A Study on Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) in Optoelectronics

A STUDY ON LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY (LCD) IN OPTO-ELECTRONICS

UG/07/1657

Afa Iduabo John

Department of Physics

Niger Delta University

PMB 71, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State

Abstract:

Liquid crystals are understood not to emit light directly. The idea of liquid crystal display (LCD) is that they use the light modulating properties of liquid crystals. These LCDs are used in a wide range of applications including computer monitors, gaming devices, video players, watches, clock display, calculators and many more.

The aim of our study is to show how with the use of the concept of LCs, LCDs have replaced older display methods such as Cathode Ray tube displays in display in modern devices like computer monitor display. We talk about the history, quality control, classifications and uses of LCDs. The advantages of these LCDs have proved to be far more over the CRTs. It is concluded that LCDs are currently the best for monitor and screen applications.

Keywords: liquid crystals, electronic visual display, polarizing filter film (Polarization filter), pixels, bistable LCD.

Literature Review

Liquid crystals (LCs) are a state of matter that have properties between those of a conventional liquid and those of a solid crystal (Chandrasekhar, 1994) For instance, an LC may flow like a liquid, but its molecules may be oriented in a crystal-like way. There are many different types of LC phases, which can be distinguished by their different optical properties. When viewed under a microscope using a polarized light source, different liquid crystal phases will appear to have distinct textures. The contrasting areas in the textures correspond to domains where the LC molecules are oriented in different directions. Liquid crystals can be divided into thermotropic, lyotropic and metallotropic phases.

Liquid crystals find wide use in liquid crystal displays, which rely on the optical properties of certain liquid crystalline substances in the presence or absence of an electric field. In a typical device, a liquid crystal layer (typically 10 μm thick) sits between two polarizers that are crossed (oriented at 90° to one another). The liquid crystal alignment is chosen so that its relaxed phase is a twisted one (Castellano, 2005). This twisted phase reorients light that has passed through the first polarizer, allowing its transmission through the second polarizer (and reflected back to the observer if a reflector is provided). The device thus appears transparent. When an electric field is applied to the LC layer, the long molecular axes tend to align parallel to the electric field thus gradually untwisting in the center of the liquid crystal layer. In this state, the LC molecules do not reorient light, so the light polarized at the first polarizer is absorbed at the second polarizer, and the device loses transparency with increasing voltage. In this way, the electric field can be used to make a pixel switch between transparent or opaque on command. Color LCD systems use the same technique, with color filters used to generate red, green, and blue pixels (Castellano, 2005). Similar principles can be used to make other liquid crystal based optical devices (Alkeskjold et al., 2007).

1.0 Introduction

The idea of application of liquid crystals brings us to our study of liquid crystal display (LCD). Each pixel of an LCD typically consists of a layer of molecules aligned between two transparent electrodes, and two polarizing filters, the axes of transmission of which are (in most of the cases) perpendicular to each other. With no actual liquid crystal between the polarizing filters, light passing through the first filter would be blocked by the second (crossed) polarizer. In most of the cases the liquid crystal has double refraction (Collings and Hird, 1997).

The surfaces of the electrodes that are in contact with the liquid crystal material are treated so as to align the liquid crystal molecules in a particular direction. This treatment typically consists of a thin polymer layer that is unidirectionally rubbed using, for example, a cloth. The direction of the liquid crystal alignment is then defined by the direction of rubbing. Electrodes are made of a transparent conductor called Indium Tin Oxide (ITO). Fig 1 shows the structure of a Liquid Crystal Display (retrieved from Wikipedia.org)

illustration not visible in this excerpt

Layers: 1 – vertical polarization filter, 2,4 – glass with electrodes (ITO), 3 – liquid crystals, 5 – horizontal polarization filter, 6 – reflector

Fig 1: Structure of liquid crystal display

Before applying an electric field, the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules is determined by the alignment at the surfaces of electrodes. In a twisted nematic device (still the most common liquid crystal device), the surface alignment directions at the two electrodes are perpendicular to each other, and so the molecules arrange themselves in a helical structure, or twist. This reduces the rotation of the polarization of the incident light, and the device appears grey. If the applied voltage is large enough, the liquid crystal molecules in the center of the layer are almost completely untwisted and the polarization of the incident light is not rotated as it passes through the liquid crystal layer. This light will then be mainly polarized perpendicular to the second filter, and thus be blocked and the pixel will appear black. By controlling the voltage applied across the liquid crystal layer in each pixel, light can be allowed to pass through in varying amounts thus constituting different levels of gray. This electric field also controls (reduces) the double refraction properties of the liquid crystal (Collings and Hird, 1997)

The optical effect of a twisted nematic device in the voltage-on state is far less dependent on variations in the device thickness than that in the voltage-off state. Because of this, these devices are usually operated between crossed polarizers such that they appear bright with no voltage (the eye is much more sensitive to variations in the dark state than the bright state). These devices can also be operated between parallel polarizers, in which case the bright and dark states are reversed. The voltage-off dark state in this configuration appears blotchy, however, because of small variations of thickness across the device.

Both the liquid crystal material and the alignment layer material contain ionic compounds. If an electric field of one particular polarity is applied for a long period of time, this ionic material is attracted to the surfaces and degrades the device performance. This is avoided either by applying an alternating current or by reversing the polarity of the electric field as the device is addressed (the response of the liquid crystal layer is identical, regardless of the polarity of the applied field).

1.1 Construction

As shown in fig 2 (a), a liquid crystal “cell” consists of a thin layer (about 10μm) of a liquid crystal sandwiched between two glass sheets with transparent electrodes deposited on their inside faces. With both glass sheets transparent, the cell is known as transmittive type cell. When one glass is transparent and the other has a reflective coating, the cell is called reflective coating, the cell is called reflective type. The LCD does not produce any illumination of its own. It, in fact, depends entirely on illumination falling on it from an external source for its visual effect.

illustration not visible in this excerpt

Fig. 2(a-c): Picture of Liquid crystal cell, a digit on an LCD, and an LCD used in portable instrument respectively.

1.2 Working

The two types of display available are known as (i) field-effect display and (ii) dynamic scattering display. When field-effect display is energized, the energized areas of the LCD absorb the incident light and, hence give localized black display. When dynamic scattering display is energized, the molecules of energized area of display become turbulent and scatter light in all directions. Consequently, the activated areas take on a frosted glass appearance resulting in a silver display. Of course, the unenergized areas remain translucent.

As shown in fig 2 (b), a digit on an LCD has a segment appearance. For example, if number 5 is required, the terminals 8, 2, 3, 6 and 5 would be energized so that only these regions would be activated while the other areas would remain clear. Fig 2 (c) shows the picture of an LCD used in portable instrument.

2.0 Brief History:

- 1888: Friedrich Reinitzer (1858–1927) discovers the liquid crystalline nature of cholesterol extracted from carrots (that is, two melting points and generation of colours) and published his findings at a meeting of the Vienna Chemical Society on May 3, 1888 (F. Reinitzer: Beiträge zur Kenntniss des Cholesterins, Monatshefte für Chemie (Wien) 9, 421-441 (1888)).
- 1904: Otto Lehmann publishes his work "Flüssige Kristalle" (Liquid Crystals).
- 1911: Charles Mauguin first experiments of liquids crystals confined between plates in thin layers.
- 1922: Georges Friedel describes the structure and properties of liquid crystals and classified them in 3 types (nematics, smectics and cholesterics).
- 1927: Vsevolod Frederiks devises the electrically switched light valve, called the Fréedericksz transition, the essential effect of all LCD technology.
- 1936: The Marconi Wireless Telegraph company patents the first practical application of the technology, "The Liquid Crystal Light Valve".
- 1962: The first major English language publication on the subject "Molecular Structure and Properties of Liquid Crystals", by Dr. George W. Gray.
- 1962: Richard Williams of RCA found that liquid crystals had some interesting electro-optic characteristics and he realized an electro-optical effect by generating stripe-patterns in a thin layer of liquid crystal material by the application of a voltage. This effect is based on an electro-hydrodynamic instability forming what is now called “Williams domains” inside the liquid crystal.
- 1964: George H. Heilmeier, then working in the RCA laboratories on the effect discovered by Williams achieved the switching of colours by field-induced realignment of dichroic dyes in a homeotropically oriented liquid crystal. Practical problems with this new electro-optical effect made Heilmeier continue to work on scattering effects in liquid crystals and finally the achievement of the first operational liquid crystal display based on what he called the dynamic scattering mode (DSM). Application of a voltage to a DSM display switches the initially clear transparent liquid crystal layer into a milky turbid state. DSM displays could be operated in transmissive and in reflective mode but they required a considerable current to flow for their operation.(Castellano, 2006) George H. Heilmeier was inducted in the National Inventors Hall of Fame and credited with the invention of LCD.
- 1960s: Pioneering work on liquid crystals was undertaken in the late 1960s by the UK's Royal Radar Establishment at Malvern, England. The team at RRE supported ongoing work by George Gray and his team at the University of Hull who ultimately discovered the cyanobiphenyl liquid crystals (which had correct stability and temperature properties for application in LCDs).
- 1970: On December 4, 1970, the twisted nematic field effect in liquid crystals was filed for patent by Hoffmann-LaRoche in Switzerland, (Swiss patent No. 532 261) with Wolfgang Helfrich and Martin Schadt (then working for the Central Research Laboratories) listed as inventors. Hoffmann-La Roche then licensed the invention to the Swiss manufacturer Brown, Boveri & Cie who produced displays for wrist watches during the 1970s and also to Japanese electronics industry which soon produced the first digital quartz wrist watches with TN-LCDs and numerous other products. James Fergason while working with Sardari Arora and Alfred Saupe at Kent State University Liquid Crystal Institute filed an identical patent in the USA on April 22, 1971. In 1971 the company of Fergason ILIXCO (now LXD Incorporated) produced the first LCDs based on the TN-effect, which soon superseded the poor-quality DSM types due to improvements of lower operating voltages and lower power consumption.

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