• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.1133-1138
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• 1998

In this paper, we obtained the monodomain alignment of nematic liquid Crystal(NLC) in the cell fabricated by transcription alignment method on polyimide(PI) surface with side chain. It is considered that the LC alignment produced by the transcription alignment method is attributed to a memory effect of the NLC on PI surfaces. Also we observed that the generated pretilt angle of NLC is about $3.7^{\circ}$ with transcription alignment on PI surface. Next, we measured that the voltage-transmittance characteristics of transcription-aligned TN-LCD are almost same compared to rubbing-aligned TN-LCD. Also, we measured that the curve of transcription-aligned TN-LCD is less sharp than that of the rubbing-aligend TN-LCD in the decay time characteristics. It is considered that the response time characteristics of transcription-aligned TN-LCD are attributed to the weak anchoring strength between the LC molecules and the polymer surface.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.419-422
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• 2002

We studied the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) aligning capabilities using the new alignment material of a diamond like carbon (DLC) thin film. A high pretilt angle of about $3.5^{\circ}$ by ion beam(IB) exposure on the DLC thin film surface was measured. A good LC alignment by the IB alignment method on the DLC thin film surface was observed at annealing temperature of $200^{\circ}C$, and the alignment defect of the NLC was observed above annealing temperature of $220^{\circ}C$. Consequently, the high NLC pretilt angle and the good thermal stability of LC alignment by the IB alignment method on the DLC thin film surface can be achieved.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.329-329
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• 2008

To date, rubbing has been widely used to align LC molecules uniformly. Although rubbing can be simple, it has fundamental problems such as the generation of defects by dust and static electricity, and difficulty in achieving a uniform LC alignment on a large substrate. Therefore, noncontact alignment has been investigated. Ion beam induced alignment method, which provides controllability, nonstop process, and high resolution display. In this study, we investigated liquid crystal (LC) alignment with ion beam (IB) that non contact alignment technique on polyimide and electro-optical characteristics of twisted nematic (TN)-liquid crystal display (LCD) on the poly imide under various ion beam angles. In this experiment, Polyimide layer was coated on glass by spin-coating and Voltage-transmittance(VT) and response time characteristics of the TN cell were measured by a LCD evaluation system. The good characteristics of the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) alignment with the ion beam exposure poly imide surface was observed. The tilt angle of NLC on the PI surface with ion beam exposure can be measured under $1^{\circ}4 for all of irradiation angles. In addition, it can be achieved the good ED properties, and residual DC property of the ion beam aligned TN cell on polyimide surface.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.42-42
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• 2008

Considerable attention has been focused on the applications of flexible liquid crystal (LC)-based displays because of their many potential advantages, such as portability, durability, light weight, thin packaging, flexibility, and low power consumption. To develop flexible LCDs that are capable of delivering high-quality moving images, like conventional glass-substrate LCDs, the LC device structure must have a stable alignment layer of LC molecules, concurrently support uniform cell gaps, and tightly bind two flexible substrates under external tension. However, stable LC molecular alignment has not been achieved because of the layerless LC alignment, and consequently high-quality images cannot be guaranteed. To solve these critical problems, we have proposed a PDMS pixel-wall based bonding method via the IB irradiation was developed for fasten the two substrates together strongly and maintain uniform cell gaps. The effect of the IB irradiation on PDMS with PI surface was also evaluated by side structure configuration and a result of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis of PDMS interlayer as a function of binder with substrates. large number of PDMS pixel-walls are tightly fastened to the surface of each flexible substrate and could maintain a constant cell gap between the LC molecules without using any other epoxy or polymer. To enhance the electro-optical performance of the LC device, we applied an alignment method that creates pretilt angle on the PI surface via ion beam irradiation. Using this approach, our flexible LCDs have a contrast ratio of 132:1 and a response time of about 15 ms, resulting in highly reliable electro-optical performance in the bent state, comparable to that of glass-substrate LCDs.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.904-909
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• 2019

Using the ion-beam irradiated indium zinc oxide (IZO) films which was cured at $100^{\circ}C$, uniform LC and homogeneous alignment of liquid crystal (LC) molecules was achieved. The IZO film was deposited on the glass substrate at the curing temperature of $100^{\circ}C$ and irradiated by the ion-beam which is an LC alignment method. To verify the LC alignment characteristics, polarizing optical microscope and the crystal rotation method were used. Additionally, it was confirmed that the LC cell with the IZO films had an enough thermal budget for high-quality LC applications. Field emission scanning electron microscope was conducted as a surface analysis to evaluate the effect of the ion-beam irradiation on the IZO films. Through this, it was revealed that the ion-beam irradiation induced rough surface with anisotropic characteristics. Finally, electro-optical (EO) performances of the twisted-nematic cells with the IZO films were collected and it was confirmed that this cell had better EO performances than the conventional rubbed polyimide. Furthermore, the polar anchoring energy was measured and a suitable value for stable LC device operation was achieved.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2003.07a
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• pp.611-614
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• 2003

We have investigated electric field effect on the formation of phase separated composite organic film structure which is utilized by anisotropic phase separation from LC and prepolymer mixtures. Application of bias field resulted in a significant change in liquid crystal alignment between glass substrate and polymer layer. The liquid crystal molecules segregated into the inter-electrodes and formed twisted structure which is the result of imprinting of LC alignment by the bias field on polymer layers during polymerization process.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.510-514
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• 2003

We have studied the alignment of liquid crystals (LCs) on homeotropic polymeric surface that is scanned using an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip by optical polarizing microscopy and computer simulation. The scanned areas on one substrate are 5 $\mu\textrm{m}$ ${\times}$ 5 $\mu\textrm{m}$, 10 $\mu\textrm{m}$ ${\times}$ 10 $\mu\textrm{m}$, and 20 $\mu\textrm{m}$ ${\times}$ 20 $\mu\textrm{m}$ and this substrate is assembled to another substrate coated. with homeotropic polymer. The fabricated micro-LC cell using two substrates does not show any hysteresis and disclination lines inside the nano-rubbing areas, while changing voltage up and down. This indicates that the pretilt angle exists in the areas, thereby forming a hybrid LC configuration. From the experimental and computer simulation results, we can understand that the AFM rubbing clearly changes surface status of homeotropic alignment layer and causes the pretilt angle to an initial scanning direction.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.311-312
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• 2005

By using 45$^{\circ}$ obliqued evaporation method with electron beam system, uniformly vertical liquid crystal (LC) alignment was achieved. And a high pretilt angles of about 2.5$^{\circ}$ were measured. Also, it was verified that there are no variations of pretilt angle as a function of $SiO_x$ thin film thickness 20nm and 50nm. A good LC alignment states were observed at annealing temperature of 250$^{\circ}C$. The high pretilt angle and the good thermal stability of LC alignment by 45$^{\circ}$ obliqued electron beam evaporation method on the $SiO_x$ thin film can be achieved.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.821-825
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• 2013

Effect of multi-stacked layer (MSL), 0.1 mol (M) and 0.3 mol (M) hafnium oxide ($HfO_2$) alignment layers were fabricated via a solution-process for LCs orientation. The solutions were spin-coated and annealed in a furnace. MSL consists of three sub-layers using 0.1 M solution, mono-layer (ML) is composed of 0.3 M $HfO_2$ solution. Then ion-beam irradiation was treated with 1.8 keV for 2 min. $HfO_2$-based LC cells were investigated through photographs, pre-tilt angle using crystal rotation method, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurement, and surface roughness using atomic force microscopy(AFM) for their characteristic research. Good LC orientation characteristics were observed on MSL $HfO_2$ surface. The LC alignment mechanism on MSL $HfO_2$ and ML $HfO_2$ surfaces was attributed to van der Waals (VDW) interaction between the LC molecular and substrate surface.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.430-430
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• 2007

In general, polyimides (PIs) are used in liquid crystal displays (LCDs) as alignment layer of liquid crystals (LCs). Up to date, the rubbing alignment technique has been widely used to align liquid crystals on the PI surface, which is suitable for mass-production of LCDs because of its simple process and high productivity. However, this method has some disadvantages. Rubbed PI surfaces include the debris left by the cloth and the generation of electrostatic charges during rubbing process. Therefore, rubbing-free techniques for LC alignment are strongly required in LCD technology. In this experiment, PI was uniformly coated on indium-tin-oxide electrode substrates to form LC alignment layers using a spin-coating method and the PI layers were subsequently imidized at 433 K for 1 h. The thickness of the PI layer was set at 50 nm. The LC alignment layer surfaces were exposed to an $Ar^+$ ion-beam under various ion-beam energies. The antiparallel cells and twisted-nematic (TN) cells for the measurement of pretile angle and electro-optical characteristics were fabricated with the cell gap of 60 and $5\;{\mu}m$, respectively. The LC cells were filled with nematic LC (NLC, MJ001929, Merck) and were assembled. The NLC alignment capability on ion-beam-treated PI was observed using photomicroscope and the pretilt angle of the NLC was measured by the crystal-rotation method at room temperature. Voltage-transmittance (V-T) and response time characteristics of the ion-beam irradiated TN cell were measured by a LCD evaluation system.