Aligning method of liquid crystal, process for producing liquid crystal device, and liquid crystal device produced by the process

Claim 2

An aligning method of a smectic liquid crystal, comprising: disposing a smectic liquid crystal between a pair of electrode plates, said smectic liquid crystal having a layer spacing-changing characteristic providing a layer spacing which increases on temperature decrease in a first temperature range in smectic A phase; and subjecting said smectic liquid crystal to a heat treatment comprising: (i) a sequence of cooling said smectic liquid crystal from a higher temperature than its smectic A phase temperature to a second temperature range in smectic A phase, wherein said second temperature range includes at least a portion of the first temperature range, (ii) at least one cycle of heating and cooling within the second temperature range, and (iii) further cooling to a smectic phase lower than smectic A phase.

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1, wherein said smectic liquid crystal is supplied with a voltage during the further cooling step (iii) to said smectic phase.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1, wherein said heating or cooling is performed within a temperature range in smectic A phase wherein said layer spacing increases on temperature decrease by 1-10%.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 1, wherein said smectic liquid crystal has a bookshelf structure or a structure close thereto having a small layer inclination angle.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 1, wherein said smectic liquid crystal has no cholesteric phase.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 5, wherein said smectic liquid crystal is a chiral smectic liquid crystal composition comprising at least one species of a fluorine-containing mesomorphic compound having a fluorocarbon terminal portion and a hydrocarbon terminal portion, the terminal portions being connected with a central core, and having a smectic phase or a latent smectic phase.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 6, wherein said fluorocarbon terminal portion of the fluorine-containing mesomorphic compound is a group represented by the formula --D 1 --F xa G 2xa --X, where xa is 1-20; X is --H or --F; --D 1 is --CO--O--(CH 2 ) ra --, --O--(CH 2 ) ra --, --(CH 2 ) ra --, --O--SO 2 --, --SO 2 --, --SO 2 --(CH 2 ) ra --, --O--(CH 2 ) ra --O--(CH 2 ) rb --, --(CH 2 ) ra --N(C pa H 2pa+1 )--SO 2 -- or --(CH 2 ) ra --N(C pa H 2pa+1 )--CO--; where ra and rb are independently 1-20; and pa is 0-4.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 6, wherein said fluorocarbon terminal portion of the fluorine-containing mesomorphic compound is a group represented by the formula --D 2 --(C xb F 2xb --O) za --C ya F 2ya+1 , where xb is 1-10 independently for each (C xb F 2xb --O); ya is 1-10; za is 1-10; --D 2 -- is --CO--O--C rc H 2rc , --O--C rc H 2rc --, --C rc H 2rc --, --O--(C sa H 2sa --O) ta --C rd H 2rd --, --O--SO 2 --, --SO 2 --, --SO 2 --C rc H 2rc --, --C rc H 2rc --N(C pb H 2pb+1 )--SO 2 --, --C rc H 2rc --N(C pb H 2pb+1 )--CO--, or a covalent bond, where rc and rd are independently 1-20; sa is independently 1-10 for each (C sa H 2sa --O); ta is 1-6; and pb is 0-4.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 6, wherein said fluorine-containing mesomorphic compound is represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR19## where A 1 , A 2 and A 3 are each independently ##STR20## ga, ha and ia are independently an integer of 0-3 with the proviso that the sum of ga+ha+ia be at least 2; L 1 and L 2 are each independently a covalent bond, --CO--O--, --O--CO--, --COS--, --S--CO--, --CO--Se--, --Se--CO--, --CO--Te--, --Te--CO--, --CH 2 CH 2 --, --CH═CH--, --C.tbd.C--, --CH═N--, --N═CH--, --CH 2 --O--, --O--CH 2 --, --CO-- or --O--; X 1 , Y 1 and Z 1 are each a substituent of A 1 , A 2 and A 3 , respectively, and each of X 1 , Y 1 and Z 1 are independently --H, --Cl, --F, --Br, --I, --OH, --OCH 3 , --CH 3 , --CN or --NO 2 ; each ja, ma and na are independently an integer of 0-4; J 1 is --CO--O--(CH 2 ) ra --, --O--(CH 2 ) ra --, --(CH 2 ) ra --, --O--SO 2 --, --SO 2 --, --SO 2 --(CH 2 ) ra --, --O--(CH 2 ) ra --O--(CH 2 ) rb --, --(CH 2 ) ra --N(C pa H 2pa+1 )--SO 2 -- or --(CH 2 ) ra --N(C pa H 2pa+1 )--CO--; where ra and rb are independently 1-20, and pa is 0-4; R 1 is --O--C qa H 2qa --O--C qb H 2qb+1 , --C qa H 2qa --O--C qb H 2qb+1 , --C qa H 2qa --R 3 , --O--C qa H 2qa --R 3 , --CO--O--C qa H 2qa --R 3 , or --O--CO--C qa H 2qa --R 3 which may be either straight chain or branched; where R 3 is --O--CO--C qb H 2qb+1 , --CO--O--C qb H 2qb+1 , --H, --Cl, --F, --CF 3 , --NO 2 or --CN; and qa and qb are independently 1-20; R 2 is C xa F 2xa --X, where X is --H or --F, xa is an integer of1-20.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 6, wherein said fluorine-containing mesomorphic compound is represented by the following general formula (II): ##STR21## wherein A 4 , A 5 and A 6 are each independently ##STR22## gb, hb and ib are each independently an integer of 0-3 with the proviso that the sum of gb+hb+ib be at least 2; each L 3 and L 4 are independently a covalent bond, --CO--O--, --O--CO--, --CO--S--, --S--CO--, --CO--Se--, --Se--CO--, --CO--Te--, --Te--CO--, --(CH 2 CH 2 ) ka -- (ka is 1-4), --CH═CH--, --C.tbd.C--, --CH═N--, --N═CH--, --CH 2 --O--, --O--CH 2 --, --CO-- or --O--; X 2 , Y 2 and Z 2 are each a substituent of A 4 , A 5 and A 6 , respectively, and each X 2 , Y 2 and Z 2 are independently --H, --Cl, --F, --Br, --I, --OH, --OCH 3 , --CH 3 , --CF 3 , --O--CF 3 , --CN or --NO 2 ; each jb, mb and nb are independently an integer of 0-4; J 2 is --CO--O--C rc H 2rc --, --O--C rc H 2rc --, --C rc H 2rc --, --O--(C sa H 2sa --O) ta --C rd H 2rd --, --O--SO 2 --, --SO 2 --, --SO 2 --C rc H 2rc --, --C rc H 2rc --N(C pb H 2pb+1 )--SO 2 -- or --C rc H 2rc --N(C pb H 2pb+1 )--CO--; rc and rd are independently 1-20; sa is independently 1-10 for each (C sa H 2sa --O), ta is 1-6; and pb is 0-4; R 4 is --O--(C H 2qc --O) wa --C qd H 2qd+1 , --(C qc H 2qc --O) wa --C qd H 2qd+1 , --C qc H 2qc --R 6 , --O--C qc H 2qc --R 6 , --CO--O--C qc H 2qc --R 6 , or O--CO--C qc H 2qc --R 6 which may be either straight chain or branched; R 6 is --O--CO--C qd H 2qd+1 ; --CO--O--C qd H 2qd+1 , --Cl, --F, --CF 3 , --NO 2 , --CN or --H; qc and qd are independently an integer of 1-20; wa is an integer of 1-10; R 5 is (C xb F 2xb --O) za --C ya F 2ya+1 , wherein xb is independently 1-10 for each (C xb F 2xb --O); ya is 1-10; and za is 1-10.

Claim 12

A method according to claim 1, wherein said smectic liquid crystal is a ferroelectric liquid crystal.

Claim 13

A method according to claim 1, wherein said smectic liquid crystal is an antiferroelectric liquid crystal.

Claim 14

A method according to claim 1, wherein said pair of electrodes plates are disposed to provide a plurality of pixels and include one electrode plate constituting an active matrix substrate provided with a plurality of switching elements provided to the pixels, respectively.

Claim 15

A process for producing a liquid crystal device, comprising: injecting a smectic liquid crystal in isotropic phase into a gap between two contacting surfaces of a pair of oppositely disposed electrode plates, said smectic liquid crystal having a layer spacing-changing characteristic providing a layer spacing which increases on temperature decrease in a first temperature range in smectic A phase; and subjecting said smectic liquid crystal to a heat treatment comprising: (i) a sequence of cooling from isotropic phase to a second temperature range in smectic A phase including at least a portion of the first temperature range, (ii) at least one cycle of heating and cooling within the second temperature range, and (iii) further cooling to a smectic phase lower than smectic A phase.

Claim 16

A process for producing a liquid crystal device, comprising: injecting a smectic liquid crystal in isotropic phase into a gap between two contacting surfaces of a pair of oppositely disposed electrode plates, said smectic liquid crystal having a layer spacing-changing characteristic providing a layer spacing which increases on temperature decrease in a first temperature range in smectic A phase; and subjecting said smectic liquid crystal to a heat treatment comprising: (i) a sequence of cooling from isotropic phase to a second temperature range in smectic A phase including at least a portion of the first temperature range, (ii) at least one cycle of heating and cooling within the second temperature range, and (iii) further cooling to a smectic phase lower than smectic A phase.

Claim 17

A process according to claim 14, wherein at least one of said two contacting surfaces is provided by an alignment control layer.

Claim 18

A process according to claim 15, wherein both of said two contacting surfaces are provided by two alignment control layers, respectively.

Claim 19

A process according to claim 16, wherein said two alignment control layers are different from each other.

Claim 20

A process according to claim 16, wherein said two alignment control layers are identical to each other.

Claim 21

A process according to claim 14, wherein said smectic liquid crystal is supplied with a voltage during the further cooling step (iii) to said smectic phase.

Claim 22

A process according to claim 14, wherein said heating or cooling is performed within a temperature range in smectic A phase wherein said layer spacing increases on temperature decrease by 1-10%.

Claim 23

A process according to claim 14, wherein said smectic liquid crystal has a bookshelf structure or a structure close thereto having a small layer inclination angle.

Claim 24

A process according to claim 14, wherein said smectic liquid crystal has no cholesteric phase.

Claim 25

A process according to claim 22, wherein said smectic liquid crystal is a chiral smectic liquid crystal composition comprising at least one species of a fluorine-containing mesomorphic compound having a fluorocarbon terminal portion and a hydrocarbon terminal portion, the terminal portions being connected with a central core, and having a smectic phase or a latent smectic phase.

Claim 26

A process according to claim 23, wherein said fluorocarbon terminal portion of the fluorine-containing mesomorphic compound is a group represented by the formula --D 1 --F xa G 2xa --X, where xa is 1-20; X is --H or --F; --D 1 -- is --CO--O--(CH 2 ) ra --, --O--(CH 2 ) ra --, --(CH 2 ) ra --, --O--SO 2 --, --SO 2 --, --SO 2 --(CH 2 ) ra --, --O--(CH 2 ) ra --O--(CH 2 ) rb --, --(CH 2 ) ra --N(C pa H 2pa+1 )--SO 2 -- or --(CH 2 ) ra --N(C pa H 2pa+1 )--CO--; where ra and rb are independently 1-20; and pa is 0-4.

Claim 27

A process according to claim 23, wherein said fluorocarbon terminal portion of the fluorine-containing mesomorphic compound is a group represented by the formula --D 2 --(C xb F 2xb --O) za --C ya F 2ya+1 , where xb is 1-10 independently for each (C xb F 2xb --O); ya is 1-10; za is 1-10; --D 2 -- is --CO--O--C rc H 2rc , --O--C rc H 2rc --, --C rc H 2rc --, --O--(C sa H 2sa --O) ta --C rd H 2rd --, --O--SO 2 --, --SO 2 --, --SO 2 --C rc H 2rc --, --C rc H 2rc --N(C pb H 2pb+1 )--SO 2 --, --C rc H 2rc --N(C pb H 2pb+1 )--CO--, or a covalent bond, where rc and rd are independently 1-20; sa is independently 1-10 for each (C sa H 2sa --O); ta is 1-6; and pb is 0-4.

Claim 28

A process according to claim 23, wherein said fluorine-containing mesomorphic compound is represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR23## where A 1 , A 2 and A 3 are each independently ##STR24## ga, ha and ia are independently an integer of 0-3 with the proviso that the sum of ga+ha+ia be at least 2; L 1 and L 2 are each independently a covalent bond, --CO--O--, --O--CO--, --COS--, --S--CO--, --CO--Se--, --Se--CO--, --CO--Te--, --Te--CO--, --CH 2 CH 2 --, --CH═CH--, --C.tbd.C--, --CH═N--, --N═CH--, --CH 2 --O--, --O--CH 2 --, --CO-- or --O--; X 1 , Y 1 and Z 1 are each a substituent of A 1 , A 2 and A 3 , respectively, and each of X 1 , Y 1 and Z 1 are independently --H, --Cl, --F, --Br, --I, --OH, --OCH 3 , --CH 3 , --CN or --NO 2 ; each ja, ma and na are independently an integer of 0-4; J 1 is --CO--O--(CH 2 ) ra --, --O--(CH 2 ) ra --, --(CH 2 ) ra --, --O--SO 2 --, --SO 2 --, --SO 2 --(CH 2 ) ra --, --(CH 2 ) ra --O--(CH 2 ) rb --, --(CH 2 ) ra --N(C pa H 2pa+1 )--SO 2 -- or --(CH 2 ) ra --N(C pa H 2pa+1 )--CO--; where ra and rb are independently 1-20, and pa is 0-4; R 1 is --O--C qa H 2qa --O--C qb H 2qb+1 , --C qa H 2qa --O--C qb H 2qb+1 , --C qa H 2qa --R 3 , --O--C qa H 2qa --R 3 , --CO--O--C qa H 2qa --R 3 , or --O--CO--C qa H 2qa --R 3 which may be either straight chain or branched; where R 3 is --O--CO--C qb H 2qb+1 , --CO--O--C qb H 2qb+1 , --H, --Cl, --F, --CF 3 , --NO 2 or --CN; and qa and qb are independently 1-20; R 2 is C xa F 2xa --X, where X is --H or --F, xa is an integer of 1-20.

Claim 29

A process according to claim 23, wherein said fluorine-containing mesomorphic compound is represented by the following general formula (II): ##STR25## wherein A 4 , A 5 and A 6 are each independently ##STR26## gb, hb and ib are each independently an integer of 0-3 with the proviso that the sum of gb+hb+ib be at least 2; each L 3 and L 4 are independently a covalent bond, --CO--O--, --O--CO--, --CO--S--, --S--CO--, --CO--Se--, --Se--CO--, --CO--Te--, --Te--CO--, --(CH 2 CH 2 ) ka -- (ka is 1-4), --CH═CH--, --C.tbd.C--, --CH═N--, --N═CH--, --CH 2 --O--, --O--CH 2 --, --CO-- or --O--; X 2 , Y 2 and Z 2 are each a substituent of A 4 , A 5 and A 6 , respectively, and each X 2 , Y 2 and Z 2 are independently --H, --Cl, --F, --Br, --I, --OH, --OCH 3 , --CH 3 , --CF 3 , --O--CF 3 , --CN or --NO 2 ; each jb, mb and nb are independently an integer of 0-4; J 2 is --CO--O--C rc H 2rc --, --O--C rc H 2rc --, C rc H 2rc --, --O--(C sa H 2sa --O) ta --C rd H 2rd --, --O--SO 2 --, --SO 2 --, --SO 2 --C rc H 2rc --, --C rc H 2rc --N(C pb H 2pb+1 )--SO 2 -- or --C rc H 2rc --N(C pb H 2pb+1 )--CO--; rc and rd are independently 1-20; sa is independently 1-10 for each (C sa H 2sa --O), ta is 1-6; and pb is 0-4; R 4 is --O--(C qc H 2qc --O) wa --C qd H 2qd+1 , --(C qc H 2qc --O) wa --C qd H 2qd+1 , --C qc H 2qc --R 6 , --O--C qc H 2qc --R 6 , --CO--O--C qc H 2qc --R 6 , or O--CO--C qc H 2qc --R 6 which may be either straight chain or branched; R 6 is --O--CO--C qd H 2qd+1 ; --CO--O--C qd H 2qd+1 , --Cl, --F, --CF 3 , --NO 2 , --CN or --H; qc and qd are independently an integer of 1-20; wa is an integer of 1-10; R 5 is (C xb F 2xb --O) za --C ya F 2ya+1 , wherein xb is independently 1-10 for each (C xb F 2xb --O); ya is 1-10; and za is 1-10.

Claim 30

A process according to claim 14, wherein said smectic liquid crystal is a ferroelectric liquid crystal.

Claim 31

A process according to claim 14, wherein said smectic liquid crystal is an antiferroelectric liquid crystal.

Claim 32

A process according to claim 14, wherein said liquid crystal device has a plurality of pixels and includes one electrode plate constituting an active atrix substrate provided with a plurality of switching elements provided to the pixels, respectively.

Claim 33

A liquid crystal device produced by a process according to any one of claims 14-30.

Claim 34

A liquid crystal apparatus, including: a liquid crystal device according to claim 31 and a drive means for driving the liquid crystal device.