The present invention is a laminate: with which differences in the thermal expansion coefficient at interfaces between different materials in the interior of a semiconductor element or the like can be kept small; which has high heat resistance; and which has high thermal conductivity. This laminate is provided with at least two layers of thermal expansion-controlling members, the thermal expansion-controlling members including a thermally conductive first inorganic filler joined to one end of a first coupling agent, and a thermally conductive second inorganic filler joined to one end of a second coupling agent; the other end of the first coupling agent and the other end of the second coupling agent are respectively joined to a polymerizable compound, or joined to one another; and the thermal expansion-controlling members have thermal expansion coefficients that are respectively different.

Provided are a difluoromethoxy-bridge liquid crystal compound containing methyl-substituted 2,3-difluorophenyl, a liquid crystal composition containing the compound, and a liquid crystal display element and a liquid crystal display, wherein said liquid crystal composition is represented by the following formula I: ##STR00001##
wherein the difluoromethoxy-bridge liquid crystal compound containing methyl-substituted 2,3-difluorophenyl not only has a high clearing point (CP) and a prominent low-temperature miscibility with other liquid crystals, but also has a good stability to ultraviolet light, stability to high temperatures, and particularly also a high vertical dielectric constant (ε.sub.⊥), and may be applied to the formulation of various types of liquid crystal compositions, and it is particularly prominent that the compound has the advantages of both a good low-temperature miscibility and a high vertical dielectric constant (ε.sub.⊥).

A liquid-crystalline medium, preferably having a nematic phase and dielectric anisotropy of 0.5 or more, which comprises one or more compounds of each of formulae T and L

##STR00001##

in which the parameters have the meanings given in the claims and in the text. The use thereof in an electro-optical display, particularly in an active-matrix display based on the IPS or FFS effect, to displays of this type which contain a liquid-crystalline medium of this type. Also, the compounds of formulae T and L and their use for the improvement of the transmission and/or response times of a liquid-crystalline medium which comprises one or more additional mesogenic compounds.

A liquid crystal composition includes at least one compound of general Formula I, at least one compound of general Formula II and at least one compound of general Formula M. The polymerizable liquid crystal composition provides a higher VHR (especially an excellent VHR after UV irradiation), a lower surface roughness of the polymer layer, a faster polymerization rate, a lower residual amount of the polymerizable compound and a better pretilt angle stability, which enables the production of a liquid crystal display device with a better voltage stability and a faster response speed, and can effectively reduce or prevent the occurrences of problems such as “burn-in”, “image sticking”, “Zara Particle” and “uneven display” in the liquid crystal display device. A liquid crystal display includes the liquid crystal composition.

##STR00001##

The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media (LC media) having negative or positive dielectric anisotropy comprising self-aligning mesogens (SAMs) which effect homeotropic (vertical) alignment of the LC media at a surface or the cell walls of a liquid-crystal display (LC display). The invention therefore also encompasses LC displays having homeotropic alignment of the liquid-crystalline medium (LC medium) without conventional imide alignment layers. The LC media may be supplemented by a polymerisable or polymerised component, which serves for stabilisation of the alignment, for adjustment of the tilt angle and/or as passivation layer.

The invention relates to a compound of formula I,

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.11, R.sup.21, A.sup.11, A, Z, X.sup.11, X.sup.21, Y.sup.11, Y.sup.12, Sp.sup.11, Sp.sup.21, o and p have one of the meanings as given in claim 1. The invention further relates to method of production of a compound of formula I, to the use of said compounds in LC media and to LC media comprising one or more compounds of formula I. Further, the invention relates to a method of production of such LC media, to the use of such media in LC devices, and to LC device comprising a LC medium according to the present invention. The present invention further relates to a process for the fabrication such liquid crystal display and to the use of the liquid crystal mixtures according to the invention for the fabrication of such liquid crystal display.

A liquid crystal composition includes at least one compound of general Formula I in an amount of 1%-30% by weight of the total weight of the liquid crystal composition, at least one compound of general Formula II in an amount of 5%-35% by weight of the total weight of the liquid crystal composition, and at least one compound of general Formula III in an amount of 10%-50% by weight of the total weight of the liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition has an appropriate clearing point, an appropriate optical anisotropy, an appropriate dielectric anisotropy, as well as a higher voltage holding ratio, a higher transmittance, a good high-temperature resistant performance and a faster response speed, thus being suitable for display modes, such as VA, IPS and FFS. A photoelectric display device includes the liquid crystal composition.

##STR00001##

Provide are a liquid crystal compound represented by formula I, and a liquid crystal mixture comprising the compound ##STR00001## A lateral trifluoromethyl-containing liquid crystal compound having the structural characteristics of Formula I not only has a negative dielectric anisotropy (Δε), an appropriate optical anisotropy (Δn), a higher clearing point (CP), a prominent low-temperature miscibility with other liquid crystals, and a low rotary viscosity (γ1), but also has a good stability to UV and high temperatures, particularly, a negative dielectric anisotropy. Same can be applied to the formulation of liquid crystal compositions of positive and negative types, and it is particularly prominent that same has the advantages of a good solubility at low temperatures and a high transmittance.

An object of the present invention is to provide a polarizer having a high degree of alignment and an image display device including the polarizer. A polarizer of the present invention is a polarizer formed of a polarizer-forming composition containing a liquid crystal compound, a first dichroic material, and a second dichroic material, in which the polarizer has an array structure formed of the first dichroic material and the second dichroic material.

An object of the present invention is to provide a polarizer, a method of producing a polarizer, a laminate, and an image display device which enable achievement of both the degree of alignment and light fastness. The polarizer of the present invention is a polarizer formed of a polarizer-forming composition which contains a liquid crystal compound and a dichroic material, in which the liquid crystal compound is a polymer compound having a smectic liquid crystallinity.