Patent ID: 6163360
Filing Date: 2000-12-19
Classification: G02F,G09G

Abstract:
A liquid crystal display device comprising:a pair of substrates on whose opposing surfaces electrodes are formed;a liquid crystal, exhibiting ferroelectric phases, placed between said pair of substrates, said liquid crystal having a first alignment state exhibiting a first ferroelectric phase where liquid crystal molecules are aligned substantially in a first direction in accordance with a first voltage of one polarity applied between said electrodes, a second alignment state exhibiting a second ferroelectric phase where said liquid crystal molecules are aligned substantially in a second direction in accordance with a second voltage of the other polarity applied between said electrodes, and a third alignment state where a director of said liquid crystal is directed in a third direction substantially matching with a normal-line direction of a layer of a smectic phase when no voltage is applied between said electrodes, wherein said director of said liquid crystal is directed between said first direction and said second direction in accordance with application of an arbitrary third voltage between said first voltage and said second voltage; andfirst and second polarization plates, arranged so as to sandwich said pair of substrates such that an optical axis of said first polarization plate is set in an angular range defined by either one of said first and second directions and said third direction, and an optical axis of said second polarization plate is substantially perpendicular or parallel to the optical axis of said first polarization plate.