Liquid crystal field effect displays

A number of products have been introduced which make use of the response of nematic liquid crystal which has a positive dielectric anisotropy. Because of the large range of materials which are now available, device design can now be varied to include applications which were not previously available. New devices designed must take into consideration speed of response, electrical breakdown and voltage threshold and as all of these parameters are interrelated some engineering compromises become necessary. This paper will develop the scientific basis for the engineering compromises needed in the design of a number of liquid crystal displays. A review of available displays and their threshold voltages will be presented. The breakdown voltage limitations as a function of the thickness of the displays as well as the speed of response will be discussed.