• Journal of Information Display
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.5-9
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• 2007

We demonstrate novel soft-lithographic techniques for preparing patterned liquid crystal (LC) orientations at an alignment layer. By controlling patterning conditions such as wetting property and operating temperature depending on polymeric materials, multi-directional or modified LC alignment conditions can be simply achieved.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.21-24
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• 2020

We investigated a solution-driven Yttrium Tin Oxide (YSnO) film that was imprinted using a parallel nanostructure as a liquid crystal (LC) alignment layer. The imprinting process was conducted at the annealing temperature of 100℃. To evaluate the effect of this process, we conducted surface analyses including atomic force microscopy (AFM). During imprinting, the surface roughness was reduced, and anisotropic characteristics were observed. Planar LC alignment was observed at a pretilt angle of 0.22° on YSnO film. Surface anisotropy induced by imprinting method forces LC to align along the direction of the parallel nanostructure, which is an alternative to conventional polyimide treated using a rubbing process.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.08a
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• pp.534-537
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• 2007

To promote liquid crystal application of nanoimprint lithography, a polymer with new concept is proposed. The material consists of a polyamic acid for good LC alignment and an epoxy resin for good imprinting. The result of sum-frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy proves that this material is a functionally gradient material. This material shows excellent capability as a nanoimprinting material as well as an LC alignment layer.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.145-148
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• 2012

The effects of the linearly polarized UV (LPUV) irradiation and thermal treatment of a photo-degradable polyimide (CBDA-ODA) alignment layer (AL) on its AL properties, liquid crystal (LC) alignment, and LCD characteristics have been investigated. The best quality of LC photo-alignment have been induced by the LPUV-irradiation with much (about 5~10 times) less dosage than that generating the maximum anisotropy of the AL. A thermal treatment of the LPUV-irradiated AL has effectively removed the undesirable, low-M.W. fragments of the AL generated during the photo-decomposition and increased the stability of the AL, which has resulted in improvement of the LC alignment and the LCD property.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.413-417
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• 2005

Orientations of liquid crystal molecules on a surface of a film of photoreactive polyvinylcinnamate were investigated in order to apply as an alignment layer of LCD. When the polyvinylcinnamate film was exposed to linearly polarized W light, optical anisotropy was induced in the film through a selective photoreaction. Liquid crystal molecules on a surface of the film was aligned along the oriented polymer chain direction through intermolecular interactions. Thermal and light stability of the photoaligned LC cell were studied by investigating LC alignment changes after the alignment layer was treated with heat and W light. When the film was exposed with linearly polarized UV several times, the LC alignment was induced only along the final UV exposure direction.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.109-112
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• 2016

We demonstrated an alternative electrically controlled birefringence liquid crystal (ECB-LC) system with ion beam (IB)-irradiated yttrium gallium oxide (YGaO) alignment films using a sol-gel process. The surface roughness of the films was dependent on the annealing temperature; aggregated particles on surface were observed at lower annealing temperatures, whereas a smooth surface could be obtained with higher annealing temperatures. Higher transmittance in the visible region was observed at higher annealing temperatures. The film had an amorphous crystallographic state irrespective of the annealing temperature. Furthermore, ECB-LC cell with our IB-irradiated YGaO film yielded faster response time when compared to ECB-LC cell with rubbed polyimide. Considering the fast response time and high transmittance, the IB-irradiated YGaO-base LC system is a powerful alternative application for the liquid crystal display industry.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1028-1032
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• 2005

Liquid crystal (LC) alignment using a photoalignment method by irradiation of polarized ultraviolet (UV) on an alignment layer has been investigated. Photoalignment method exhibits weaker anchoring energy than rubbing method so that we have studied electro-optic characteristics of fringe-field switching (FFS) mode with alignment layers using the photo and rubbing alignment methods. The cell using photo alignment layer shows lower threshold and operation voltage than those using rubbed alignment layer. Also, the former method shows higher transmittance than that of the latter.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.118-122
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• 2005

Liquid crystal (LC) alignment using a photoalignment method by irradiation of polarized ultraviolet (UV) on an alignment layer has been investigated. Photoalignment method exhibits weaker anchoring energy than rubbing method so that we have studied electro-optic characteristics of fringe-field switching (FFS) mode with alignment layers using the photo and rubbing alignment methods. The cell using photo alignment layer shows lower threshold and operation voltage than those using rubbed alignment layer. Also. the former method shows higher transmittance than that of the latter.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2010.03b
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• pp.15-16
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• 2010

We used Brewster's Law to examine the mechanism of liquid crystal (LC) alignment on an organic insulation layer when subjected to ion-beam irradiation. Brewster's Law implies that the maximum rate polarized rayon a slanted insulation layers on the substrate and it illustrates the dependence of polarization and themechanical structure on the ion beam irradiation process. The pretilt angle of nematic LCs on the organic insulation surface was about $1.13^{\circ}$ for an ion beam exposure of $45^{\circ}$ for 1 minute at 1800eV. This shows the dependence of LC alignment on the polarization ratio in a slanted organic insulation layer. We also discussed the electro-optical characteristic of twisted nematic (TN) LCD using ion beam irradiation on organic overcoat layer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.41-41
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• 2008

In general, polyimides (PIs) are used in alignment layers in liquid crystal displays (LCDs). The rubbing alignment technique has been widely used to align the LC molecules on the PI layer. Although this method is suitable for mass production of LCDs because of its simple process and high productivity, it has certain limitations. A rubbed PI surface includes debris left by the cloth, and the generation of electrostatic charges during the rubbing induces local defects, streaks, and a grating-like wavy surface due to nonuniform microgrooves that degrade the display resolution of computer displays and digital television. Additional washing and drying to remove the debris, and overwriting for multi-domain formation to improve the electro-optical characteristics such as the wide viewing angle, reduce the cost-effectiveness of the process. Therefore, an alternative to non-rubbing techniques without changing the LC alignment layer (i.e, PI) is proposed. The surface of LC alignment layers as a function of the ion beam (IE) energy was modified. Various pretilt angles were created on the IB-irradiated PI surfaces. After IB irradiation, the Ar ions did not change the morphology of the PI surface, indicating that the pretilt angle was not due to microgrooves. To verify the compositional behavior for the LC alignment, the chemical bonding states of the ill-irradiated PI surfaces were analyzed in detail by XPS. The chemical structure analysis showed that ability of LCs to align was due to the preferential orientation of the carbon network, which was caused by the breaking of C=O double bonds in the imide ring, parallel to the incident 18 direction. The potential of non-rubbing technology for fabricating display devices was further conformed by achieving the superior electro-optical characteristics, compared to rubbed PI.