Cross-Sectional Observation of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal with a Scanning Electron Microscope

Abstract

We performed cross-sectional observation of our bistable polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) with scanning electron microscope (SEM). The observation revealed that the PDLCs contained polymer rich and liquid crystal rich region adjacent to the UV irradiated side (top) and the opposite side (bottom), respectivly. Furthermore, sub-micron sized cavities were observed in the polymer rich region of the PDLC. These specific structures might effect the bistable switching characteristics.