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Industrial
Partnership Program |
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Liquid Crystal Institute
The Liquid Crystal Institute (LCI) advances basic research by providing state-of-the-art facilities and research programs focused on liquid crystal science and display development. The LCI benefits industry through cooperative research efforts and by preparing graduate and undergraduate students with the knowledge and experience necessary for successful careers in the expanding field of liquid crystal displays.
The LCI plays an important role in applied liquid crystal research. Past cooperative industrial projects include the following achievements:
| • TN
and STN modeling and optimization • Cholesteric bistable reflective displays • Page-size zero power displays • Optical compensators • Optimization for wide viewing angle LCDs • 3-D model of director orientation in micro-displays • Diffractive devices • PDLC windows |
• Electronic
shutters • Patterned alignment layers • Rub-free alignment layers • Plastic substrate LCDs • IR devices for telecommunications • SmC* devices • Polymer stabilized bistable display devices • Custom liquid crystalline materials |
Membership Benefits
Companies can participate in LCI's research and technology development through the Industrial Partnership Program. The program provides the following services to assist companies working on liquid crystal applications:
Industrial Participation
More than 45 companies have joined the LCI Industrial Partnership Program since its inception in 1991. Member companies participate in symposia, short courses, and workshops.
Industrial partners provide direction for future research and activities and contribute their expertise to the LCD Research Facility Advisory Board.
Membership
Companies can join the LCI Industrial Partnership Program for a $10,000 annual fee. The fee includes $4,000 in credits which may be used to purchase services. The following services are available to members at reduced rates:
Research and Problem Solving
Device Prototypes and Characterization
Materials Characterization
Liquid Crystal Display Resource Facility
Clean room
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The 2,500 sq. ft. clean room space, contains a prototyping line, the Lucent Technologies LCD Pilot Line and the W.M. Keck Clean Room used for thin film deposition. The facility has the capability to produce page size passive LCDs with full scale production equipment. |
Characterization Facility
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The Characterization Facility consists of 2,000 sq. ft. of laboratories for characterizing liquid crystalline materials, surface anchoring properties and electro-optical properties of liquid crystal devices. Analysis capabilities include NMR, AFM, and SEM (shown in photo). |
Synthesis Facility
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The Synthesis Facility consists of 2,000 sq. ft. of chemistry laboratories and has full capabilities for synthesis of liquid crystals, polymers, phase compensation films, dichroic dyes and alignment materials. |
LCD Resource Facility Equipment
To view photos of the equipment, click on links.
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Philip J. Bos, IPP Director Ph.D., Physics Kent State University (1978) Tel: (330) 672-2511 pbos@kent.edu |
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Douglas R. Bryant, Display Engineer Research Facility Manager M.S., Electrical Engineering Univ. of Southern California (1992) Tel: (330) 672-1583 dbryant@lci.kent.edu |
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Group |
Organic Synthesis and Purification Group |