Matrix display through thermal treatment
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to a display comprising a substrate, a patterned conductor, and a liquid crystal material having cleared areas and electrically writeable areas. The invention also relates to a method for making a display comprising providing a substrate having a patterned conductor thereon, applying a non-cleared liquid crystal material to the substrate, clearing the non-cleared liquid crystal material to produce a cleared liquid crystal material, applying a field to the patterned conductor to produce an image comprised of areas of cleared liquid crystal material and electrically writeable areas of crystal material.
1. A display comprising a substrate, a patterned conductor, and a liquid crystal material having cleared areas and electrically writeable areas, wherein said liquid crystal in said display is in a dried state comprising a substantial monolayer of liquid crystal domains, and wherein said liquid crystal material is in a near-planar state prior to clearing.
2. The display of claim 1 wherein said substrate is a flexible substrate.
3. The display of claim 1 wherein said substrate is a polymeric substrate.
4. The display of claim 1 wherein said patterned conductor is indium tin oxide (ITO).
5. The display of claim 1 wherein said patterned conductor is an array of linear conductive areas.
6. The display of claim 1 wherein said patterned conductor forms a matrix array.
7. The display of claim 1 wherein said patterned conductor forms segments.
8. The display of claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal material is a chiral nematic liquid crystal material.
9. The display of claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal material is dispersed in a continuous polymeric binder matrix.
10. The display of claim 9 wherein said continuous polymeric binder matrix comprises gelatin.
11. The display of claim 10 wherein said continuous polymeric binder matrix further comprises hardener.
12. The display of claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal layer comprises a substantial monolayer of domains over 75 percent of said liquid crystal layer.
13. The display of claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal layer comprises liquid crystal domains and wherein said domains are flattened spheres having an average thickness substantially less than their length.
14. The display of claim 13 wherein said average thickness is 50% less than said length.
15. The display of claim 13 wherein said domains have a thickness to length ratio of from 1:2 to 1:6.
16. The display of claim 13 wherein said domains have a ratio of maximum to minimum domain size of less than 2:1.
17. The display of claim 1 wherein said cleared areas are in the isotropic state.
18. The display of claim 1 wherein said cleared areas closely match the spectral distribution of said electrically writeable areas, when said electrically writeable areas are written in the focal conic state.
19. The display of claim 1 further comprising a second conductor.
20. The display of claim 19 wherein said second conductor is patterned.
21. The display of claim 1 further comprising functional layers.