Electro-optical Properties of Twisted Nematic Liquid Crystal Cell with Silver Nanowire Network Electrodes

This paper introduces liquid crystal (LC) alignment and its electro-optical properties in the LC cells with silver nanowire (AgNW) networks. The AgNW network was used as an electrode of LC cell as a substitute for an indium-tin-oxide (ITO) film. LC alignment characteristics in the LC cell using AgNW networks, which have two different sheet resistances of 60 Ω/㎡ and 80 Ω/㎡, were observed. The LC alignment characteristics including pretilt angle, LC alignment state, and thermal stability are similar irrespective of sheet resistance of AgNW network. However, twisted-nematic (TN)-LC cell normally operated when using AgNW network with sheet resistance of 80 Ω/㎡. Electrooptical properties of TN-LC cell exhibited competitive performance compared to those of TN-LC cell based on conventional ITO electrode, which allow new approaches to replace conventional ITO electrode in display technology.