Module-3: Memory Devices & Display

Devices
Dr. Remya P. N.
Professor & Head
Department of Chemistry
Global Academy of Technology
 Module-3: Display devices

Display Systems: Liquid crystals (LC’s) - Introduction, classification,

properties and application of Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD’s), molecular
ordering in nematic, smectic and columnar type liquid crystals.

Photoactive and electroactive materials, Light emitting electrochemical cells.

Nanomaterials (QLED’s) and organic materials (OLED’s) used in
optoelectronic devices.
 What are Liquid Crystals

Liquid crystals (LC) are a phase of matter that has

properties between those of a conventional liquid, and
those of a solid crystal.
Liquid crystals, the molecules are ordered like in a crystal
but can still flow like a liquid. Liquid crystals are commonly
used in displays such as LCD screens.
 What are Liquid Crystals

• Liquid substances are more or less entirely disordered and crystalline

materials are ordered in all three dimensions, the Liquid Crystals lie in-
between in properties.
• Liquid crystals are ordered in one or two dimensions only. Liquid crystals
all exhibit some degree of fluidity.
• Crystalline materials demonstrate long range periodic order in three
dimensions.
 Classification of Liquid Crystals

LIQUID CRYSTALS

I. THERMOTROPIC LC II. LYOTROPIC LC

i. NEMATIC LC ii. CHOLESTRIC LC iii. SMECTIC LC

 Classification of Liquid Crystals

THERMOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALS: Liquid crystals are said

to be thermotropic if the liquid crystalline properties depend on
temperature

LYOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALS : Liquid crystals which are

prepared by mixing two or more substances, of which one is a
polar molecule, are known as lyotropic liquid crystals.
 Nematic liquid crystals
The nematic phase is the simplest form of liquid crystal and is the phase
in which the crystal molecules have no arranged positions (position order)
and are free to move in all the directions. However, while they have long
range orientational order (they are all "facing" in about the same
direction).
In nematic phase the molecules are arranged parallel to each other.
Nematics have more like fluid nature and they can be easily aligned by an
external magnetic or electric field. These have relatively low viscosity and
have less temperature sensitivity.

The liquid crystal of this type can be

characterised by its thread-like appearance
when viewed under a microscope. The use of
nematic liquid crystals in telescope lenses is
common because it allows for a clearer image
when researchers are faced with atmospheric
turbulence
 Smectic liquid crystals
Smectic type liquid crystals, the molecules have both positional order
and orientational order. The smectic phases, which are found at lower
temperatures than the nematic, form well-defined layers can slide over
one another like soap.

• The word ‘smectic’ originates from Latin word

“smecticus” , meaning cleaning or having soap like
properties

• The smectics are thus positionally ordered along one

direction.

• In the smectic A phase, the molecules oriented along

the layer normal and molecules in the layers are
perpendicular.

• In smectic C phase, the molecules in the layers are

parallel and they are titled away from the layer
normal. Smectic A Smectic C
 Cholestric liquid crystals
The cholestric phase can be defined as a special type of nematic Liquid
crystal in which the thin layers of parallel mesogens have their longitudinal
axes rotated in adjacent layers at certain angle. The molecules in
cholesteric liquid crystals are in a twisted and chiral arrangement.

• The cholestric liquid crystals are also known as

‘Chiral nematic’
• This phase exhibits a twisting of the molecules
perpendicular to the direction, with the molecular
axis parallel to the direction.
• In cholesteric phase, there is orientaion order &
no positional order, but shows helical structure.

The structure of the cholesteric depends on the pitch,

- one pitch = several hundred nanometers
Pitch is affected by temeprature, pressure , electric &
magnetic fields
 Lyotropic liquid crystals

• Liquid crystals which are prepared by mixing two or more substances, of

which one is a polar molecule, are known as lyotropic liquid crystals. Eg. Soap
in water.
• In the lyotropic phases, solvent molecules fill the space around the
compounds to provide fluidity to the system.
• In contrast to thermotropic liquid crystals, these have another degree of
freedom of concentration that enables them to induce a variety of different
phases
• A compound that has two immiscible hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts
within the same molecule is called an amphiphilic molecule.
• Many amphiphilic molecules show lyotropic liquid-crystalline phase
sequences depending on the volume balances between the hydrophilic part
and hydrophobic part.
• These structures are formed through the micro-phase segregation of two
incompatible components on a nanometer scale. Soap is an everyday
example of a lyotropic liquid crystal.
 Properties of Liquid crystals

Liquid crystal show anisotropy in refractive index, dielectric constant,

magnetic property, viscosity & conductivity
 Exhibits electro-optical phenomenon
 Resistance: to creep, chemical treatment, high impacts, cuts and abrasion
 High strength and modulus
 Excellent flex / fold characteristics
 Minimal moisture absorption
 Low coefficient of thermal expansion
 High dielectric strength
 Excellent property retention at high and low temperature
 Applications of Liquid Crystals
Liquid crystal technology had a major effect many areas of science and
engineering, as well as device technology. Liquid crystals consume very little
electrical power. Hence, they find use in many electronic devices.

1. Liquid Crystal Displays: Used in display devices (LCDs) such as

Laptops, watches, calculators, clocks, etc.

2. Liquid Crystal Thermometers: liquid crystals reflect light and the colour
reflected is dependent on temperature.

3. Optical Imaging: An application of liquid crystals that is only now being

explored is optical imaging and recording.

4. Liquid Crystals are also used in medical applications.

5. Used in thermography in the testing of radiations in those devices which

convert radiation energy into heat energy (tumor detection).
 Photoactive and Electroactive materials
• Photoactive materials can absorb light and convert it into an
electrical signal. These materials are used in photosensors and
photovoltaic cells, which are commonly found in solar panels. When
light falls on a photoactive materials, it releases electrons, which
generate an electric current. In display technology, the photoactive
materials are used in LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panels, where
they are used as a backlight or to control the pixels in display.

• Electroactive materials can change their physical properties such

as shape, size or refractive index, when exposed to electric field.
These materials are used in electroluminescent displays, which are
commonly found in watches, calculator, and other portable
electronic devices. When an electric field is applied to an
electroactive material, it emits light, which is used to create the
image on the display.
 Photoactive and Electroactive materials

• Advantages
• 1. Light weight and flexible
• 2. Easily synthesized by chemical method.
• 3. Production cost is less
• 4. Used in thin-film flexible devices
• 5. Properties can be fine-tuned by structure
modification
Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED)

OLED is a display technology consisting of panels that emit their

own light when an electric current is passed through them.
OLEDs are super-light, have a true contrast ratio, wide color
range, deep color saturation and wide viewing angle

Organic light emitting diode (OLED) has drawn tremendous

attention in optoelectronic industry over the last few years. Their
properties such as low cost, light weight, flexibility, and
transparency have raised enormous interest for their potential
applications in displays and lightings.
Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED)
Some of the key properties of Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)
include:

1. Thinness and flexibility: OLEDs are very thin and flexible, which makes
them suitable for use in curved or flexible displays.
2. High contrast: OLEDs have a high contrast ratio, which means that they
can produce deep blacks and bright whites, resulting in images with vivid
and rich colours.
3. Fast response time: OLEDs have a fast response time, which means
that they can switch on and off quickly, resulting in smooth and seamless
motion in video content.
4. Wide viewing angle: OLEDs have a wide viewing angle, which means
that the image quality is maintained even when viewed from different
angles.
5. Energy efficiency: OLEDs are energy efficient as they do not require a
back light like traditional LCD displays, resulting in lower power
consumption.
 Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED)
Construction and working of OLED

• An OLED is a solid-state
device consisting of a thin,
carbon-based semiconductor
layer that emits light when
electricity is applied by
adjacent electrodes.
• Basically the structure
consists of few layers like
anode, light-Emissive Layer ,
Electron Transport or
conductive Layer and
cathode.
1. Substrate layer-It supports OLED and is
made up of transparent plastic or glass film
2. Anode layer – It is a transparent layer that
removes electrons. Indium tin oxide is
commonly used as the anode material.
3. Organic layer – Layer formed of organic
polymers –wich forms the conductive and
emissive layers
4. Conductive layer – Transports holes from
anode. Made up of organic polymers namely
poly(p-phenylene vinylene) and
polyfluorene.
5. Emissive layer – Transports electrons from
the cathode layer.
6. Cathode layer – Injects electrons. It may be
transparent or not. Metals such as
Aluminium and calcium are often used in the
cathode
Working :
• As the electricity starts to flow, the cathode receives electrons from the power
source and the anode loses them.

• The colour of the emitted light depends on the emitter molecules.

• The electrons makes the emissive layer negatively charged while the conductive
layer becomes positively charged

• Positive holes are much more mobile than negative electrons so they jump
across the boundary from the conductive layer to the emissive layer.

• When a hole meets an electron, the two things cancel out and release a brief
burst of energy in the form of a particle of light—a photon. This process is called
recombination.

• Light comes out when electrons and holes are injected into the light emitting
layer where the two electrodes and recombined.

• This subsequent process produces continuous light for as long as the current
keeps flowing.
Applications of OLED

1. OLEDS are widely used in display systems such as TV,

Computer screens.
2. Smart phones and tablet displays.
3. Used to make super-thin pages for electronic books and
magazines.
 Quantum Dots Light Emitting Diodes
(QLEDs) - nanomaterials
Nanocrystals are described as having at least one dimension of less than
or equal to 100 nm and single-crystalline. Quantum dots, also known as
nanocrystals, are a nontraditional type of semiconductor and are so small ,
ranging from 2-10 nanometers (10 -50 atoms) in diameter with limitless
applications as an enabling material across many industries.

The emission wavelength or the color emitted of quantum dots depends

on the size,shape and materials of the semiconductor nanocrystals.
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been created and produced in various
colors from quantum dots. In display applications quantum dots coverts
incident blue light into red or green: the output colour depends on the size
of the quantum dots.

Quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) attracted much attention for the
next generation of display due to its advantages in high color saturation,
tunable color emission, and high stability. Compared with traditional LED
display, QLED display has advantages in flexible and robust application
 Quantum Dots Light Emitting Diodes
(QLEDs) - nanomaterials
1. Accurate and vibrant colours: QLEDs are capable of producing highly accurate and
vibrant colours due to their use of quantum dots, which emit light of a specific colour when
they are excited by a light source or an electrical current.

2. Energy-efficient: QLEDs are more energy-efficient than traditional LCD displays because
they do not require as much back lighting.

3. High contrast: QLED displays have high contrast ratios, which means that the difference
between the darkest and brightest areas of the display is greater, resulting in more detailed
and life like images.

4. Long life span: QLEDs have a longer life span than traditional LCD displays because
they do not suffer from the same issue soft back light burnout or colour fading over time.

5. Fast response times: QLED displays have fast response times, which mean that they
can display fast-moving images without motion blur or ghosting.

6. Flexibility: QLEDs can be made on flexible substrates, which allows for the creation of
flexible displays that can be bent or curved.
 Construction and working of QLEDs

A classical QD-LED is composed of

three layers: one inner layer of QDs
as an emissive layer, one outer layer
that transports electrons, and one
outer layer that transport holes. After
applying an electric field on the
outside layers, electrons and holes
shift in the layer of QD, where they
are captured by QD and recombine,
and emitting photons.

A great effect of increased recombination efficiency is obtained by

constructing an emissive layer in a single layer of QDs, so that the
electrons and holes may be moved directly from the surfaces of
electron-transport layer and hole-transport layer.
Applications of QLEDs

1. Quantum dot-LEDs are used in phototherapy

2. Quantum dot-LEDs are used display and lighting systems
3. Quantum dot-based light-emitting diodes for near-field scanning
optical microscopy
4. As lighting systems in digital cameras
 Light emitting electrochemical cells
A light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC or LEEC) is a solid-state device
that generates light from an electric current (electroluminescence).

LECs are usually composed of two metal electrodes connected by an organic

semiconductor containing mobile ions. Aside from the mobile ions, their
structure is very similar to that of an organic light-light emitting diode(OLED)

Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs), which contain ionic compounds in

the light-emitting layer, have attracted considerable interest for their solid-
state lighting and next generation display applications. Compared with
conventional organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), LECs contain simple
device architecture (generally only one light- emitting layer), and can use air-
stable metals (e.g. Al, Ag and Au) as the cathodes directly.
Advantages of Light emitting electrochemical cells
• Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) are the simplest and
least expensive thin-film lighting devices.
• Simple device structure, low operational voltage and high power
efficiency
• The device is less dependent on the difference in work function
of the electrodes. The electrodes can be made of the same
material and the device can be operated at low voltages.
• Carbon based materials such as graphene or a blend of carbon
nanotubes and polymers can be used as electrodes.
• The thickness of the active electroluminescent layer is not
critical for the device to operate.
• LECs can be printed with relatively inexpensive printing
processes
• In a planar device configuration, internal device operation can
be observed directly.