Layer Alignment of Smectic Liquid Crystals

KSU.315

Abstract: This technology involves a method of fabricating a liquid crystal (LC) display device by introducing a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) between two substrates, contacting the FLC to a molecularly smooth edge, and aligning the FLC by introducing a temperature gradient normal to the edge. 

There are LC devices that use materials in a smectic phase that have no nematic phase.  These are very difficult to construct with no defects.  This invention provides a method of defect-free alignment of smectic materials through the utilization of the LC materials' own surface tension to create a nucleation surface

Applications and Advantages: This technology is of importance in FLC devices that demonstrate analog switching.  Advantages include defect-free alignment, higher switching speeds and that the cell surface alignment can be optimized for the electro-optical properties of the devices without regard for effect on the alignment of the smectic layers. 

Inventors: Dr. Bentley G. Wall, Mr. Dmytro Reznikov, Dr. Philip Bos