Flexible grayscale ferroelectric liquid crystal device containing polymer walls and networks

We proposed a new flexible ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) device containing polymer walls and networks between plastic film substrates. The solution of FLC and monomer sandwiched between the substrates was irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) light through a photomask to form the polymer walls. Polymer walls without optical anisotropy were formed from an isotropic-phase solution to prevent light leakage through the polymer walls under crossed polarizers. Subsequently, uniform UV light was irradiated without a photomask on the solution containing the remaining monomer, and then polymer networks were formed on all except the polymer wall areas. The fabricated FLC device enabled grayscale display operation in the areas with the polymer networks. Even when the device was bent or cut, the device maintained spatial uniformity of light modulation because the polymer structures formed by the above two-step UV irradiation method maintained a constant composite film thickness.