• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.308-313
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• 2005

The effects of molecular environments on photoisomerization of an azobenzene group were investigated using In-situ UV/Vis spectroscopy and optical anisotropy measurement technique. The reversible and repeatable photoisomeritation reactions of azobenzene were observed by irradiating the film containing 4-hydroxyazobenzene and by measuring absorption intensities of the characteristic bands of trans and cis isomers simultaneously. When the self-assembled monolayer with azobenzene groups was used as an alignment layer for a liquid crystal cell, the homeotropic alignment was induced due to their compact packing structures of azobenfene groups along the vertical direction of the substrate. By irradiating UV light on this cell, the trans-azobenzene groups change to cis-isomers through the photoisonlerieation and then resulting in the planar alignment of liquid crystal molecules.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.300-300
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• 2008

In this study, the advanced DuoPIGatron-type ion beam (IB) system was applied to inorganic thin film for aligning liquid crystal (LC). LC alignment on $Ta_2O_5$ via IB irradiation was embodied. As a result of IB irradiation, the homogeneously aligned liquid crystal display (LCD) on $Ta_2O_5$ was observed with low pretilt angles. The $Ta_2O_5$ were deposited on indium-tin-oxide coated Coming 1737 glass substrates by rf magnetron sputtering at $200^{\circ}C$. The deposition process resulted in forming very uniform thin film on glass substrates without any defects. To confirm the application of the inorganic alignment on modem display optical devices, we fabricated twisted nematic LCD and measured optical property and response time. As a result of the experiment, the electro optical characteristics of the LCD fabricated by using IB irradiation on $Ta_2O_5$ alignment layer were similar with the other LCD fabricated by using rubbing process.

• 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.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.362-368
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• 2021

A homeotropic liquid crystal (LC) alignment state on rubbed fluorinated self-assembled monolayers (FSAMs) is described according to alkyl chain length. A simple procedure, gas-phase method, for the preparation of FSAM was used. The average optical transmittance in the visible light range of FSAMs were 76.63% to 78.21%, which were superior to the conventional polyimide layer having a transmittance of 75.89%. In addition, the excellent homeotropic LC alignment characteristics of FSAMs were observed through pretilt angle measurement and polarized optical microscope images. By measuring the contact angles and the surface energies of FSAMs, it was confirmed that pretilt angles of LC molecules increased according to the alkyl chain length. High optical transparency and uniform homeotropic LC alignment characteristics of FSAMs showed the possibility of FSAMs as an LC alignment layers.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 1998.08a
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• pp.46.2-46
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• 1998

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.146-154
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• 2024

In this paper, we present a convenient liquid crystal (LC) molecular alignment method using brush hairs as an alternative to the rubbing process in the LC display industry. Titanium strontium yttrium zirconium oxide (TiSrYZrO) solution was prepared using a sol-gel process, and the TiSrYZrO alignment film production and LC molecular alignment were integrated through a one-step brush coating process. As the curing temperature increased, the LC molecule alignment of the LC cell improved, and the formation of a physical surface anisotropic structure due to the shear stress caused by the movement of the brush hairs on the coating surface led to uniform alignment of the LC molecules. Uniform and homogeneous LC molecular alignment was confirmed through polarizing optical microscopy and pretilt angle measurement. Through thermal oxidation using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the TiSrYZrO thin film well formed of metal oxide was confirmed and verified to have excellent optical transparency. From these results, it is expected that a convenient LC molecular alignment method using brush hairs as an alternative to the rubbing process will be a viable next-generation technology.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.303-312
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• 2001

The fabrication of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels involves several thermal processes such as imidization of the alignment layer (AL) and annealing of the rubbed polyimide AL. The nature of these processes on the LC alignment, especially on the pretilt angle (Θ$\_$p/) has been systematically studied, employing various types of polyimide structures. The imidization effect depends on the nature of polyimid precursors; Θ$\^$p/ increases with the degree of the imidization for the main-chain type of ALs, due to the decrease in the surface polarity, but this relation is not applicable to the alkylated ones in which the steric effect at the AL surface by the aliphatic side chains is dominant. Annealing of the rubbed polyimide AL deteriorates its rubbing-induced molecular orientation and subsequently the overlying LC alignment, resulting in the decrease in Θ$\_$p/. Especially, annealing of the LC cell affects the LC-AL interaction as well as the AL orientation and thus its effect on LC alignment depends sensitively on the nature of LC-polyimide interface; aromatic moiety in the polyimide structure gives better thermal stability of LC alignment while fluorinated polyimide ALs induce the less stable alignment.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.123-130
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• 2001

Photoresponsive side chain copolymer and homopolymer containing an aminonitroazobenzene were synthesized for studying photoisomerization behavior and photo-induced anisotropy. Trans-to-cis photoisomerization was observed under the exposure of a circularly polarized visible light with UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy. Reorientation of polar azobenzene molecules induced optical anisotropy under a linearly polarized light at 532nm. Polarized absorption spectroscopy was employed to investigate the anisotropy of the polymer film during irradiationg of the excitation light. Layers of two photosensitive polymers were used for aligning liquid crystal(LC) molecules instead of one of the rubbed polyimide layers in the conventional twisted nematic cell. For producing homogeneous alignment of a nematic LC molecule, a linearly polarized light was exposed to the films of two polymers. The stability of the LC alignment upon the linearly polarized light exposure was also studied.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.700-703
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• 2000

We investigated the improvement using a new patterned double twisted(PDT) vertical-alignment(VA) cell mode on a homeotropic alignment layer. Good voltage-transmittance curves for negative dielectric anisotropic nematic liquid crystal (NLC) using a new PDT-VA cell without a negative compensation film were obtained. The viewing angle of a new PDT-VA cell without a negative compensation film was sider than that of a conventional VA cell. Finally a few fabrication processes using a new PDT-VA cell mode can be achieved by only one-side rubbed substrate.