Liquid crystal display device

A method for forming a two-layerliquid crystal display device having improved contrast comprising:

• treating the inner surface of an upper transparent electrode substrate, the upper surface of a lower transparent electrode substrate and both surfaces of an intermediate transparent electrode substrate so that the long axes of the crystal molecules adjacent the treated surfaces will be aligned in the treated direction, the treated direction of both surfaces of said intermediate substrate being coincidental;
• assemblying the upper cell by placing the upper substrate opposed to the intermediate substrate with the treated directions between the opposed surfaces rotated 90.degree. and placing a spacer about the periphery of the substrates for forming a lower volume for receiving liquid crystal material therein;
• forming a fill opening in one of said upper or lower substrates for filling the device with liquid crystal material;
• filling the device with a twisted nematic liquid crystal material;
• sealing said fill opening in said one substrate;
• placing an upper polarization plate on the upper surface of the upper substrate with the axis of polarization of said plate at 90.degree. to the treated direction of the upper substrate;
• and
• placing a lower polarization plate having an axes of polarization substantially perpendicular to the axis of polarization of the upper polarization plate on the lower surface of the lower substrate;
• the treated surfaces of the transparent electrode substrate having electrodes disposed thereon for forming characters when said display device is activated.

An electronic timepiece including a liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a first upper liquid crystal display cell including an upper and an opposed lower transparent plate, the interior surface of said plates having been treated for aligning the long axes of a liquid crystal molecule in an aligned direction, and having transparent electrode means disposed thereon for forming characters aligned in a reference direction between the 12 and 6 o'clock direction when the device is viewed from the 6 o'clock direction and a twisted nematic liquid crystal material disposed between said plates;
• a second lower liquid crystal display cell, sequentially arranged with respect to said first cell, including an upper and an opposed lower transparent plate, the interior surfaces of said plates having been treated for aligning the long axes of a liquid crystal molecule in an aligned direction and having transparent electrode means disposed theron for forming characters aligned in said 12 to 6 o'clock reference direction and a twisted nematic liquid crystal material disposed between said plates;
• the aligned directions of each plate and the long axes of the liquid crystal molecules adjacent each plate in each cell disposed are rotated 90.degree. to each other and the lower plate of the upper cell and the upper plate of the lower cell aligned in the same direction;
• an upper polarizing plate having an axis of polarization in a first polarizing direction substantially perpendicular to said aligned direction of the upper plate of the upper cell on the outer surface of said upper cell;
• and
• a lower polarizing plate having an axis of polarization in a second polarizing direction which is substantially parallel to the first polarizing direction on the lower surface of said second cell;
• whereby improved contrast in the display formed by said characters is obtained in both the upper and lower cells when observed between the four-thirty and seven thirty direction.