Kiyoshi Minoura

29.1: Polarizer-Free Reflective LCD Combined with Ultra Low-Power Driving Technology

We have developed a novel reflective LCD without polarizers, which is sure to provide excellent visibility (reflectance = 50%, CR = 10:1). Moreover, we have also achieved extremely low power consumption of 10 microwatts to introduce low frequency driving (less than 1Hz) without flicker and image sticking. These characteristics were realized to combine pixel memory circuit and new PNLC material.

80.3: Distinguished Paper: Ultra-Low-Reflective 60-in. LCD with Uniform Moth-Eye Surface for Digital Signage

We have developed an over 60-inch size Moth-eye anti-reflection surface, which has original shaped nanostructures. The minimum reflectance was 0.02% and the average was less than 0.04% with little wavelength dependence. Moreover an anti-glare function was added. The 60-inch LCD applied AG Moth-eye surface had an excellent visibility in bright environments.

80.2: 60‐inch Highly Transparent See‐through Active Matrix Display without Polarizers

For the first time, we have developed a 60-inch diagonal size see- through display using polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC) technology. The color display system by combination of the see- through display and a projector enables distinguishing eye-catch effect. It creates new application of displays, such as information display, digital signage and substitution of window.

P‐149: Super Reflective Color LCDs Being Able to Display Moving Images without Polarizers

Novel reflective color LCDs without polarizers have been developed with using PDLCs and retro-reflectors. By eliminating polarizers, brightness of our newly developed LCDs has been increased by 51% compared to conventional reflective LCDs, and there still is much room to be improved. Whats more, our LCDs can be displayed not only bright text images but also color moving images on, since their response time and driving voltage are significantly fast (63ms) and low (5.5 volts).

Fabrication of homogenously self-alignment fringe-field switching mode liquid crystal cell without using a conventional alignment layer

ABSTRACT We propose a novel method to fabricate a uniaxially homogeneous alignment of liquid crystal (LC) molecules without using a conventional alignment layer such as polyimide film. The method produces the polymer alignment layer (PAL) by polymerisation of the monomer including in the LC layer above the TNI of the LC material. The fringe-field switching (FFS) mode LC cell with the PAL (FFS-PAL-LC cell) produced from the monomer 4,4ʹ-di-mehacryloyl-oxy chalcone (4,4ʹ-DMOCh) exhibited enough level of alignment state and electro-optical property compared with the FFS-LC cell having the conventional polyimide-type alignment layer. We can expect that the FFS-PAL-LC cell is useful for next-generation displays such as flexible liquid crystal displays (LCDs) because the method does not need high-temperature process of over 200°C. Graphical Abstract

40.5: Invited Paper: Super Reflective Color LCD with PDLC Technology

A novel reflective color LCD without polarizer has been developed with using PDLC and retro-reflector. Bright color images including moving images are available with utilizing ambient light. Our novel LCD will create a new application area such as electronic paper.

Antibacterial effects of the artificial surface of nanoimprinted moth-eye film

The antibacterial effect of a nanostructured film, known as “moth-eye film,” was investigated. The moth-eye film has artificially formed nano-pillars, consisting of hydrophilic resin with urethane acrylate and polyethylene glycol (PEG) derivatives, all over its surface that replicates a moth’s eye. Experiments were performed to compare the moth-eye film with a flat-surfaced film produced from the same materials. The JIS Z2801 film-covering method revealed that the two films produced a decrease in Staphylococcus aureus and Esherichia coli titers of over 5 and 3 logs, respectively. There was no marked difference in the antibacterial effects of the two surfaces. However, the antibacterial effects were reduced by immersion of the films in water. These results indicated that a soluble component(s) of the resin possessed the antibacterial activity, and this component was identified as PEG derivatives by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). When a small volume of bacterial suspension was dropped on the films as an airborne droplet model, both films showed antibacterial effects, but that of the moth-eye film was more potent. It was considered that the moth-eye structure allowed the bacteria-loaded droplet to spread and allow greater contact between the bacteria and the film surface, resulting in strong adherence of the bacteria to the film and synergistically enhanced bactericidal activity with chemical components. The antibacterial effect of the moth-eye film has been thus confirmed under a bacterial droplet model, and it appears attractive due to its antibacterial ability, which is considered to result not only from its chemical make-up but also from physical adherence.

Super‐reflective color LCD with PDLC technology

— A novel reflective color LCD without polarizers has been developed using a PDLC film and a retro-reflector. Bright color images including moving images are achievable with ambient light. This novel LCD will enable the new application area of electronic paper.

Antibacterial effects of nano-imprinted moth-eye film in practical settings

Background Recent studies report that surfaces displaying micrometer- or nanometer-sized undulating structures exhibit antibacterial effects. In previous work, we described the use of an advanced nanofabrication technique to generate an artificial biomimetic Moth-eye film by coating a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film with nanoscale moth-eye protrusions made from a hydrophilic resin. This moth-eye film exhibited enhanced antibacterial effects in in vitro experiments. The aim of the present study was to verify the antibacterial efficacy of the Moth-eye film in practical environments. Materials and methods The antibacterial effects of three types of film (Moth-eye film, Flat film, and PET film) were compared. Sample films were pasted onto hand washing basins at the testing locations. After several hours, bacteria were collected from the surface of the sample films with one of three kinds of culture media stamper (to permit identification of bacterial species). The stampers were incubated for 48 hours at 35°C, and the numbers of colonies were counted. Results and discussion The number of common bacteria including E. coli and S. aureus obtained from the Moth-eye film was significantly lower than those from the PET film (p<0.05) and Flat film at 1 hour (p<0.05). This study found that the Moth-eye film showed a long-term (6h) antibacterial effect and the Moth-eye structure (PET coated with nanoscale cone-shaped pillars) demonstrated a physical antibacterial effect from earlier time points. Therefore, the Moth-eye film appears to have potential general-purpose applications in practical environments.

P‐135: A High Reflectivity Fluorescent Guest‐Host Polymer Network LC Color Display

We have developed a novel bright reflective color display, which combines the polymer network liquid crystal (PNLC) containing dichroic fluorescent dyes and the ultra-low-power driving technology. The high reflectance, 60% at the maximum, was achieved by enhancement of the external light emission from the dyes due to the light-scattering effect of PNLC.