A liquid crystal cell in which antenna units are arranged includes a TFT substrate, a slot substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. The TFT substrate includes a first dielectric substrate, TFTs supported by the first dielectric substrate and patch electrodes electrically connected to the TFTs, and a first alignment film covering a groove part between the adjacent patch electrodes. The slot substrate includes a second dielectric substrate, a slot electrode including slots and supported by the second dielectric substrate, and a second alignment film covering the slot electrode. The liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the TFT substrate and the slot substrate. The liquid crystal layer includes a liquid crystal material having a lower limit temperature of a nematic phase of the liquid crystal material of 32 C. or lower and an upper limit temperature of the nematic phase of the liquid crystal material of 110 C. or higher.

Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provides for the photoalignment layer for liquid crystal displays, a liquid crystal display device using the photoalignment layer and a manufacturing method. The photoalignment layer encompasses polynorbornene (PNB) polymers among other additives. More specifically, embodiments of this invention include a method for the fabrication of a liquid crystal display and the photoalignment layer encompassing the PNB polymers.

Soft-imprint alignment processes for patterning liquid crystal polymer layers via contact with a reusable alignment template are described herein. An example soft-imprint alignment process includes contacting a liquid crystal polymer layer with a reusable alignment template that has a desired surface alignment pattern such that the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal polymer are aligned to the surface alignment pattern via chemical, steric, or other intermolecular interaction. The patterned liquid crystal polymer layer may then be polymerized and separated from the reusable alignment template. The process can be repeated many times. The reusable alignment template may include a photo-alignment layer that does not comprise surface relief structures that correspond to the surface alignment pattern and a release layer above this photo-alignment layer. A reusable alignment template and methods of fabricating the same are also disclosed.

A liquid crystal display according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a first display panel and a second display panel. A liquid crystal layer is between the first display panel and the second display panel with a sealant therebetween. The first display panel includes a display area and a non-display area. First light blocking members are disposed in the non-display area. The liquid crystal layer includes a plurality of liquid crystal molecules and a plurality of protrusions. The protrusions are adjacent to at least one of the first display panel or the second display panel. The protrusions include a polymer including a compound represented by Chemical Formula 1 or a polymer including a compound represented by Chemical Formula 2: ##STR00001##

A liquid crystal cell 10A according to the present invention includes: a pair of substrates 11 and 12 facing each other and having alignment films 11a and 12a formed on surfaces of the substrates, respectively, the surfaces facing each other; and a liquid crystal layer LC interposed between the substrates 11 and 12. The alignment films 11a and 12a contain a polymer for alignment films which has a hydrazide functional group represented by Chemical Formula (1).

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The present specification provides a multi-layer liquid crystal film including: a substrate; a first alignment film comprising an alignment material and an acrylate in which a weight ratio of the alignment material to the acrylate is 3:1 to 5:1; a first liquid crystal film provided on the first alignment film; a second alignment film provided on the first liquid crystal film; and a second liquid crystal film provided on the second alignment film, and a method for manufacturing a polarizing plate, the method including: laminating the multi-layer liquid crystal film to a polarizer and peeling off the substrate.

The purpose of the invention is to control, by using a colorless alignment control monomer, the alignment of liquid crystal molecules of a liquid crystal display element that does not include an alignment film, and to provide a liquid crystal composition with which the colorless alignment control monomer exhibits excellent compatibility. The invention uses a liquid crystal display element that comprises an alignment control monomer including an aromatic ester that undergoes photo-Fries rearrangement by light irradiation, and that employs a liquid crystal composition having a positive dielectric anisotropy. The invention also uses the liquid crystal composition.

This liquid crystal display device is provided with: a pair of substrates which have conductive films, respectively; a liquid crystal layer which is arranged between the pair of substrates and contains a liquid crystal; and a liquid crystal control layer which is formed on the substrate-side interface of the liquid crystal layer by means of polymerization of a polymerizable monomer, and which controls the alignment of the liquid crystal. With respect to this liquid crystal display device, at least one of the pair of substrates is not provided with a liquid crystal alignment film, and the liquid crystal control layer contains a compound that has at least one partial structure which is selected from the group consisting of a fluorene structure-containing group, an aromatic amino group and a nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocyclic group.

The present invention relates to siloxane polymer, copolymer or oligomer for the photoalignment of liquid crystals, especially for the planar orientation of liquid crystals, and which derives from at least one monomer of formula (I), to compositions thereof, to a process for the preparation of said linear, branched or crosslinked siloxane polymer, and to its use for optical and electro optical devices, such as, liquid crystal devices (LCDs).

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A display panel and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. Each pixel of the display panel includes a transmission region and a reflection region, and the display panel includes a first polarizer, a first base substrate, a first alignment layer, a liquid crystal layer, a second alignment layer, a second base substrate, and a second polarizer. A reflection layer is provided between the second alignment layer and the second polarizer in the reflection region. The liquid crystal layer in the reflection region includes nematic liquid crystal and a polymer network. The liquid crystal layer in the transmission region includes a liquid crystal mixture including the nematic liquid crystal and polymerizable monomers. The polymer network in reflection region is formed by polymerizing the polymerizable monomers in the liquid crystal mixture.