Lmhr
09-23-2006, 11:37 PM
Source: Georgia Institute of Technology
Date: September 23, 2006
A new technique for creating vertical alignment among liquid crystal molecules could allow development of less costly flexible displays and lead to a better understanding of the factors that govern operation of the popular liquid crystal display systems.
Liquid crystals are a key component of the displays used in most laptop computers and the increasingly-popular flat panel televisions. Controlled by a network of transistors, the liquid crystals change their optical characteristics in response to electrical signals to create the text and images we see.
Manufacture of the panels is complex, requiring multiple steps that can introduce defects. Among the steps is the application of a polymer film -- the so-called alignment layer -- to the two pieces of glass between which the liquid crystals operate. The film, which must be rubbed after being coated on the glass, anchors the crystals with a fixed alignment. The process of rubbing to create the necessary alignment can damage some of the transistors and introduce dust, producing defects that can reduce the manufacturing yield of the panels.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060922095139.htm
Illustration shows subpixel of an LCD system. (Image credit: Marvin Raaijmakers, courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
Date: September 23, 2006
A new technique for creating vertical alignment among liquid crystal molecules could allow development of less costly flexible displays and lead to a better understanding of the factors that govern operation of the popular liquid crystal display systems.
Liquid crystals are a key component of the displays used in most laptop computers and the increasingly-popular flat panel televisions. Controlled by a network of transistors, the liquid crystals change their optical characteristics in response to electrical signals to create the text and images we see.
Manufacture of the panels is complex, requiring multiple steps that can introduce defects. Among the steps is the application of a polymer film -- the so-called alignment layer -- to the two pieces of glass between which the liquid crystals operate. The film, which must be rubbed after being coated on the glass, anchors the crystals with a fixed alignment. The process of rubbing to create the necessary alignment can damage some of the transistors and introduce dust, producing defects that can reduce the manufacturing yield of the panels.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060922095139.htm
Illustration shows subpixel of an LCD system. (Image credit: Marvin Raaijmakers, courtesy Wikimedia Commons)