Provided are a liquid crystal composition satisfying at least one of characteristics such as high maximum temperature, low minimum temperature, small viscosity, suitable optical anisotropy, large negative dielectric anisotropy, large specific resistance, high stability to ultraviolet light and high stability to heat, or the liquid crystal composition having a suitable balance regarding at least two of the characteristics; and an AM device having characteristics such as a short response time, a large voltage holding ratio, low threshold voltage, a large contrast ratio and a long service life. The liquid crystal composition has negative dielectric anisotropy and contains a specific compound having large negative dielectric anisotropy as a first component, a specific compound having low minimum temperature as a second component, and a specific compound having small viscosity as a third component, and the composition may contain a specific compound having high maximum temperature or small viscosity as a fourth component, a specific compound having negative dielectric anisotropy as a fifth component, or a specific compound having a polymerizable group as an additive component.

A liquid crystal composition includes a polymerizable compound (or polymer) and a polar compound, where the homeotropic alignment of liquid crystal molecules can be achieved by the action of these compounds, and a liquid crystal display device includes such a composition. A nematic liquid crystal composition has positive dielectric anisotropy and includes a polymerizable compound as a first additive and a polar compound as a second additive, and the composition may include a specific liquid crystal compound having a large positive dielectric anisotropy and a specific liquid crystal compound having a high maximum temperature or a small viscosity, and a liquid crystal display device includes such a composition.

The present invention relates to a method of controlling the pretilt angle in liquid crystal (LC) displays of the polymer sustained alignment (PSA) type, to a method of manufacturing a PSA display with different pretilt angles at the two substrates, and to PSA displays made by this method.

The present invention relates to mesogenic media and to electro-optical displays comprising these media as light modulation media. In particular, the electro-optical displays according to the present invention are displays, which are operated at a temperature, at which the mesogenic modulation media are in an optically isotropic phase, preferably in a blue phase.

Shown are a liquid crystal composition satisfying at least one of characteristics such as high maximum temperature, low minimum temperature, low viscosity, suitable optical anisotropy and large negative dielectric anisotropy, or having a suitable balance regarding at least two of the characteristics, and an AM device including the composition. The liquid crystal composition contains a specific compound having large negative dielectric anisotropy as a first component, and a specific compound having low viscosity as a second component, and may contain a specific compound having negative dielectric anisotropy as a third component, a specific compound having high maximum temperature or low viscosity as a fourth component, or a specific compound having a polymerizable group as an additive.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal (LC) medium comprising polymerisable compounds, to a process for its preparation, to its use for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, and to LC displays comprising it.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal (LC) medium comprising a terphenyl compound and at least two polymerisable compounds, to a process for its preparation, to its use for optical, electro-optical and electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, especially in an LC display of the polymer sustained alignment (PSA) type, and to an LC display, especially a PSA display, comprising it.

A liquid crystal (LC) medium containing a polymerisable compound, a process for its preparation, its use for optical, electro-optical and/or electronic purposes, in particular in LC displays, especially in an LC display of the polymer sustained alignment (PSA) type, and an LC display, especially a PSA display, containing the LC medium.

The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media comprising one or more polymerisable compounds, preferably of formula P
P.sup.a-(Sp.sup.a).sub.s1-(A.sup.1-Z.sup.1).sub.n1-A.sup.2-Q-A.sup.3-(Z.sup.4-A.sup.4).sub.n2-(Sp.sup.b).sub.s2-P.sup.bP
and one or more compounds selected from the group of compounds of formulae I, II, and III, ##STR00001##
in which the parameters have the meaning indicated in Claim 1, and to components comprising these media for high-frequency technology, in particular phase shifters and microwave array antennas.

A liquid crystal composition that has a positive dielectric anisotropy and a sufficiently low viscosity and that causes no display defects when used in liquid crystal display devices is provided without decreasing or increasing the refractive index anisotropy or nematic phase-isotropic liquid phase transition temperature. This liquid crystal composition contains at least one compound selected from compounds represented by general formula (LC0) and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by general formulas (LC1) to (LC5). This liquid crystal composition can be used to provide a reliable liquid crystal display device capable of maintaining a high voltage-holding ratio at high temperatures. This liquid crystal display device is highly practical as a liquid crystal display and is effective in achieving quick response without significantly decreasing the cell gap.