Formed By Particular Technique (e.g., Langmuir Blodgett, Stretching, Etc.) Patents (Class 349/124)
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20100053526
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display (“LCD”) panel includes a display substrate, an opposite substrate and a liquid crystal layer. The display substrate includes a pixel electrode and a first cured layer. The first cured layer has various pretilt angles. The opposite substrate includes a common electrode and a second cured layer. The second cured layer has various pretilt angles. The liquid crystal layer includes a plurality of liquid crystal molecules pretilted at the various pretilt angles by the first and second cured layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD
    Inventors: Myeong-Ha KYE, Jae-Jin LYU, Ji-Won SOHN
  • Publication number: 20100053527
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel is provided. The method comprises the following steps. Firstly, an upper substrate and a lower substrate are provided. Next, a liquid crystal material is interposed between the upper and lower substrates. The liquid crystal material comprises at least one liquid crystal molecule and at least two photosensitive monomers, and the absorption peak of at least one photosensitive monomer is larger than 300 nm. Then, a voltage is applied between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, and a ultra-violet with a first wavelength is used for irradiation so as to allow most photosensitive monomers to be polymerized as polymer. Lastly, a ultra-violet with a second wavelength is used for irradiation, wherein the second wavelength is larger than the first wavelength so as to allow residual photosensitive monomers to be polymerized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: AU OPTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Chung-Ching Hsieh, Chia-Hsuan Pai, Cheng-Wei Huang, Te-Sheng Chen, Norio Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20100053528
    Abstract: A display substrate includes a base substrate on which a pixel area is defined. The pixel area includes a first sub-pixel area and a second sub-pixel area. A plurality of first electrode portions is disposed at a first interval in the first sub-pixel area, and a plurality of second electrode portions is disposed at a second interval in the second sub-pixel area. The first electrode portion has a first width, and the second electrode portion has a second width. The first width of the first electrode portion is different from the second width of the second electrode portion, or the first interval between adjacent first electrode portions is different from the second interval between adjacent second electrode portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yi LI, Seong-Jun LEE, Jae-Young LEE, Seon-Hong AHN
  • Publication number: 20100039597
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel including several first electrode portions, several second electrode portions, and a smectic liquid crystal layer is provided. The first electrode portions and the second electrode portions are disposed on a first substrate. When an AC voltage is applied on the first electrode portions and the second electrode portions, the direction of a horizontal electrical field formed between each first electrode portion and the adjacent second electrode portion is parallel to the surface of the first substrate. The smectic liquid crystal layer is interposed between the first substrate and a second substrate. During the phase change of a liquid crystal molecule of the smectic liquid crystal layer, the horizontal electrical field generated by applying the AC voltage on the first electrode portions and the second electrode portions facilitates the alignment of the liquid crystal molecule of the smectic liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicant: Au Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Tzu-Yuan Lin, Po-Kai Liu, Ren-Hung Huang, Po-Chang Wu, Fu-Cheng Sie, Chun-Hung Chiang, Shune-Long Wu, Jin-Jei Wu, Po-Lun Chen
  • Publication number: 20100039596
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display (“LCD”) device includes a first substrate, a pixel electrode, a second substrate, a common electrode and an alignment layer. The first substrate includes a thin-film transistor (“TFT”) and a plurality of pixel areas disposed on the first substrate. The pixel electrode is disposed on the TFT. The second substrate is disposed opposite to the first substrate. The common electrode is disposed on the second substrate. The alignment layer includes an insulation layer and a photoalignment layer, disposed on at least one of the pixel electrode and the common electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yong-Hwan SHIN, Kyoung-Tae KIM, Jin-Soo JUNG, Soo-Ryun CHO
  • Patent number: 7663719
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display panel structured such that a liquid crystal layer is held between paired electrode substrates, comprises a support base member of a nearly rectangular shape provided in at least one of the paired electrode substrates, a counter electrode supported by the support base member, and an alignment film which is located within a surface of the counter electrode in contact with the liquid crystal layer. The rubbing direction of the alignment film is parallel to one side of the support base member and the counter electrode has a nonlinear edge extending in the rubbing direction of the alignment film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenji Nakao, Shinji Ogawa, Yoshinori Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7655284
    Abstract: Disclosed is a multi-functional monomer including a heat-curable functional group as well as a typical photoreactive group. In the multi-functional monomer, the photoreactive group is not chained to a main chain of a polymer. Thus, since it is possible to perform desirable alignment treatment even though polarized UV is radiated for a short time, the production time and the production cost are reduced and alignment regulating force of liquid crystals is increased, thereby increasing a dichroic ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kyung Jun Kim, Keon Woo Lee, Byung Hyun Lee, Min Young Lim, Hye Won Jeong, Jung Ho Jo, Heon Kim, Sung Joon Oh, Sung Ho Chun
  • Patent number: 7656484
    Abstract: A method for forming an alignment layer for a liquid crystal display includes preparing a substrate, applying an alignment material for initial alignment of a liquid crystal, and applying a field flux (e.g., an electric or magnetic field) to the alignment material to determine the alignment direction of the alignment material. Further disclosed is an apparatus for forming an alignment layer for a liquid crystal display. The apparatus comprises a substrate stage on which a substrate is mounted, and an electric or magnetic field generator installed at the periphery of the substrate stage. According to the method and the apparatus, since the alignment direction of an alignment material is determined by using an electric or magnetic field, no physical contact with a substrate is required and thus the problem of light leakage caused by rubbing alignment is solved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chang Dong Kim, Hyun Sik Seo, Kwang Hoon Shin, Dae Hyun Nam
  • Publication number: 20100014036
    Abstract: A process for formation of cavities of a micro-optic device, comprising: a) formation, on the surface plane of a support, of an alignment layer of liquid crystals; and b) formation of walls of said cavities, the base of said cavities being formed by said alignment layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2009
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE
    Inventor: Stephane CAPLET
  • 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: 20100007830
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a display panel, the method includes forming a display panel including a first substrate, the first substrate including a pixel electrode disposed thereon, a second substrate including a common electrode disposed thereon, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and the second substrates, the liquid crystal layer including a plurality of liquid crystal molecules and a plurality of ultraviolet (“UV”)-curable particles; and curing a portion of the UV-curable particles by irradiating light on the display panel, wherein an exposure voltage, which is greater than a maximum data voltage corresponding to maximum grayscale data of the display panel, is applied between the pixel electrode and the common electrode. Also described is a display panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Publication date: January 14, 2010
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Min-Jae KIM, Jae-Jin LYU, Seung-Beom PARK, Ji-Won SOHN, Jun-Hyup LEE, Myeong-Ha KYE, Hoon KIM, Min-Goo SEOK
  • Publication number: 20100002177
    Abstract: A method of preparing liquid crystal alignment films using an inkjet printer to control liquid crystal alignment is disclosed. The alignment ink is formulated from a single alignment material or combination of alignment materials to realize desired pretilt angle. The alignment films can be applied with designed patterns of alignment films of different pretilt angle on at least one substrate to achieve pattern-aligned liquid crystal devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Applicant: KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Liang-Chy Chien, Jeoung Yeon Hwang
  • Patent number: 7633586
    Abstract: A display is provided for switching between a narrow or private viewing mode and a wide or public viewing mode. The display comprises a display device which is controlled to provide display of a desired image or sequence of images. This is associated with a liquid crystal device having at least one liquid crystal layer whose molecules are switchable between a first state providing a first angular viewing range and a second state providing a second angular viewing range which is within and smaller than the first angular viewing range. With the molecules in the second state, the device at least partially blocks light propagating towards part of the first angular viewing range outside the second angular viewing range. The or each liquid crystal layer is in contact with at least one alignment surface, the or each of which comprises a uniform non-patterned alignment surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Robert Winlow, Zabbie J. Acosta, Martin D. Tillin, Paul Bonnett, Diana U. Kean, Grant Bourhill, Michel Sagardoyburu, Emma Jayne Walton, Koji Yabuta, Hiroshi Fukushima, Tomoo Takatani
  • Patent number: 7633596
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device comprises a first cell wall and a second cell wall enclosing a layer of liquid crystal material. The device has electrodes for applying an electric field across at least some of the liquid crystal material, and a surface alignment structure on a region of a substantially planar inner surface of at least the first cell wall. The alignment structure induces the liquid crystal material to adopt a desired alignment in an azimuthal plane. The surface alignment structure comprises a two dimensional array of microstructures which are shaped and oriented to produce the desired alignment. Each microstructure has no plane of symmetry orthogonal to the azimuthal plane and to said planar inner surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Stephen Christopher Kitson, Adrian Derek Geisow
  • Patent number: 7630040
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display (200) includes a first base plate (202), a second base plate (220), a liquid crystal layer (238) located between the first base plate and the second base plate, and two alignment films (210, 228). The two alignment films are respectively positioned on inner surfaces of the first base plate and the second base plate. Each alignment film is a film of oriented carbon nanotubes (212, 230). An oriented direction of the carbon nanotubes on the first base plate is perpendicular to that of the carbon nanotubes on the second base plate. A manufacturing method for the liquid crystal display is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignees: Tsinghua University, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Liang Liu, Kai-Li Jiang, Shou-Shan Fan
  • Publication number: 20090296034
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display, the method including; disposing a thin film transistor having an input terminal and an output terminal on a first substrate, connecting a pixel electrode to the output terminal, disposing an organic layer on the pixel electrode, forming a first alignment layer having at least tow different alignment directions by disposing a mask on the organic layer and radiating an ion beam to the organic layer, disposing a common electrode on a second substrate corresponding to the first substrate, forming a second alignment layer having at least tow different alignment directions on the common electrode, and disposing a liquid crystal layer between the first alignment layer and the second alignment layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: Samsunsg Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Soon-Joon RHO, Jang-Sub KIM, Baek-Kyun JEON, Hee-Keun LEE, Jae-Chang KIM, Tae-Hoon YOON, Phil-Kook SON, Bong-Kyun JO
  • Patent number: 7626662
    Abstract: A method for fabricating liquid crystal (LC) alignment includes the steps of processing an alignment film having a plurality of liquid crystal molecules with a single or plurality of plasma generating devices, such that the liquid crystal molecules are aligned at a high pretilt angle. Compared with the prior art, the present invention is suitable for modifying the alignment film surface adjustablely in directions and angles, and can attain the effect of alignment stability with a high pretilt angle in a single process, thus overcoming the drawbacks of the prior art.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chin-Yang Lee, Huang-Chin Tang, Kei-Hsiung Yang, Chih-Wei Chen, Chi-Hung Liu, Yu-Jung Shih
  • Patent number: 7623291
    Abstract: A polarized diffractive filter contains cyclic concave/convex portions formed as a diffractive grating on a transparent substrate. The concave portions are filled with an optical material. At least one member selected from the group consisting of i) a material constituting the concave/convex portions, and ii) the optical material filled in the concave portions contains a liquid crystal material. The diffractive grating contains an isotropic material, the isotropic material having a refractive index outside a range from an extraordinary index to an ordinary index of the liquid crystal material. The polarized diffractive filter is capable of receiving light having at least two different peak wavelengths so as to shield light of at least one of the peak wavelengths by diffraction and to transmit the light of the other peak wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Asahi Glass Company, Limited
    Inventor: Hiromasa Sato
  • Publication number: 20090279032
    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: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: THE HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Hoi Sing KWOK, Yuet Wing LI, Chung Yung LEE
  • Patent number: 7612851
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display (LCD) device is provided. In the method, a vertical alignment layer having a first area and a second area is formed on a substrate. A first plasma gas is sprayed onto the first area with first spraying conditions under atmospheric pressure. A second plasma gas is sprayed onto the second area with second spraying conditions under atmospheric pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Seoul National University Industry Foundation
    Inventors: Sin-Doo Lee, Eun-Je Jang, Hyung-Jun Song
  • Publication number: 20090268141
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device according to the present invention includes: a vertical alignment liquid crystal layer; first and second electrodes arranged on one surface of first and second substrates to face the liquid crystal layer; and first and second alignment films arranged on the first and second electrodes, respectively, in contact with the liquid crystal layer. The first alignment film has been subjected to an optical alignment treatment by obliquely irradiating a first alignment film material, having a photosensitive wavelength within the wavelength range of 250 nm to 380 nm, with light including the photosensitive wavelength. The device further includes: a metal layer arranged between the first alignment film and the first substrate; and a first resin layer arranged between the metal layer and the first alignment film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Publication date: October 29, 2009
    Inventors: Yoshito Hashimoto, Masumi Kubo, Akihiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7605892
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display (LCD) device for switching a display mode between wide and narrow viewing angle, and a method for fabricating the same, is presented. The LCD device has an LCD panel and a viewing angle control cell. The LCD panel has array and color filter substrates and a liquid crystal layer formed between the substrates. The viewing angle control cell contains a lower substrate that contacts the LCD panel and has a first electrode, an upper substrate having a second electrode, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer between the upper and lower substrates. The viewing angle control cell switches the LCD device between wide and narrow viewing angle modes when driven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: LG. Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyung-Seok Jang, Hyun-Suk Jin
  • Publication number: 20090257013
    Abstract: A liquid crystal device has a pair of substrates, an alignment film formed at least on one of the pair of substrates and liquid crystal showing an orientation defined by the alignment film. The alignment film is a carbon film having a cross-sectional structure inclined relative to the direction of the film thickness by a constant angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Publication date: October 15, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira Sakai, Yohei Ishida, Yasufumi Asao, Hirokatsu Miyata, Philip J. Martin
  • Patent number: 7599041
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display using a ferroelectric liquid crystal, which can give mono-domain alignment of the ferroelectric liquid crystal without forming alignment defects such as zigzag defects, hairpin defects and double domains and which is so remarkably good in alignment stability that the alignment thereof can be maintained even if the temperature of the liquid crystal is raised to the phase transition point or higher. The liquid crystal display has a ferroelectric liquid crystal sandwiched between two substrates, wherein an electrode and a photo alignment layer are each successively formed on opposite faces of the two substrates facing each other, and a constituent material of the respective photo alignment layer has a different composition with the ferroelectric liquid crystal sandwiched there between.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoko Sawatari, Masato Okabe, Hideo Hama
  • Publication number: 20090244425
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display including a pixel electrode including a first subpixel electrode and a second subpixel electrode spaced apart with a gap therebetween, a common electrode facing the pixel electrode, and a liquid crystal layer formed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode and including a plurality of liquid crystal molecules. The first and second subpixel electrodes include a plurality of branches, and each of the first and second subpixel electrodes includes a plurality of subregions. The branches extend in different directions in different subregions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mee-Hye JUNG, Ji-Won Sohn, Jae-Jin Lyu, Chong-Chul Chai
  • Publication number: 20090237604
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes: a circuit substrate; a counter substrate oppositely disposed to the circuit substrate; a liquid crystal layer which is sandwiched between the circuit substrate and the counter substrate, and shows a vertical alignment in an initial alignment state; a first alignment layer having an alkyl chain formed by a coating process at a liquid crystal layer of the counter substrate; and a second alignment layer formed by a vacuum process at the liquid crystal layer of the circuit substrate. In the device, an alkyl chain is further bonded on a surface of the second alignment film.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobukazu NAGAE
  • Patent number: 7567335
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a liquid crystal display device includes: forming alignment keys by at least one of ink jet printing, offset printing, screen printing and laser marking on a dummy region of an upper substrate; forming a first alignment film over an active region of the upper substrate; forming sealant along a periphery of the active region of the upper substrate; and bonding the upper substrate to a lower substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yun Bok Lee, Woo Hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 7557884
    Abstract: This invention provides a bistable liquid crystal device. The bistable liquid crystal device includes a first substrate having thereon a first conductive layer and a first alignment layer; a second substrate having thereon a second conductive layer and a second alignment layer; and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second alignment layers. The first alignment layer induces a first pretilt angle ?1 in the range of 20°-65° between the liquid crystal layer in contact with the first alignment layer. The second alignment layer induces a second pretilt angle ?2 in the range of 20°-65° between the liquid crystal layer in contact with the second alignment layer. The liquid crystal layer is capable of maintaining a stable bend state or a stable splay state at zero bias voltage and is switchable between the stable bend state and the stable splay state when a switching energy is applied in operation to the liquid crystal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
    Inventors: Hoi-Sing Kwok, Xing Jie Yu
  • Publication number: 20090168002
    Abstract: Each pixel has a transmissive area and a reflective area. A first alignment process area and a second alignment process area are placed such that an overlapping region is created in part of the reflective area. A region where the liquid crystal alignment direction shifts continuously is created in a boundary between the transmissive are a and the reflective are a without exception. A first liquid crystal alignment region is formed wider than the transmissive area, and a second liquid crystal alignment region is formed narrower than the reflective area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Inventors: Shoichi Hirota, Masaki Matsumori, Tetsuya Nagata, Shinichiro Oka
  • Patent number: 7553524
    Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal display using a ferroelectric liquid crystal, which can give mono-domain alignment of the ferroelectric liquid crystal without forming alignment defects which is so remarkably good in alignment stability that the alignment thereof can be maintained even if the temperature of the liquid crystal is raised to the phase transition point or higher. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display comprising a ferroelectric liquid crystal sandwiched between two substrates, wherein an electrode and a photo alignment layer are each successively formed a constituent material of the respective photo alignment layer is a photoreactive material which generates a photoreaction to give anisotropy to the photo alignment layer; and the constituent material of the respective photo alignment layer has different composition from each other with the ferroelectric liquid crystal sandwiched therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoko Sawatari, Masato Okabe, Hideo Hama
  • Patent number: 7553525
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display using a ferroelectric liquid crystal, which can give mono-domain alignment of the ferroelectric liquid crystal without forming alignment defects such as zigzag defects, hairpin defects and double domains and which is so remarkably good in alignment stability that the alignment thereof can be maintained even if the temperature of the liquid crystal is raised to the phase transition point or higher. The liquid crystal display has a ferroelectric liquid crystal sandwiched between two substrates, wherein an electrode and a photo alignment layer are each successively formed on opposite faces of the two substrates facing each other, and a constituent material of the respective photo alignment layer has a different composition with the ferroelectric liquid crystal sandwiched therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoko Sawatari, Masato Okabe, Hideo Hama
  • Patent number: 7553521
    Abstract: The invention provides a liquid crystal displays using a ferroelectric liquid crystal, which can give mono-domain alignment of ferroelectrical liquid crystal without forming orientation defects and which is so remarkably good in orientation stability that the orientation thereof can be maintained even if the temperature of the liquid crystal is raised to the phase transition point or higher. The invention provides liquid crystal displays comprising a ferroelectric liquid crystal sandwiched between two substrates, wherein an electrode and a photo alignment film are each successively formed, the first of which is a photoreactive material which generates photoreaction to give anisotropy to the photo alignment film, and the constituent material of the second film is an optically isomerizable material comprising an optically isomerization-reactive compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoko Sawatari, Masato Okabe, Hideo Hama
  • Publication number: 20090161054
    Abstract: A method for forming the alignment films on the substrate and a pixel structure of a liquid crystal display are disclosed. The pixel structure comprises a plurality of pixel units arranged in arrays. Each of the pixel units comprises a first substrate, a second substrate, two first alignment films and two second alignment films. The first alignment film is different from the second alignment film. The second substrate is disposed opposite to the first substrate. The two first alignment films and the two second alignment films are individually disposed on the first substrate and the second substrate, while each of the first alignment films is disposed substantially opposite to one of the second alignment films.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2008
    Publication date: June 25, 2009
    Applicant: AU Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Wei-Tse Hsu, Hung-Lung Hou, Yu-Wei Liu, Ren-Bin Lin, Yi-Ting Lee, Chin-Hsuan Dai, Norio Sugiura
  • Patent number: 7551258
    Abstract: A repeated pattern layer having areas for imparting different electro-optic characteristics to a light modulating device is disclosed. The repeated pattern is arranged so that any pixel area formed in the assembled device (above a certain minimum size) will contain an area of each electo-optic characteristic in the right proportions. The pattern is arranged as a two dimensional grid of areas of different characteristic with at least one area of each characteristic provided in each row and column of the grid. The patterned layer may usefully be an alignment layer for a liquid crystal device, especially a bistable device, and the different areas may be arranged to give grey scale in the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: ZBD Displays Limited
    Inventors: John C. Jones, Emma L. Wood
  • Publication number: 20090109387
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a liquid crystal optical device is provided including an alignment film forming step of forming an alignment film containing silicon oxide on a substrate, and a liquid crystal cell forming step of disposing a pair of substrates at least one of which the alignment film has been formed on, opposite to each other interposing a liquid crystal therebetween. In the alignment film forming step, the substrate surface is bombarded with a plasma beam generated by vacuum arc discharge using a cathode containing silicon, where the substrate is disposed on the course of the plasma beam obliquely with an angle. When the plasma beam bombards the substrate surface, plasma ions in the plasma beam have higher kinetic energy or higher flux density than plasma ions in a plasma beam which, if bombarding the substrate obliquely at the angle, form a film having a column structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Publication date: April 30, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Akira Sakai, Hirokatsu Miyata, Yasufumi Asao, Yohei Ishida, Philip J. Martin, Avi Bendavid
  • Patent number: 7525623
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display is provided, which includes: first and second panels facing each other, interposing a gap therebetween, and first and second field generating electrodes, respectively; a liquid crystal layer filled in the gap and including a plurality of liquid crystal molecules; first and second tilt direction defining members disposed on the first and the second panels, respectively, and giving a first tilt direction to a group of the liquid crystal molecules; and a third tilt direction defining member disposed on one of the first and the second panels and giving a second tilt direction oblique to the first tilt direction to the group of the liquid crystal molecules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hee-Seob Kim, Doo-Hwan You, Joon-Hak Oh, Jong-Lae Kim, Sung-Kyu Hong, Young-Chol Yang
  • Patent number: 7518681
    Abstract: A manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an oriented film of a liquid crystal device holding a liquid crystal between a pair of substrates facing each other, includes: a film formation chamber; an evaporation section evaporating an oriented film material on the substrate by a physical vapor deposition, and forming the oriented film in the film formation chamber; a shielding plate formed between the evaporation section and the substrate, having an elongated opening for selectively evaporating the oriented film material, and covering an area of the substrate on which the oriented film is not formed; and a cleaning section providing a cleaning medium for removing the oriented film material adhered on the shielding plate, toward the opening of the shielding plate, and on the side of the shielding plate that faces the evaporation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Yasushi Nagata, Yuichi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7518683
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device with an alignment film provided on at least one of a pair of substrates, sandwiching a liquid crystal layer, on the side facing the liquid crystal layer, in which the alignment film aligns liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer substantially vertical or horizontal when there is no voltage application, and a mask rubbing process is performed with at least a part of a hard mask adhered to the alignment film surface such that alignment control directions in regions of the alignment film are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Iichiro Inoue, Shinichi Terashita, Hiroyuki Hakoi, Koichi Miyachi, Akihito Jinda, Takako Koide
  • Patent number: 7515234
    Abstract: Provided is an alignment method including: forming an alignment film on a substrate; irradiating an ion beam onto the alignment film using a bar-type ion gun; and cleaning a surface of the substrate having the alignment film. The irradiating of an ion beam satisfies the following equation: 1.6×10?4?(Lg×I×T)/Ls?1.6×10?2, where I is an ion beam current (A) measured outside an ion beam outlet and irradiated from the bar-type ion gun, Lg is a length (cm) of the ion beam outlet with respect to a moving direction of the substrate, Ls is a length (cm) of the substrate in the moving direction of the substrate, and T is a process time (sec) for processing one substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yong Sung Ham
  • Publication number: 20090073361
    Abstract: A color filter substrate for a liquid crystal display device includes a color layer, a photo spacer and a counter electrode disposed on the substrate, and an alignment control protrusion is disposed on the counter electrode for controlling alignment of liquid crystal. A manufacturing method for the color filter substrate includes the step of forming an opening by laser irradiation in a region of the counter electrode corresponding to an absent portion occurring in the alignment control protrusion. The manufacturing method is also applicable to an active matrix substrate for a liquid crystal display device. The manufacturing method can effectively correct a defect if one occurs in the alignment control protrusion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Publication date: March 19, 2009
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Toshifumi Yagi, Toshihide Tsubata, Yoshinori Shimada
  • Patent number: 7505105
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Inoue, Shinichi Nishida
  • Publication number: 20090059148
    Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid crystal display based on an MVA mode of multi-division alignment in which alignment states of liquid crystal molecules having a negative dielectric anisotropy are made different from each other, and provides a liquid crystal display in which a drop in transmittance is suppressed and response characteristics are improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazutaka Hanaoka, Seiji Tanuma, Yohei Nakanishi, Kazuya Ueda, Shingo Kataoka, Takahiro Sasaki, Arihiro Takeda, Hideaki Tsuda, Takatoshi Mayama, Yuichi Inoue, Norio Sugiura
  • Publication number: 20090059147
    Abstract: Light leakage between pixel electrodes over a video signal line in a TN-type liquid crystal display device in which a dot inversion driving is applied with a three o'clock viewing angle is prevented. Pixel electrodes (PX) are formed on both sides of a video signal line (DL) of a first substrate (SUB1), and an end of the pixel electrode (PX) and the video signal line (DL) overlap each other. Over a second substrate (SUB2), a black matrix (BM) is formed in a portion corresponding to the video signal line (DL). By shifting the black matrix BM and the video signal line DL to the left with respect to a gap G between the pixel electrodes PX, it is possible to prevent light leakage caused by a disclination line (DS) which occurs by a horizontal electric field between pixel electrodes (PX).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Koichi Igeta, Osamu Nagashima
  • Patent number: 7499131
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device of the present invention has a first structure (protrusion) which is provided on a first substrate and which causes liquid crystal molecules in the vicinity of the first structure to align with a first direction when a voltage is applied, and a second structure (protrusion) which is provided at a position on the second substrate where the second structure is opposed to the first structure and which causes liquid crystal molecules in the vicinity of the second structure to align with a second direction when the voltage is applied. Here, the second direction is different from the first direction. The shapes or sizes of the first and second structures are different from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignees: Fujitsu Limited, AU Optronics Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Sasabayashi
  • Patent number: 7494689
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a birefringent film that can reduce the amount of a remaining solvent in the birefringent film without degrading appearance uniformity or an alignment in its thickness direction. The method of the present invention for manufacturing an optical film includes the steps of: coating a base with a polymer solution obtained by dissolving a polyimide-containing polymer in a solvent so as to form a coating film; and drying the coating film so as to form a birefringent film, in which the drying step includes at least two stages of drying processes. The drying step preferably include two stages of the drying processes, and a temperature in the former stage of the drying process is preferably lower than a temperature in the latter stage of the drying process. If adding a step of providing the birefringent film with an anisotropy of a refractive index in an in-plane direction, a birefringent film with an optical biaxiality can be manufactured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Hayashi, Nao Murakami, Yuuichi Nishikouji, Hiroyuki Yoshimi
  • Publication number: 20090033854
    Abstract: An exemplary alignment film includes a plurality of orientation type molecules arranged homogeneously, and the orientation type molecules are arranged according to a direction of a field when the alignment film is formed. A liquid crystal panel using the alignment film and an exemplary method for fabricating the alignment film are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2008
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Hung-Ming Shen, Hung-Sheng Cho, Kun-Hsing Hsiao
  • Patent number: 7485483
    Abstract: A method of fabricating an active device array substrate is provided. First, a substrate is provided. A pixel array is formed on the substrate. An alignment material layer having a plurality of alignment regions is formed on the pixel array. A mask layer is formed on a portion of the alignment regions on the alignment material layer by using an inkjet printing process, so as to expose another portion of the alignment regions on the alignment material layer. Then, a particle beam alignment process is performed to the exposed alignment material layer. Then, the mask layer is removed. Another mask layer is formed on the alignment material layer which has been treated by the particle beam to expose the alignment material layer not treated by the particle beam. Another particle beam alignment process is performed to the exposed alignment material layer, and then the another mask layer is removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Yuan-Hung Tung, Chin-Kuo Ting
  • Publication number: 20090027603
    Abstract: Generally, the presently disclosed subject matter relates to a liquid crystal display including one or more layers of a polymeric material. More particularly, the polymeric material is a low surface energy polymer material fabricated from a mold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2006
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventors: Edward T. Samulski, Joette Russell Tanner, Ginger Denison Rothrock
  • Publication number: 20090021680
    Abstract: A liquid crystal panel 11 includes a pair of substrates 18, 19, liquid crystal 20 disposed between the substrates 18, 19, and alignment films 30, 36 provided on the opposed surfaces of the substrates 18, 19. After formation of the alignment film 30 or 36 is completed in a manufacturing process, it is checked by an inspection process whether a pinhole H is formed on the alignment film 30, 36, and further the position of the pinhole H is detected. Thereafter, an alignment film repair filler 50 is applied to the pinhole H by a repair process, so that the pinhole H is repaired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Inventors: Noriaki ONISHI, Kimitaka Ohhata, Jun Mlkaml