JPS6478236A - Ferroelectric liquid crystal element - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve contrast and the brightness of a display surface by optimizing the disposition of a polarizing plate by applying the difference in the quantity of transmitted light in the bright state attained because the directions of the directors of the molecules in two memory states in a ferroelectric liquid crystal layer of a liquid crystal element vary from each other with respect to a substrate. CONSTITUTION:The quantity IS2 of the transmitted light in the S2 state in the case of setting the absorption axes of crossed nicols in the average direction of the major axis of the molecules in the S1 state when the two stable states S1, S2 at the non-application of an electric field are not equiv. and the quantity IS1 of the transmitted light in the S1 state in the case of setting the absorption axes of the crossed nicols in the average direction of the major axis of the molecules in the S2 state are compared and the absorption axes of the crossed nicols are matched with the direction where the quantity of the transmitted light increases. The absorption axes of the crossed nicols are further rotated by theta on the bases of this selection point as reference and the polarizing plate 10 is rotated and disposed in such a manner that the quantity of the transmitted light at the time of the application of the electric field after the rotation is larger than the quantity of the transmitted light at the time of the non- application of the electric field before the rotation. The contrast and the brightness of the display screen are thereby additionally improved and the liquid crystal element with which characters are more easily visible is obtd.