Liquid crystal (LC) materials have been widely applied in electro-optical devices, among which display is the most successful playground and numerous new applications in photonic areas (such as laser beam steering devices) are also emerging. To well guide the device design for optimum performance, accurate modeling is of prior and practical importance. Generally, the modeling of LC devices includes two parts in sequence: accurate LC molecule deformation extraction under external electric fields and optical calculation thereafter for the corresponding electro-optical behaviors. In this dissertation, first, hybrid finite element method and finite difference method are developed to minimize the free energy of the LC systems. In this part of study, with computer-aided derivation, the full forms of the LC free energy equations without any simplification can be obtained. Besides, Galerkin's method and weak form technique are further introduced to successfully degrade the high order nonlinear derivative terms associated with the free energy equations into ones that can be treated by first order interpolation functions for high accuracy. The developed modeling methods for LC deformation are further employed to study display structures, such as 2D and 3D in-plane switching LC cells, and provides accurate results. Followed is the optical modeling using extended Jones matrix and beam propagation method to calculate the electro-optical performances of different devices, according to their amplitude modulation property or diffractive one. The developed methods are further taken to assist the understanding, development, and optimization of the display and photonic devices. For their application in the display area, sunlight readable transflective LCDs for mobile devices and the related optical films for wide viewing angle are developed and studied. New cell structure using vertically aligned liquid crystal mode is developed and studied to obtain a single cell gap, high light efficiency transflective LCD that can be driven by one gray scale control circuit for both transmissive and reflective modes. And employing an internal wire grid polarizer into a fringe field switching cell produces a single cell gap and wide viewing angle display with workable reflective mode under merely two linear polarizers. To solve the limited viewing angle of conventional circular polarizers, Poincare sphere as an effective tool is taken to trace and understand the polarization change of the incident light throughout the whole LC system. This study further guides the design of high performance circular polarizers that can consist of purely uniaxial plates or a combination of uniaxial and biaxial plates. The developed circular polarizers greatly enhance the viewing angle of transflective LCDs. Especially, the circular polarizer design using a biaxial film can even provide comparable wide viewing angle performance for the same vertically aligned cell as it is used between merely two linear polarizers, while using circular polarizers can greatly boost the display brightness. As for the beam steering device modeling, the developed LC deformation method is taken to accurately calculate the associated LC director distribution in the spatial light modulator, while beam propagation method and Fourier transformation technique are combined to calculate the near and far fields from such devices. The modeling helps to better understand the origins and formations of the disclinations associated with the fringe fields, which further result in reduced steering efficiency and output asymmetric polarizations between positive and negative diffractions. Optimization in both voltage profile and driving methods is conducted to well tune the LC deformation under strong fringe fields and improve the light efficiency.

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Abstract With the critical development trend of industry of the world, TFT-LCD industry, following the footstep of semi-conductive industry, has become an important leading industry of Taiwan to the economic policy of the Government. The ¡§Two Trillion Double Star¡¨plan pro- -moted by Industrial Development Bureau fo Taiwan intends to push up the production values of the two industries, semi-conductive and flat panel photonic displayer, to exceed NT$ 1 trillion respectively in 2006. This plan also promotes digital contents and biotechnical industry to be two star industries with high potentials of development. Therefore, TFT- LCD industry is undoubtedly the core industry of the next wave of econo- mic growth in Taiwan. According to the distinguishing characteristics of capital and technology density, short-lived productive cycle, and variable productive technique in TFT-LCD industry, cash flow out of investment activities became the key point to promote the competitiveness with the continuously overcharge in the next generation panel field.In addition, the investors would find that the TFT-LCD panel factories have no ability to support the cash flow out which invested in equipment if they do not ask for finance. In this paper, we attempt to investigate the relationship between variation of cash flow in operation, investment, and finance activities and potential risk of operation in enterprise by financial statement in TFT-LCD industry. In addition, this dissertation commence with ROE and development from Du-Pont Formula. Our research decomposes ROE to fundamental elements in enterprise step by step, such as the construction of cost and expense and the risk of business. Furthermore, we afford a referable approach to estimate performance of companies by Du-Pont Formula. Key Words¡G Thin Film Transistor (TFT), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD),Cash Flow, Risk, Risk Management, Du Pont Equation, Du Pont Ratio.

LCD panel industry is one of the most promising industries in the world. Taiwanese LCD panel makers have performed quite well in the past few years. On the controversy, the BLU has been viewed as a low entry barrier industry with many suppliers and its profit margin seems to have been squeezed due mainly to its position between big giant LCD panel makers and limited key materials suppliers. However, BLU is one of Taiwan's few competitive industries in the global market because of its high self-sufficient rate and leading technologies over their Korean and Japanese competitors. Sometimes, Taiwan¡¦s BLU industry is even performing better than other component industries within the LCD industry supply chain. It's worth examining the competitive advantages for Taiwan BLU industry by analyzing "Company R", one of the leaders in Taiwan BLU industry. We start our research by highlighting the key characteristics of the LCD industry and the dynamics of the BLU supply chain. After analyzing the marketing, technology, and management requirements for the BLU industry, we have concluded the key success factors of the BLU industry. Then with a brief introduction of ¡§Company R¡¨, we have identified the company's competitive advantages and potential long-term strategies by analyzing the company¡¦s unique positioning and resources, and comparing those with the above-mentioned key success factors of the BLU industry. According to our study, demand for BLU should continue to grow with increasing demand for LCD TVs, in longer term. The major issue for LCD panel industry will be "demand and supply" relationship, while for BLU industry is the "volume" and its "competitive advantages" for each company. The technology development for BLU will continue. BLU is not just a so-called ¡§assembling business¡¨, and its industry entry barrier is much higher than before. Besides, the cluster effect and vertical integration are inevitable for LCD panel makers. To be successful in BLU industry, a company not only needs to focus on these key success factors, but also needs to keep developing and improving its core competencies relative to its competitors.

In this dissertation, novel phase compensation technologies are applied to the designs of wide viewing angle and high transmittance liquid crystal displays. First, a design of wide viewing angle liquid crystal displays utilizing crossed linear polarizers is proposed. The designed multi-domain vertical-alignment liquid crystal display predicts superb contrast ratio over wide viewing angles. Next, to increase the bright state transmittance while maintain the high contrast. Finally, to reduce the cost and improve the applicability of the broadband and wide-view circular polarizer, the device configuration of the broadband and wide-view circular polarizer is significantly simplified by the application of biaxial compensation films. The produced states of polarization remain close to the ideal circular polarization over a wide range of incident angles within the visual spectrum. With this circular polarizer, the presented wide-view liquid crystal display predicts high contrast ratio as well as high and uniform transmittance over wide viewing angles within the visual spectrum. ratio, wide viewing angle circular polarizers are developed. The produced states of polarization are very close to the ideal circular state of polarization over a wide range of incident angles within the visual spectrum. This guarantees not only high contrast ratio but also high and uniform transmittance.

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Master´s thesis covers introduction to the problems of materials with specific proprieties named liquid crystals. Theoretic part features primary fission these materials, theirs mechanical, electrotechnical and optical characteristics. Interesting chapter is description choice application including perhaps most interesting using liquid crystals - liquid crystal display. In this trend continues experimental part too, where there are first mentioned characteristics LCD, and after it alone metering capacitive characteristics display with active matrix. Main attention in experiment is however concentraded on evaluation frequency analysis of components complex permittivity regarding in plant temperature on submitted sample liquid crystals.

Blue phase liquid crystals (BPLCs) have a delicate lattice structure existing between chiral nematic and isotropic phases, with a stable temperature range of about 2 K. But due to short coherent length, these self-assembled nano-structured BPLCs have a fast response time. In the past three decades, the application of BPLC has been rather limited because of its narrow temperature range. In 2002, Kikuchi et al. developed a polymer stabilization method to extend the blue-phase temperature range to more than 60 K. This opens a new gateway for display and photonic applications. In this dissertation, I investigate the material properties of polymer-stabilized BPLCs. According the Gerber’s model, the Kerr constant of a BPLC is linearly proportional to the dielectric anisotropy of the LC host. Therefore, in the frequency domain, the relaxation of the Kerr constant follows the same trend as the dielectric relaxation of the host LC. I have carried out experiments to validate the theoretical predictions, and proposed a model called extended Cole-Cole model to describe the relaxation of the Kerr constant. On the other hand, because of the linear relationship, the Kerr constant should have the same sign as the dielectric anisotropy of the LC host; that is, a positive or negative Kerr constant results from positive (∆ε > 0) or negative host LCs (∆ε < 0), respectively. BPLCs with a positive Kerr constant have been studied extensively, but there has been no study on negative ∆ε polymer-stabilized BPLCs. Therefore, I have prepared a BPLC mixture using a negative ∆ε LC host and investigated its electro-optic properties. I have demonstrated that indeed the induced birefringence and Kerr constant are of negative sign. Due to the fast response time of BPLCs, color sequential display is made possible without color breakup. By removing the spatial color filters, the optical efficiency and resolution density are both tripled. With other advantages such as alignment free and wide viewing angle, polymer-stabilized BPLC is emerging as a promising candidate for next-generation displays. However, the optical efficiency of the BPLC cell is relatively low and the operating voltage is quite high using conventional in-plane-switching electrodes. I have proposed several device structures for improving the optical efficiency of transmissive BPLC cells. Significant improvement in transmittance is achieved by using enhanced protrusion electrodes, and a 100% transmittance is achievable using complementary enhanced protrusion electrode structure. For a conventional transmissive blue phase LCD, although it has superb performances indoor, when exposed to strong sunlight the displayed images could be washed out, leading to a degraded contrast ratio and readability. To overcome the sunlight readability problem, a common approach is to adaptively boost the backlight intensity, but the tradeoff is in the increased power consumption. Here, I have proposed a transflective blue phase LCD where the backlight is turned on in dark surroundings while ambient light is used to illuminate the displayed images in bright surroundings. Therefore, a good contrast ratio is preserved even for a strong ambient. I have proposed two transflective blue phase LCD structures, both of which have single cell gap, single gamma driving, reasonably wide view angle, low power consumption, and high optical efficiency. Among all the 3D technologies, integral imaging is an attractive approach due to its high efficiency and real image depth. However, the optimum observation distance should be adjusted as the displayed image depth changes. This requires a fast focal length change of an adaptive lens array. BPLC adaptive lenses are a good candidate because of their intrinsic fast response time. I have proposed several BPLC lens structures which are polarization independent and exhibit a parabolic phase profile in addition to fast response time. To meet the low power consumption requirement set by Energy Star, high optical efficiency is among the top lists of next-generation LCDs. In this dissertation, I have demonstrated some new device structures for improving the optical efficiency of a polymerstabilized BPLC transmissive display and proposed sunlight readable transflective blue-phase LCDs by utilizing ambient light to reduce the power consumption. Moreover, we have proposed several blue-phase LC adaptive lenses for high efficiency 3D displays.

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