A flexible ferroelectric liquid‐crystal display with improved mechanical stability for smart‐card applications

A bistable ferroelectric liquid‐crystal display (FLCD) for application in a smart card has been developed together with Infineon Technologies Business Unit Security and Chip Card ICs. The manufacturing process of the display will be explained. To further improve the functionality and reliability of the display, its layout has been modified. Barrier layers to reduce water permeation have been introduced. Defects in the FLC have been observed around the spacers. A change in the process order can help to avoid them. To reduce the sensitivity of the smectic layers of the FLC to shear forces, a special display layout with enlarged spacers has been developed together with an appropriate vacuum‐free filling process.