US4744639A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ferroelectric liquid crystal device having a flattening layer
Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1985-12-17
•
Granted: 1988-05-17
•
Expires: 2005-12-17
Abstract
Abstract A liquid crystal device, comprising a pair of parallel base plates and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed therebetween. At least one of the pair of parallel base plates has thereon an electrode, and a flattening layer coating the base plate and the electrode. The ferroelectric liquid crystal is disposed in contact with the flattening layer.
Inventors
- 👤 Akira Tsuboyama
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 14:21
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/1337; G02F1/133711; G02F1/1339; G02F1/13394; G02F1/13392
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 40
Claim 1
Independent Claim
73 words
A liquid crystal device, comprising: a pair of parallel base plates and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed therebetween; at least one of said pair of parallel base plates having thereon an electrode, and a flattening layer coating the base plate and the electrode, said ferroelectric liquid crystal being disposed in contact with the flattening layer and said electrode comprising a transparent conductor film having a thickness of from 1000 Å to 3000 Å.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
73 words
A liquid crystal device, comprising: a pair of parallel base plates and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed therebetween; at least one of said pair of parallel base plates having thereon an electrode, and a flattening layer coating the base plate and the electrode, said ferroelectric liquid crystal being disposed in contact with the flattening layer and said electrode comprising a transparent conductor film having a thickness of from 1000 Å to 3000 Å.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein said flattening layer comprises a film having such a planarity that a difference in height between its portion coating the base plate per se and its portion coating the electrode is less than 1000 Å.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein said flattening layer comprises a film having such a planarity that a difference in height between its portion coating the base plate per se and its portion coating the electrode is 500 Å or less.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein said flattening layer comprises an insulating material.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 4, wherein said insulating material comprises an organic resin.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 5, wherein said organic resin is a resin selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, polyimide, polyamide-imide, polyester-imide, polyparaxylylene, polyester, polycarbonate, polyvinyl acetal, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyamide, polystyrene, cellulosic resin, melamine resin, urea resin, acrylic resin, photoresist resin and electron-beam resist resin.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein said flattening layer also serve as an orientation controlling film.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein spacer members are provided between the base plates and integrally with said flattening layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein said ferroelectric liquid crystal is a chiral smectic liquid crystal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 9, wherein said chiral smectic liquid crystal is in C phase, H phase, I phase, J phase, K phase, G phase or F phase.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 9, wherein said chiral smectic liquid crystal assumes a non-helical structure.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein said ferroelectric liquid crystal is in a liquid crystal phase formed through cooling from a higher temperature phase.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
91 words
A liquid crystal device, comprising: a pair of parallel base plates, a plurality of stripe-shaped transparent electrodes formed on each of the parallel base plates, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed between the parallel base plates; at least one of said pair of parallel base plates being provided with stripe-shaped spacer members so disposed as to fill up the whole extensions of gaps between adjacent pairs of the stripe-shaped transparent electrodes, whereby the ferroelectric liquid crystal is disposed to contact only a flat face of said at least one base plate.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
91 words
A liquid crystal device, comprising: a pair of parallel base plates, a plurality of stripe-shaped transparent electrodes formed on each of the parallel base plates, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed between the parallel base plates; at least one of said pair of parallel base plates being provided with stripe-shaped spacer members so disposed as to fill up the whole extensions of gaps between adjacent pairs of the stripe-shaped transparent electrodes, whereby the ferroelectric liquid crystal is disposed to contact only a flat face of said at least one base plate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 13, wherein said flat face has a difference in height of less than 1000 Å between the portions thereof providing the maximum height and the minimum height except for the stripe-shaped spacer members.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 13, wherein said.flat face has a difference in height of 500 Å or less between the portions thereof providing the maximum height and the minimum height except for the stripe-shaped spacer members.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 13, wherein an orientation controlling film is formed on said at least one base plate and the flat face is given by the orientation controlling film.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 16, wherein said orientation controlling film comprises a film of an insulating material which has been subjected to an orientation treatment.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 17, wherein said orientation treatment comprises rubbing.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 17, wherein said insulating material comprises an organic resin.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
51 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 19, wherein said organic resin is a resin selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, polyimide, polyamide-imide, polyester-imide, polyparaxylylene, polyester, polycarbonate, polyvinyl acetal, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyamide, polystyrene, cellulosic resin, melamine resin, urea resin, acrylic resin, photoresist resin and electron-beam resist resin.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
19 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 13, wherein said ferroelectric liquid crystal is a chiral smectic liquid crystal.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
31 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 21, wherein said chiral smectic liquid crystal is in C phase, H phase, I phase, J phase, K phase, G phase or F phase.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
18 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 21, wherein said chiral smectic liquid crystal assumes a non-helical structure.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
24 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein said flattening layer has a function of suppressing alignment defects of the ferroelectric liquid crystal.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
69 words
A ferroelectric liquid crystal device, comprising: a pair of base plates each comprising an electrode, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed between the base plates; at least one of the base plates having thereon a flattening layer, at least one of the base plates including the flattening layer being provided with an orientation axis, said ferroelectric liquid crystal assuming a non-helical structure in the absence of an electric field.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
69 words
A ferroelectric liquid crystal device, comprising: a pair of base plates each comprising an electrode, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed between the base plates; at least one of the base plates having thereon a flattening layer, at least one of the base plates including the flattening layer being provided with an orientation axis, said ferroelectric liquid crystal assuming a non-helical structure in the absence of an electric field.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
26 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 25, wherein said electrode comprises a transparent conductor film having a thickness of from 1000 Å to 3000 Å.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
42 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 25, wherein said flattening layer comprises a film having a planarity such that a difference in height between a portion coating the base plate and a portion coating the electrode is less than 1000 Å.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
44 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 25, wherein said flattening layer comprises a film having such a planarity that a difference in height between its portion coating the base plate per se and its portion coating the electrode is 500 Å or less.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
16 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 25, wherein said flattening layer comprises an insulating material.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
25 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 25, wherein said flattening layer is provided with the orientation axis to function as an alignment control film.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
23 words
The liquid crystal device accordign to claim 25, wherein spacer members are provided between the base plates and integrally with said flattening layer.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
19 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 25, wherein said ferroelectric liquid crystal is a chiral smectic liquid crystal.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
29 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 32, wherein said chiral smectic liquid crystal is in C phase, H phase, J phase, K phase, G phase or F phase.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
18 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 32, wherein said chiral smectic liquid crystal assumes a non-helical structure.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
16 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 29, wherein said insulating material comprises an organic resin.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
51 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 35, wherein said organic resin is a resin selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol, polyimide, polyamide-imide, polyester-imide, polyparaxylylene, polyester, polycarbonate, polyvinyl acetal, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyamide, polystyrene, cellulosic resin, melamine resin, urea resin, acrylic resin, photoresist resin and electron-beam resist resin.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
27 words
The liquid crystal device according to claim 25, wherein said ferroelectric liquid crystal is in a liquid crystal phase formed through cooling from a higher temperature phase.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3966305A
Cited
US4341445A
Cited
US4586791A
Cited
US4596667A
Cited
US4561726A
Cited
US4634228A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1991-05-17 | 1991-11-16 | 1992-05-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1995-05-17 | 1995-11-16 | 1996-05-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1999-05-17 | 1999-11-16 | 2000-05-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |