Clevertex - Grado Zero Espace Srl

A mixture of four components (a liquid crystal, two monomers - which can be photopolymerised at
different wavelengths of light - and a photoinitiator) is applied as a thin film to a substrate. This glass
substrate is patterned with an array of interdigitated electrode pairs (each pair provides an in-plane
electric field that will control an individual 'pixel' of liquid crystal) and a polyimide orientation layer. The
monomers are then polymerised in a two-step process.
First, the film is exposed through a mask to light of 400 nm wavelengths. This causes one of the
monomers to undergo controlled phase separation and polymerization to create a grid of rigid struts
oriented perpendicular to the plane of the film. These form the walls of individual square cells
containing liquid crystal. The mask is removed, and the entire surface of the film is then exposed to
340-nm ultra-violet light. The second polymerisable component now undergoes phase separation and
polymerization, this time forming a thin layer that caps the liquid-crystal-containing cells. During this
second photopolymerisation step, the two polymers crosslink with each other, mechanically coupling
the polymer topcoat with the substrate via the struts. Thus, individual closed cells of liquid crystal are
formed, and each can be switched on and off using the underlying electrodes. Finally, the structure is
coated with polarizer films and the result is a fully functioning LCD created on a single substrate.
Fig. 92 One layer LCD [164]
This method of LCD construction improves on the versatility - display thickness and total area - and
cost effectiveness of conventional two-substrate LCD production, and also provides a significant step
towards the realisation of 'display-on-anything' technology [164, 165, 166].
Through the increasing implementation of electronics in cars, the wiring and the electrical circuits are
also increasing, for example by safety devices and multimedia devices descend. Due to this
development, also the weight and the cost of a car are increasing. Thus, fibre optic systems represent
an attractive alternative to copper wires based technologies as they offer light weight, a higher
information rate compared to other conductive media of comparable size, are not affected by
electromagnetic interferences and lower costs.
Philips Research and the textile institute TITV Greiz have developed an interconnecting substrate
made entirely of fabric which they presented at the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) 2005 in
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