Patent ID: 6888610

Claim:
A liquid crystal display device comprising: two substrates facing each other; a liquid crystal material having a spontaneous polarization, placed between said substrates; electrodes for applying a voltage to said liquid crystal material; and a switching element connected to said electrodes, wherein said liquid crystal material exhibits a monostable state in which an average molecular axis of a liquid crystal molecular director is present in substantially one direction in the absence of an applied voltage, wherein, when a voltage of a first polarity is applied, the average molecular axis tilts from a monostable position to one side at an angle corresponding to a magnitude of the applied voltage, wherein, when a voltage of a second polarity having an opposite characteristic to the first polarity is applied, the average molecular axis maintains the monostable position or tilts from the monostable position to a side opposite to said one side corresponding to the application of the voltage of the first polarity, and wherein, when a tilt angle in the application of the voltage of the first polarity is larger than a tilt angle in the application of the voltage of the second polarity, a maximum tilt angle in the application of the voltage of the first polarity is not less than 45Â°.