Liquid Crystal Displays


What is a liquid crystal?

Liquid crystals exhibit some properties both of a liquid and a solid. They flow like liquids and share much of a liquid's dependence upon temperature, stress, electric fields, and chemical environment, yet their molecular structure is crystalline (like a solid's).

When exposed to an electrical field liquid crystals align themselves in such a way as to permit the passage of polarized light through the liquid crystal material.  When the electrical field is off, the material is opaque to polarized light. Thus, the liquid crystal can act as a light shutter.

What is a Liquid Crystal Display?
Liquid crystal displays can be subdivided into the following types:

Reflective LCDs do not require backlights and are not transmissive.

LCDs may be actively or passively addressed.  STN LCDs are generally passively addressed, whereas most TFT LCDs are actively addressed.

TFT-LCD Manufacturers

Japanese Manufacturers

Korean Manufacturers

Taiwanese Manufacturers

 


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