Patent ID: 6897936

Claim:
A method of making a PSCT-based panel comprising the steps of: (a) combining within a PSCT material mixture, liquid crystal (LC) material and at least two different types of monomer referred to as type-A monomer and type-B monomer, wherein said type-A monomer contains only one polymerizable group, and when polymerized, produce a 1-D or 2-D like polymer matrix structure having a refractive index that is lower than the refractive index of the liquid crystal (LC) materials contained in the formulated mixture, and said type A monomer has viscosity characteristics which are lower than the viscosity characteristics of said liquid crystal material, and wherein said type-B monomers contain multiple polymerizable groups, and when polymerized, produce a 3-D like polymer matrix structure having a refractive index that is very close to the refractive index of the liquid crystal material, and said type B monomer has viscosity characteristics that are higher than the viscosity characteristics of said liquid crystal material; and (b) depositing said PSCT material mixture between a pair of substrates and arranging said substrates so that said substrates are substantially parallel and result in a panel-like structure; and (c) polymerizing said type A and type B monomers so as to produce a PSCT layer between said pair of substrates having a substantially reduced level of haze when said PSCT-based panel is operated in its light transmission state, due to a matching of the indices of refraction of said liquid crystal material and said type-A monomer, and having high uniformity of optical characteristics across the surface of said panel due to the matching of viscosity characteristics of said liquid crystal material and said type-A and type-B monomers during steps (a) and (b) and prior to step (c).