Chiral smectic liquid crystal device having polyimide alignment layer with fluoroalkyl side chain

Claim 2

A liquid crystal device, comprising: a pair of substrates, each of said substrates being provided with a transparent electrode, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal disposed between the substrates; wherein said substrates each have thereon an alignment film comprising a polyimide having as a side chain a fluoroalkyl chain group according to the formula ##STR24## wherein m in an integer of 3-10, and n is 0 or an integer of 1-4, and wherein both alignment films are provided with a uniaxial alignment axis in direction which are generally the same and are (i) parallel to each other or (ii) cross each other at an intersection angle of 2-15 degrees.

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1, wherein the chiral smectic liquid crystal is disposed in a texture comprising a plurality of bent smectic layers of similar shape each comprising a plurality of liquid crystal molecules.

Claim 4

A device according to claim 1, wherein said uniaxial alignment axis is a rubbing axis.

Claim 5

A liquid crystal device, comprising: a pair of substrates, each of said substrates being provided with a transparent electrode, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal disposed between the substrates; wherein said substrates each have thereon an alignment film comprising a polyimide having as a side chain a fluoroalkyl chain group according to the formula ##STR25## wherein m in an integer of 3-10, and n is 0 or an integer of 1-4, and wherein both alignment films are provided with a uniaxial alignment axis in directions which are generally opposite and are (i) parallel to each other or (ii) cross each other at an intersection angle of 2-15 degrees.

Claim 6

A liquid crystal device, comprising: a pair of substrates, each of said substrates being provided with a transparent electrode, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal disposed between the substrates; wherein said substrates each have thereon an alignment film comprising a polyimide having as a side chain a fluoroalkyl chain group according to the formula ##STR25## wherein m in an integer of 3-10, and n is 0 or an integer of 1-4, and wherein both alignment films are provided with a uniaxial alignment axis in directions which are generally opposite and are (i) parallel to each other or (ii) cross each other at an intersection angle of 2-15 degrees.

Claim 7

A device according to claim 4, wherein the chiral smectic liquid crystal is disposed in a texture comprising a plurality of inclined smectic layers of similar shape each comprising a plurality of liquid crystal molecules.

Claim 8

A device according to claim 4, wherein said uniaxial alignment axis is a rubbing axis.

Claim 9

A liquid crystal device, comprising: a pair of substrates, each of said substrates being provided with a transparent electrode, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal disposed between the substrates; wherein said pair of substrates each have thereon an alignment film comprising a polyamideimide having a fluoroalkyl chain group as a side chain, and both alignment films are provided with a uniaxial alignment axis in directions which are generally opposite and are (i) parallel to each other or (ii) cross each other at an intersection angle of 2-15 degrees, and wherein the chiral smectic liquid crystal is disposed in a texture comprising a plurality of bent smectic layers of similar shape each comprising a plurality of liquid crystal molecules.

Claim 10

A liquid crystal device, comprising: a pair of substrates, each of said substrates being provided with a transparent electrode, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal disposed between the substrates; wherein said pair of substrates each have thereon an alignment film comprising a polyamideimide having a fluoroalkyl chain group as a side chain, and both alignment films are provided with a uniaxial alignment axis in directions which are generally opposite and are (i) parallel to each other or (ii) cross each other at an intersection angle of 2-15 degrees, and wherein the chiral smectic liquid crystal is disposed in a texture comprising a plurality of bent smectic layers of similar shape each comprising a plurality of liquid crystal molecules.

Claim 11

A liquid crystal device, comprising: a pair of substrates each provided with a transparent electrode, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal disposed between the substrates; wherein said pair of substrates each have thereon an alignment film comprising a polyamideimide having a fluoroalkyl chain group as a side chain, and both alignment films are provided with a uniaxial alignment axis in directions which are generally opposite and are parallel to each other or cross each other at an intersection angle of 2-15 degrees.

Claim 12

A liquid crystal device, comprising: a pair of substrates each provided with a transparent electrode, and a chiral smectic liquid crystal disposed between the substrates; wherein said pair of substrates each have thereon an alignment film comprising a polyamideimide having a fluoroalkyl chain group as a side chain, and both alignment films are provided with a uniaxial alignment axis in directions which are generally opposite and are parallel to each other or cross each other at an intersection angle of 2-15 degrees.

Claim 13

A device according to claim 8, wherein the chiral smectic liquid crystal is disposed in a texture comprising a plurality of inclined smectic layers of similar shape each comprising a plurality of liquid crystal molecules.