JPH08136941A - Liquid crystal display element - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a bright liquid crystal display device with high diffusibility, a low drive voltage, a high contrast ratio and with an excellent gradational property by providing an electrode pattern forming oblique electric field at least in the four directions. CONSTITUTION: A transparent upper electrode 13 of a checkered pattern is formed on one surface of an upper substrate 11, and a transparent lower electrode 14 is formed on one surface opposing to each other of a lower substrate 12. The upper electrode 13 is constituted so that a conductive body unit 13a1 of which a transparent conductive body part 13a is a nearly square is connected at respective corner parts conductively to be integrated, and it forms them pattern surrounding a non-conductive body part 13b between the conductive body parts. The lower electrode 14 is formed to the checkered pattern between the transparent conductive body parts 14a and the non-conductive body parts 14b. The upper electrode pattern is symmetrical with the lower electrode pattern, and when a voltage is applied between both electrodes 13, 14 by a power source 30, the oblique electric field being the electric field having an electric field component parallel to a substrate surface in addition to the electric field in the normal direction of substrate is formed in a liquid crystal layer 17.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a light scattering control type liquid crystal display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a liquid crystal display element (hereinafter abbreviated as LCD) is classified from the viewpoint of light control, a change in brightness is caused by a combination of a polarization effect of liquid crystal molecules and a polarizer.
There are two types, one that uses the phase transition of liquid crystal and causes light scattering and transmission, and the other that adds a dye to control the visible light absorption amount of the dye and changes the light and shade of the color.

L, which is a combination of the former polarization effect and a polarizer
The CD is, for example, a twisted nematic (TN) type liquid crystal having a 90 ° twisted molecular arrangement. In principle, the thin liquid crystal layer can control polarization with a low voltage, so that a high response speed, low power consumption, and high contrast are achieved. The ratio is used for a clock, a calculator, a simple matrix drive, an active matrix drive provided with a switching element for each pixel, and in combination with a color filter, it is applied to a full color display liquid crystal TV or the like.

However, an LCD combining these polarization effects and a polarizer has a remarkably low light transmittance of a device because a polarizing plate is used in principle, and the display color and contrast depend on the viewing angle / direction depending on the orientation of the molecular arrangement. It has a viewing angle dependency such as a large change in the ratio, and cannot completely exceed the display performance of a cathode ray tube.

On the other hand, the latter one utilizing the phase transition of liquid crystal and the LCD in which the visible light absorption amount of the dye is controlled, for example, from a cholesteric phase having a molecular structure of helical structure to a nematic phase of homeotropic molecular alignment. A PC-type liquid crystal that causes a phase transition by applying an electric field and a white-tailer (White-Ta) obtained by adding a dye to the liquid crystal.
Yor) type GH liquid crystal, which is bright and has a wide viewing angle because it does not use a polarizer and does not use a polarization effect in principle, and is applied to automobile devices, projection type displays and the like.

However, in order to obtain sufficient light scattering, it is necessary to make the liquid crystal layer thick enough or to increase the helical strength that causes the scattering, which requires a high driving voltage and an extremely slow response speed. Therefore, it has been difficult to apply it to a display element having a large display amount (number of pixels). In addition, it has been considered difficult to provide gradation because the transmittance changes abruptly as the applied voltage increases.
Further, the applied voltage-transmittance characteristic has a hysteresis, and there is a practical problem that it is difficult to perform multiplex driving.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, an NCA in which a liquid crystal 4 is spherically held in an organic polymer 3 sandwiched between upper and lower substrates 1 and 2.
The P-type LCD is a liquid crystal display element in a scattering mode, has no polarizing plate, and thus is bright and has wide visibility, and is applied to automobile equipment, projection display devices, and the like. However, the voltage applied from the outside is divided into the organic polymer 3 and the liquid crystal 4, and only part of the applied voltage is applied to the liquid crystal,
In practice, the operating voltage was high, which was a problem. Further, in order to obtain sufficient light scattering, it is necessary to make the liquid crystal thickness sufficiently thick, and there is a problem that the response speed is extremely slow, so that it is difficult to apply it to a display element with a large display amount (number of pixels). Was there. Further, the applied voltage-transmittance characteristic has a hysteresis, and there is a practical problem that it is difficult to perform multiplex driving. The polymer-dispersed LCD in which liquid crystal is held in a network organic polymer that operates according to the same operation principle has the same problem.

[0008]

As described above, at present, liquid crystal display devices have the problems of low transmittance, viewing angle dependence, high driving voltage, and slow response speed.

Against this background, the inventors of the present invention, in Japanese Patent Application No. 5-184273, filed a liquid crystal composed of a nematic liquid crystal between two substrates each having electrodes forming a plurality of pixels facing each other. The electrodes of the both substrates sandwiching a layer are composed of a conductive portion and a non-conductive portion (non-conductive portion) in units of a fine region having a widest width of 50 μm or less for each pixel. We have proposed a liquid crystal display element characterized in that at least a part of a conductor portion of one electrode and a non-conductor portion of the other electrode are arranged to face each other between substrates.

This liquid crystal display element has an electric field component in the plane direction of the substrate due to the peculiarity of the electrode shape and arrangement of each pixel,
That is, an oblique electric field is generated in the liquid crystal layer,
For this reason, the direction of the oblique electric field becomes 2 or more in each pixel, and disorder of the molecular arrangement is positively formed at the boundary of the electric field to obtain a light scattering state to achieve a high contrast ratio. It can solve various problems.

That is, according to this liquid crystal display element, the light transmitted through the element can be controlled to be either transmitted or scattered by controlling the voltage application to the electrodes.

However, the inventors have found that this liquid crystal display element shows almost no scattering of incident light vibrating in the direction orthogonal to the light scattering direction. Therefore, in order to further increase the light scattering intensity, it is necessary to devise the incident light.

Therefore, the present invention is to obtain a liquid crystal display element which solves this problem, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a novel liquid crystal display element having more excellent display performance.

[0014]

According to the present invention, a first substrate and a second electrode (lower electrode) having a first electrode (upper electrode) for forming a plurality of pixels with regions facing each other as one pixel are provided. In a liquid crystal display element comprising a second substrate having an electrode) and a liquid crystal layer of nematic liquid crystal sandwiched between these substrates, the first electrode has a conductor portion and a non-conductor portion in one pixel. However, the second electrode has a conductor portion and a non-conductor portion in one pixel, and the conductor portion of the first electrode is the second portion.
Of the second electrode so as to face at least a part of the non-conductive portion of the second electrode, and the conductive portion of the second electrode so as to face at least a part of the non-conductive portion of the first electrode. And a first alignment film having liquid crystal molecule alignment processing in a predetermined direction on the first electrode, and a second liquid crystal molecule alignment processing in a predetermined direction on the second electrode. Has an alignment film,
When no voltage is applied to the electrodes, the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are arranged so as to have a tilt direction according to the alignment treatment of the first and second alignment films.
And a second electrode are formed in a checkered pattern to obtain a liquid crystal display element.

Further, it is sandwiched between a first substrate having a first electrode and a second substrate having a second electrode for forming a plurality of pixels with the areas facing each other as one pixel, and these substrates. In a liquid crystal display element including a liquid crystal layer of nematic liquid crystal, the first electrode has a conductor part and a non-conductor part in one pixel, and the second electrode has a conductor part in one pixel. A non-conductor portion, and the conductor portion of the first electrode opposes so as to face at least a part of the non-conductor portion of the second electrode. The body portion is opposed to face at least a part of the non-conductor portion of the first electrode, and the electrodes are liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer in the one pixel region in a state where a voltage is applied. Generates an oblique electric field in at least 4 directions so that it tilts in at least 4 directions It is intended to obtain a liquid crystal display device which is a that electrode.

Further, between the first substrate on which the liquid crystal layer is arranged and the second substrate, fine particles having a length in the substrate normal direction smaller than the layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer are mixed in the liquid crystal layer. ,
It is intended to obtain a liquid crystal display element in which a protrusion having a height in the normal direction to the substrate that is lower than the layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer is provided on at least one of the substrates.

[0017]

The present invention is a liquid crystal display in which an electric field oblique to the normal direction of a substrate is generated in a plurality of directions when a voltage is applied, and the resulting disorder of the liquid crystal molecule alignment causes a light scattering phenomenon to be displayed. , Has an electrode pattern that forms an oblique electric field in at least four directions.

FIG. 1 shows a typical configuration of the present invention, in which one surface of an upper substrate (first substrate) 11 has a checkered pattern transparent upper electrode (first electrode) shown in FIG. 1 (b). On the other hand, a transparent lower electrode (second electrode) 14 having a checkered pattern shown in FIG. 1C is formed on one surface of the lower substrate (second substrate) 12 facing each other.

As shown in FIG. 1 (b), the upper electrode 13 has a structure in which the transparent conductor portion 13a is formed by electrically connecting the conductor portion units 13a1 each having a substantially square shape to each other at their corner portions so as to be integrated. It has a pattern that surrounds the non-conductor part 13b between the parts.

On the other hand, the lower electrode 14 is also formed in a checkered pattern of transparent conductor portions 14a and non-conductor portions 14b as shown in FIG. 1C, and one pixel area of the electrode is shown in the figure. . The upper electrode pattern and the lower electrode pattern are symmetrical, and when the two electrodes 13 and 14 are faced to each other, the upper electrode 13
Of the lower electrode 14 faces the at least part of the non-conductive portion 14b of the lower electrode 14.
The conductor portion 14a of the above is opposed to face at least a part of the non-conductor portion 13b of the upper electrode 13.

In this structure, a power source 3 is provided between these electrodes.
When a voltage is applied by 0, an oblique electric field, which is an electric field having an electric field component parallel to the substrate surface, is formed in the liquid crystal layer in addition to the electric field in the normal direction to the substrate.

The relationship between the voltage application and the liquid crystal molecule alignment state of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A shows a liquid crystal molecule array M when no voltage is applied, and the liquid crystal molecules between the upper and lower substrates 11 and 12 have a uniform non-twisted splay array.

When a voltage is applied to the upper and lower electrodes 13 and 14 in this liquid crystal molecule alignment state, an oblique electric field e is formed and the liquid crystal molecules M are obliquely arranged along the electric field as shown in FIG. 2 (b). To do. As shown in FIG. 2C, the electric field e is, for example, from the conductor portion 13 a of the upper electrode 13 to the lower electrode 14
In the case of the checkered pattern of the upper and lower electrodes in which the conductor portion and the non-conductor portion are displaced and face each other, the oblique electric field e in at least four directions is formed for each conductor portion unit. .

That is, as shown in FIG. 2C, the conductor portions 13a and 14a and the non-conductor portions 13b and 14b of the upper and lower electrodes are formed.
Due to the face-to-face arrangement, diagonal electric fields e in four directions having different tilt directions are generated, and as shown in FIG. 2B, the liquid crystal molecules M rearranged along these electric fields are in the boundary region DL of the electric field.
The molecular arrangement is disturbed by. Therefore, the light passing through this area is in a scattered state. As shown in FIG. 1, a minute checkered pattern is formed in one pixel so that a large number of disordered molecular arrangements are generated, whereby light transmission and light scattering can be controlled for each pixel.

As described with reference to FIG. 2A, the liquid crystal molecules are uniformly aligned according to the alignment treatment of the alignment film when no voltage is applied. In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1A, the upper electrode 13 has an upper alignment film 15 which is subjected to liquid crystal molecule alignment treatment in a predetermined direction, and the lower electrode 14 is subjected to liquid crystal molecule alignment treatment in a predetermined direction. It has a lower alignment film 16. Arrows F and R indicate the liquid crystal alignment directions of the alignment films 15 and 16, and hold the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer in a non-twisted state.

In the present invention, it is desirable that the liquid crystal molecule alignment in the state where no voltage is applied is a splay alignment or a bend alignment.

That is, the molecular arrangement structure of FIG.
A so-called splay arrangement and upper and lower substrates 11, 12
It is characterized in that the pretilt angles of the liquid crystal molecules M on the surface are substantially equal in the vertical direction. In such a molecular arrangement, the tilt direction of the molecule may be 2 depending on how the electric field is applied.
Direction. This is because the liquid crystal molecule alignment in the state where no voltage is applied is symmetrical between the upper half and the lower half of the liquid crystal layer 17. That is, the tilt direction of liquid crystal molecules has two or more degrees of freedom. Therefore, an oblique electric field e is generated as shown in FIG. 2B only when a voltage is applied to the electrodes 13 and 14, and a disclination line is generated at a boundary portion (DL in the drawing) of the molecule M in the tilt direction. It is possible to obtain the function of scattering incident light.

In order to allow the liquid crystal molecules to have two or more degrees of freedom in the tilt direction, in addition to the splay molecule arrangement structure shown in FIG. 2A, for example, the bend arrangement described above, that is, the liquid crystal composition has a negative dielectric anisotropy. The same effect can be obtained by using a nematic liquid crystal composition having a directionality and by arranging liquid crystal molecules in a completely vertical arrangement in which the pretilt angles of the upper and lower substrates are 90 °. In this case, the degree of freedom in the tilt-down direction of the liquid crystal molecules is 2 or more.

In any case, the liquid crystal molecules have an effectively uniform molecular arrangement in the state where no voltage is applied, and the degree of freedom in the tilt-up direction or the tilt-down direction of the liquid crystal molecules is 2 or more. It is sufficient that the electrodes are such that an oblique electric field is applied to two or more directions that are contradictory to each other in a fine liquid crystal array for a certain liquid crystal molecule arrangement.

The spray array is shown in FIG. The figure shows the rubbing direction F of the alignment film 15 on the upper substrate 11 and the lower substrate 1.
When the rubbing direction R of the second alignment film 16 is the same direction, the nematic liquid crystal having a positive dielectric anisotropy is not twisted, and the pretilt angle α 0 of the liquid crystal molecules M of both substrates intersect. Therefore, the structure is such that the liquid crystal molecular arrangement is spread to one side. When the two substrates are arranged so as to intersect the rubbing directions F and R, the liquid crystal molecules are twisted according to the crossing angle.

The bend sequence is shown in FIG. 3 (b). Vertical alignment films are used as the alignment films 15 and 16 of the upper and lower substrates 11 and 12, and these films are rubbed, and when the substrates are combined so that their directions F and R are aligned, a nematic liquid crystal having negative dielectric anisotropy is obtained. The liquid crystal molecules M are a combination of a liquid crystal alignment portion slightly tilted in the processing directions F and R near the alignment film and a vertical alignment portion in the central portion of the liquid crystal layer as shown in the figure.

In both the spray arrangement and the bend arrangement, when an oblique electric field having a component in the substrate surface direction is applied between the substrates, liquid crystal molecules are easily rearranged along the electric field direction, and oblique electric fields with different directions are generated in the adjacent regions. Then, the liquid crystal molecules are disturbed at the boundary portion, and the transmitted light is scattered.

The display principle of this liquid crystal display cell will be described in more detail. FIG. 4 is an optical explanatory view of this liquid crystal display element. Further, FIG. 5 is a detailed schematic view of the liquid crystal molecule alignment in the state where a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal display cell. As described above, this liquid crystal display cell forms a molecular arrangement that is, for example, a substantially horizontal arrangement in the state where no voltage is applied, and is optically equivalent to a uniaxial optical medium as shown in FIG. Become. That is, the spheroid L in the figure represents a refractive index ellipse indicating the anisotropy of the refractive index of the adjacent region of the liquid crystal, and the maximum refractive index ne parallel to the plane direction of the substrate is the axis and the vertical direction is the minimum refractive index. The case where the rate is no is shown. In this state, the light 1 incident on the liquid crystal layer goes straight (transmits).
To do.

When a voltage is applied to this, as shown in FIG. 5, the molecular array M A is continuously arranged from a region a, which is a substantially horizontal array of the splay array, to a vertically tilted region b.
Since a region in which A is changed and oblique electric fields are applied so that the directions alternate, the molecular array MA also has a shape in which the tilt directions thereof are alternately opposed to each other in a plane.

Consider a case in which light in a direction perpendicular to the cell is incident on this. Since the liquid crystal molecules and the liquid crystal layer have anisotropy in the refractive index and the dielectric constant, the optical phenomenon occurring in the liquid crystal layer varies depending on the vibration direction of light. When light in the vibration direction of the liquid crystal molecule alignment direction when no voltage is applied is incident, the refractive index and the refractive index ellipse L are as shown in FIGS. 4 (b1) and 4 (c1) in a sectional view. Macroscopically, as shown in FIG. 4 (b1), the maximum refractive index ne of the liquid crystal (a region where the liquid crystal molecules are aligned in the cell plane direction) and the minimum refractive index no (the liquid crystal molecules are aligned in the cell normal direction). Area) is alternately arranged.

For this reason, the diffraction grating phenomenon (light wraparound)
Then, the light 1 which is incident on the cell in a direction perpendicular to the cell has its traveling direction bent to l0 and le. That is, a light scattering phenomenon is obtained. From a microscopic point of view, as shown in FIG. 4 (c1), the liquid crystal molecules (which exhibit a refractive index elliptic characteristic like the molecular shape shown in the figure) are continuous from the array in the cell plane direction to the array in the cell normal direction. The composition has changed. Therefore, a refraction lens is formed, and the normal direction z perpendicular to the cell is
The light 1 incident on is shifted from the cell normal direction (rotation in the normal direction), and its traveling direction is bent. That is, a further light scattering phenomenon is obtained by an action different from the diffraction grating phenomenon. In this way, the liquid crystal display cell according to the present invention can obtain a light scattering phenomenon. However, when light in a direction orthogonal to the vibration direction of the liquid crystal molecule alignment direction when no voltage is applied is incident, However, only a slight scattering effect can be obtained.

In FIG. 4 (b2) (refractive index distribution viewed macroscopically) and (c2) (refractive index distribution viewed microscopically), the direction of vibration of the liquid crystal molecule alignment direction when no voltage is applied is orthogonal to the vibration direction. The refractive index and the refractive index ellipse when the light of the azimuth is incident are shown in the same manner as in FIGS. 4B1 and 4C1. As is clear from the figure, the refractive index for this orientation is isotropic in the plane n0.
Therefore, the two light scattering phenomena do not occur.

From the above, a typical structure of the liquid crystal display device of the present invention is, as shown in FIG. 1, an electrode structure which causes light scattering in any vibration direction of incident light.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1, by forming the electrodes in a checkered pattern, an oblique electric field in at least four directions is formed, and light scattering is generated regardless of the vibration direction of light. That is, the non-polarized incident light can be efficiently scattered as it is.

[0040]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail.

(Example 1) As shown in FIG. 1A, in a liquid crystal display cell 10, a black matrix made of chromium is formed as an upper substrate 11 over the entire non-pixel portion, and each pixel has a black matrix shown in FIG. Checkered pattern conductor portion 13a as shown in FIG.
1 is used as the lower substrate 12 using a glass substrate on which the ITO common electrode 13 including the non-conductor portion 13b is formed.
As shown in (c), the conductor portion 14 a and the non-conductor portion 14
A glass substrate with a switching element 14c made of TFT was used in which b was a checkerboard pattern. FIG. 1B shows one pixel of the pattern of the upper electrode 13. The vertical and horizontal width of the conductor portion 13a is 10 μm, and the vertical and horizontal width of the non-conductor portion 13b is also 10 μm. That is, there are a plurality of pairs of checkered patterns in one pixel area.

FIG. 1C shows a pattern of one pixel of the lower electrode 14, and the vertical and horizontal width of the unit of the conductor portion 14a is 10.
μm. With the upper and lower substrates facing each other, the conductor portion 13a of the upper electrode and the non-conductor portion 14b of the lower electrode face each other, and the conductor portion 14a of the lower electrode and the non-conductor portion 13b of the upper electrode face each other.

Using such a substrate, the upper and lower alignment films 15,
16 (trade name AL-3046, made by Japan Synthetic Rubber) (pretilt angle measurement value 3 °) is formed, and the same direction F1 shown in the figure is formed.
, R1 are rubbed, and then fine particles (trade name: Micropal SP, manufactured by Sekisui Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.) (particle size: 7) are formed on the lower substrate 12 side so that the liquid crystal layer 17 as the substrate interstitial agent 18 has a thickness of 7.5 μm. 0.5 μm) was sprayed by a dry spraying method so that the dispersion density was 100 particles / mm ^2, and the upper and lower substrates were sealed to form a cell. Liquid crystal with positive dielectric anisotropy between cell substrates (product name ZLI-3926, manufactured by Merck Japan)
An element of this example was obtained by sandwiching a nematic liquid crystal layer 17 having no twist formed by filling (Δn = 0.2030). Here, the reason why the liquid crystal layer thickness is increased and Δn of the liquid crystal composition is increased is to enhance the light scattering property in the light scattering state.

A voltage was applied to the liquid crystal display device thus obtained, and the electro-optical characteristics (transmittance-applied voltage curve) were measured. In order to obtain the transmittance-applied voltage curve, He-Ne laser light was made incident on the liquid crystal display device, and the transmittance was measured. The spot diameter of the light was 2 mm, and the transmitted laser light was detected by a photodiode located at a distance of 20 cm from the liquid crystal display device.

In FIG. 7, the applied voltage is gradually changed from 0V to 3.3V.
Shows the transmittance-applied voltage curve T when increasing from 3.3V to gradually decreasing from 3.3V to 0V. When no voltage was applied (0 V applied), the transmittance was about 85%. In addition, when the applied voltage is 3.3V, the minimum transmittance is 0.4%.
And a good scattering state was obtained, and the contrast ratio was 20.
0: 1. Further, as is clear from the figure, there was no hysteresis in the electro-optical characteristics. Further, when the response speed was measured at an applied voltage of 3.1 V and 0 V, an extremely fast value of 6 msec in rising and 18 msec in falling was obtained.

(Example 2) Using the same substrate as in Example 1,
After the alignment film was printed in the same manner, a rubbing treatment was performed at 45 ° crossing in an oblique direction with respect to the checkered electrode pattern. Others are the same as those in the first embodiment. When various characteristics of this example were measured with incident light as non-polarized light, the intensity of transmitted light when no voltage was applied was as high as 85%, and a contrast ratio almost equal to that of example 1 was obtained.

The present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments.
The electrode shape of the checkered pattern can be variously modified within the scope of the present invention. For example, the electrode pattern can be formed as shown in FIGS.
The checkered pattern shown in can be used.

FIG. 6 (a) shows the upper and lower electrodes 13,
14 have the same mesh checkered pattern, and the rectangular non-conductor portion 13b (14b) has a longitudinal direction 130 (1).
40) are alternately arranged orthogonally to each other, and the upper and lower electrodes are opposed to each other, and the longitudinal direction 130 of the non-conductor portion 13b of the upper electrode 13 and the longitudinal direction 140 of the non-conductor portion 14b of the lower electrode 14 are arranged. Are arranged so that they are orthogonal to each other. With this configuration, diagonal electric fields in four directions can be generated.

In FIG. 6B, the size of the circular non-conducting portion is different between the upper electrode 13 and the lower electrode 14. The diameter of the circular non-conducting portion 13b of the upper electrode 13 and the lower electrode are different from each other. The diameter of 14 circular non-conductor parts 14b is changed. With this configuration, the oblique electric field can be formed in all directions, and the directionality of light scattering can be almost completely eliminated.

[0050]

According to the present invention, a liquid crystal display device having a high scattering property, a low driving voltage, a bright brightness, a high contrast ratio and an excellent gradation property can be obtained.

The liquid crystal display device according to the present invention has a TF
Suitable for large display capacity display by T drive,
It is suitable for projection display applications because it has excellent scattering characteristics.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a sectional view, (b) is a partial plan view of the upper electrode of (a), and (c) is one of the lower electrodes of (a). FIG.

2A and 2B are views for explaining the operation of the present invention, in which FIG. 2A is a partial cross-sectional view showing a liquid crystal molecule alignment when no voltage is applied, and FIG. 2B is a partial cross-sectional view showing a liquid crystal molecule alignment when a voltage is applied. , (C) is a perspective view illustrating an electric field when a voltage is applied.

3A is a schematic diagram illustrating a spray array used in the present invention, FIG. 3B is a schematic diagram illustrating a bend array used in the present invention, FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the operation of the present invention, in which (a) is a diagram showing a refractive index ellipse of liquid crystal molecules in a liquid crystal layer, (b1), (b).
2) is a diagram for explaining the outline of the refractive index of the liquid crystal layer as seen in a macro view, and (c1) and (c2) are diagrams for explaining the manner of refraction of the liquid crystal layer as seen from a microscopic view.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an electrode configuration and a liquid crystal molecule alignment for explaining the present invention.

6A and 6B are plan views showing modified examples of the electrode of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a transmissivity-applied voltage curve diagram of the example of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional capsule-type polymer-dispersed liquid crystal display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Liquid crystal display cell 11 ... Upper substrate 12 ... Lower substrate 13 ... Upper electrode 14 ... Lower electrode 15, 16 ... Alignment film 17 ... Liquid crystal layer

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Masahito Ishikawa, No. 8 Shinsugita-cho, Isogo-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Stock company, Toshiba Yokohama Works (72) Inventor, Hitoshi Hato, No. 8, Shinsugita-cho, Isogo-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Company Toshiba Yokohama Office

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A first substrate having a first electrode and a second substrate having a second electrode for forming a plurality of pixels with mutually facing regions as one pixel, and the substrate is sandwiched between these substrates. In a liquid crystal display element including a liquid crystal layer of nematic liquid crystal, the first electrode has a conductor portion and a non-conductor portion in one pixel, and the second electrode has a conductor portion and a non-conductor portion in one pixel. A conductor part of the first electrode, the conductor part of the first electrode facing the at least part of the non-conductor part of the second electrode, and the conductor part of the second electrode. Have a first alignment film that is subjected to liquid crystal molecule alignment treatment in a predetermined direction on the first electrode so as to face at least a part of the non-conductive portion of the first electrode. A second alignment film, which has been subjected to liquid crystal molecule alignment treatment in a predetermined direction, is provided on the second electrode. In the state where no pressure is applied, the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are arranged so as to have a tilt direction according to the alignment treatment of the first and second alignment films, and the first electrode and the second electrode are A liquid crystal display device formed in a checkered pattern. 2. A first substrate having a first electrode and a second substrate having a second electrode for forming a plurality of pixels with mutually facing regions as one pixel and sandwiched between these substrates. In a liquid crystal display element including a liquid crystal layer of nematic liquid crystal, the first electrode has a conductor part and a non-conductor part in one pixel, and the second electrode has a conductor part in one pixel. A non-conductor portion, and the conductor portion of the first electrode opposes so as to face at least a part of the non-conductor portion of the second electrode. The body part faces so as to face at least a part of the non-conductor part of the first electrode, and the both electrodes are liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer in the one pixel region in a state where a voltage is applied. To generate an oblique electric field in at least four directions so that the tilts in at least four directions. The liquid crystal display element characterized by at. 3. Between the first substrate and the second substrate on which the liquid crystal layer is arranged, is the fine particle having a length in the substrate normal direction smaller than the layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer mixed into the liquid crystal layer? The liquid crystal display element according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a projection having a height in a direction normal to the substrate is lower than a layer thickness of the liquid crystal layer is provided on at least one of the substrates.