lower substrate, or a probe is contacted to the common electrode to apply the common voltage to the common electrode. A liquid crystal layer is exposed to light while an electric field is formed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode, so that a cured reactive mesogen (RM) layer is formed on a surface of an alignment layer to pretilt liquid crystal molecules. A manner of applying electric power to the pixel electrode or the common electrode is facilitated and the pixel voltage or the common voltage may be uniformly applied. Therefore, the quality of a display panel may be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang-Ki Kwak
  • Patent number: 8305531
    Abstract: A black matrix is disposed on a surface of a first base substrate having a switching element, a color filter is disposed on the switching element in a pixel area, a pixel electrode is disposed on the first base substrate having the color filter, and a first alignment layer is disposed on the pixel electrode to form a first substrate. A common electrode layer is disposed on a second base substrate, and a second alignment layer is disposed on the common electrode layer to form a second substrate. A liquid crystal composition including a reactive mesogen (RM) is interposed between opposing surfaces of the first and second substrates. The RM is cured to form a mesogen cured product on the first and second alignment layers. Accordingly, an RM having a planar structure increases curing speed, reduces, manufacturing time, and improves quality of the LCD panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-Gi Seong, Jae-Jin Lyu, Seung-Beom Park, Keun-Chan Oh
  • Patent number: 8279386
    Abstract: This object aims to provide a liquid crystal display panel with good in viewing angle characteristic, and capable of carrying out a high brightness display. The liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate having at least one pixel unit and at least one first orienting structure, a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer sealed between the first and second substrates and having negative dielectric anisotropy. The pixel unit includes a pixel electrode that is located in the display area, while the first orienting structure is located outside the display area. In addition, the liquid crystal layer contains an optical rotation material, and some of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer are inclined toward the internal part or the external part of the pixel unit by the first orienting structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Chimei Innolux Corporation
    Inventors: Cheng-Chung Peng, Yuren Shen, Shih-Hung Fa, Jin-Jei Wu
  • Patent number: 8274629
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device has first and second substrates. A first electrode on the first substrate is alignment-treated and a second electrode on the second substrate is alignment-treated. A liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. Alignment-treating includes forming an alignment direction. The alignment direction of the first and second substrates is formed by irradiating an ion beam onto the first and second electrodes using an ion beam irradiation apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong Sung Ham
  • Patent number: 8218115
    Abstract: After supply of power, a liquid crystal display device performing transition from a first state to a second state different from the first state before a display operation is provided with a transition nucleus forming portion around a pixel electrode or inside. The transition nucleus forming portion performs transition to the second state prior to other portion during a transition drive period. The transition nucleus forming portion of the pixel electrode has an edge portion formed into a reverse taper shape decreasing in its thickness toward the tip end. Therefore, transition from a splay alignment to a bend alignment is performed with simple element and drive circuit configuration in all pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukio Kizaki, Rei Hasegawa, Yuko Kizu, Hirofumi Wakemoto, Kenji Nakao, Tetsuo Fukami, Tetsuya Kojima
  • Patent number: 8194209
    Abstract: An optical low-pass filter is constituted with a liquid crystal substrate including a layer of liquid crystal. The optical low-pass filter includes: a first liquid crystal part in which the liquid crystal is aligned along a first direction; and a second liquid crystal part in which the liquid crystal is aligned along a second direction different from the first direction. The first liquid crystal part and the second liquid crystal part are disposed in an alternately repeated fashion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Nikon Corporation
    Inventor: Toru Iwane
  • Publication number: 20120092602
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display device including a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between a pair of opposed substrates and orientation films includes forming a first orientation film having straight-chain alkyl chains at the liquid crystal layer side of one substrate, and forming a second orientation film at the liquid crystal layer side of the other substrate by forming an inorganic orientation layer and surface-treating the inorganic orientation layer using a silane coupling agent, and forming the second orientation film includes surface-treating the inorganic orientation layer using a first silane coupling agent having straight-chain alkyl chains and surface-treating the layer using a second silane coupling agent having straight-chain alkyl chains and having only one hydrolytic group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoko AKAGAWA, Nobukazu NAGAE
  • Patent number: 8149363
    Abstract: A VA-mode liquid crystal display device which includes a pair of alignment sustaining layers 34a and 34b formed by a photopolymerized material on surfaces of a pair of vertical alignment films 32a and 32b which are closer to a liquid crystal layer, and a cruciform opening 22a provided only in a counter electrode. When a predetermined voltage is applied across the liquid crystal layer, four liquid crystal domains are formed such that the azimuths of the directors of the respective liquid crystal domains are different from one another and form an angle of about 45? relative to the polarization axes of a pair of polarizing plates. When no voltage is applied across the liquid crystal layer, the pretilt azimuths of liquid crystal molecules included in regions respectively corresponding to the four liquid crystal domains are regulated by the alignment sustaining layers 34a and 34b.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshito Hashimoto, Hiroyuki Ohgami, Masumi Kubo, Masayuki Soga
  • Patent number: 8139189
    Abstract: A main object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display, using a ferroelectric liquid crystal exhibiting mono-stability, which makes it possible to control the direction of the spontaneous polarization of the ferroelectric liquid crystal. The liquid crystal display is produced by holding a ferroelectric liquid crystal between: an oblique vapor deposition-alignment layer of a first alignment treatment substrate, in which a first electrode layer and the oblique vapor deposition-alignment layer are formed in this order on a first substrate; and a fixed liquid crystal layer of a second alignment treatment substrate, in which a second electrode layer, an alignment layer for reactive liquid crystal and the fixed liquid crystal layer are laminated in this order on the second substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoko Sawatari, Masato Okabe
  • Patent number: 8107042
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are an integrated O film for improving a viewing angle of a TN-LCD, and a polarizer plate and TN-LCD including the same. Also disclosed herein are a compensation film which is capable of improving a contrast characteristic at a front side and an inclination angle and minimizing a color variation according to a viewing angle in a dark state, and a polarizer plate and TN-LCD including the same. The integrated O film includes a transversely-stretched negative biaxial (B) film and a positive O film laminated on the transversely-stretched negative B film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Byoung-Kun Jeon, Sergey Belyaev, Chang-Hun Yun, Moon-Soo Park
  • Patent number: 8102491
    Abstract: A liquid crystal apparatus includes a display region in which electrodes are disposed in a matrix pattern, a non-display region provided at a periphery of the display region, and a liquid crystal disposed in the display region and non-display region. The liquid crystal disposed in the display region is splay-aligned when a voltage is not applied and bend-aligned when the voltage is applied. The liquid crystal disposed in the non-display region is bend-aligned. The apparatus also includes an alignment film including an inorganic material provided in at least one of a pair of substrates. The thickness of the alignment film provided in the display region is smaller than the thickness of the alignment film provided in the non-display region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yohei Ishida, Akira Sakai
  • Patent number: 8094276
    Abstract: To provide a production method of a liquid crystal display device and a liquid crystal display device, in which generation of a joint line on a display screen is suppressed and yield can be improved even if a substrate is subjected to an alignment treatment by completing exposure for the substrate through several exposures in a liquid crystal display device including pixels each having two or more domains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Iichiro Inoue, Hiroyuki Hakoi, Shinichi Terashita, Koichi Miyachi
  • Patent number: 8081280
    Abstract: In a liquid crystal display device, a method for creating desirable pretilt angle by means of topography of the substrates, such as a surface that is sloped with respect to the surface of the electrodes. In combination with a low pretilt but highly photo-stable alignment layer, which may be very resistant to high levels of ultraviolet radiation, a high pretilt and photo-stable alignment structure is generated, by essentially combining two incompatible technical approaches. The ever more stringent requirements for projection displays are met. The methods for producing such sloped surfaces and the considerations related to design of the sloped surfaces are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: George Liang-Tai Chiu, Steven Alan Cordes, James Patrick Doyle, Matthew J. Farinelli, Minhua Lu, Hiroki Nakano, Ronald Nunes, James Vichiconti
  • Patent number: 8064020
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device has first and second substrates. A first electrode on the first substrate is alignment-treated and a second electrode on the second substrate is alignment-treated. A liquid crystal layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. Alignment-treating includes forming an alignment direction. The alignment direction of the first and second substrates is formed by irradiating an ion beam onto the first and second electrodes using an ion beam irradiation apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong Sung Ham
  • Patent number: 8064017
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a liquid crystal display device in which a plurality of electrodes is provided on one of a plurality of substrates with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween and liquid crystal molecules configuring the liquid crystal layer are driven by an electric field generated between the pair of electrodes, wherein the one substrate has an alignment film which contacts the liquid crystal layer to regulate an alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules and is provided so as to cover at least one of the pair of electrodes, and wherein the thickness of the alignment film is larger than that of at least one of the electrodes contacting the alignment film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Hayato Kurasawa
  • Patent number: 8064021
    Abstract: Provided is a light illuminating unit for emitting partially polarized light having an anisotropic illuminance distribution onto a polarizing device. The light illuminating unit includes: a light generator to emit light having an anisotropic illuminance distribution; and a polarizing device to receive light from the light generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong Sung Ham, Hyun Ho Kim, Young Kwon Kang
  • Patent number: 8054431
    Abstract: To provide a production method of a liquid crystal display device and a liquid crystal display device, in which generation of a joint line on a display screen is suppressed and yield can be improved even if a substrate is subjected to an alignment treatment by completing exposure for the substrate through several exposures in a liquid crystal display device including pixels each having two or more domains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Iichiro Inoue, Hiroyuki Hakoi, Shinichi Terashita, Koichi Miyachi
  • Patent number: 8040476
    Abstract: The display device includes a pair of insulating substrates arranged so as to be opposed, a bonding layer, and a strain suppressing plate. The bonding layer is provided on the outer surface side of one insulating substrate. The strain suppressing plate has rigidity higher than that of the insulating substrate to suppress the strain caused by curving the insulating substrate. The strain suppressing plate is fixed to the insulating substrate by the bonding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Takumi Nakahata, Takanori Okumura, Yusuke Yamagata, Naoki Nakagawa, Masafumi Agari, Tetsuya Satake, Toru Kokogawa, Kenji Arita
  • Patent number: 8023083
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, a first alignment layer disposed on the liquid crystal layer side of the first substrate, and a second alignment layer disposed on the liquid crystal layer side of the second substrate. At least one of the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer is made of an inorganic porous film having pores exposed at its surface and grooves to control the orientation of the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Tomo Ikebe, Yutaka Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7986389
    Abstract: An adhesive layer attaining, in a single layer, both adhesiveness permitting direct attachment to a glass plate disposed on the front face of a display device and desired optical filter functions and hardly undergoing the change in spectral characteristics attributable to deterioration in a light absorbing agent, even during long-time use, particularly at high temperature under high humidity, as well as a composite filter using this adhesive layer. The adhesive layer has optical filter functions, containing a block copolymer having at least a specific triblock structure in its molecule and having a weight-average molecular weight of 50,000 or more and a molecular-weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of less than 1.5 and one or more light absorbing agents each having light absorption in a predetermined wavelength region, as well as a composite filter using this adhesive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yudai Yamashita, Hideki Imamura, Yuka Hiwatashi, Toshio Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 7961283
    Abstract: In order to improve the state of image irregularities of a liquid crystal panel, a plasma treatment is performed for an alignment film using a treatment gas such as hydrogen and/or deuterium, or a surface treatment is performed in which an alignment film is immersed in deuterium oxide. As a result, moisture contained in the alignment film is removed, and re-adsorption of moisture is also suppressed, thereby reducing image irregularities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Sakai, Nobuo Kawase
  • Patent number: 7944529
    Abstract: A transflective liquid crystal display device with improved display quality in which the liquid initial alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer is in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of a clearance between the counter electrode of a transmission portion and a counter electrode of a reflection portion or in a direction within a range of ±2° in the clockwise direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the clearance in a case where the liquid crystal layer comprises positive type liquid crystals, or the liquid crystal initial alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer is in a direction parallel with the extending direction of a clearance, or a direction within a range of ±2° in the clockwise direction relative to the extending direction of the clearance in a case where the liquid crystal layer comprises negative type liquid crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Ochiai, Toshio Miyazawa, Masahiro Maki, Tohru Sasaki, Masateru Morimoto
  • Patent number: 7936436
    Abstract: The present invention lowers leaking of light at the time of performing a black display of VA-type liquid crystal display device and, at the same time, prevents lowering of a numerical aperture. In a liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal display panel which sandwiches a liquid crystal material between a first substrate having a pixel electrode and a second substrate having a counter electrode, the second substrate includes an orientation control projection which is formed by forming a conductive film on the second substrate, by forming an insulation film on the conductive film and, thereafter, by patterning the insulation film, and a light shielding layer which is formed by patterning the conductive film using the orientation control projection as a mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Ochiai, Tohru Sasaki
  • Patent number: 7929094
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device 700 includes a pair of substrates, a vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer 490 provided between the pair of substrates, and electrodes 481 and 485 for applying a voltage to the vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer 490. At least one of the pair of substrates has a rugged structure on a surface which is in contact with the vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer. The surface having the rugged structure formed thereon has a region in which the height of the rugged structure varies along a first direction with a first period and varies along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with a second period different from the first period. The first period is no less than 0.1 ?m and no more than 10 ?m, and the second period is no less than 0.1 ?m and no more than 10 ?m. The vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer 490 has a pretilt due to the rugged structure with no voltage applied thereacross.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tadashi Kawamura
  • Patent number: 7911572
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device and fabrication method is provided. The liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrates facing each other and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates. Gate and data lines disposed on the first substrate cross each other to define a pixel region. A first protrusion extends from the gate line at a crossing of the gate line and the data line. A second protrusion extends from the data line at the crossing of the gate line and the data line. A thin film transistor is connected to the gate line and the data line. A pixel electrode in the pixel region is connected to the thin film transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jin-Mo Yoon
  • Patent number: 7872622
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) which can provide uniform vertical and horizontal visibility while improving lateral visibility is provided. The LCD includes a first insulating substrate, first and second gate lines which are formed on the first insulating substrate, and a data line which is insulated from the first and second gate lines and intersects the first and second gate lines. The LCD also includes first and second thin film transistors (TFTs) which are formed in each pixel and are connected to the first and second gate lines, respectively, and to the data line, first sub-pixel electrodes which are connected to the first TFT, and a second sub-pixel electrode which is separated from the first sub-pixel electrodes by predetermined gaps and is connected to the second TFT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dong-kyu Kim
  • Patent number: 7868985
    Abstract: An in-plane switching liquid crystal display device is designed in such a way that an angle defined by the lengthwise direction of a common electrode and a pixel electrode and a rubbing direction of an alignment layer is set to 10 to 20°, a cell gap d is set to 2.7 ?m or smaller, the dielectric anisotropy ?? of a liquid crystal constituting a liquid crystal layer is set to 8 to 20, a white voltage Vwhite to be applied to the pixel electrode when displaying white is set to 4 to 7 V, and the white voltage Vwhite (V), the dielectric anisotropy ?? of the liquid crystal, the cell gap d (?m) and an interval L (?m) between the common electrode and the pixel electrode satisfy the following expression 11.8 > V white d - 0.6 × L 0.5 × ?? - 0.5 > 9.8 .
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Daisuke Inoue, Shinichi Nishida
  • Patent number: 7859624
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a pair of substrates in a spaced relationship with one another. A pair of alignment films are provided, one alignment film being formed on each substrate such that the alignment films face one another. A liquid crystal layer; including plural liquid crystals, is inserted between the pair of alignment films, wherein the alignment films impart a given pre-tilt angle to the liquid crystals. The alignment films are composed of a material containing at least two types of polymers having a prescribed initial alignment and different alignment variation rates in response to ultraviolet ray irradiation. The pre-tilt angle being adjusted, without rubbing the alignment films, through ultraviolet exposure of the alignment films.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hidefumi Yoshida, Yasutoshi Tasaka, Takashi Sasabayashi, Yohei Nakanishi, Kenji Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7845306
    Abstract: In a method of manufacturing an LCD device, an atomic beam is irradiated onto a thin film including a carbon-carbon double bond to form a polarized functional group by transforming the carbon-carbon double bond into a carbon-carbon single bond and a radical state. Then, a polarity preserving material is combined with the polarized functional group so as to preserve a polarity of the polarized functional group. According to the present invention, the alignment film is formed on the thin film transistor unit cell and on the color filter unit cell by a non-contact method. Therefore, time of forming the alignment film is reduced and alignment of the liquid crystal molecules is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dae-Ho Choo, Hak-Jin Kim, Bong-Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 7834964
    Abstract: A transflective liquid crystal display device with improved display quality in which the liquid initial alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer is in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of a clearance between the counter electrode of a transmission portion and a counter electrode of a reflection portion or in a direction within a range of ±2° in the clockwise direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the clearance in a case where the liquid crystal layer comprises positive type liquid crystals, or the liquid crystal initial alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer is in a direction parallel with the extending direction of a clearance, or a direction within a range of ±2° in the clockwise direction relative to the extending direction of the clearance in a case where the liquid crystal layer comprises negative type liquid crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Hitachi Displays, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiro Ochiai, Toshio Miyazawa, Masahiro Maki, Tohru Sasaki, Masateru Morimoto
  • Patent number: 7800724
    Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display (“LCD”) panel and manufacturing method thereof. The LCD panel in accordance with the present invention includes a lower substrate including a thin film transistor and a pixel electrode, an upper substrate including a common electrode facing the lower substrate, a liquid crystal layer formed between the upper and lower substrates, and an alignment layer formed of an inorganic substance containing silicon (Si), oxygen (O), and carbon (C) on the upper and lower substrates. The transmittance of light through the LCD panel is high and is practically independent of the deposition temperature of the SiOC alignment layer over a wide range of deposition temperatures. The deposition of the alignment layer can be performed over a wide range of deposition temperatures while maintaining high levels of light transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Pusan National University
    Inventors: Soon-Joon Rho, Jang-Sub Kim, Baek-Kyun Jeon, Hee-Keun Lee, Jae-Chang Kim, Tae-Hoon Yoon, Phil-Kook Son, Jeung-Hun Park
  • Patent number: 7777848
    Abstract: In order to improve the state of image irregularities of a liquid crystal panel, a plasma treatment is performed for an alignment film using a treatment gas such as hydrogen and/or deuterium, or a surface treatment is performed in which an alignment film is immersed in deuterium oxide. As a result, moisture contained in the alignment film is removed, and re-adsorption of moisture is also suppressed, thereby reducing image irregularities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akira Sakai, Nobuo Kawase
  • Patent number: 7777850
    Abstract: Methods for treating aligning substrates produces uniform alignment of liquid crystals in at least two modes. The method is based on the treatment of liquid crystal aligning substrates with a collimated or partially collimated plasma beam. In one embodiment, the method comprises a step of bombarding an aligning substrate with at least one plasma beam from a plasma beam source at a designated incident angle to align the atomic/molecular structure or the surface profile of the aligning substrate in at least one aligned direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Kent State University
    Inventors: Liang-Chy Chien, Andriy Dobrovolskyy, Oleg Yaroshchuk, Oleg Lavrentovich
  • Publication number: 20100188629
    Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus for a liquid crystal device having a pair of substrates facing each other, an oriented film formed on an facing surface of at least one substrate in the pair of the substrates, and a liquid crystal held between the pair of substrates, includes: a film formation chamber; an evaporating section having an evaporation source, evaporating an inorganic material on the substrate in the film formation chamber by a physical vapor deposition, and forming an oriented film and a base film arranged under the oriented film; a base film formation area forming the base film and located substantially above the evaporation source in the film formation chamber; and an oriented film formation area located obliquely above the evaporation source in the film formation chamber, forming the oriented film and having a shielding plate having an elongated opening for selectively evaporating an inorganic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideo NAKATA, Takeshi MIYASHITA
  • Patent number: 7755732
    Abstract: A liquid crystal stabilizing layer may be disposed on a substrate, an opposite substrate, or both of a liquid crystal display panel. Additionally, a liquid crystal layer may be sealed between the opposing substrates. The liquid crystal stabilizing layer may have a number of protrusions. The height of the protrusions ranges from 10 to 200 nanometers and the width of the protrusions ranges from 150 to 600 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Chimei Innolux Corporation
    Inventors: Chen Kuan Kao, Yu Ting Tsai
  • Patent number: 7755733
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a first display substrate, a second display substrate and a liquid crystal layer disposed therebetween. The first and second display substrates include first and second vertical inorganic alignment layers, respectively, to vertically align liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer. The first and second vertical inorganic alignment layers each include a silicon carbide and are formed on the first and second display substrates, respectively, by a chemical vapor deposition method or a sputtering method. Thus, processes for the vertical inorganic alignment layer may be simplified, thereby improving manufacturing productivity of the liquid crystal display apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsai University
    Inventors: Soon-Joon Rho, Hong-Koo Baik, Kyung-Chan Kim, Jong-Bok Kim, Byoung-Har Hwang, Han-Jin Ahn
  • Patent number: 7728935
    Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal device including a first substrate, a second substrate, a liquid crystal being held between the first substrate and the second substrate, a base layer having alternating linear grooves and linear protrusions on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and an alignment layer of an oxide film covering the base layer and having wedge-shaped tops over the linear protrusions of the base layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Yasushi Kawakami
  • Patent number: 7719648
    Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus for a liquid crystal device having a pair of substrates facing each other, an oriented film formed on an facing surface of at least one substrate in the pair of the substrates, and a liquid crystal held between the pair of substrates, includes: a film formation chamber; an evaporating section having an evaporation source, evaporating an inorganic material on the substrate in the film formation chamber by a physical vapor deposition, and forming an oriented film and a base film arranged under the oriented film; a base film formation area forming the base film and located substantially above the evaporation source in the film formation chamber; and an oriented film formation area located obliquely above the evaporation source in the film formation chamber, forming the oriented film and having a shielding plate having an elongated opening for selectively evaporating an inorganic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Hideo Nakata, Takeshi Miyashita
  • Patent number: 7714965
    Abstract: Methods for treating aligning substrates produces uniform alignment of liquid crystals in at least two modes. The method is based on the treatment of liquid crystal aligning substrates with a collimated or partially collimated plasma beam. In one embodiment, the method comprises a step of bombarding an aligning substrate with at least one plasma beam from a plasma beam source at a designated incident angle to align the atomic/molecular structure or the surface profile of the aligning substrate in at least one aligned direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Kent State University
    Inventors: Liang-Chy Chien, Andriy Dobrovolskyy, Oleg Yaroshchuk, Oleg Lavrentovich
  • Patent number: 7705942
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer formed between the first substrate and second substrate. The second substrate has an active region, a sealant surrounding the active region, and a spacer wall located between the active region and the sealant. Additionally, the spacer wall is used to prevent the liquid crystal layer from being contaminated by the sealant and to support the first substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2010
    Assignee: Himax Technologies Limited
    Inventor: Bing-Jei Liao
  • Patent number: 7675598
    Abstract: An image display device includes a display panel, and a barrier including a plurality of transmissive portions and a plurality of blocking portions on the display panel, wherein the plurality of transmissive portions and the plurality of blocking portions are arranged in a matrix, wherein 3Nth rows and (3N?1)th rows include the plurality of transmissive portions and the plurality of blocking portions, N being a positive integer, (3N?2)th rows include the plurality of transmissive portions excluding the plurality of blocking portions, , and the transmissive and blocking portions are alternately arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hyung-Ki Hong
  • Patent number: 7649603
    Abstract: Provided are an in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device and a method for manufacturing the same. The device comprises a thin film transistor array substrate, a color filter substrate, and a liquid crystal. The thin film transistor array substrate has a common electrode and a pixel electrode arranged in an alternating pattern with each other, and has a first alignment film provided on the common electrode and the pixel electrode so as to align liquid crystal molecules in a vertical direction. The color filter substrate faces the thin film transistor array substrate, and has a second alignment film that aligns the liquid crystal molecules in a vertical direction. Liquid crystal is injected between the thin film transistor array substrate and the color filter substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Young Nam Lim
  • Publication number: 20100007832
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display, using a ferroelectric liquid crystal exhibiting mono-stability, which makes it possible to control the direction of the spontaneous polarization of the ferroelectric liquid crystal. The liquid crystal display is produced by holding a ferroelectric liquid crystal between: an oblique vapor deposition-alignment layer of a first alignment treatment substrate, in which a first electrode layer and the oblique vapor deposition-alignment layer are formed in this order on a first substrate; and a fixed liquid crystal layer of a second alignment treatment substrate, in which a second electrode layer, an alignment layer for reactive liquid crystal and the fixed liquid crystal layer are laminated in this order on the second substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Inventors: Naoko Sawatari, Masato Okabe
  • Publication number: 20100007831
    Abstract: Provided is a liquid crystal apparatus that includes a display region in which electrodes are disposed in a matrix pattern and a non-display region provided at a periphery of the display region and has a liquid crystal disposed in the display region and non-display region, wherein the liquid crystal disposed in the display region is splay-aligned when a voltage is not applied and bend-aligned when the voltage is applied, the liquid crystal disposed in the non-display region is bend-aligned, an alignment film including an inorganic material is provided in at least one of a pair of substrates, and a thickness of the alignment film provided in the display region is smaller than a thickness of the alignment film provided in the non-display region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2009
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yohei Ishida, Akira Sakai
  • Patent number: 7646458
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing an LCD device in which alignment films are formed by a method of printing non-contact alignment films on substrates. Print control patterns are provided between a sealing member and each of display regions. Each of the print control patterns is formed of a highly water-repellent region as well as any one of fine concave structures, fine convex structures and pillar-shaped bodies. The print control patterns control the spreading as liquid of alignment film materials to make the film thickness of each of the alignment film materials uniform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shinya Onda
  • Publication number: 20090316096
    Abstract: The present invention includes a method of preparing a dry deposited liquid-crystal alignment layer using one of a mechanical mask, photo-resist, UV treatment, and ridge and fringe field methods. The present invention further provides a multi-domain, wide viewing angle liquid-crystal display, comprising: a bottom substrate; a first transparent conductive layer; a top substrate; a color filter layer; a second transparent conductive layer; a first dry deposited liquid-crystal alignment layer; a second dry deposited liquid-crystal alignment layer, the second dry deposited liquid-crystal alignment layer being spaced adjacent to and facing the first dry deposited liquid-crystal alignment layer; spacers; and a liquid-crystal material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2009
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Inventors: Alessandro Cesare Callegari, Praveen Chaudhari, James Patrick Doyle, Eileen Galligan, James Andrew Lacey, Shui-Chih Alan Lien
  • Patent number: 7632553
    Abstract: A method of treating an inorganic oxide film includes: dipping an inorganic oxide film having a plurality of pores therein which is formed by an oblique deposition method into a treatment liquid containing alcohol; reducing pressure of a space where the treatment liquid is provided to infiltrate the treatment liquid into the pores of the inorganic oxide film; and chemically bonding the alcohol to a surface of the inorganic oxide film and inner surfaces of the pores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Shinohara, Koichi Terao