Liquid Crystal Cell Polymer Barrier Prevents Substrate Blending
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Solution Overview
Problem
Liquid crystal cells using plastic substrates face issues with liquid crystal molecules blending into the substrate during deformation, leading to turbidity and degraded display performance, and the gas barrier layer's inorganic layer cracks under stretching or shrinkage.
Innovation Solution
A liquid crystal cell configuration with a polymer layer between the plastic substrate and the liquid crystal layer, containing monofunctional and polyfunctional monomers with hydrophilic groups, which are polymerized to prevent blending and enhance flexibility, along with a conductive layer to improve adhesion and prevent cracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gas barrier layer with inorganic layer is used to prevent liquid crystal molecules from blending into the plastic substrate, then the barrier effect is improved, but cracks occur when the substrate is stretched or shrunk
Solution Approach 1:
The gas barrier layer is divided into multiple inorganic layers with different orientations. The first inorganic layer has a first orientation and the second inorganic layer has a second orientation different from the first, creating a segmented structure that provides both barrier effect and flexibility to prevent cracking during substrate deformation
Solution Approach 2:
The gas barrier layer is formed as a composite structure with multiple inorganic layers having different orientations. This composite material approach combines the barrier properties of inorganic materials with the flexibility needed to accommodate substrate stretching and shrinking without cracking
2Adaptability or versatility
If the plastic substrate is greatly deformed through stretching or shrinkage to achieve three-dimensional formability, then the flexibility is improved, but liquid crystal molecules blend into the substrate causing white turbidity
Solution Approach 1:
The gas barrier layer with multiple oriented inorganic layers is formed preliminarily on the plastic substrate before the substrate undergoes great deformation. This preliminary barrier structure prevents liquid crystal molecules from blending into the substrate during subsequent stretching or shrinking processes, maintaining display performance while achieving three-dimensional formability
Solution Approach 2:
The gas barrier layer acts as an intermediary between the plastic substrate and the liquid crystal layer. During substrate deformation, this intermediate layer prevents direct contact and blending between the substrate and liquid crystal molecules, thereby preventing white turbidity while allowing the substrate to achieve three-dimensional shapes
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively prevents liquid crystal molecules from blending into the plastic substrate during deformation, maintaining display performance and preventing cracking, while allowing for three-dimensional formability and improved adhesion.
Implementation Method 1
a polymer layer that is disposed between at least one plastic substrate and the liquid crystal layer
Implementation Method 2
into which a composition containing at least one monofunctional monomer that has a hydrophilic group and is selected from the group consisting of monofunctional acrylate and monofunctional methacrylate, and at least one polyfunctional monomer that has two or more functional groups and is selected from the group consisting of polyfunctional acrylate and polyfunctional methacrylate, is polymerized
Implementation Method 3
at least one monofunctional monomer that has a hydrophilic group and is selected from the group consisting of monofunctional acrylate and monofunctional methacrylate
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to a liquid crystal cell in which liquid crystal molecules are not blended into a plastic substrate even if the plastic substrate is deformed through stretching or shrinkage. A liquid crystal cell of the present invention includes at least two plastic substrates of which at least one is a heat-shrinkable film satisfying a heat shrinkage rate of 5% to 75%; a liquid crystal layer; and a polymer layer between at least one plastic substrate and the liquid crystal layer and into which a composition containing at least one monofunctional monomer having a hydrophilic group and is monofunctional acrylate or monofunctional methacrylate, and at least one polyfunctional monomer having two or more functional groups and is polyfunctional acrylate or polyfunctional methacrylate, is polymerized, in which a wavelength of maximum absorbance of each of the monofunctional monomer and the polyfunctional monomer is 190 to 250 nm.