• 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.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1110-1114
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• 2003

We have investigated the generation of pretilt angle for a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) alignment with rubbing alignment method on polyimide surfaces using thin plastic substrates. It was found that monodomain alignment of NLC is obtained with rubbing alignment method on polyimide surfaces using thin plastic substrates. The NLC pretilt angles generated are about 3$^{\circ}$ by the rubbing alignment method on thin plastic substrates, However, the pretilt angle are at about 1.7$^{\circ}$ lower on the glass substrate than on thin plastic substrate. We obtain that AFM (atomic force microscope) image of rubbed PI surface with polymer film has formed the micro-groove structure at the low curring temperature (120$^{\circ}C$). However, no grooves are obtained on the glass substrate at the same temperature. It is considered that this alignment may be attributed to roughness of micro-groove substrate. The tilt angle increases with increasing baking temperature for making polyimide layer using glass substrate. It was concluded that the pretilt angle in the polyimide surface is attributable to the increasing of imidization rato.

• Journal of Information Display
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.29-34
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• 2003

We have studied liquid crystal (LC) molecular alignment on rubbed and photoaligned surfaces. Particular attention was paid to the intermolecular liquid crystalline interaction. We will first show that uniform molecular orientation on a rubbed surface does not mean spatially uniform interaction between the surface and LC molecules. Rather LCs tend to align themselves through LC interaction. The existence of nonuniformity of rubbing was successfully visualized by double surface treatment. The importance of intermolecular LC interaction was also found in the orientation formation process in 5CB evaporated on rubbed and photoaligned surfaces. By simultaneously analyzing polarized UVNIS absorption and second-harmonic generation (SHG) using the maximum entropy method, we succeeded in obtaining the temporal variation of the orientational distribution functions in the film forming process. The distribution anisotropy and pretilt are found to be generated under the influence of intermolecular LC interaction.

• 한국정보디스플레이학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.08a
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• pp.792-795
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• 2006

In-plane-switching (IPS)-mode LCD is one of the most useful technologies for a broad range of viewing angles. To apply for IPS-LCDs, we synthesized novel homogeneous alignment materials, changing dianhydrides (BTDA and BPDA) and bridged diamines (ODA and PACM). We measured their pre-tilt angles using the crystal rotation method with positive LC and their surface properties.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.15-18
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• 2004

We studied the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) aligning capabilities using the new alignment material of a-C:H thin film by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) system for 30 sec under 30W rf power at a gas pressure of 1.4＊10$\^$-1/ torr. A high pretilt angle of about 5 by ion beam exposure on the a-C:H thin film surface was measured. A good LC alignment by the ion beam alignment method on the a-C:H thin film surface was observed at annealing temperature of 250$^{\circ}C$, and the alignment defect of NLC was observed above annealing temperature of 300$^{\circ}C$. Consequently, the high LC pretilt angle and the good thermal stability of LC alignment by the ion beam alignment method on the a-C:H thin film by PECVD method as working gas at 30W rf bias condition can be achieved.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.43-43
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• 2008

Recently, it is widely studied to liquid crystal (LC) alignment using ion-beam exposure. Because conventional rubbing method has some problems such as defects from dust and electrostatic charges and rubbing scratch during rubbing process. Moreover rubbing method needs cleaning process to remove these defects. Therefore rubbing-free techniques like ion-beam method are strongly required. We studied LC alignment by controlling ion-beam irradiation angles and electro-optical (EO) characteristics of twisted nematic LC on the polyimide surface. In this experiment, a good uniform alignment of the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) with the ion-beam exposure on the polyimide (PI) surface was observed. We also achieved low pretilt angle as function of ion-beam irradiation angles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analysis provided chemical evidence for LC alignment by controlling ion-beam irradiation angles. In addition, it can be achieved the good EO properties of the ion-beam-aligned twisted nematic liquid crystal display (TN-LCD) on PI surface. Some other experiments results and discussion will be included in the presentation.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1997.07d
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• pp.1582-1584
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• 1997

We investigated the transcription of liquid crystal (LC) alignment method by using memory effect of nematic (N) LC on polyimide (PI) surface with side chain as for non-rubbing alignment techniques. That the monodomain alignment of aligned NLC is observed by polarizing microscope textures in the cells on PI surface with side chain, We obtained that the pretilt angle of NLC are generated about 3.7 degree on PI surface. We suggest that the LC alignment by using transcription aligngnment method is attributed to memory effect of NLC on PI surface.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.274-277
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• 2007

In this study, liquid crystal(LC) aligning capabilities for homeotropic alignment on the $SiO_x$ thin film by electron beam evaporation method were investigated. Also, the control of pretilt angles and thermal stabilities of the nematic liquid crystal(NLC) treated on $SiO_x$ thin film were investigated. A high pretilt angle of about $86.5^{\circ}$ was obtained, and also the suitable pretilt angle of the NLC on the $SiO_x$ thin film at $10{\sim}50nm$ thickness with e-beam evaporation can be achieved. The uniform LC alignment and good thermal stabilities on the $SiO_x$ thin film surfaces with electron beam evaporation can be achieved. It is considered that the LC alignment on the $SiO_x$ thin film by electron beam evaporation is attributed to elastic interaction between LC molecules and micro-grooves at the $SiO_x$ thin film surface created by evaporation.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.484-492
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• 2003

How the characteristics and stability of the rubbing-induced alignment of nematic liquid crystals (LCs) relate to the interfacial characteristics of LC-polyimide has been studied. The characteristics of the LC alignment (such as the LC texture, the pretilt angle, and the anchoring energy) and their thermal stability have been investigated for 5 polyimides synthesized for this work. The work showed that the rubbed polyimide alignment layer induces the strong LC anchoring and that the characteristics and stability of LC alignment are determined by the short-ranged interactions between LC and polyimide molecules at the alignment layer surface. The increased flexibility of the polyimide accelerates thermal imidization, increases the pretilt angle, and improves the alignment stability. It also turned out that fluorination of the polyimide tends to deteriorate the alignment uniformity and stability. No distinct differences in the alignment characteristics were shown for the aromatic- and alicyclic-dianhydride polyimides.

• 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.