DISPLAY DEVICE REFLECTING VISIBLE AND INFRARED RADIATION

摘要

A liquid crystal display device includes cell wall structure (12, 14, 16, 18) and a chiral nematic liquid crystal material (22, 26). The cell wall structure (12, 14, 16, 18) and the liquid crystal (22, 26) cooperate to form focal conic and twisted planar textures that are stable in the absence of a field. A device (45) applies an electric field to the liquid crystal (22, 26) for transforming at least a portion of the material to at leat one of the focal conic and twisted planar textures. The liquid crystal material (22, 26) has a pitch length effective to reflect radiation having a wavelength in both the visible and the infrared ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum at intensity that is sufficient for viewing by an observer. One liquid crystal material may be disposed in a single region or two liquid crystal materials (22, 26) may be used, each in separate regions (20, 24). One aspect of the invention is directed to a photolithography method for patterning a substrate (48) of the display. The display may also have multicolor capabilities by including at least two materials that reflect visible light.