Electro-optical light modulating element, electro-optical display and modulating medium

US7440160B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Merck Patent GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Michael Heckmeier · Bensheim, DE
• Markus Czanta · Darmstadt, DE
• Achim Goetz · Zwingenberg, DE
• Peer Kirsch · Darmstadt, DE
• Louise Diane Farrand · Dorchester, GB
• Andreas Taugerbeck · Darmstadt, DE
• Elvira Montenegro · Weinheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 12, 2003
• Grant date: Oct 21, 2008
• Expiry date: Nov 12, 2023

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02F1/13793
• WIPO field: Basic materials chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention relates to electrooptical light modulating elements, to electrooptical displays containing elements of this type, and to display systems, e.g. television screens and computer monitors, and to the modulating media used therein. The inventive light modulating elements contain a mesogenic modulating medium that exists in an optically isotropic phase when the light modulating elements are in operation and, in addition to having a good contrast, a low dependency on the viewing angle and very short switching times, they are particularly characterized by having relatively low driving voltages with a very low dependency on temperature. The inventive modulating media are characterized in that they contain a chiral constituent. They preferably also contain an achiral constituent. Especially preferred, the control media comprise a blue phase.