Compositions and assembly process for liquid crystal display

1. A process for top-sealing a display cell of a liquid crystal display which process comprises predispersing a photoalignable top-sealing composition into a liquid crystal composition, filling the predispersion into the display cell, and simultaneously or sequentially hardening the photoalignable top-sealing composition after phase separation to form a photoalignable top-sealing layer and aligning the photoalignable top-sealing layer.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said photoalignable top-sealing composition comprises a photalignable polymer, oligomer or a precursor thereof having a photoalignable functional group on the main chain or a side chain.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein said photoalignable functional group is selected from the group consisting of cinnamate, coumarin, chalcony, benzolidenenaphthalidine, benzaylideneacetophenone, disphenylacetylene, stilbazole, stilbene, diphenylacetylene, diazo and spiropyran.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said photoalignment top-sealing composition comprises a photoalignable polymer, oligomer or a precursor thereof represented by one of the following formulas:

wherein x is an integer of 1–5;

m and n are integers and their sum is ≧20;

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are independently alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl or heteroatom derivatives thereof, substituted or unsubstituted alkylsilyl derivatives; and

R′ is a linking group such as alkylene, cycloalkylene or phenylene;

wherein n is integer ≧1; and the polyol moiety is formed from polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, poly tetramethylene glycol, polyester diol, polyalkylene diol or a fluorinated polyether diol;

wherein n is an integer ≧1; and the polyol moiety is formed from polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, poly tetramethylene glycol, polyester diol, polyalkylene diol or a fluorinated polyether diol;

wherein x is an integer from 0 to 5;

m and n are integers and their sum is≧30; and

R is alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, dialkylamino, diarylamino or cyano having 1–12 carbon atoms;

5. The process of claim 1 wherein hardening of the photoalignable top-sealing layer is accomplished by heat, moisture, solvent evaporation or exposure to radiation.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein said radiation is a polarized (UV) light.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the polarized light exposure is carried out under an electric field.

8. A process for top-sealing a display cell of a liquid crystal display which process comprises filling a liquid crystal composition into the display cell, overcoating a photoalignable top-sealing composition onto the liquid crystal layer and simultaneously or sequentially hardening the photoalignable top-sealing composition to form a photoalignable top-sealing layer and aligning the photoalignable top-sealing layer.

9. The process of claim 8 wherein said photoalignable top-sealing composition comprises a photoalignable polymer, oligomer or a precursor thereof having a photoalignable functional group on the main chain or a side chain.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein said photoalignable functional group is selected from the group consisting of cinnamate, coumarin, chalcony, benzolidenenaphthalidine, benzaylideneacetophenone, diphenylacetylene, stilbazole, stilbene, diphenylacetylene, diazo and spiropyran.

11. The process of claim 8 wherein said photoalignable top-sealing composition comprises a photoalignment polymer, oligomer or a precursor thereof represented by one of the following formulas:

wherein x is an integer of 1–5;

m and n are integers and their sum is ≧20;

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and R 5 are independently alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl or heteroatom derivatives thereof having 1–12 carbon atoms, substituted or unsubstituted alkylsilyl derivatives; and

R′ is a linking group such as alkylene, cycloalkylene or phenylene;

wherein n is integer ≧1; and the polyol moiety is formed from polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, poly tetramethylene glycol, polyester diol, polyalkylene diol or a fluorinated polyether diol;

wherein n is an integer ≧1; and the polyol moiety is formed from polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, poly tetramethylene glycol, polyester diol, polyalkylene diol or a fluorinated polyether diol;

wherein x is an integer from 0 to 5;

m and n are integers and their sum is ≧30; and

R is alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, dialkylamino, diarylamino or cyano having 1–12 carbon atoms;

12. The process of claim 8 wherein hardening of the photoalignable top-sealing layer may be accomplished by heat, moisture, solvent evaporation or exposure to radiation.

13. The process of claim 12 wherein said radiation is a polarized (UV) light.

14. The process of claim 1 or 8 wherein said photoalignable top-sealing composition is immiscible with the liquid crystal composition.

15. The process of claim 1 or 8 wherein said photoalignable top-sealing composition has a specific gravity no greater than that of the liquid crystal composition.

16. The process of claim 1 or 8 wherein said photoalignable top-sealing composition comprising a solvent that is immiscible with the liquid crystal composition.

17. The process of claim 1 or 8 wherein said photoalignable top-sealing composition further comprises a non-photoalignable polymer or an additive.

18. The process of claim 1 wherein the predispersion is prepared by an in-line blender.

19. An assembly process for the manufacture of a liquid crystal display, which process comprises the following steps, not necessarily in the order listed:

(a) optionally adding a first alignment layer over a substrate or electrode layer;

(b) aligning the alignment layer, if present;

(c) building edge walls to define the display periphery on the alignment layer or substrate;

(d) building spacers on the alignment layer or the substrate to form display cells;

(e) filling the display cells with a predispersion of a liquid crystal composition and a photoalignable top-sealing composition;

(f) hardening the photoalignable top-sealing composition to form a photoalignable top-sealing layer;

(g) aligning the photoalignable top-sealing layer by a polarized light; and

(h) disposing a second substrate or electrode layer over the top-sealed display cells, optionally with an adhesive.

20. The process of claim 19 wherein said spacers and edge walls are built on the bottom substrate by printing, coating or photolithography.

21. The process of claim 19 wherein said spacers and edge walls are built on the bottom substrate by photolithography.

22. The process of claim 19 wherein steps (f) and (g) may be carried out simultaneously or sequentially.

23. The process of claim 19 wherein the alignment step (b) for the first alignment layer of (a) if present may be carried out by a polarized light after the step (c) or step (d).

24. An assembly process for the manufacture of a liquid crystal display, which process comprises the following steps, not necessarily in the order listed:

(a) optionally adding a first alignment layer over a substrate or electrode layer;

(b) aligning the alignment layer, if present;

(c) building edge walls to define the display periphery;

(d) building spacers on the alignment layer to form display cells;

(e) filling the display cells with a liquid crystal composition;

(f) overcoating the filled display cells with a photoalignable top-sealing composition;

(g) hardening the photoalignable top-sealing composition to form a photoalignable top-sealing layer;

(h) aligning the photoalignable top-sealing layer by a polarized light; and

(i) disposing a second substrate or electrode layer over the top-sealed display cells, optionally with an adhesive.

25. The process of claim 24 wherein said spacers and edge walls are built on the bottom substrate by printing, coating or photolithography.

26. The process of claim 24 wherein said spacers and edge walls are built on the bottom substrate by photolithography.

27. The process of claim 24 wherein steps (g) and (h) may be carried out simultaneously or sequentially.

28. The process of claim 24 wherein the alignment step (b) for the first alignment layer of (a) if present may carried out by a polarized light after the step (c) or step (d).

29. The process of claim 19 or 24 wherein said second substrate or electrode layer is disposed on the top-sealed display cell by lamination, coating, printing, vapor deposition, sputtering or a combination thereof.

30. The process of claim 19 or 24 wherein said adhesive of the step (h) or (i) respectively is photoalignable or self-alignable.

31. The process of claim 19 or 24 which is carried out on a web or conveyor continuously or semi-continuously.