Patent ID: 8218115

Claim:
A liquid crystal display device comprising: a first substrate structure including a first insulating substrate, a first electrode, a second electrode arranged between the first electrode and the first insulating substrate, and an insulating base layer which is disposed between the first and the second electrodes, wherein the first electrode includes a base portion, an edge portion protruding from the base portion, and a flat first surface extending on the base portion and the edge portion, wherein the edge portion includes a tip end and is formed as a reverse taper shape gradually decreasing in its thickness toward the tip end from the base portion; a second substrate structure including a second insulating substrate, and a third electrode which is so arranged on the second insulating substrate and includes a second surface so as to face the flat first surface of the first electrode; and a liquid crystal layer which is so held between the flat first surface of the first electrode and the second surface of the third electrode so that the edge portion of the first electrode protrudes into the liquid crystal layer, the liquid crystal layer being subject to a phase transition from a first state to a second state when an initialization voltage is applied to the first to third electrodes, the edge portion of the first electrode forming a transition nucleus in the liquid crystal layer based on application of the initialization voltage.