Liquid crystal element and light control apparatus for accurate light control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10600978-B2
Application number	US-201715668262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2017
Priority date	Aug 25, 2016
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

To improve the accuracy of fully controlling the direction of advancing light. The liquid crystal element includes a first substrate and a second substrate, a liquid crystal layer provided between one surface side of the first substrate and one surface side of the second substrate, a pair of electrodes provided on one surface side of the first substrate with a gap therebetween in a planer view, a high-resistance film provided on one surface side of the first substrate and disposed between the pair of electrodes in a planer view and connected thereto, a first alignment film provided on one surface side of the first substrate covering the pair of electrodes and the high-resistance film, a second alignment film provided on one surface side of the second substrate, wherein sheet resistance of the high-resistance film is greater than sheet resistance of the pair of electrodes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid crystal element comprising:
a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite each other,
a liquid crystal layer provided between a surface side of the first substrate and a surface side of the second substrate,
a pair of separate electrodes provided on the surface side of the first substrate with a gap therebetween when viewed in a plan view,
a high-resistance film provided on the surface side of the first substrate and disposed between the pair of electrodes when viewed in the plan view and connected thereto,
a first alignment film provided on the surface side of the first substrate, covering the pair of electrodes and the high-resistance film, and
a second alignment film provided on the surface side of the second substrate,
wherein the pair of electrodes are made of an oxide semiconductor film,
wherein a sheet resistance of the high-resistance film is 10 to 10 10 times greater than a sheet resistance of the pair of electrodes,
wherein the high-resistance film generates a voltage gradient from one of the pair of electrodes to the other of the pair of electrodes, and
wherein the pair of electrodes are disposed at both ends of the high-resistance film and fully cover side surfaces of the high-resistance film.

2. The liquid crystal element according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a common electrode provided on the surface side of the second substrate,
wherein the common electrode is disposed to overlap the pair of electrodes and to be covered by the second alignment film when viewed in the plan view.

3. The liquid crystal element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first alignment film and the second alignment film are vertical alignment films whose alignment regulation force extends in one direction, and
wherein the one direction is substantially parallel or perpendicular to an extending direction of the gap between the pair of electrodes.

4. The liquid crystal element according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first alignment film and the second alignment film are horizontal alignment films whose alignment regulation force extends in one direction, and
wherein the one direction is substantially parallel or perpendicular to an extending direction of the gap between the pair of electrodes.

5. A light control apparatus comprising:
a first liquid crystal element and a second liquid crystal element disposed to overlap each other,
a drive unit for driving the first liquid crystal element and the second liquid crystal element,
wherein the liquid crystal element according to claim 1 is respectively used for the first liquid crystal element and the second liquid crystal element.

6. A driving method for the liquid crystal element according to claim 2 , wherein one of the pair of electrodes and the common electrode is provided a first potential, and the other of the pair of electrodes is provided a second potential which is different from the first potential.

7. A liquid crystal element comprising:
a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite each other,
a liquid crystal layer provided between a surface side of the first substrate and a surface side of the second substrate,
a pair of separate electrodes provided on the surface side of the first substrate with a gap therebetween when viewed in a plan view,
a high-resistance film provided on the surface side of the first substrate and disposed between the pair of electrodes when viewed in the plan view and connected thereto,
a first alignment film provided on the surface side of the first substrate, covering the pair of electrodes and the high-resistance film, and
a second alignment film provided on the surface side of the second substrate,
wherein the pair of electrodes are made of an oxide semiconductor film,
wherein a sheet resistance of the high-resistance film is 100 to 10 10 times greater than a sheet resistance of the pair of electrodes,
wherein the high-resistance film generates a voltage gradient from one of the pair of electrodes to the other of the pair of electrodes, and
wherein the pair of electrodes are disposed at both ends of the high-resistance film and fully cover side surfaces of the high-resistance film.

8. The liquid crystal element according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a common electrode provided on the surface side of the second substrate,
wherein the common electrode is disposed to overlap the pair of electrodes and to be covered by the second alignment film when viewed in the plan view.

9. The liquid crystal element according to claim 7 ,
wherein the first alignment film and the second alignment film are vertical alignment films whose alignment regulation force extends in one direction, and
wherein the one direction is substantially parallel or perpendicular to an extending direction of the gap between the pair of electrodes.

10. The liquid crystal element according to claim 7 ,
wherein the first alignment film and the second alignment film are horizontal alignment films whose alignment regulation force extends in one direction, and
wherein the one direction is substantially parallel or perpendicular to an extending direction of the gap between the pair of electrodes.

11. A liquid crystal element comprising:
a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite each other,
a liquid crystal layer provided between a surface side of the first substrate and a surface side of the second substrate,
a pair of separate electrodes provided on the surface side of the first substrate with a gap therebetween when viewed in a plan view,
a high-resistance film provided on the surface side of the first substrate and disposed between the pair of electrodes when viewed in the plan view and connected thereto,
a first alignment film provided on the surface side of the first substrate, covering the pair of electrodes and the high-resistance film, and
a second alignment film provided on the surface side of the second substrate,
wherein a sheet resistance of the high-resistance film is approximately 1 kΩ/sq-10 GΩ/sq,
wherein the high-resistance film generates a voltage gradient from one of the pair of electrodes to the other of the pair of electrodes, and
wherein the pair of electrodes are disposed at both ends of the high-resistance film and fully cover side surfaces of the high-resistance film.

12. The liquid crystal element according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a common electrode provided on the surface side of the second substrate,
wherein the common electrode is disposed to overlap the pair of electrodes and to be covered by the second alignment film when viewed in the plan view.

13. The liquid crystal element according to claim 11 ,
wherein the first alignment film and the second alignment film are vertical alignment films whose alignment regulation force extends in one direction, and
wherein the one direction is substantially parallel or perpendicular to an extending direction of the gap between the pair of electrodes.

14. The liquid crystal element according to claim 11 ,
wherein the first alignment film and the second alignment film are horizontal alignment films whose alignment regulation force extends in one direction, and
wherein the one direction is substantially parallel or perpendicular to an extending direction of the gap between the pair of electrodes.

Assignees

• Stanley Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Toko Yasuo

Classifications

• G02F1/133305

  Flexible substrates, e.g. plastics, organic film · CPC title

• G02F1/134309

  characterised by their geometrical arrangement · CPC title

• G02F1/0322

  Arrangements comprising two or more independently controlled crystals · CPC title

• G02F1/1337

  Surface-induced orientation of the liquid crystal molecules, e.g. by alignment layers · CPC title

• G02F1/0316

  Electrodes · CPC title