Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-30T23:11:29.114Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Cavity Morphology of Polymer Dispersed System Utilizing Atomic Force Microscopy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

Adam K. Fontecchio ,
Gregory P. Crawford  and
David Content
Adam K. Fontecchio
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Division of Engineering, Brown University Providence, RI 02912, USA
Gregory P. Crawford
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Division of Engineering, Brown University Providence, RI 02912, USA
David Content
Affiliation:
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Get access

Abstract

Holographically-formed Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal have been imaged using atomic force microscopy (AFM) tapping techniques to study the droplet cavity morphology. Reflection-mode Bragg gratings were created using a 532 nm beam expanded laser to holographically form a grating structure within the liquid crystal / polymer film. The films were removed from their glass substrates prior to imaging by an atomic force microscope, and the digital files were analyzed. The surface structure is not smooth, as anticipated, but contains cavities with a dimpled morphology. We report our investigations and analysis including AFM images, image analysis, and liquid crystal / polymer alignment considerations.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 709: Symposium CC – Advances in Liquid Crystalline Materials and Technologies , 2001 , CC6.5.1
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

[1] Gat, N.,”Imaging spectroscopy using tunable filters: a review,” Proc. SPIE Vol. 4056, p. 50–64, 2000.Google Scholar
[2] Sutherland, R. L., Natarajian, L. V., and Tondiglia, V. P.,”Switchable holograms in new photopolymer-liquid crystal composite materials” Proc. SPIE Vol. 2404, p. 132–143, 1995.Google Scholar
[3] Date, M., Naito, N., K, Tanaka, Kato, K., and Sakai, S.,”Three-Primary-Color Holographic Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal (HPDLC) Devices for Reflective Displays,” Proceedings of the 15th International Display Research Conference, 603, 1995.Google Scholar
[4] Fontecchio, A. K., Escuti, M. J., et. al.,”Spatially Pixelated Reflective Arrays from Holographic-Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals,” SID Digest of Technical Papers XXXI, 31, 2000.Google Scholar
[5] Bharadwaj, R. K., Bunning, T. J., and Farmer, B. L., ’A Mesoscale Modeling Study of Nematic Liquid Crystals Confined to Ellipsoidal Domains,” Liquid Crystals, 27 (5), pp. 591–603, 2000.Google Scholar
[6] Bunning, T., ‘Holographic Two-Photon Polymerization Increases Speed of Switchable Gratings’ MRS Bulletin, Dec. 2000 Google Scholar
[7] Cairns, D. P., Bowley, C. C., Danworaphong, S., Fontecchio, A. K., Crawford, G. P., Li, L., and Faris, S., “Optical Strain Characteristics of Holographically Formed Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal Films,” Applied Physics Letters, 77, (17), pp. 2677–2679, 2000.Google Scholar
[8] Crawford, G. P., Whitehead, J. B., and Zumer, S., “Optical Properties of Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals,” The Optics of Thermotropic Liquid Crystals, Elston, S., and Sambles, R. (eds), Taylor and Francis, p. 233, 1998.Google Scholar
[9] Bowley, C. C., and Crawford, G. P., “Diffusion Kinetics of Formation of Holographic Polymer-Dispersed Liquid Crystal Display Materials,” Applied Physics Letters, 76, (16), pp. 2235–2237, 2000.Google Scholar
[10] Fontecchio, A. K., Bowley, C. C., et. al., “Improvement in Holographically-formed Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal Performance through Acrylated Monomer functionality Studies,” Proc. SPIE Vol. 3800, p. 36–44, 1999.Google Scholar
[11] Bowley, C. C., Fontecchio, A. K., et. al., “Advances in Holographic Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystal Technology,” MRS Proceedings - Liquid Crystal Materials and Devices, 559, pp.97–108, 1999.Google Scholar
[12] Gonzalez, R. and Woods, R., Digital Image Processing, 2nd ed.(Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 2001) p.559.Google Scholar