Liquid crystal device and electronic device

Abstract

When a backlight 15 is turned on in a dark environment, white light emerging from the surface of a light guide plate 15 b passes through a polarizer 12 and a retardation film 14, enters the interior of the liquid crystal cell, passes through openings of reflective electrodes 7, and is introduced into a liquid crystal layer 3. The light introduced into the liquid crystal layer 3 passes through a color filter 5, emerges from the liquid crystal cell, and passes through the retardation film 13 and the polarizer 11 towards the exterior. In a lighted environment, the light incident on the polarizer 11 passes through the liquid crystal layer 3, is reflected by the reflective electrode 7, and passes through the polarizer 11 again and is emitted towards the exterior.

1 . A liquid crystal device comprising: 
 a pair of first and second transparent substrates;    a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates;    a transparent electrode formed on a face of the first substrate, contacting the liquid crystal layer;    a reflective electrode formed on a face of the second substrate and having an oblong slit, the face contacting the liquid crystal layer; and    an illumination unit provided on an another face of the second substrate, away from the liquid crystal layer.    
     
     
         2 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 1 , wherein the reflective electrode comprises a plurality of stripe electrodes at a predetermined gap and the slit extends in the longitudinal direction of the reflective electrode.  
     
     
         3 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 2 , wherein the transparent electrode comprises a plurality of stripe electrodes at a predetermined gap in the direction perpendicular to the reflective electrode and the slit extends to a position facing the gap between the transparent electrodes.  
     
     
         4 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 2 , wherein the slit extends over a plurality of pixels.  
     
     
         5 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 4 , wherein the slit extends to the exterior of the image display region.  
     
     
         6 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 2 , wherein a width of the slit is substantially equal to the gap between the two reflective electrodes.  
     
     
         7 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 1 , wherein a width of the slit is 4 μm or less.  
     
     
         8 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 1 , wherein an angle ξ between the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecule, which is substantially the center between the transparent electrode and the reflective electrode, and the longitudinal direction of the slit is in a range of −60°≦ξ≦60°.  
     
     
         9 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 1 , wherein an angle  8  between the alignment direction of a liquid crystal molecule in the vicinity of the reflective electrode and the longitudinal direction of the slit is in a range of −30°≦δ≦30°.  
     
     
         10 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 1 , wherein the device is in a dim or black state when not driven.  
     
     
         11 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 1 , wherein a shading layer is formed on at least one of the face of the first substrate, contacting the liquid crystal layer and the face of the second substrate, contacting the liquid crystal layer, so as to at least partly cover the gap between the reflective electrodes.  
     
     
         12 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a first polarizer provided on said another face of the first substrate, away from the liquid crystal layer; and 
 at least one first retardation film disposed between the first substrate and the first polarizer.    
     
     
         13 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second polarizer disposed between the second substrate and the illumination unit; and 
 at least a second retardation film disposed between the second substrate and the second polarizer.    
     
     
         14 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 1 , wherein the reflective electrode contains 95% by weight or more of aluminum and has a thickness of 10 nm to 40 nm.  
     
     
         15 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a color filter provided between the reflective electrode and the first substrate.  
     
     
         16 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a diffuser provided on said another face of the first substrate, away from the liquid crystal layer.  
     
     
         17 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 1 , wherein the reflective electrode has irregularities.  
     
     
         18 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 1 , wherein the reflective electrode comprises a composite of a reflective layer and a transparent electrode layer.  
     
     
         19 . An electronic apparatus comprising a liquid crystal device according to  claim 1 .  
     
     
         20 . A liquid crystal device comprising: 
 a pair of first and second transparent substrates;    a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates;    a transparent electrode formed on a face of the first substrate, contacting the liquid crystal layer;    a reflective electrode formed on a face of the second substrate, contacting the liquid crystal layer and comprising a transflective layer;    an illumination unit provided on an another face of the second substrate, away from the liquid crystal layer;    a first polarizer provided on said another face of the first substrate, away from the liquid crystal layer;    at least one first retardation film disposed between the first substrate and the first polarizer;    a second polarizer disposed between the second substrate and the illumination unit; and    at least a second retardation film disposed between the second substrate and the second polarizer.    
     
     
         21 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 20 , wherein the device is in a dim or black state when not driven.  
     
     
         22 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 20 , wherein a shading layer is formed on at least one of the face of the first substrate, contacting the liquid crystal layer and the face of the second substrate, contacting the liquid crystal layer, so as to at least partly cover the gap between the reflective electrodes.  
     
     
         23 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 20 , wherein the reflective electrode contains 95% by weight or more of aluminum and has a thickness of 10 nm to 40 nm.  
     
     
         24 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 20 , further comprising a color filter provided between the reflective electrode and the first substrate.  
     
     
         25 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 20 , further comprising a diffuser provided on said another face of the first substrate, away from the liquid crystal layer.  
     
     
         26 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 20 , wherein the reflective electrode has irregularities.  
     
     
         27 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 20 , wherein the reflective electrode comprises a composite of a reflective layer and a transparent electrode layer.  
     
     
         28 . An electronic apparatus comprising a liquid crystal device according to  claim 20 .  
     
     
         29 . A liquid crystal device comprising: 
 a pair of first and second transparent substrates;    a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates;    a plurality of reflective electrodes with a predetermined gap formed on a face of the second substrate, contacting the liquid crystal layer;    a transparent electrode formed on a face of the first substrate, contacting the liquid crystal layer, and opposing to the reflective electrodes and gaps between the reflective electrodes; and    an illumination unit provided on an another face of the second substrate, away from the liquid crystal layer.    
     
     
         30 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 29 , wherein an angle φ between the alignment direction of liquid crystal molecules, which is substantially the center between the transparent electrode and the reflective electrodes, and the longitudinal direction of the reflective electrodes is in a range of −60°≦φ≦60°.  
     
     
         31 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 29 , wherein an angle ψ between the alignment direction of liquid crystal molecules in the vicinity of the reflective electrodes and the longitudinal direction of the reflective electrodes is in a range of −30°≦ψ≦30°.  
     
     
         32 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 29 , further comprising a first polarizer provided on said another face of the first substrate, away from the liquid crystal layer; and 
 at least one first retardation film disposed between the first substrate and the first polarizer.    
     
     
         33 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 29 , further comprising a second polarizer disposed between the second substrate and the illumination unit; and 
 at least a second retardation film disposed between the second substrate and the second polarizer.    
     
     
         34 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 29 , wherein each of the reflective electrodes contains 95% by weight or more of aluminum and has a thickness of 10 nm to 40 nm.  
     
     
         35 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 29 , further comprising color filters provided between the reflective electrodes and the first substrate.  
     
     
         36 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 29 , further comprising a diffuser provided on said another face of the first substrate, away from the liquid crystal layer.  
     
     
         37 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 29 , wherein the reflective electrodes have irregularities.  
     
     
         38 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 29 , wherein each of the reflective electrodes comprises a composite of a reflective layer and a transparent electrode layer.  
     
     
         39 . An electronic apparatus comprising a liquid crystal device according to  claim 29 .  
     
     
         40 . A liquid crystal device comprising: 
 a transflective liquid crystal panel comprising a pair of first and second transparent substrates; a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates; a transparent electrode comprising a transflective layer formed on a face of the first substrate, contacting the liquid crystal layer; a reflective electrode formed on a face of the second substrate, contacting the liquid crystal layer; and an illumination unit provided on an another face of the second substrate, away from the liquid crystal layer; and    a driving means for driving the transparent electrode and the reflective electrode;    wherein the liquid crystal panel is in a dim or black state when not driven.    
     
     
         41 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 40 , further comprising a first polarizer provided on said another face of the first substrate, away from the liquid crystal layer; and 
 at least one first retardation film disposed between the first substrate and the first polarizer.    
     
     
         42 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 40 , further comprising a second polarizer disposed between the second substrate and the illumination unit; and 
 at least a second retardation film disposed between the second substrate and the second polarizer.    
     
     
         43 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 40 , wherein the reflective electrode contains 95% by weight or more of aluminum and has a thickness of 10 nm to 40 nm.  
     
     
         44 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 40 , further comprising a color filter provided between the reflective electrode and the first substrate.  
     
     
         45 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 40 , further comprising a diffuser provided on said another face of the first substrate, away from the liquid crystal layer.  
     
     
         46 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 40 , wherein the reflective electrode has irregularities.  
     
     
         47 . A liquid crystal device according to  claim 40 , wherein the reflective electrode comprises a composite of a reflective layer and a transparent electrode layer.  
     
     
         48 . An electronic apparatus comprising a liquid crystal device according to  claim 40.