Alignment Technology and Applications of Liquid Crystal Devices

Alignment phenomena are characteristic of liquid crystalline materials, and understanding them is critically important in understanding the essential features and behavior of liquid crystals and the performance of Liquid Crystal Devices (LCDs). Furthermore, in LCD production lines, the alignment process is of practical importance. Alignment Technologies and Applications of Liquid Crystal Devices demonstrates both the fundamental and practical aspects of alignment phenomena in liquid crystals. The physical basis of alignment phenomena is first introduced in order to aid the understanding of the various physical phenomena observed in the interface between liquid crystalline materials and alignment layer surfaces. Methods for the characterization of surfaces, which induce the alignment phenomena, and of the alignment layer itself are introduced. These methods are useful for the research of liquid crystalline materials and devices in academic research as well as in industry. In the practical sections, the alignment methods used in the LCD production lines are introduced with various other trials for the alignment technologies. LCD performances are also discussed in relation to alignment phenomena.

The authors have a wide range of experience in both academic research and in industry. This book will be of interest to researchers and engineers working in the LCD industry, and for physics and chemistry researchers studying liquid crystalline materials.

Contents
Preface
Overview, Kohki Takatoh
Development of the LCD Market
Improvement of Viewing Angle Dependence of the Contrast Ratio
Ferroelectric and Antiferroelectric Liquid Crystals
Development of Novel Alignment Method
The Characteristics of this Book
RubbingTechnologies: Mechanisms and Applications,
Masaki Hasegawa
Introduction
Rubbing Mechanisms
Applications
Non-rubbing Methods
Introduction, Masaki Hasegawa
Photoalignment, Masaki Hasegawa
Oblique Evaporation Method, Masanori Sakamoto
Liquid Crystal Alignment on Microgroove Surfaces, Kohki Takatoh
LB Membranes for the Alignment Layer, Kohki Takatoh
PTFE Drawn Films for Alignment Layers, Kohki Takatoh
Liquid Crystalline Alignment on Chemically Treated Surfaces, Kohki Takatoh
Applications of Nematic Liquid Crystals
Summary of Molecular Alignment and Device Applications, Ray Hasegawa
Twisted Nematic (TN), Ray Hasegawa
Super Twisted Nematic (STN), Nobuyuki Itoh
The IPS (In-Plane Switching) Mode, Mitsuhiro Koden
Vertical Alignment (VA) Mode and Multi-domain Vertical Alignment (MVA) Mode, Kohki Takatoh
Pi Cell, Masaki Hasegawa
Multi-domain Mode, Kohki Takatoh
Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals (PDLC), Ray Hasegawa
Alignment Phenomena of Smectic Liquid Crystals
Layer Structure and Molecular Orientation of Ferroelectric
Liquid Crystals, Nobuyuki Itoh
Alignment and Bistability of Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals, Kohki Takatoh
Applications of Ferroelectric and Antiferroelectric
Liquid Crystals
Molecular Orientations and Display Performance in FLC Displays, Mitsuhiro Koden
Alignment and Performance of AFLCD, Kohki Takatoh
Application of FLC/AFLC Materials to Active-matrix Devices, Kohki Takatoh
Index