Adsorption processes during the filling of a display with a smectic A LC mixture

The separation of a smectic A liquid crystal (LC) mixture during the filling of a large area display was studied. This process is governed by the selective adsorption of the mixture's ionic dopant on the surface of the display substrates, leading to a non-uniform distribution of the dopant in the LC over the display area and resulting in defective regions. Conductivity measurements were performed to indicate the distribution of the dopant concentration in the LC over the display area. The consequences of mixture separation on the structure of the LC and on the display's electro-optical properties are discussed. Factors to reduce the extent of separation of the mixture are revealed using a general theory of chromatography. Increasing the cell gap, decreasing the area of the glass surface by reducting the gap between the ITO electrodes, and increasing the back pressure during filling, effectively reduce the significance of the separation process. The results obtained can be used when designing and filling displays based on the electrically reversible memory effect in a smectic A LC or displays based on dynamic light scattering in a nematic LC.