Photosensitive polyimides for optical alignment of liquid crystals

• US 20010046570A1
• Filed: 12/19/2000
• Published: 11/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elsicon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Elsicon Incorporated
• Inventors: Gibbons, Wayne M., Shannon, Paul J., Rose, Patricia A., Zheng, Hanxing
• Granted Patent: US 7,005,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/1.27
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 73/10 Polyimides; Polyester-imides; Polyamide-imides; Polyamide acids or similar polyimide precursors
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 73/1085 Polyimides with diamino moieties or tetracarboxylic segments containing heterocyclic moieties
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/02 Alignment layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/025 Polyamide
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/027 Polyimide
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/0271 Polyimidfluoride
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133723 Polyimide, polyamide-imide
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133788 by light irradiation, e.g. linearly polarised light photo-polymerisation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31721 Of polyimide
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31725 Of polyamide

Abstract

The present invention provides novel polyamic acids and polyimide optical alignment layers for inducing alignment of a liquid crystal medium. The novel compositions comprise reactive diamines containing a C₃-C₂₀ linear or branched hydrocarbon chains containing 1 to 4 carbon-carbon double bonds. The invention further describes liquid crystal displays comprising the novel polyimide optical alignment layers.

Claims

1. Reactive side-chain polymers within the class of polyimides, polyamic acids and esters thereof, characterized in that they comprise identical or different repeat units selected from one or more of the formula

2. Polymers of

claim 1

wherein M is selected from the group

3. Polymers of

claim 2

wherein A is selected from the group

4. Polymers of

claim 3

wherein X is selected from the group of —

O—

, and —

NR— and

R₁ is selected from the group of allyl, geranyl, citronellyl, famesyl and 3-methyl-2-butenyl.

5. Polymers of

claim 2

wherein M is

6. Polymers of

claim 2

wherein M is selected from the group

7. A polymer of

claim 4

comprising the repeat unit

8. Optical alignment layers made with the polymers of

claim 1

.

9. Liquid crystal displays made with optical alignment layers of

claim 8

.