Abstract: A sealant curing apparatus is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a processing object panel, a panel supporting unit supporting the processing object panel and a voltage applying unit including a first electrode and a second electrode positioned on the panel supporting unit via the processing object panel interposed therebetween and having different polarities. The processing object panel includes: i) a conductive layer pattern including a heating unit that includes a lattice (grid) pattern, a connecting unit coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode, and a coupling unit connecting the heating unit and the connecting unit and ii) a sealant formed according to the heating unit.

Abstract: A watermark formed of a bistable material, and a method of forming the watermark, are described.

Abstract: A watermark formed of a bistable material, and a method of forming the watermark, are described.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device comprising: a pair of substrates having an electrode arrangement thereon; an orientation control means provided on at least one of said substrates; and a ferroelectric or antiferroelectric liquid crystal layer interposed between said substrates, said liquid crystal layer being uniaxially oriented by virtue of said orientation control means, wherein means for suppressing an orientation control effect of said orientation control means with respect to said liquid crystal layer is provided between said liquid crystal layer and said orientation control means.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method of fabricating a touch panel for a liquid crystal display device including forming a parent touch panel having a plurality of unit touch panels and a parent polarizer, laminating the parent touch panel and the parent polarizer, and cutting the laminated parent touch panel and parent polarizer into a plurality of single touch panel units and forming a plurality of polarizer integrated touch panels.

Abstract: A substrate for a liquid crystal panel having an alignment film, wherein an evaporated film is formed as the alignment film on the substrate, and wherein a portion of the evaporated film corresponding to each single pixel is split into a plurality of segments, and the evaporated film is formed with a different evaporation angle on each of the segments. The evaporation angle ? which is different for each of the plurality of segments is set within a range of 80°???88° with respect to the layer normal to the substrate, and the plurality of split segments have approximately equal areas.

Abstract: To reduce viewing angle dependence of ? characteristics in a normally black liquid crystal display. Each pixel 10 has a first sub-pixel 10a and a second sub-pixel 10b which can apply mutually different voltages to their respective liquid crystal layers. Relationships ?V12 (gk)>0 volts and ?V12 (gk)??V12 (gk+1) are satisfied at least in a range 0 <gk?n?1 if it is assumed that ?V12=V1?V2, where ?V12 is the difference between root-mean-square voltage V1 applied to the liquid crystal layer of the first sub-pixel 10a and root-mean-square voltage V2 applied to the liquid crystal layer of the second sub-pixel 10b.

Abstract: There is provided a spread illuminating apparatus to ensure excellent light conductivity. A cover is integrally provided over a transparent substrate sandwiching a fluid (cushioning material) of a gel, liquid, or gaseous substance. With this structure, dust generated in assembly process is prohibited from getting on the transparent substrate, and even when other members or an assembly machine hit and bend the cover during the assembly process, the bending is absorbed by the fluid, and a light reflection pattern formed on the transparent substrate is protected against damages, whereby excellent light conductivity can be maintained.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display cell comprising a chiral ferroelectric smectic liquid crystal layer whose helix structure is influenced by the action of an electric field such that its optical anisotropy alters; a pair of transparent plates between which the liquid crystal is disposed and which have a surface structure for aligning the molecule of the liquid crystal and are provided with electrodes to produce an electric field therein; and one polarizer each before and after the liquid crystal, such that a ratio d/p of the thickness d of the liquid crystal layer to the pitch height p of the helical twisting is greater than 5, the smectic tilt angle &thgr;o between 0.39 radians and 0.87 radians and the product d·&thgr;2·&Dgr;n·1/&lgr; (phase factor) of the thickness d, the square of the tilt angle &thgr;°, the value of the birefringence &Dgr;n and the reciprocal of the wavelength &lgr; of light bending is greater than 0.45 radians2.

Abstract: A plasma-addressed liquid crystal display device capable of high-speed drive and improved viewing characteristic is composed of a liquid crystal cell structure and plasma cell structure stacked with each other. The liquid crystal cell structure is formed by sandwiching a liquid crystal having a spontaneous polarization between a first transparent substrate having therein transparent electrode stripes and an alignment film covering the electrode stripes, and a dielectric sheet having thereon an alignment film. The plasma cell structure is formed of a second transparent substrate having thereon cathode stripes and anode stripes disposed alternately with a spacing therebetween, stacked via stripe-shaped partitions disposed along the anode stripes onto the dielectric sheet so as to form plasma channels between the partitions filled with an ionizable gas sealed up therein.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device comprises a pair of substrates on whose opposing surfaces electrodes are formed; and a liquid crystal provided between the substrates and having spontaneous polarization and a physical property such that when a positive or negative saturation voltage whose absolute value is sufficiently large is applied between the electrodes, liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a first direction or a second direction, and when an arbitrary voltage lying between the positive saturation voltage and the negative saturation voltage is applied between the electrodes, a director is aligned in an arbitrary direction which corresponds to the applied voltage and which lies in a cone angle formed by the first direction and the second direction.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a substrate having one or more electrodes formed onto one major surface thereof. The substrate and electrodes are then coated with a layer of a dielectric material through which is formed a plurality of openings or vias. Into the openings is disposed a layer of a light influencing material, such as a color filter medium, a liquid crystal material, or an alignment material. In the embodiment in which the light influencing material is a liquid crystal material, it is possible to put one or more different liquid crystal materials into each opening. This allows two adjacent openings to project light of a substantially different character, based on the differing material disposed in each opening. A method for forming a liquid crystal device such as that described above includes the step of providing a liquid crystal display substrate, and forming at least one, and preferably a plurality of electrodes on a surface thereof.

Abstract: A liquid crystal material which exhibits an antiferroelectric phase while the liquid crystal material is in a bulk state, is sealed between substrates. The liquid crystal layer sealed between the substrates exhibits a mixed phase wherein the liquid crystal layer contains liquid crystal molecules aligned in a plurality of alignment states which differ from each other in the alignment order of the liquid crystal molecules forming adjoining smectic layers. The direction of the director of the liquid crystal layer varies continuously in accordance with the polarity and magnitude of a voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer. Gradation display can be achieved by arranging polarization plates such that the substrates are sandwiched therebetween.

Abstract: A light modulating device, such as a ferroelectric liquid crystal display (FLCD) comprises an addressable matrix and modulating elements or pixels and associated circuitry for selectively addressing each element in a series of addressing frames in order to vary the transmission level of each element relative to the transmissions levels of the other elements. Such addressing utilises a temporal dither addressing scheme for addressing at least part of each element within each frame with different combinations of temporal dither signals applied to separately addressable temporal bits within the frame to produce different transmission levels. In order to enable a large number of grey levels to be produced whilst limiting the perceived errors at transitions between different grey levels, the temporal bits are addressed in a first order in a first frame (or in a first spatial location) and in a second order, which is different to the first order, in a second frame (or in a second spatial location).

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a chiral smectic liquid crystal and a pair of substrates sandwiching the chiral smectic liquid crystal therebetween and each having thereon an electrode for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal. At least one of the substrates being provided with an alignment control film comprising a specific aromatic polyimide which has been subjected to a uniaxial aligning treatment. The chiral smectic liquid crystal assumes bistability in a chiral smectic temperature range when incorporated in a test cell which is not provided with an alignment control film and has been subjected to shearing treatment. In the liquid crystal device including the polyimide alignment control film, the chiral smectic liquid crystal at least has a voltage-transmittance characteristic such that an effective tilt angle and a transmittance continuously change depending on an electric field applied thereto.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a liquid crystal display element is provided with the steps of: arranging a pair of insulating substrates face to face with each other and bonding them to each other, each of the insulating substrates having electrodes formed thereon with an alignment film formed in a manner so as to cover the electrodes; and filling the gap between the two substrates with a mixture that is made by mixing a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) composition with isotropic micro structural elements that locally give different threshold-value characteristics to liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal composition. With this arrangement, it is possible to provide a liquid crystal layer in which the isotropic micro structural elements are formed into a striped organization with the isotropic micro structural elements being sandwiched between smectic layers of the FLC composition.

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 first substrate, a first electrode pattern formed on the first substrate, a first molecular orientation film, formed on the first substrate to cover the first electrode pattern, for orienting liquid crystal molecules. The display device further includes a second substrate formed in a position parallel to and apart from the first substrate, a second electrode pattern formed on a surface of the second substrate facing the first substrate, a second molecular orientation film, formed on the second substrate to cover the second electrode pattern, for orienting the liquid crystal molecules. And the display device further includes a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer filled in a gap between the first molecular orientation film and the second molecular orientation film.

Abstract: Pixel electrodes and active elements for supplying data signals to the pixel electrodes in accordance with control signals are formed on one of a pair of opposing transparent substrates, and a counter electrode is formed on the other substrate. An antiferroelectric liquid crystal having a small difference between a voltage for changing liquid crystal molecules from the first or second ferroelectric phase to an antiferroelectric phase as an intermediate aligned state between the first and second ferroelectric phase and a voltage for changing the liquid crystal molecules from the antiferroelectric phase to the first or second ferroelectric phase and having optical characteristics changing along a curve in accordance with the applied voltage is sealed between the substrates.

Abstract: An image display apparatus can be arranged so that a picture element capacity obtains a value provides display data retention of less than 99% by writing same data to a picture element a plurality of times during 1 frame period. This makes it possible to disuse the auxiliary capacity and to improve an aperture ratio. Moreover, with the present invention, an MOS transistor arranged in each picture element as a switching element for driving the picture element, a scan signal line driving circuit and a data signal line driving circuit for transmitting a driving signal based upon display data to the MOS transistor through a data signal line and a scan signal line, and a first frame memory and a second frame memory provided outside the picture element for storing display data to be outputted to a data signal line driving circuit for 1 frame are formed on one substrate. As a result, it is possible to improve package efficiency and lower cost by using a driver monolithic technique.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device used for electro-optical devices, in which each parameter of the liquid crystal having layer structures is specified to provide a liquid crystal high in stress resistance and capable of gray scale display. The liquid crystal held between a pair of parallel substrates is either ferroelectric or antiferroelectric and represents layer structures. A plurality of substrate interface tilt angles can be set for the layer structures. The layer structures can be configured asymmetric or symmetric about a plane intermediate between the parallel substrates. With this configuration, a liquid crystal device is constructed having a plurality of layer structures including at least one layer structure, which has (1) a substrate interface layer tilt angle of 0.degree. to 3.degree. and the c director pretilt of 3.degree. to 5.degree., or (2) a substrate interface layer tilt angle of 4.degree. to 7.degree. and the c director pretilt of 0.degree. to 3.degree.

Abstract: A ferroelectric liquid crystal display device, and a gray scale display apparatus and method adopting the liquid crystal display device. In the ferroelectric liquid crystal display device, the region of a pixel is divided into a plurality of sub-regions having a predetermined size and a dielectric layer is formed on top of or beneath each transparent electrode of the divided sub-regions in the same thickness, wherein the permittivity of the dielectric layers is similar and the optical transmittance thereof is different, or both permittivity and optical transmittance of the dielectric layers are different. Then, the state of the ferroelectric liquid crystal corresponding to a specific sub-region is changed using a voltage sharing method adopting the principle of voltage drop by resistance. As a result, the transmittance of each divided sub-region can be different relatively, so that the gray scale display can be achieved with the further fractionized gray scale levels.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device is constituted by a first electrode substrate having thereon a group of first electrodes, a second electrode substrate having thereon a group of second electrodes intersecting the first electrodes, and a liquid crystal disposed between the first and second electrode substrates so as to form a pixel at each intersection of the first and second electrodes. The liquid crystal device is driven for gradational display by selecting and writing in a pixel plural times in one frame of display for gradational display, wherein a second and a subsequent writing among the plural times of writing is performed by applying a bipolar pulse of identical shapes in positive and negative polarities.

Abstract: Pixel electrodes and active elements for supplying data signals to the pixel electrodes in accordance with control signals are formed on one of a pair of opposing transparent substrates, and a counter electrode is formed on the other substrate. An antiferroelectric liquid crystal having a small difference between a voltage for changing liquid crystal molecules from the first or second ferroelectric phase to an antiferroelectric phase as an intermediate aligned state between the first and second ferroelectric phase and a voltage for changing the liquid crystal molecules from the antiferroelectric phase to the first or second ferroelectric phase and having optical characteristics changing along a curve in accordance with the applied voltage is sealed between the substrates.