With Particular Topology (i.e., Other Than For Diffraction And Spacers) Patents (Class 349/160)
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Patent number: 6346978Abstract: The invention provides a substrate and high-density pixel array for use in liquid crystal displays (LCDs). The pixels are formed using integrated circuit (IC) processes on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates and include thin film transistors (TFTs) formed in single-crystal silicon. Instead of bonding a layer of single-crystal silicon to a separate transparent substrate made of glass, quartz, or another transparent material, or partially crystallizing silicon deposited on a substrate, the invention employs a unitary SOI wafer substrate having a buried insulating layer of silicon dioxide. A high-density pixel array comprising rows and columns of pixel electrodes, each controlled by a TFT, is formed in the surface layer of the substrate. The bulk silicon supporting layer, beneath the pixel array, on the opposite side of the insulating layer of the substrate, is removed. The resultant substrate includes a pixel array and a supporting layer of silicon dioxide.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 1999Date of Patent: February 12, 2002Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.Inventors: Sheng Teng Hsu, Jon Allen Shroyer
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Patent number: 6327016Abstract: A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate having a substrate surface, a second substrate disposed facing the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer having liquid crystal molecules, interposed between the first and second substrates, a protrusion-like structure provided on the substrate surface facing the liquid crystal layer, and a vertical alignment layer provided on the first substrate so as to cover the protrusion-like structure. The liquid crystal layer is divided by the protrusion-like structure into a plurality of liquid crystal regions. The liquid crystal molecules have negative dielectric anisotropy and, in the presence of an applied voltage, are aligned axially symmetrically within at least one of the plurality of liquid crystal regions about an axis substantially perpendicular to the substrate surface. The protrusion-like structure includes a side wall sloped with respect to the substrate surface, and a pit region in a top portion of the protrusion-like structure.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 1999Date of Patent: December 4, 2001Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Sony CorporationInventors: Nobuaki Yamada, Takashi Kurihara, Masato Imai
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Publication number: 20010038435Abstract: In a liquid crystal display panel, by adhering the TFT substrate 1 to the color filter (CF) substrate 2 such that the repeating direction of thickness distribution or irregularity distribution of the TFT substrate 1 becomes orthogonal to the repeating direction of thickness distribution or irregularity distribution of the CF substrate 2, a distance between a point at which the thick portion of the TFT substrate 1 overlaps on the thick portion of the CF substrate 2 and a point at which the thin portion of the TFT substrate 1 and the thin portion of the CF substrate 2 are overlapped becomes larger than that in a case where the substrates are adhered each other with the repeating directions thereof being trued up. Therefore, the factor defective of the liquid crystal display panel caused by the overlapping of the thick portions and the overlapping of the thin portions of the substrates, that is, the factor defective of the liquid crystal display panel caused by variation of display, can be reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2001Publication date: November 8, 2001Inventors: Yoshinori Aoyagi, Yuji Tanaka, Hironori Shiba
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Publication number: 20010033358Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus using a thin film transistor, includes first and second substrate sections and a liquid crystal layer provided between the first substrate section and the second substrate section. A supporting spacer extends from the first substrate section. The second substrate section has a concave section. The tip portion of the supporting spacer engages the concave section to keep a gap from the first substrate section.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2001Publication date: October 25, 2001Inventor: Kimikazu Matsumoto
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Patent number: 6266123Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprising a liquid crystal display panel and a light guide plate arranged in a rear side of the liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display panel is of a substantially spherical shape, and the liquid crystal display panel is fitted at a front side of the light guide plate such that a proximity of a central portion of the liquid crystal display panel is outwardly bulged. There can be prevented display deficiencies (paddling) owing to interference between the liquid crystal display panel and the backlighting unit or between the former and the casing. Moreover, since no interference exists between the liquid crystal display panel and the backlighting unit or between the former and the casing, sheets such as the diffusing sheet will not be wrinkled, and the brightness of the backlighting unit can be maintained to be uniform.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 1999Date of Patent: July 24, 2001Assignees: Advanced Display Inc., Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Taro Maejima, Isao Sakata, Ikuo Ogo, Kazuo Yoshida, Yoshimi Kinoshita
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Patent number: 6256080Abstract: In accordance with the present invention, a liquid crystal display cell includes a first substrate having a light absorbent material patterned thereon. The light absorbent material includes a portion disposed within a pixel area. A conductive layer is formed on the light absorbent material for forming a first transparent electrode. A second electrode is spaced apart from the first electrode by a gap. The gap includes liquid crystal. A ridge or a trench is formed in the pixel area and projects into the liquid crystal. The ridge or trench is self-aligned to the portions of the light absorbent material in the pixel area. The first electrode and the second electrode provide an electric field therebetween wherein the ridge or trench provides pretilt control for the liquid crystal to provide an improved wide viewing angle and the portions of the light absorbent material absorb light leaked from the ridge. Other embodiments for active and passive displays are included as well as a method for employing the invention.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 1999Date of Patent: July 3, 2001Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Evan G. Colgan, Shui-Chih A. Lien, Kai R. Schleupen
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Patent number: 6177969Abstract: Provided is a matrix substrate provided with a plurality of switching elements corresponding to a plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix pattern, comprising a conductive layer on a face of said substrate opposite to the face thereof bearing said switching elements.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 1998Date of Patent: January 23, 2001Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Shigeki Kondo
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Patent number: 6115096Abstract: There is provided a liquid crystal display including (a) a first substrate with at least one recessed portion, (b) a second substrate spaced away from and facing the first substrate, (c) a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the first and second substrates, (d) a first electrode formed on the first substrate at an upper surface facing the liquid crystal layer, (e) a second electrode, at least part of which is, formed on the recessed portion of the first substrate at a surface facing the liquid crystal layer, and cooperating with the first electrode to form a pixel, the first and second electrodes generating an electric field therebetween to thereby implement in-plane switching, and (f) an interlayer insulating film formed at least below the second electrode, but not formed at least below the first electrode, a dielectric layer formed between at least a part of an upper surface of the first electrode and the liquid crystal layer being designed to have a capacitance per a unit area, almost equal to a capaciType: GrantFiled: September 13, 1999Date of Patent: September 5, 2000Assignee: NEC CorporationInventor: Nolifumi Sato
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Patent number: 6072558Abstract: A display characteristic of a high contrast ratio and a high transmittance through the application of a chiral nematic liquid crystal medium switchable between metastable states via Frederick's transition is utilized as a liquid crystal electrooptical element. The electrooptical element employs a white light source and is switchable between metastable states in which the polarization axes of both polarization plates are set to predetermined angles P and A according to the initial state of the liquid crystal medium and the product, R, of the thickness, d, and the difference, .DELTA.n, in the refractive indices of the liquid crystal medium for extraordinary light, n.sub.e, and ordinary light, n.sub.o (.DELTA.n=n.sub.e -n.sub.o).Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 1997Date of Patent: June 6, 2000Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Takaaki Tanaka, Yuzuru Sato
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Patent number: 6057898Abstract: Large size flat display panels are used in many technical fields, with television (TV) sets, personal computers (PCs) and advertising equipment. A multiple panel display device has been developed which employs a plurality of separate flat-surface display panel modules united by adhesion together into a matrix array of rows and columns. Juncture sections of the panels have non-displayable regions between adjacent ones of the panels. To avoid seam lines visible to the human eye, the seams are minimized in width. To this end, the peripheral ends of display panels are provided with a concave/projection configuration or gap for limiting excessive expansion of a sealing material used. This significantly reduces the width of such non-display region at the juncture section of neighboring display panels bonded together.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 1998Date of Patent: May 2, 2000Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Goh Itoh, Kazuki Taira, Rei Hasegawa, Yukio Kizaki, Yujiro Hara, Miki Mori
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Patent number: 5956112Abstract: This invention provides a liquid crystal display device including a display medium layer containing at least a liquid crystal material sandwiched between a pair of substrates. In this liquid crystal display device, at least one of the pair of substrates is a plastic substrate having first irregularities on a surface facing the display medium layer, and a polymer wall of a photocurable resin is formed in the display medium layer.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 1996Date of Patent: September 21, 1999Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Kohichi Fujimori, Tokihiko Shinomiya, Shuichi Kohzaki, Yutaka Ishii
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Patent number: 5818563Abstract: A spatial light modulator designed to use a minimum area on the surface of a silicon substrate. This invention comprises a silicon substrate on a back plate with a glass cover that is used to seal liquid crystal between the glass cover and the silicon substrate. Most importantly, the glue seal formed to contain the liquid crystal material is between the cover glass plate and the Si substrate on only one side and the back plate on the remaining three sides. This structure allows a smaller semiconductor substrate to be used.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 1997Date of Patent: October 6, 1998Assignee: IBM CorporationInventors: Evan George Colgan, Robert Lee Melcher, Teruhiro Nakasogi, Chandrasekhar Narayan, James Lawrence Sanford, Kei-Hsiung Yang
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Patent number: 5691794Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprised of picture element electrodes provided on a first plane of a substrate and an opposed electrode placed opposedly to the picture element electrodes, between which a liquid crystal is carried, characterized in that in a region of the substrate corresponding to the picture element electrodes is formed a concave portion from the second plane opposite the first plane of the substrate, the region being light translucent, and the concave portion having a translucent material enclosed therein.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 1994Date of Patent: November 25, 1997Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Junichi Hoshi, Shigetoshi Sugawa, Shunsuke Inoue, Osamu Hamamoto, Yoshihiko Fukumoto, Yutaka Genchi, Masaru Kamio, Mamoru Miyawaki
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Patent number: 5682212Abstract: The invention relates to optical elements having image-forming, color- and polarization-selective reflection and containing cholesteric liquid crystals, and to the preparation and use of these elements. In the wavelength- and polarization-selective elements which form an optical image, at least one cholesteric liquid crystal is enclosed in the cavity of constant thickness between two light-transmitting substrates having curved surfaces in such a way that the helix axis of the liquid crystal is aligned perpendicular to the curved surface of the light-transmitting substrates. The elements are suitable for use as beam splitters or recombiners in projection displays.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 1994Date of Patent: October 28, 1997Assignee: Consortium fur elektrochemische Industrie GmbHInventors: Robert Maurer, Stefan Beiergroesslein, Franz-Heinrich Kreuzer
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Patent number: 5677749Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including a first substrate, a second substrate, and a sealing member for bonding the first and the second substrates, wherein a spacer for determining a thickness of a gap between the first and the second substrates is included only in the sealing member and wherein d<D where D is the thickness of the gap and d is the thickness of the sealing member. The gap is filled with a liquid crystal.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 1995Date of Patent: October 14, 1997Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Koujiro Tsubota, Kazuyoshi Fujioka, Yohji Yoshimura, Hiroyuki Ohgami, Yutaka Takafuji, Katsumi Nomura, Masumi Kubo, Hirokazu Kamei
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Patent number: 5589964Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal device is constituted by a pair of substrates each having thereon a group of display electrodes, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed between the substrates. Liquid crystal movement causing yellowing or local increase in liquid crystal layer thickness is minimized in the device by forming a substantial in liquid crystal layer thickness between a pixel part and a non-pixel part and/or by forming a groove having minute convexities with a maximum diameter of at least 0.1 .mu.m at non-pixel parts on a substrate so that the groove extends in a direction forming an angle of 45-135 degrees with a normal to smectic layers of the liquid crystal.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 1995Date of Patent: December 31, 1996Assignee: Canon Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Yoshio Hotta, Yukio Hanyu, Tadashi Mihara, Yasuto Kodera, Katsutoshi Nakamura