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Liquid Crystals

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Springer Handbook of Electronic and Photonic Materials

Part of the book series: Springer Handbooks ((SHB))

Abstract

This chapter outlines the basic physics, chemical nature and properties of liquid crystals. These materials are important in the electronics industry as the electro-optic component of flat-panel liquid-crystal displays, which increasingly dominate the information display market.

Liquid crystals are intermediate states of matter which flow like liquids, but have anisotropic properties like solid crystals. The formation of a liquid-crystal phase and its properties are determined by the shape of the constituent molecules and the interactions between them. While many types of liquid-crystal phase have been identified, this Chapter focuses on those liquid crystals which are important for modern displays.

The electro-optical response of a liquid crystal display depends on the alignment of a liquid-crystal film, its material properties and the cell configuration. Fundamentals of the physics of liquid crystals are explained and a number of different displays are described.

In the context of materials, the relationship between the physical properties of liquid crystals and their chemical composition is of vital importance. Materials for displays are mixtures of many liquid-crystal compounds carefully tailored to optimise the operational behaviour of the display. Our current understanding of how chemical structure determines the physical properties is outlined, and data for typical liquid-crystal compounds are tabulated. Some key references are given, but reference is also made to more extensive reviews where additional data are available.

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Abbreviations

PC:

photoconductive

TFT:

thin-film transistors

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, Southampton, UK

    David Dunmur Prof.

  2. School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, Southampton, UK

    Geoffrey Luckhurst Prof.

Authors
  1. David Dunmur Prof.
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  2. Geoffrey Luckhurst Prof.
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Correspondence to David Dunmur Prof. or Geoffrey Luckhurst Prof. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, S7N 5A9, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

    Safa Kasap Prof.

  2. Materials Team Leader, SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems Infrared Ltd., Millbrook Industrial Estate, PO Box 217, SO15 0EG, Southampton, Hampshire, UK

    Peter Capper Dr.

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© 2006 Springer-Verlag

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Dunmur, D., Luckhurst, G. (2006). Liquid Crystals. In: Kasap, S., Capper, P. (eds) Springer Handbook of Electronic and Photonic Materials. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-29185-7_38

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