| 摘要 |
<p>PURPOSE:To improve the response speed of a ferroelectric liquid crystal, by forming electric fields which are uniform in direction at least in the plane of one substrate by applying a voltage across plural electrodes and orienting the liquid crystal uniformly in the course of the liquid crystal transforming from isotropic phase to smetic A phase or N phase. CONSTITUTION:When electric potential of +V is given to an electrode 22aa and electric potential of -V is given to electrodes 22aa and 22ac, lines of electric force between the plates turn their directions to ones shown in the figure with arrows of solid lines. A ferroelectric liquid crystal 23 has a spontaneous polarization P intersecting the molecular chain at almost right angles to its molecule and the direction of the vector receives force, so that the direction becomes coincident with the direction of the electric field and, therefore, the degree of freedom of the molecule is restrained only in the direction Z. When fixed electric potential is given to all of upper surface electrodes 22b thereafter, electric field are produced between top and bottom substrates. Therefore, the liquid crystal molecule is controlled even in the direction of Z-axis and, as a result, oriented in the direction of Y-axis. In this way, the liquid crystal set to isotropic phase by raising cell temperature is transformed to smectic A phase or nematic phase by gradually cooling while a voltage is applied.</p> |
