Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a driver substrate having a pixel area with pixel electrodes and drive circuits each driving the corresponding pixel electrode arranged in a matrix in the pixel area and a transparent substrate having an opposing electrode. The driver substrate and the transparent substrate face each other with a liquid crystal filled between the pixel electrodes and the opposing electrode. A dielectric material is provided in a gap between each pair of two adjacent pixel electrodes, with 0.2 ? or lower (? being a wavelength of reading light to be used) in phase difference of a step created on the dielectric material provided in the gap with respect to each pixel electrode. A first dielectric film and a second dielectric film are laminated in order in the pixel area. The second dielectric film exhibits a higher refractive index than the first dielectric film.

Abstract: The present invention provides a spatial light modulator having a light shielding layer having a high resistivity and a high light shielding characteristic capable of improving a contrast ratio without causing image defects. The spatial light modulator has at least a first transparent electrode 14, a photoconductive layer 18, a light shielding layer 12, a light reflecting layer 11, a photomodulation layer 10, and a second transparent electrode 16 stacked in this order. A driving power source 18 is connected across the pair of the transparent electrodes. the light shielding layer is made of a germanium oxide containing an amount of oxygen from 25 to 50 at % or a germanium oxide containing at least one additive selected from a group consisting of Cu, Ag, Au, Fe, Co and Ni within 20 at % defined as an atomic ratio of the additive to a combination of the additive and germanium. Further, a laminated structure composed of germanium oxide layers and SiO.sub.2 layers are adopted as the light shielding layer.

Abstract: A spatial light modulator capable of displaying a good contrast and high resolution moving pictures without an after-image effect is disclosed. The modulator comprises a pair of transparent electrodes for generating an electric field therebetween and at least a photoconductive member and a photo modulation member being laminated and interposed between the transparent electrodes, the photoconductive member is a film having a thickness ranged from 10 .mu.m to 30 .mu.m and is made of hydrogenated amorphous silicon doped with boron such that an amount of the boron with respect to silicon in the hydrogenated amorphous silicon in atomic percent is, 0.1 to 1.0 ppm. To enhance the modulator performance, a thickness of the photoconductive member is so selected to have light absorptance ranged 70% to 95% at a wavelength of a writing light which writes information in the modulator.

Abstract: A homeotropic-alignment liquid crystal display device having a high photostability and a high contrast ratio and a method of producing the same are disclosed, wherein while two glass substrates having patterned transparent electrodes are set obliquely at a first angle with respect to an evaporation source, then a first SiO.sub.2 film is deposited on each of the glass substrates while irradiating the glass substrates with an ion beam emitted from an ion gun. Subsequently, the glass substrates are turned in their planes over an angle of 90 degrees and set obliquely at a second angle with respect to the evaporation source, and thereafter, a second SiO.sub.2 film is deposited on the respective first SiO.sub.2 films while irradiating the first SiO.sub.2 film with the ion beam. The first and second SiO.sub.2 films thus deposited on the glass substrates jointly form homeotropic-alignment undercoat films.