Polymer-stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal for flexible displays

We developed a novel-structured ferroelectric liquid crystal (LC) device containing two fine polymer structures for a flexible moving-image display incorporating thin plastic film substrates. Aligned polymer fibers of sub-μm-diameter stabilize the LC alignment and create high-speed grayscale capability, while the polymer walls attach the two flexible plastic substrates and keep the gap between the substrates constant when the structure is bent. The composite film was obtained by photopolymerization-induced phase separation using a solution film of LC and monomer that was coated by a flexographic printing method. The fabricated device has great potential for flexible large-area moving-image displays.

[1]  Heinz-S. Kitzerow,et al.  Linear electro‐optic effects in polymer‐dispersed ferroelectric liquid crystals , 1992 .

[2]  Hideo Fujikake,et al.  Flexible Grayscale Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Device Containing Polymer Walls and Networks , 2002 .

[3]  Hideo Fujikake,et al.  Flexible ferroelectric liquid‐crystal devices containing fine polymer fibers , 2002 .

[4]  G. Montgomery,et al.  A Light Control Film Composed of Liquid Crystal Droplets Dispersed in a UV-Curable Polymer , 1987 .

[5]  H. Fujikake,et al.  Polymer-Stabilized Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Devices with Grayscale Memory , 1997 .

[6]  J. W. Doane,et al.  Polymer networks formed in liquid crystals , 1995 .

[7]  Hideo Fujikake,et al.  Molecular alignment enhancement phenomenon of polymer formed from a liquid crystal monomer in a liquid crystal solvent , 2003 .

[8]  Yoshihide Fujisaki,et al.  Improvement of Characteristics of Organic Thin-Film Transistor with Anodized Gate Insulator by an Electrolyte Solution and Low-Voltage Driving of Liquid Crystal by Organic Thin-Film Transistors , 2004 .

[9]  Hiroshi Hasebe,et al.  Liquid crystalline polymer stabilized FLCDs with conventional rubbed polyimide films or with photo alignment films of poly(vinyl cinnamate) , 1997 .

[10]  Hideo Fujikake,et al.  Rigid Formation of Aligned Polymer Fiber Network in Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal , 1999 .

[11]  S. Kobayashi,et al.  Mesogenic Polymer-Stabilized FLCDs Exhibiting Asymmetric and Symmetric (V-Shape) Electrooptic Characteristics , 2001 .