Ferroelectric liquid crystal electro-optic apparatus and manufacturing method thereof

A matrix type liquid crystal indication apparatus comprising:

• a liquid crystal cell having first and second electrode substrates disposed to be parallel to each other, said first and second electrode substrates including n striped row electrodes and m striped column electrodes, respectively, which are perpendicular to each other, a ferroelectric liquid crystal being disposed between said first and second electrode substrates so as to form n by m indication picture elements;
• and
• drive control means arranged to perform a line sequential scanning system which successively supplies a scanning signal to the n striped row electrodes and simultaneously supplies a light or dark data signal in parallel to the m striped column electrodes;
• wherein said ferroelectric liquid crystal varies a first stable state to a second stable state or said second stable state to said first stable state in accordance with increase or decrease in an applied voltage in a predetermined one polarity voltage range and shows a transmittance light quantity-to-voltage characteristic with a hysteresis which increases or decreases the transmittance light quantity of said ferroelectric liquid crystal in accordance with the increase or decrease in the applied voltage, and further varies from said first stable state to a third stable state or said third stable state to said first stable state in accordance with increase or decrease of the applied voltage in a reversed polarity voltage range and shows a transmittance light quantity-to-voltage characteristic with a hysteresis which increases or decreases the transmittance light quantity in accordance therewith, and said drive control means, for a first period in the line sequential scanning, produces a combination signal of said scanning signal and said light data signal so as to have a waveform including 0 level and a level higher than that of a saturation voltage for the variation from said first stable state to said second stable state and produces a combination signal of said scanning signal and said dark data signal so as to have a waveform including 0 level and a level lower than that of a saturation voltage for the variation from said first stable state to said second stable state and supplies, after the supply of said combination signals, a signal with a waveform including a level lower than that of a threshold voltage for the variation from said first stable state to said second stable state and higher than that of a threshold voltage from said second stable state to said first stable state, and further for a second period, produces a combination signal of said scanning signal and said light data signal so as to have a waveform including 0 level and a level higher than that of a saturation voltage for the variation from said first stable state to said third stable state and produces a combination signal of said scanning signal and said dark data signal so as to have a waveform including 0 level and a level lower than that of a saturation voltage for the variation from said first stable state to said third stable state and supplies, after the supply of said combination signals, a signal with a waveform including a level lower than that of a threshold voltage for the variation from said first stable state to said third stable state and higher than that of a threshold voltage from said third stable state to said first stable state.