Fast response wide viewing angle liquid crystal cell with double-side fringe-field switching

Abstract

A four-electrode liquid crystal cell, featuring a double-side fringe-field switching, has been designed with two-layer electrodes on both glass substrates. The two-layer electrode is the same as that used in fringe-field switching liquid crystal displays. Using a negative dielectric liquid crystal, a homogeneous cell has been fabricated with top and bottom stripe electrodes perpendicular to each other. The fringe fields near top and bottom surfaces drive the homogeneous liquid crystal layer to a twisted structure. The distributions of electric field and molecular director are obtained by theoretical analysis. The double-side fringe-field switching cell shows a much faster response and wider viewing cone compared to traditional fringe-field switching one. The improved electro-optical properties are due to the wider and more symmetric director distribution with respect to the midplane of the liquid crystal cell.