Liquid crystal reflective displays

A cell wall for a liquid crystal device, the cell wall comprising an inner face, electrode structures on the inner face, and a surface alignment to align liquid crystal material, and a mirror base layer formed by deposition of at least two different materials in solution that are at least partly immiscible relative to one another and which phase segregate to form a rough surface onto which a reflective layer is formed to provide a diffuse specular reflector.

A method of forming a cell wall for a liquid crystal device, the method comprising the steps of:

• depositing at least two materials in solution onto the cell wall, the at least two materials being chosen such that they phase segregate with respect to each other;
• allowing the at least two materials to phase segregate whereby to form a rough surface onto which a reflective layer may be formed to provide a diffuse specular reflector.

A method of forming a liquid crystal device comprising a cell formed by two cell walls spaced apart by spacers to contain a layer of a liquid crystal material, electrode structures on the inner faces of the walls, and a surface alignment on one or both walls to align the liquid crystal material, the method comprising the step of:

• forming a mirror base layer for at least one cell wall by coating with at least two different materials that are at least partly immiscible relative to one another and which phase segregate to form a rough surface onto which a reflective layer can be formed to provide a diffuse specular reflector;
• and
• coating the rough surface of the mirror base layer with a reflective material.