<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> Liquid crystal display (LCD) industry is among the most rapidly growing and innovating industries in the world. Here continuously much effort is devoted towards developing and implementing new types of LCDs for various applications. Some types of LCDs require relatively high voltages for their operation. For example, bistable displays, in which an altering field at different frequencies is used for switching from clear to scattering states and vice versa, require electric fields at around 10 V/μm for operation. When operated at such high voltages an electrical breakdown is very likely to occur in the liquid crystal (LC) cell. This has been one of the limiting factors for such displays to reach market. </p><p>In the present paper, we will report on the results of electrical breakdown investigations in high-voltage LC cells. An electrical breakdown in the cell is observed when current in the liquid crystal layer is above a specific threshold value. The threshold current is determined by conductivity of the liquid crystal as well as point defects, such as dust particles in LC layer, pinholes in coatings and electrode hillocks. In order to reduce the currents flowing through the liquid crystal layer several approaches, such as electrode patterning and adding of various buffer layers in the series with LC layer, have been tested. We demonstrate that the breakdown voltages can be significantly improved by means of adding insulating thin films.</p></abstract>

Liquid crystal display (LCD) industry is among the most rapidly growing and innovating industries in the world. Here continuously much effort is devoted towards developing and implementing new types of LCDs for various applications. Some types of LCDs require relatively high voltages for their operation. For example, bistable displays, in which an altering field at different frequencies is used for switching from clear to scattering states and vice versa, require electric fields at around 10 V/μm for operation. When operated at such high voltages an electrical breakdown is very likely to occur in the liquid crystal (LC) cell. This has been one of the limiting factors for such displays to reach market. In the present paper, we will report on the results of electrical breakdown investigations in high-voltage LC cells. An electrical breakdown in the cell is observed when current in the liquid crystal layer is above a specific threshold value. The threshold current is determined by conductivity of the liquid crystal as well as point defects, such as dust particles in LC layer, pinholes in coatings and electrode hillocks. In order to reduce the currents flowing through the liquid crystal layer several approaches, such as electrode patterning and adding of various buffer layers in the series with LC layer, have been tested. We demonstrate that the breakdown voltages can be significantly improved by means of adding insulating thin films.

Reduction of Electric Breakdown Voltage in LC Switching Shutters / Elektriskās Caursites Sprieguma Samazināšana Šķidro Kristālu Šūnās

LEO Research Centre 93 Dzirnavu Str., Riga, LV-1011, LATVIA

EuroLCDs Ltd. Ventspils High Technology Park 2, 9 Kaiju Str., Ventspils, LV-3602, LATVIA

Research Laboratory of Semiconductor Physics, Institute of Technical Physics, Riga Technical University 3 Paula Valdena Str., Riga, LV-1048, LATVIA

Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia 8 Kengaraga Str., Riga, LV-1063, LATVIA

Latvian Journal of Physics and Technical Sciences

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Liquid crystal display (LCD) industry is among the most rapidly growing and innovating industries in the world. Here continuously much effort is devoted...

Reduction of Electric Breakdown Voltage in LC Switching Shutters / Elektriskās Caursites Sprieguma Samazināšana Šķidro Kristālu Šūnās

Published Online: Nov 26, 2015

Page range: 47 - 57

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/lpts-2015-0028

Keywords
electric breakdown, bistable, liquid crystal displays, PEDOT: PSS

© by G. Mozolevskis

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Reduction of Electric Breakdown Voltage in LC Switching Shutters / Elektriskās Caursites Sprieguma Samazināšana Šķidro Kristālu Šūnās

Published Online: Nov 26, 2015

Page range: 47 - 57

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/lpts-2015-0028

Keywordselectric breakdown, bistable, liquid crystal displays, PEDOT: PSS

© by G. Mozolevskis

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
electric breakdown, bistable, liquid crystal displays, PEDOT: PSS