STN液晶（Super-twisted nematic display）是超级扭曲向列液晶的简称。TN液晶被发明后，人们自然而然想到将TN液晶矩阵化用以显示复杂的图形。相对TN液晶扭转90度，STN液晶的扭转180度到270度。90年代初期彩色STN液晶问世，这种液晶的一个像素由三个液晶单元组成，复上一层彩色滤光板，用电压分别控制液晶单元的亮度就能产生颜色。

STN液晶虽然由反应速度比较快的TN液晶单元组成，但是液晶颗粒大，扫描速度，和亮度都不及后来出现的TFT液晶。由于价格低廉，2000年之前生产的手掌式移动电话，电子游戏机和笔记本电脑广泛采用STN液晶当作主显示器。现在已经基本退出了消费市场。

A super-twisted nematic display (STN) is a type of monochrome passive-matrix liquid crystal display (LCD). This new type of LCD was invented at the Brown Boveri Research Center, Baden, Switzerland, in 1983. For years a better scheme for multiplexing was sought. Standard twisted nematic (TN) LCDs with a 90 degrees twisted structure of the molecules have a contrast vs. voltage characteristic unsuitable for passive-matrix addressing as there is no distinct threshold voltage. STN displays, with the molecules twisted from 180 to 270 degrees, have superior characteristics. The main advantage of STN LCDs is their more pronounced electro-optical threshold allowing for passive-matrix addressing with many more lines and columns. For the first time, a prototype STN matrix display with 540x270 pixels was made by Brown Boveri (today ABB) in 1984, which was considered a breakthrough for the industry.