Abstract: A method of producing a liquid crystal alignment layer comprising exposing an organic film to polarized pulse laser beam to align molecules in a surface portion of the organic film. There is provided a liquid crystal alignment layer composed of a polyamide film having aligned molecules in a surface portion.

Abstract: Novel phenylcyclohexanes of the formula I in which n is 0 to 7, Q1 and Q2 are H, or one of these radicals is alternatively CH3, r is 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, A is trans-1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,4-phenylene, 3-fluoro-1,4-phenylene or a single bond, X is F, Cl, —CF3, —CN, —OCF3 or —OCHF2, and Y and Z are each, independently of one another, H or F, with the proviso that, in the case where A is a single bond, Q1═Q2═H and simultaneously X═CN, Y and/or Z are F.

Abstract: A reverse lithographic process is provided for more densely packing semiconductors onto a semiconductor wafer. A semiconductor wafer having deposited a number of layers of semiconductor materials has a photoresist deposited which is patterned with the spaces as lines, and then developed and trimmed. A polymer is deposited over the space photoresist structures and, when hardened, is subject to planarizing to expose the photoresist. The photoresist is removed leaving a reverse image polymer which is then used as a mask to anisotropically etch the spaces to form the closely spaced devices.

Abstract: A polymer liquid crystal emulsion includes a liquid crystal and a water soluble copolymer obtained by polymerizing a hydrophilic monomer with one or more hydrophobic monomers. The concentration of the hydrophobic monomer may be 14 to 25% by weight based on the combined weight of the hydrophobic monomer and the hydrophilic monomer. The hydrophobic monomer may be styrene, methyl methacrylate, vinyl acetate, acrylate or methacrylate. The hydrophilic monomer may be acrylamide, acrylonitrile or acryloylchloride. Preferably, the hydrophilic monomer is acrylamide or a derivative thereof and the hydrophobic monomer is styrene, methyl methacrylate or vinyl acetate. The liquid crystal may be a nematic liquid crystal formed of an azomethine compound or an azo compound. The water soluble copolymer, the liquid crystal and water may form a liquid crystal/aqueous polymer solution. In this case, the concentration of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal/aqueous polymer solution is in the range of 50 to 70% by weight.

Abstract: The present invention provides water based compositions and methods of using the compositions for sealing subterranean zones. The compositions are basically comprised of water, an aqueous rubber latex, an organophillic clay and sodium carbonate.

Abstract: P-type zeolite having the oxide formula M2/nAl2O3 (1.8-2.66) SiO2 y H2O and having a Calcium Binding Capacity of between 100 and 145 mg/g, preferably between 110 and 140 and a Calcium uptake rate of between 12 and 100 seconds, preferably below 50 seconds can be prepared from metakaolin.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of methanebisphosphonic acid derivatives of formula I for the treatment of fractures. These compounds have surprisingly been found to promote a more rapid and stronger fracture healing in mammals including man.

Abstract: Ferroelectric liquid crystal devices having two spaced cell walls each bearing electrode structures and treated on at least one facing surface with an alignment layer, and a layer of a smectic liquid crystal material enclosed between the cell walls, exhibits a minimum in its response time versus voltage curve. The crystal material has two components, A and B.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a carbon yarn product includes the steps of pyrolizing raw carbonaceous yarn comprising a plurality of carbon fibers, at a temperature above about 650° F.; flexing the pyrolized yarn to substantially break fiber-to-fiber bonding between the fibers; and, exposing the yarn to a temperature sufficient to carbonize the pre-carbonized yarn to a final and higher carbon assay. A flexible yarn element (10) includes a plurality of carbon filaments (11) wherein each filament (11) is in contact with at least one other filament 11. A sizing material at least partially coats the plurality of filaments (11), wherein the sizing material of each filament (11) is substantially separated from the sizing material of the at least one other filament (11) in contact therewith.

Abstract: Provided are liquid crystalline compounds which are excellent in the miscibility with existing liquid crystalline compounds even at low temperatures and are electrically and chemically stable while having a high voltage holding ratio and a high &Dgr;∈; liquid crystal compositions comprising the compound; and liquid crystal display devices fabricated by using the composition; the liquid crystalline compounds are expressed by the general formula (1)

Abstract: To obtain a monomer having a large torsion force, to obtain a liquid crystal polymer which is excellent in a film-forming property, can easily control a helical pitch of a cholesteric phase, can form a grandjean orientation in a good monodomain state by an orientation treatment in a short time such as few minutes, and can stably fix it in a glass state, and to obtain an optical element having a circular dichroism, represented by the following formula (a), comprising a solidified product of the liquid crystal polymer, which is thin and light, is hard to change the oriented state such as pitch, etc., at a practical temperature, and has excellent durability and storage stability.

Abstract: A smectic liquid crystal material which comprises (1) an antiferroelectric liquid crystal material and/or a liquid crystal material ferroelectric phase and (2) a liquid crystal material having a smectic C phase. The smectic liquid crystal material may be used in a liquid crystal optical element having a spontaneous polarization of 0.06 nC/cm2 to 96 nC/cm2. The smectic material has a low spontaneous polarization value and the curve of light transmittance to applied voltage for the smectic material has a V-shaped characteristic.

Abstract: The liquid crystal composition of the invention contains at least two compounds represented by the following formula (A) and each having different structures, one or more methylene group in the alkylene group R1 may be substituted with —O— groups, not less than 50% by weight, and has a transmitted light quantity I32 satisfying the condition of 0.5≦I32≦0.50, wherein R1 is an alkyl group of 2 to 20 carbon atoms; m is 0 or 1; Z is a —COO— group or a —CH2O— group; X is a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or a trifluoromethyl group; and R2 is a group selected from the group consisting of a straight-chain alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms, an ether group represented by —(CH2)p—O—(CH2)qCH3 and an alkene group wherein a terminal ethyl group consisting a straight-chain alkyl group of 2 to 5 carbon atoms is replaced with a group having a C═C double bond.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a stamper for producing optical discs involves the application of a photoresist film to a substrate and subsequently structuring the photoresist film by exposing and developing the photoresist film. The method is characterized in that an electrically conducting substrate is used. The substrate having the structured photoresist film thereon is subjected to passivation treatment, and is further subject to galvanic treatment for the purpose of forming a nickel layer thereon. After the nickel layer is formed, the nickel layer is separated from the substrate so as to obtain a stamper. The stamper can be used to prepare optical discs.

Abstract: In the fluorinated azoles of the formula (I) R1(—A1)a—T—(A2—)b(M—A3—)cR2   (I) the symbols and indices have -the following meanings: T is undirected and is 4-fluorothiazole-2,5-diyl, 5-fluorothiazole-2,4-diyl, 4-fluorooxazole-2,5-diyl, 5-fluorooxazole-2,4-diyl or 4-fluoroisoxazole-2,5-diyl; R1 and R2 are identical or different and are hydrogen or a straight-chain or branched C1-20-alkyl or C2-20-alkenyl radical (with or without asymmetrical carbon atoms); A1, A2 and A3 are identical or different and are, for example, phenylene-1,4-diyl or cyclohexane-1,4-diyl; M is undirected and is —OC(═O)—, —OCH2—, —CH2CH2—, —OC(═O)CH2CH2—, —OCH2CH2CH2—, —C≡C—, —CH2CH2CH2CH2— or a single bond; a, b and c, independently of one another, are 0 or 1, with the proviso that the sum a+b+c is 1 or 2.

Abstract: A method of producing a difluorobenzyl ether derivative (6) in which a benzene derivative (1) is reacted with a base to form carbanion which is in turn reacted with a difluoromethane derivative (2) to give a benzene derivative (3) which is further reacted with a phenol derivative (5) in the presence of a base.

Abstract: A novel liquid crystalline charge transport material is provided which simultaneously has advantages of an amorphous material, that is, evenness in a large area, and advantages of a crystalline material having molecular alignment, is excellent in high-quality charge transport capability, film forming properties, various types of durability and the like, and permits the alignment to be regulated by external stimulation. The liquid crystalline charge transport material has smectic liquid crystallinity and an electron mobility of not less than 1×10−5 cm2/v.s.

Abstract: The invention relates to chiral dopants of the formula (I): R1—X1—MG1—G—MG2—X2—R2. The invention also relates to liquid crystalline materials comprising at least one chiral dopant of formula (I) and optionally at least one polymerizable mesogenic compound. The invention furthermore relates to the use of such liquid crystalline materials for the preparation of polymer films with a chiral liquid crystalline phase, for active and passive optical elements or color filters and for liquid crystal displays, for example STN, TN, AMD-TN, temperature compensation, guest-host or phase change displays, or polymer free or polymer stabilized cholesteric texture (PFCT, PSCT) displays.

Abstract: The invention relates to a polymeric film composed of an optically anisotropic material made from a cross-linked synthetic resin composition comprising a polymer network, being obtainable by copolymerization of a mixture comprising (a) at least one monomer or oligomer, each of said monomers or oligomers having at least two polymerizable functional groups selected from the group consisting of (meth-)acrylate ester, epoxy and vinyl ether, (b) at least one achiral liquid crystalline monomer or oligomer, each of said monomersloligomers having mesogenic groups and one polymerizable functional group selected from the group consisting of (meth-)acrylate ester, epoxy and vinyl ether.

Abstract: Liquid crystal phases containing components of the formulae I and III have an acceptable combination of threshold steepness, viewing angle and temperature dependence at a low threshold voltage.