• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.08a
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• pp.299-302
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• 2007

We propose a soft-lithographic patterning method for producing a multi-domain liquid crystal (LC) alignment. The LC alignment polyimide layers are periodically patterned in the pixel boundaries by a micromolding-in-capillaries method. In our structure, the initially homeotropic LC orientations in the pixel areas are changed to axially symmetric LC domains due to the symmetric pretilt of LC molecules on the pixel boundaries.

• Journal of Information Display
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.12-15
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• 2006

We propose a patterning method of liquid crystal (LC) alignment layer for producing multi-domain LC structures. By controlling thermal conditions during micro-contact printing procedures and facilitating wetting properties of patterning materials, patterned LC orientation can be easily obtained on a bare ITO surface or other polymer films. The newly proposed patterning method is expected to be a very useful tool for fabricating multi-domain LC structures to enhance or design electro-optic properties of LC-based devices.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2007.08a
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• pp.549-552
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• 2007

Patterned vertical alignment (PVA) mode requires multi-domain to exhibit wide viewing angle whereas the transmittance is sacrificed. To overcome the demerit, a fine pattern was formed at folded region in PVA Z-shape electrode structure. In the present work fine patterns were formed near domain boundary regions where the unwanted field direction which causes the LC to tilt down in unwanted direction exists. Thereby transmittance is improved near those fine patterns. This method is very simple and more cost-effective process than the other methods. In this article, we show the method of fine pattern formation and its influence on LC molecule in PVA mode with Z-shape electrode structure.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.08a
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• pp.895-898
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• 2004

We propose configurations for a transflective in-plane switching (IPS) cell using muti-domain structures. Usually, the cell configurations for a transflective liquid crystal(LC) cell have a complicated structure, because retardation change of transmissive part and reflective part are not same. The transflective LC cell should have two configurations for each part, such as a multi-cell gap structure. With the ion-beam alignment and the horizontal switching LC cell, a simple structure for a transflective LC cell is proposed. The configuration only adopts one cell gap structure, which may help the enhancement of a yield. Their original optical properties in conventional transmissive and reflective type IPS liquid crystal dispaly(LCD) are kept, it shows the wide-viewing angle and the good wavelength dispersion characteristics.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.783-787
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• 2014

This paper presents an improved vertical alignment nematic liquid crystal mode characterized by the protrusions or slits of the top substrate and additional stripe type common electrodes with polarity switching of the bottom substrate to improve multi-domain vertically aligned (MVA) and patterned vertically aligned (PVA) nematic modes. MVA and PVA modes have disadvantages such as an LC disclination in the vicinity of the middle region of electrodes between the top and bottom protrusions in MVA mode or the top and bottom slits in PVA mode. Therefore, the stripe type common electrode generating a horizontal electric field and the protrusion or slit producing some pretilt of liquid crystals (LCs) were used to improve the LC disclination, which influences the transmittance and response speed. The simulation results showed that the proposed VA mode has higher transmittance than the MVA and PVA modes. As a result, the proposed VA mode can improve the response speed and transmittance remarkably, which makes it useful for upgrading the LCD display quality.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.91-94
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• 2009

We propose advanced liquid crystal display (LCD) modes through surface modification using UV curable reactive mesogen (RM) mixed with alignment layers. The LC directors on the modified alignment layer are controlled and memorized by the polymerized RMs under an applied voltage. Using the method proposed here, we can improve the response time and viewing angle characteristics through surface controlled patterned vertical alignment (SC-PVA) mode and 8-domains PVA mode, respectively. Also, we found that the method can be applicable to fabricate multi-domain structures using multiple UV exposure as same as conventional UV alignment method.

• 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.