Short Course Liquid Crystals: Materials and Display Devices
Electronic newspaper tablet using bistable reflective cholesteric technology invented at the Liquid Crystal Institute

Liquid Crystals: Materials and Display Devices

Lectures
Fundamentals

• Introduction to liquid crystal phases
• Basic theory of liquid crystals
• Physical properties
• Relationship of chemical structure and physical properties

Liquid Crystal Device Physics

• Alignment layers and electric field effects
• Device configuration of TN, PDLC, ECB, STN, SmC*, and bistable devices
• Electro-optical properties
• Viewing angle limitations
• Modeling methods

Display Applications

• RMS addressed passive matrix displays
• PDLC devices
• Bistable matrix displays
• Ferroelectric displays
• Active matrix displays

Laboratories

Tour of LCI Laboratories

• Characterization facility
• PDLC development lab
• Polymer stabilized device development lab
• Prototyping facility
• Basic research labs

Principles of Device Fabrication

Hands-on construction of small liquid crystal cells demonstrating principles of:

• Polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC)
• Twisted nematic (TN)
• Supertwisted nematic (STN)
• Electrically controllable birefringent (ECB)

Device Analysis

• Principles of operation
• Device characterization

Previous Participants

Past participants include 259 people from a wide variety of domestic and international industries, universities, the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Patent Office. At the conclusion of the short course, participants evaluate all aspects of the course. Their comments and suggestions are incorporated in planning future courses.

Some comments from past participants include the following:

"Great balance between lecture and lab. Pure research and industry application."

"I thought the course was well-prepared, well-presented, and very informative."

"Great course. I will definitely recommend it."

"Keeping up on current research is important. PDLC's were all new to me. The course was very informative and well run. Accommodations and personnel were great."

Facility


Established in 1965, the Liquid Crystal Institute (LCI) is the oldest, largest, and most comprehensive liquid crystal research program in the country. It also maintains the largest university-based liquid crystal flat panel display research and development program in the world. Institute achievements include the discovery and characterization of new liquid crystalline phases and invention of new types of liquid crystal devices such as polymer dispersed and polymer stabilized liquid crystals.

The LCI and the graduate Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program are housed in the 65,000 sq. ft. Liquid Crystal and Materials Science building. The facility consists of 22,000 sq. ft. of research laboratories, 3 teaching labs, 2 classrooms, a 2,500 sq. ft. research cleanroom and a 145-seat auditorium.

Faculty
The course is taught by university faculty with active research and a minimum of ten years experience in the areas covered by their lectures. Faculty list will be provided. Check back in a few days.

Registration
The course fee of $1,250 covers registration, instruction, lecture and laboratory materials, morning & afternoon refreshments each day, 3 lunches, a banquet, tour of LCI facilities and transportation between the hotel and the LCI each day. Members of the Industrial Partnership Program receive a registration discount.

Withdrawal/Cancellation Policy
Cancellations received in writing prior to 48 hours before the workshop will receive a full refund. Cancellations received in writing within 48 hours of the workshop will receive a full refund minus a $20 processing fee. No refunds will be given after the workshop begins. If a program is canceled due to insufficient enrollment, all fees will be refunded. If you are unable to attend you may arrange to have a substitute attend in your place.

Location
Lectures and laboratories will be held at the Liquid Crystal Institute (LCI) at Kent State University. Transportation will be provided between the hotel and LCI each day. Parking permits are required and will be available at no cost for those wishing to drive to the LCI.

Kent is located approximately 15 miles east of Akron, Ohio, and can be easily reached from the Cleveland Hopkins or Akron-Canton airports. Maps and directions to Kent are available from the Liquid Crystal Institute Web site.

For information regarding this web site contact:

Jim Maxwell, Public Relations Coordinator
Liquid Crystal Institute
Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242 USA
Tel: (330) 672-7770
Fax: (330) 672-2796
maxwell@lci.kent.edu

This page updated October 8, 2007.