Provided are a substrate that can exert an anchoring force causing liquid crystal molecules to be vertically aligned and a liquid crystal display device. The substrate of the present invention is to be used in contact with a liquid crystal composition containing liquid crystal molecules and an alignment aid having a polar group and having the function of causing the liquid crystal molecules to be aligned spontaneously. The substrate includes an insulating film having a contact surface to be in contact with the liquid crystal composition. The static contact angle of water on the contact surface at 25° C. is 70° or less and/or the surface free energy of the contact surface is 50 mN/m or more. The substrate is preferably a substrate in direct contact with the liquid crystal composition with no alignment film therebetween.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a transfer plate, a method for manufacturing a display panel, and the display panel. The transfer plate is configured to form an alignment film of a display panel. The display panel includes a display region and a light signal transmission region. The transfer plate includes a bottom plate and a protruding plate fixed to the bottom plate. The protruding plate includes a first area corresponding to the light signal transmission region, a first protruding structure is disposed in the first area, and a shape of the first protruding structure is adapted to a shape of the light signal transmission region.

Each pixel has a reflection region to produce a display in reflection mode. The first substrate includes: a pixel electrode for each pixel; and a first vertical alignment film. The second substrate includes: an opposite electrode opposite the pixel electrodes; and a second vertical alignment film. Of the first and second vertical alignment films, only the second vertical alignment film exerts an alignment-regulating force that determines a pretilt angle. Each pixel electrode includes a plurality of subpixel electrodes. The opposite electrode has an opening in an area corresponding to one of four corners of at least one of the plurality of subpixel electrodes. Liquid crystal molecules in a thickness-wise middle portion of the liquid crystal layer on the subpixel electrode are oriented toward the opening.

A peep-proof device, a display device and a method for driving the display device are provided. The peep-proof device includes at least one light beam adjustment layer. The light beam adjustment layer includes: a transparent base layer and a plurality of grooves formed in a surface of the transparent base layer; and a liquid crystal layer arranged within the plurality of grooves. A refractive index of the transparent base layer is same as a refractive index of the liquid crystal layer to ordinary light beam.

Each pixel has a reflection region to produce a display in reflection mode. The first substrate includes: a pixel electrode for each pixel; and a first vertical alignment film. The second substrate includes: an opposite electrode opposite the pixel electrodes; and a second vertical alignment film. Of the first and second vertical alignment films, only the second vertical alignment film exerts an alignment-regulating force that determines a pretilt angle. Each pixel electrode includes a plurality of subpixel electrodes. The opposite electrode has an opening in an area corresponding to one of four corners of at least one of the plurality of subpixel electrodes. Liquid crystal molecules in a thickness-wise middle portion of the liquid crystal layer on the subpixel electrode are oriented toward the opening.

A liquid crystal composition includes at least one of a monofunctional compound represented by Formula (1) defined herein and a monofunctional compound represented by Formula (2) defined herein, and at least one of a difunctional compound represented by Formula (3) defined herein and a multifunctional compound represented by Formula (4) defined herein.

The spontaneous orientation aid for a liquid crystal composition provides storage stability and allows liquid crystal molecules to be vertically aligned without a PI layer when added to a liquid crystal composition. When used in a liquid crystal composition, the spontaneous orientation aid can adsorb to substrates sandwiching a liquid crystal composition (liquid crystal layer) and keep the liquid crystal molecules aligned in a vertical direction. The spontaneous orientation aid makes it possible to align liquid crystal molecules without a PI layer (to induce vertical alignment of liquid crystal molecules under no applied voltage and to achieve horizontal alignment of the liquid crystal molecules under an applied voltage).

A liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal composition, requiring neither an alignment film nor alignment treatment on a substrate. The problem is solved by a low molecular weight polar compound for homogeneously aligning a liquid crystal medium relative to the substrate, for example, the low molecular weight polar compound represented by formula (1).
Formula 95
M-P(1) In formula (1), M is a nonpolar group having 1 or more carbons, and P is a polar group.

A light modulation element comprising, preferably consisting of a cholesteric liquid crystalline medium sandwiched between two opposing substrates, an electrode arrangement, which is capable to allow the application of an electric field, which is substantially perpendicular to the main plane of substrate or the layer of the cholesteric liquid-crystalline medium, characterized in that one of the substrates is provided with a processed alignment layer adjacent to the cholesteric liquid crystalline medium and the other substrate is either provided with an unprocessed alignment layer adjacent to the cholesteric liquid crystalline medium or is not provided with an alignment layer. The invention is further related to a method of production of said light modulation element and to the use of said light modulation element in various types of optical and electro-optical devices, such as electro-optical displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), non-linear optic (NLO) devices, and optical information storage devices.

A laminate is capable of forming an orientation film formed by orienting a rod-like liquid crystal compound or a disk-like liquid crystal compound having a horizontal orientation ability or a vertical orientation ability with respect to a surface of the laminate, on the surface, by using an orientation restraining force of the surface, the laminate including: a cholesteric liquid crystal layer. An optical film sequentially includes: a support; a cholesteric liquid crystal layer; and an orientation film.