Hoffmann-la Roche Inc.

Rolic Ag

Niopic Moscow Research and Production Association

Dic Corporation

Rolic Ltd C/o Rolic Technologies Ltd

Other

3m Innovative Properties Company

Dainippon Ink and Chemicals, Incorporated

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Rolic Technologies Ag

Martin Schadt

Richard Buchecker

Alois Villiger

Hubert Seiberle

Arthur Boller

Martin Petrzilka

Jurg Funfschilling

Klaus Schmitt

Stephen Kelly

Haruyoshi Takatsu

Andreas Schuster

Alfred Germann

Vladimir G Chigrinov

Marina V Loseva

Nina I Chernova

Isa Nishiyama

Yutaka Nagashima

Sayaka Nose

Hans-Jurgen Fromm

Arnold Z Rabinovich

Rolf-Peter Herr

Victor V Titov

Leonid A Beresnev

Alexander V Ivashchenko

Yuriy A Reznikov

Victor Yurievich Reshetnyak

Evgeniv P Pozhidaev

Dmitry I Dergachev

Boris I Ostrovskiv

Frank Seils

Jürg Fünfschilling

Hoi Sing Kwok

Richard C Allen

Vladimir Grigorievich Chigrinov

Guy Marck

Masanao Hayashi

Hanspeter Scherrer

Thomas Bachels

Martin Stalder

Masayuki Iwakubo

J&uuml;rg F&uuml;nfschilling

Nicolic Vasilievich Novoseletsky

Vladimir Marcovich Kozenkov

Xin Hua Chen

Olga S Petrashevich

Evgeniy P Pozhidaev

Nikolai Malimonenko

Mikhail I Barnik

Yasuyuki Tanaka

Kiyofumi Takeuchi

Hoi-Sing Kwok

Peter Knoll

Olivier Muller

Teodor Lukac

Mohammed Ibn-Elhaj

Franco Moia

Carsten Benecke

Frans Leenhouts

Fan Fan

Kuno Schleich

Georg Trickes

Ewald-Theodor Ginter

Hagen Klausmann

Vladimir F Petrov

Alexander V Ivaschenko

Martin Ruetschi

Jurg Fufschilling

Sergey V Belyaev

Fvgeniy P Pozhidaev

J&uuml;rg Fuenfschilling

Yury P Panarin

Seraey V Belyaev

Assya I Pavluchenko

Natalia I Smirnova

Nicolic V Novoseletsky

Vladimir M Kozenkov

Jürg Funfschilling

Hoi Song Kwok

Devices and method of fabrication a liquid crystal electro-optic device which is based on light scattering and diffraction from a multiple domain field-effect liquid crystal configuration are provided. The multiple domains include random liquid crystal alignment directions fabricated by photo-alignment and have sizes ranging from sub-micrometer to several micrometers. The random alignment in the plane can be of two or more directions whereas the pretilt angle can vary between zero and 90&#xb0;. The randomness of the planar directions of the liquid crystal director can be generated by a designed photo mask in combination with uniaxial photo-alignment.

Electrooptic device based on multiple domain scattering effect

Provided is a liquid crystal alignment layer of which a constituent member is a compound represented by the general formula (I). 

Cinnamic acid derivative, polymer thereof, and liquid crystal alignment layer comprising cured product thereof

Provided is a liquid crystal alignment layer of which a constituent member is a polymer represented by the general formula (I). 

Copolymer, and liquid crystal alignment layer including cured product thereof

An element for protection against forgery and/or copying is arranged on a substrate and includes an optically anisotropic layer which has at least two regions with different optical axes, characterized in that the substrate is a reflective polarizer. The optically anisotropic layer can include cross-linked liquid crystal monomers. The anisotropic layer can be placed on an orientation layer. The orientation layer can be in contact with the polarizer and can include a photo-oriented polymer network. A device for protection against forgery and/or copying is characterized in that an element as set forth above and an analyzer are arranged on the same substrate.

Optical element

The present invention relates to materials used for aligning liquid crystals of liquid crystal display elements and to a polymer for use in liquid crystal vertical alignment layer used in producing a liquid crystal vertical alignment layer. The polymer for use in a liquid crystal vertical alignment layer includes (a) a moiety that is photochemically isomerizable but not photochemically crosslinked, (b) a moiety that is photochemically crosslinkable, and (c) a moiety that stabilizes a vertical alignment. The polymer can be used to produce a vertical alignment layer that has a liquid crystal alignment property enabling control of alignment at a low UV dose and that offers a large pretilt angle and superior optical stability.

Polymer for use in liquid crystal alignment layer

Linearly photopolymerized (LPP) orientation layers for liquid crystals, that is to say liquid crystal orientation layers, are oriented and crosslinked by means of linearly polarized light. The properties of an LPP orientation layer, such as the angle of tilt, surface wetting, voltage holding ratio and anchoring energy, can be adjusted and/or improved by mixing further substances into the starting material for the preparation of the orientation layer.

Liquid crystal orientation layer

Sub-micron-structured (nanostructured) polymer film or coatings are made by coating a substrate with a mixture of materials. One of the materials is removed using a selective solvent, leaving pores or other nanostructure. The substrate may be grooved, providing a competing nanostructure. The coating may act as an antireflective coating, optical retarder, optical diffuser, or orientation layer.

Topologically structured polymer coating

An optical component includes a birefringent liquid-crystal layer, which has at least two regions with different optical axes, wherein an optical delay of the liquid-crystal layer in each of the at least two regions depends on an angle of observation that differs from the angle of observation of other of the at least two regions.

A component has a substrate () made of a transparent material, for example glass. On this layer (), there is a linear polarizer () on which there is a layer () of a photo-oriented polymer network (PPN)(-LPP) which is oriented in locally varying fashion via its surface which covers the substrate. The layer () is adjoined by an anisotropic layer () of cross-linked liquid-crystal monomers. This layer () then has a molecular arrangement whose orientation is defined by the underlying orientation layer (). The layer () will have been photocross-linked by exposure to a suitable wavelength of light, with the result that the molecular orientation defined by the PPN layer () is fixed. The clement, denoted as a whole by 7, can then be used as an optical component which is protected against forgery, it being possible for the orientation pattern of the liquid-crystal layer or the optical information stored therein to be made visible by means of an external polarizer (), for example.

A component has a substrate () made of a transparent material, for example glass. On this layer (), there is a linear polarizer () on which there is a layer () of a photo-oriented polymer network (PPN)(-LPP) which is oriented in locally varying fashion via its surface which covers the substrate. The layer () is adjoined by an anisotropic layer () of cross-linked liquid-crystal monomers. This layer () then has a molecular arrangement whose orientation is defined by the underlying orientation layer (). The layer () will have been photocross-linked by exposure to a suitable wavelength of light, with the result that the molecular orientation defined by the PPN layer () is fixed. The element, denoted as a whole by 7, can then be used as an optical component which is protected against forgery, it being possible for the orientation pattern of the liquid-crystal layer or the optical information stored therein to be made visible by means of an external polarizer (), for example.

A polymerisable mixture that can be applied as a layer, an orientation layer of the mixture, and an optical component, such as a retarder or a liquid crystal display, having a layer of which the mixture is a precursor.

Optical component, orientation layer, and layerable polymerisable mixture

A component has a substrate () made of a transparent material, for example glass. On this layer (), there is a linear polarizer () on which there is a layer () of a photo-oriented polymer network (PPN)(=LPP) which is oriented in locally varying fashion via its surface which covers the substrate. The layer () is adjoined by an anisotropic layer () of cross-linked liquid-crystal monomers. This layer () then has a molecular arrangement whose orientation is defined by the underlying orientation layer (). The layer () will have been photocross-linked by exposure to a suitable wavelength of light, with the result that the molecular orientation defined by the PPN layer () is fixed. The element, denoted as a whole by 7, can then be used as an optical component which is protected against forgery, it being possible for the orientation pattern of the liquid-crystal layer or the optical information stored therein to be made visible by means of an external polarizer (), for example.

Element for protection against forgery or copying containing a structured retarder and a polarizer layer

A liquid crystal switchable color filter switches between three color bands and is preferably used for time-sequential devices, such as projection devices, direct view displays and video cameras. The color filter may employ circularly polarizing selective reflection bands of at least four cholesteric filters together with three liquid crystal switches and related retarder layers. In one embodiment, the handedness of the second cholesteric is equal to the handedness of the third cholesteric filter and opposite to the handedness of the first and fourth cholesteric filter and, for the blocking state of a color band, the optic axis of the corresponding liquid crystal switch is parallel or perpendicular to the polarization direction. This concept leads to improved, excellent color saturation and requires less stringent production tolerances than in the prior art. Moreover, it advantageously allows overlapping color transmission bands thus improving the light efficiency.

Switchable color filter

Growing community of inventors

Seltisberg, Switzerland

Martin Schadt