Surface alignment method for liquid crystal cells and production of polarizers therefor
AssigneeHoffmann-La Roche Inc.
InventorThomas B. Harsch
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Abstract
Method for producing homogeneous surface alignment of liquid crystal materials by applying to the surfaces of transparent plates bounding a liquid crystal film a polymer which is subjected to a shear thinning technique to cause elongation and alignment of long chain polymers. In certain embodiments of the invention, the surfaces are coated with a polymer treated with a dichroic dye such that a polarizing film is formed adjacent the liquid crystal film. This eliminates the need for separate polarizers on opposite sides of a liquid crystal display.
Claims10
A method for aligning a long chain vinyl polymeric surface for subsequent homogeneous orientation of liquid crystal molecules, which comprises dissolving the long chain polymer in a solvent, applying the solution of the polymer and solvent to a substrate, subjecting the thus-applied polymer to shear forces to effect shear thinning and alignment of the long chain polymer molecules, and evaporating said solvent from the long chain polymer, leaving the long chain molecules aligned.
In the method for forming a liquid crystal cell from transparent parallel plates having transparent conductive material on the facing surfaces thereof, the steps of dissolving a long chain vinyl polymer in a solvent, applying the solution of the long chain polymer and solvent to the surfaces of said transparent plates onto which the conductive material has been previously deposited, subjecting the thus-applied polymer on the respective plates to shear forces to effect alignment of the long chain polymer molecules, causing said solvent to evaporate, and depositing a layer of liquid crystal material between said plates and in contact with the thus-applied polymer coating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.