Weak boundary storage liquid crystal displays

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Abstract
Based on the Oseen and Frank elastic continuum theory of nematic liquid crystals and on a generalized torque balance equation at the liquid crystal-to-substrate interface, static deformations of a semi-infinite liquid crystal (LC) medium, a homogeneous LC cell, and a twisted nematic cell have been investigated using the anisotropic LC-to-substrate anchoring energy C as a parameter. Storage effects are predicted for sufficiently small anchoring anisotropy. Numerical ranges of C, within which the weak boundary storage effect may occur, have been calculated for sixteen commercially-available nematic LC mixtures in the homogeneous and twisted nematic cell configuration. An equation for the storage time as a function of C has also been derived. The treatment has also been extended to include the most general form of a LC-to-substrate interfacial potential. Such a weak boundary storage effect could provide a means for realizing low power, non-refreshed, matrix-addressed flat panel displays