Patent ID: 8634048

Claim:
A liquid crystal device having a liquid crystal layer disposed between a first substrate and a second substrate, the liquid crystal device comprising: a first alignment layer formed on the first substrate at a side of the liquid crystal layer, the first alignment layer including at least two inorganic layers each having a column-like structure; and a second alignment layer formed on the second substrate at the side of the liquid crystal layer, the second alignment layer including at least two inorganic layers each having a column-like structure, wherein the at least two inorganic layers of the first alignment layer include a first inorganic layer and a second inorganic layer, the second inorganic layer being disposed on the first inorganic layer at the side of the liquid crystal layer so as to contact the liquid crystal layer, the second inorganic layer having the column-like structure with an orientation angle different from an orientation angle of the column-like structure of the first inorganic layer, the at least two inorganic layers of the second alignment layer include a third inorganic layer and a fourth inorganic layer, the fourth inorganic layer being disposed on the third inorganic layer at the side of the liquid crystal layer so as to contact the liquid crystal layer, the fourth inorganic layer having the column-like structure with an orientation angle different from an orientation angle of the column-like structure of the third inorganic layer, and a first ratio of a thickness of the second inorganic layer to a thickness of the first inorganic layer is different from a second ratio of a thickness of the fourth inorganic layer to a thickness of the third inorganic layer.