Abstract: The liquid crystal display device is composed of at least one optical retardation compensator plate 2 (and 3) inserted between a liquid crystal display element 1 and polarizer plates 4 and 5. The liquid crystal display element 1 is composed of a pair of electrode substrates 6 and 7 and a liquid crystal layer 8 sealed therebetween. The polarizer plates 4 and 5 flank the liquid crystal display element 1. The optical retardation compensator plate 2 (and 3) has a negative refractive index anisotropy (n.sub.a =n.sub.c >n.sub.b). The direction of a principal refractive index n.sub.b parallel to the normal to the surface and the direction of either a principal refractive index n.sub.a or n.sub.c in the surface incline either clockwise or counterclockwise around the direction of the principal refractive index n.sub.c or n.sub.a in the surface.

Abstract: An active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) with a high aperture ratio and with an etch stopper formed by a back exposure method, and not with an additional pattern mask. The AMLCD has a gate line that extends in a first direction on the substrate and has a first region that corresponds to the gate electrode region. The gate line also has a second region corresponding to a non-gate electrode region and a contact hole adjacent to the first region and the second region. A thin film transistor (TFT) of the AMLCD is formed with a nonlinear channel region.

Abstract: On a first substrate constituting a liquid crystal display there are disposed a first electrode (13) and a second electrode (14), a non-linear resistance element (9) being placed at an intersection between a part of the first electrode and a part of the second electrode, an isolated island-like third electrode (16) constituting an electrode pair in conjunction with the second electrode (14). On a second substrate there is disposed an counter electrode (15) extending in the perpendicular direction intersecting the first electrode (13), the counter electrode (15) being opposed to a portion (16a) of the third electrode on the first substrate to accommodate therebetween conductive beads (7) for electrically connecting the counter electrode (15) and the third electrode (16) with each other in a liquid crystal.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of oppositely disposed substrates each provided with a plurality of electrodes and a chiral smectic liquid crystal disposed so as to fill a prescribed gap between the substrates together with a plurality of spacers dispersed therein. The substrates includes a substrate having four sides at least one of which has a connecting portion to be connected with a drive circuit supplying a voltage to associated electrodes. The prescribed gap is decreased with an increasing distance from the connecting portion, whereby an uneven temperature distribution within the device resulting from heat generation in the vicinity of the connecting portion for the drive circuit can be alleviated or minimized to improve a display irregularity.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a substrate having formed thereon pixel electrodes, a counter substrate placed so as to face the substrate, a seal material for bonding the substrate and the counter substrate together so as to seal a liquid crystal in a spacing formed between them, and a protective circuit formed on the substrate so as to connect adjacent scanning lines and/or signal lines, wherein the protective circuit is located inside an outer edge of a bonding region on the substrate where the seal material is applied. In an alternate embodiment, the protective circuit is located inside the inner perimeter of a region where the seal material is applied. A third embodiment employs a bifurcated insulating film layer having at least two separate sections. A first section covers the protective circuit and a second section partially covers the input terminals of the signal and scanning lines.

Abstract: To provide a liquid crystal display device easily produced having no disclination which causes a light leak, an excellent visual angle and an excellent contrast ratio, a liquid crystal layer is interposed between two substrates, two or more of micro areas coexist with each other in the liquid crystal layer, and liquid crystal molecules in the micro areas build up from a center of each pixel. A potential of a second electrode disposed on an opening is made approximately identical with that of a counter electrode, and a potential of a peripheral electrode is higher than that of the counter electrode, thereby obtaining the liquid crystal display device in which the liquid crystal molecules build up from the center of each pixel. Thus, the liquid crystal display device easily produced having a wide visual angle and an excellent contrast ratio is obtained. In addition, a polymer organic compound is dispersed in the liquid crystal to fix a built up direction of the liquid crystal molecules.

Abstract: The commercial production of DHF (Deformed Helix Ferroelectric) cells, in particular DHF color display cells, has scarcely become established to date. This is in particular because the DHF cells required for this purpose and based on the known prior art have short switching times and a good angular range of view but relatively high voltages and currents are required for their operation. Moreover, for the production of a DHF cell, the liquid crystal mixture must additionally be oriented or formatted by means of an electric field. The present invention relates to a ferroelectric display cell which does not have these disadvantages and in particular is distinguished by the fact thatthe display is dark at U=0 and bright at .vertline.U.vertline.>0,the current-voltage hysteresis characteristic has two maxima of equal size,the birefringence .DELTA.n in the field-free state is greater than that in the saturated state andthe saturation voltage is relatively low even with very small spontaneous polarization P.sub.

Abstract: The object of this invention is to provide a liquid crystal display that is able to realize a sequential color illumination method, i.e. that can advantageously achieve a high resolution full color display with no need of any color filters. For the purpose of attaining the object above, this invention provides a liquid crystal display characterized by being provided with a display panel in which a phase compensation plate is disposed in front of a bend oriented liquid crystal cell with a cell gap of 7 .mu.m, said cell and phase compensation plate being inserted between two cross polarizers between a TFT active matrix driving each image element by dividing said display panel into elements in a matrix array, and a surface light source sequentially illuminating three color lights of red, green and blue on the rear fare of the display panel.

Abstract: A reflective liquid crystal display apparatus realizing a bright image display without using a backlight is provided. In this reflective liquid crystal display apparatus, a reflecting electrode having a scattering property and a directional property is manufactured using a small number of steps. A pattern of unevenness, such as a polygonal pattern, a cylindrical pattern, and the like, is formed on an insulating substrate utilizing a material layer formed for composing switching devices. By causing the unevenness of the pattern to influence the surface contour of the reflecting electrodes, it becomes possible to give both a scattering property and a directional property to the surface of the reflecting electrodes.

Abstract: A liquid crystal panel which can operate at high speed is provided. The liquid crystal panel is constructed such that an electric field having a direction parallel to substrates is formed between pairs of electrodes with respect to a liquid crystal layer in which TN type liquid crystal is disposed. This electric field boosts a change from a state in which major axes of liquid crystal molecules orient in a direction vertical to the substrates to a state in which the major axes orient in the direction parallel to the substrates. Thereby, the change of the states of the liquid crystal molecules which has relied only on orientation restricting force in the past may be accelerated. Then, it allows the liquid crystal panel to respond quickly.

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.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a substrate, a gate electrode and a dummy electrode formed on the substrate, a gate insulation layer formed over the gate electrode, a transistor semiconductor layer formed over the gate insulation layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode formed over the gate insulation layer and over the transistor semiconductor layer, wherein the drain electrode is in contact with the dummy electrode, a passivation layer formed over the substrate, the source electrode, and the drain electrode, and a pixel electrode formed over the passivation layer and in contact with the dummy electrode.

Abstract: A cholesteric liquid crystal layer which is inhibited from appearing to be colored when viewed from slant directions and thus has excellent viewing angle characteristics, while enabling an improvement in the brightness of liquid crystal displays, etc.; and an optical element and an lighting device with each of which liquid crystal displays and the like excellent in brightness and perceptibility can be fabricated. The cholesteric liquid crystal layer (1) has a helical pitch changing in the thickness direction and shows circular dichroism over a wavelength region having a width of at least 50 nm and including a wavelength of 550 nm, wherein the linearly polarized light obtained through a quarter-wavelength plate has a maximum degree of polarization at a wavelength not shorter than 550 nm, or the degree of polarization thereof in a wavelength region on the longer-wavelength side of 550 nm is higher than that in a wavelength region on the shorter-wavelength side of 550 nm.

Abstract: A thin film transistor array substrate of a liquid crystal display is provided which includes a substrate, a shorting bar on the substrate, and a plurality of gate lines connected to the shorting bar, each gate line having an electrically non-connection region and a connection region connecting the non-connection region to the shorting bar, wherein said connection region has a thickness such that the gate lines and the shorting bar are electrically separated from each other when the connection regions are anodized.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to eliminate viewing angle dependency in the upward, downward, and right- and left-hand directions, and compensate for optical retardation according to the viewing angle. The liquid crystal display device is provided with at least one optical retardation compensator plate inserted between a liquid crystal display element and polarizer plates. The liquid crystal display element is composed of a pair of electrode substrates and a liquid crystal layer sealed therebetween. The polarizer plates flank the liquid crystal display element. The optical retardation compensator plate has a negative refractive index anisotropy and an inclining refractive index ellipsoid.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display comprises a liquid crystal cell of a vertical alignment mode, one or two optical compensatory sheets arranged on one or both sides of the liquid crystal cell and two polarizing elements arranged on the optical compensatory sheets or the liquid crystal cell. The liquid crystal cell contains a liquid crystal molecule. The liquid crystal molecule is essentially vertically aligned while not applying voltage to the cell, and is essentially horizontally aligned while applying voltage to the cell. The optical compensatory sheet comprises a transparent substrate and an optically anisotropic layer. The optically anisotropic layer contains a discotic compound. The optically anisotropic layer has an optical anisotropy to optically compensate an optical anisotropy of the liquid crystal cell while applying voltage to the cell. The optical compensatory sheet has a retardation value in plane in the range of -10 to 10 nm.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display element, a manufacturing method(s) thereof, and electronic devices (utilizing this element) which can improve, through a simple process, the visual angle characteristics, and the like, of liquid crystal panels is provided. A first control capacitor electrode (20) is included, provided below first and second sub-pixel electrodes (10, 12) and a protective insulating film (60). Also, control capacitors C1 and C2 are formed by the first and second sub-pixel electrodes (10, 12), and the first control capacitor electrode (20), through the protective insulating film (60). The visual angle characteristics of the liquid crystal panels are improved by the provision of the control capacitors C1 and C2. An increase in processes can be prevented, because the first control capacitor electrode (20) can be formed by a material identical to that of the source electrode.

Abstract: A height difference under a sealant is reduced in a case where lines are present under the sealant.There is provided a substrate having an active matrix display circuit and peripheral driving circuits, a counter substrate having a counter electrode provided on the substrate in a face-to-face relationship therewith, a sealant provided between the substrate and the counter substrate such that it surrounds the active matrix display circuit and peripheral driving circuits, a liquid crystal material provided inside the sealant, a plurality of external connection lines provided on the substrate under the sealant with a resin inter-layer film interposed therebetween for electrically connecting the active matrix display circuit and peripheral driving circuits to circuits present outside the sealant and an adjustment layer provided in the same layer as the plurality of external connection lines.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device that can eliminate an electrostatic discharge problem resulting from a high dielectric constant filler that is appropriate for improved shape stability of a sealing material. More particularly, the present invention is directed to sealing material 40 disposed between an array substrate 10 and an opposing substrate 12 contains a resin material and an inorganic dielectric filler. The filler consists of talc, mica or alumina having a dielectric constant higher than that of the resin material, and has plate-like or variable shape. The array substrate 10 includes gate lines 26 and data lines 24 that are separated by an insulating layer 28. The gate lines 26 or the data lines 24 that lie on the surface of the insulating layer 28 on the side of the sealing material 40 (e.g.

Abstract: Methods for producing a multi-domain alignment layer, as well as the multi-domain alignment layers produced thereby and liquid crystal displays comprising the same, are provided. In the subject methods, a surface of an alignment film, usually present on a substrate such a planar component of a polarized material, is bombarded with ions initially at normal incidence in the presence of an electric field in a manner sufficient such that the ions contact the surface of the alignment film at non-normal incidence. In a preferred embodiment, the electric field is produced by an array of conducting means associated with the surface of the alignment film, at least two of which means are differentially biased, e.g. alternately biased. The resultant alignment layers find use in liquid crystal display devices.