Liquid crystal device

#The present invention relates to a liquid crystal device for use in a liquid crystal optical switch, a liquid crystal optical shutter, etc., particularly to a liquid crystal device improved in display characteristics and electro-optical characteristics.

#Heretofore, as a display apparatus for displaying various data or information, CRTs (cathode ray tubes) have been known and widely used for displaying motion pictures of television and video tape recorders or as monitor displays for personal computers. Based on the operation characteristic, however, the CRT is accompanied with difficulties such that the recognizability of a static image decreases due to flickering and scanning fringes caused by insufficient resolution, and the fluorescent member deteriorates due to burning. Further, it has been found that electromagnetic waves emitted from CRTs can adversely affect human bodies (e.g., health of VDT operators). Further, the CRT structurally has a large rearward space behind the display surface, so that the space economization in offices and at home may be obstructed thereby.

#As a type of device solving such problems of the CRT, there has been known a liquid crystal panel (device), including a type using a twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal as disclosed by M. Schadt and W. Helfrich, Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 127-128 (1971).

#These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

#FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an embodiment of the liquid crystal device including wider and narrower gap regions according to the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view taken along line A—A shown in FIG. 1.

#Hereinbelow, the present invention will be described based on some preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings.

#FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of an embodiment of the liquid crystal device including wider and narrower gap regions according to the present invention in order to accomplish the first object of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a plan view taken along line A—A shown in FIG. 1.

#Referring to these figures, the liquid crystal device includes a pair of substantially parallel substrates 1a and 1b disposed opposite to each other to leave a gap extending two-dimensionally therebetween including a rectangular wider gap region 7 and a peripheral frame-shaped narrower gap region 6 surrounding the wider gap region 7. The liquid crystal device further includes a plurality of spacers 5 disposed in the gap over the wider and narrower gap regions 7 and 6 and a liquid crystal (not shown) disposed between the pair of substrates 1a and 1b so as to form pixels in the wider gap region 7. In this embodiment, the spacers are characterized by being disposed to have a larger volume per unit substrate area in the wider gap region 7 and a smaller volume per unit substrate area in the narrower gap region 6.