Rapid electrohydrodynamic lithography using low-viscosity polymers.

This study explores a number of low-viscosity glass-forming polymers for their suitability as high-speed materials in electrohydrodynamic (EHD) lithography. The use of low-viscosity polymer films significantly reduces the patterning time (to below 10 s) compared to earlier approaches, without compromising the high fidelity of the replicated structures. The rapid pace of this process requires a method to monitor the completion of EHD pattern formation. To this end, the leakage current across the device is monitored and the sigmoidal shape of the current curve is correlated with the various stages of EHD pattern formation.

Bimesogenic liquid crystals: New materials for high performance flexoelectric and blue phase displays

In this paper we will describe new bimesogenic nematic liquid crystals that have high flexoelectro-optic coefficients (e/K),of the order of 1.5 CN 1 m-1, high switching angles, up to 100° and fast response times, of the order of 100μs or less. We will describe devices constructed, using the ULH texture that may be switched to the optimum angle of 45° for a birefringence based device with the fields of 4Vμm-1 over a wide temperature range. Such devices use an "in plane" optical switching mode, have gray scale capability and a wide viewing angle. We will describe devices using the USH or Grandjean texture that have an optically isotropic "field off" black state, uses "in plane" switching E fields, to give an induced birefringence phase device, with switching times of the order of 20μs. We will briefly describe new highly reflective Blue Phase devices stable over a 50V temperature range in which an electric field is used to switch the reflection from red to green, for example. Full RGB reflections may be obtained with switching times of a few milliseconds. Finally we will briefly mention potential applications including high efficiency RGB liquid crystal laser sources. © 2006 SID.