Smectic liquid crystal element and manufacturing method thereof
AssigneesSharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Dera
InventorsMasaaki Kabe, Mitsuhiro Koden, Nobuyuki Itoh
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Abstract
An electrode substrate is placed on a stage heated at temperature in a range of from 50.degree. to 200.degree. C. in such a manner that an alignment film of the electrode substrate faces upwards. Thereafter, a rubbing treatment is applied by a roller having the rubbing cloth wound therearound by moving a stage while rubbing the surface of the alignment film by rotating the roller in a state where the electrode substrate is sufficiently heated. Here, as the alignment film is softened by the described heat treatment, the rubbing process is facilitated. This permits a uniform C2 orientation without defects to be achieved in smectic liquid crystals.
Claims7
A manufacturing method of a smectic liquid crystal element composed of a liquid crystal composition having a smectic C phase sealed between a pair of electrode substrates, comprising the steps of:
- forming alignment films respectively on said pair of electrode substrates;
- and
- applying a rubbing treatment to at least one of said alignment films at temperature in the range from 50.degree. to 200.degree. C., wherein said liquid crystal composition is smectic liquid crystals having a smectic A phase and a smectic C phase in a phase series,
- said method further comprising the step of:
- relatively moving a portion of the liquid crystal composition in a direction substantially parallel to a rubbing direction while locally applying a predetermined pressure to the smectic liquid crystals from outside of one of said electrode substrates in a 10.degree. temperature range from a phase transition temperature at which a transition in phase occurs from the smectic A phase to the smectic C phase to a temperature 10.degree. C. below the phase transition temperature.
A manufacturing method of a smectic liquid crystal element composed of a liquid crystal composition having a smectic C phase sealed between a pair of electrode substrates, comprising the steps of:
- forming alignment films respectively on said pair of electrode substrates;
- and
- applying a rubbing treatment to at least one of said alignment films at temperature in the range from 60.degree. to 100.degree. C., wherein said liquid crystal composition is smectic liquid crystals having a smectic A phase and a smectic C phase in a phase series,
- said method further comprising the step of:
- relatively moving a portion of the liquid crystal composition in a direction substantially parallel to a rubbing direction while locally applying a predetermined pressure to the smectic liquid crystals from outside of one of said electrode substrates in a 10.degree. temperature range from a phase transition temperature at which a transition in phase occurs from the smectic A phase to the smectic C phase to a temperature 10.degree. C. below the phase transition temperature.
A manufacturing method of a smectic liquid crystal element composed of a liquid crystal composition having a smectic phase sealed between a pair of electrode substrates, comprising the steps of:
- (A) forming alignment films respectively on said pair of electrode substrates;
- (B) applying a rubbing treatment to at least one of said alignment films at temperature in the range from 50.degree. to 200.degree. C.;
- and
- (C) realigning a C1 orientation into a C2 orientation after performing step (B), wherein said liquid crystal composition is smectic liquid crystals having a smectic A phase and a smectic C phase in a phase series,
- said method further comprising the step of:
- relatively moving a portion of the liquid crystal composition in a direction substantially parallel to a rubbing direction while locally applying a predetermined pressure to the smectic liquid crystals from outside of one of said electrode substrates in a 10.degree. temperature range from a phase transition temperature at which a transition in phase occurs from the smectic A phase to the smectic C phase to a temperature 10.degree. C. below the phase transition temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.