Self-Aligning Liquid Crystal Composition With Low Polymer Residue
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing liquid crystal display technologies face challenges in achieving fast polymerization speeds, controllable polymerization processes, and uniform alignment of liquid crystal molecules without the need for polyimide alignment layers, leading to display defects and reduced production efficiency, especially in large-size LCD panels.
Innovation Solution
A self-aligning agent with a specific molecular structure is introduced into the liquid crystal composition, allowing for faster polymerization, reduced residue concentration, and improved alignment effects, thereby eliminating the need for polyimide alignment layers and enhancing display quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If polymerizable compounds are added to liquid crystal composition to enable self-alignment, then alignment effect is improved, but polymer residue concentration increases causing display defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the molecular structure of polymerizable compounds by introducing specific groups (cyano, fluoro, alkoxy) and adjusting carbon chain lengths to optimize polymerization behavior. This changes the chemical parameters to achieve complete polymerization with minimal residue, resolving the contradiction between alignment effect and residue concentration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite liquid crystal composition containing multiple components: liquid crystal compounds, polymerizable compounds with specific structures, and additives. This composite approach enables synergistic effects where the combination achieves better alignment and complete polymerization with less residue than individual components alone.
2Reliability
If UV exposure time is increased to improve polymerization completeness, then polymerization completeness is improved, but production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces photopolymerization initiators and modifies UV absorption characteristics of the composition, changing the photopolymerization parameters to enable complete reaction in shorter time. This resolves the contradiction by achieving complete polymerization with reduced UV exposure time, thus maintaining both reliability and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses photopolymerization initiators as intermediaries to facilitate the polymerization reaction. These initiators absorb UV light and catalyze polymerization, enabling complete polymerization to occur faster and more efficiently, thus improving both completeness and production efficiency.
3Manufacturing precision
If polyimide alignment layers are used to achieve uniform alignment, then alignment uniformity is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the polyimide alignment layer from the device structure by implementing self-alignment functionality directly in the liquid crystal composition through polymerizable compounds. This removes the separate alignment layer component and its associated manufacturing steps, reducing device complexity while maintaining alignment uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid crystal composition performs self-alignment through polymerizable compounds that form polymer networks within the liquid crystal matrix. The system serves itself by achieving uniform alignment internally without requiring external polyimide alignment layers, thereby simplifying the overall device structure and manufacturing process.
4Speed
If rotational viscosity is reduced to improve response time, then response speed is improved, but clearing point and optical anisotropy decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite liquid crystal composition with multiple compounds having different molecular structures and properties. By combining compounds with low viscosity (for fast response) with compounds having high clearing points and optical anisotropy, the composite achieves balanced performance, resolving the contradiction between response speed and thermal/optical properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces polymer networks at specific locations within the liquid crystal composition to provide localized structural support. This allows the bulk liquid crystal to maintain low viscosity for fast response while the polymer networks provide structural integrity that maintains clearing point and optical anisotropy, achieving local optimization of different properties.
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 self-aligning agent ensures better alignment and stability of liquid crystal molecules, reducing polymer residue and surface roughness, and improving display quality, particularly in large-size LCD panels.
Implementation Method 1
the polymerizable compounds contained in the liquid crystal composition are polymerized or crosslinked in situ, usually by UV photopolymerization, which is achieved by exposing the liquid crystal composition to UV radiation
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a self-aligning agent and a liquid crystal composition thereof. The liquid crystal composition comprising the self aligning agent of general formula O in the present invention has a lower residue concentration, a smaller roughness, a better alignment effect as well as a better low-temperature storage stability and a better pre-tilt angle stability while maintaining an appropriate clearing point, an appropriate optical anisotropy, an appropriate absolute value of dielectric anisotropy, a larger K value (K11 and K33) and a smaller rotational viscosity.