TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY
Unique Flexible LC Lenses
Unique Flexible LC Lenses
As a normally-open LC film, it integrates seamlessly with AR glasses, strobe glasses, sunglasses, ski goggles, helmets and visors, engineered for fast switching, ultra-low power and roll-to-roll mass production.
As a normally-open LC film, it integrates seamlessly with AR glasses, strobe glasses, sunglasses, ski goggles, helmets and visors — engineered for fast switching, ultra-low power and roll-to-roll mass production.
OUR TECHNOLOGY
OUR TECHNOLOGY
OUR TECHNOLOGY
Normally Open Flexible LC
Normally Open Flexible LC
As a normally-open LC film, it is integrated seamlessly with augmented reality glasses, strobe glasses, sunglasses, ski goggles, helmets and visors, bringing dynamic light control to the next generation of optical wearables.
As a normally-open LC film, it is integrated seamlessly with augmented reality glasses, strobe glasses, sunglasses, ski goggles, helmets and visors, bringing dynamic light control to the next generation of optical wearables.
“The selection of these materials has arisen after many years of development, there is no off-the-shelf set that can replicate our formulations.”
“The selection of these materials has arisen after many years of development — there is no off-the-shelf set that can replicate our formulations.”
SFI Materials Team
REAL SAMPLES
See It Switch
Unedited lab clips of SFI flexible LC cells.
Clear to dark in one step
4 segments per lens, switched separately
Large flexible visor cell under test
WHY SFI
WHY SFI
Engineered for the Next Wave of Optical Wearables
High Qualities
High Qualities
High Qualities
Extremely fast 0.1 s response time, low AC driving voltage of 1.8–12 VAC, ultra-low power of <0.1 W/ft² (<1 W/m²) and almost no haze.
Extremely fast 0.1 s response time, low AC driving voltage of 1.8–12 VAC, ultra-low power of <0.1 W/ft² (<1 W/m²) and almost no haze.
Prototype & Mass Production
Prototype & Mass Production
Prototype & Mass Production
Unique roll-to-roll capabilities. Prototypes in pre-serial production at small quantities before scaling to mass volume.
Unique roll-to-roll capabilities. Prototypes in pre-serial production at small quantities before scaling to mass volume.
Unique LC Formulations
Unique LC Formulations
Unique LC Formulations
Special know-how and materials for mixing customized formulations per customer spec, defining VLT and switching behavior.
Special know-how and materials for mixing customized formulations per customer spec, defining VLT and switching behavior.
Guest Host (GH) & TN Methods
Guest Host (GH) & TN Methods
Guest Host (GH) & TN Methods
Vast experience with both GH (with dichroic dyes, no polarizers) and TN devices for full blackout shutters.
Vast experience with both GH (with dichroic dyes, no polarizers) and TN devices for full blackout shutters.
Product Customization
Product Customization
Product Customization
Add-on features such as Anti-Fog (AF), Super Retardation Film (SRF) and additional layers via our unique Optical Clear Adhesive (OCA).
Add-on features such as Anti-Fog (AF), Super Retardation Film (SRF) and additional layers via our unique Optical Clear Adhesive (OCA).
Direct-View Optical Shutters
Direct-View Optical Shutters
Direct-View Optical Shutters
Dichroic dyes dissolved in our LC formulations enable controllable absorption and scattering, bright, attractive direct-view devices.
Dichroic dyes dissolved in our LC formulations enable controllable absorption and scattering, bright, attractive direct-view devices.
SFI FLEXIBLE LIQUID CRYSTAL
A Platform Built on Years of Materials Science
We developed a set of formulations that enable the capabilities found in Liquid Crystal (LC) optical shutters for wearable devices that require dynamic light control. The selection of these materials has arisen after many years of development and comes from a variety of vendors. There is no off-the-shelf set of materials that can replicate our formulations, nor do prior patent applications provide sufficient knowledge to recreate today’s LC materials.
We developed a set of formulations that enable the capabilities found in Liquid Crystal (LC) optical shutters for wearable devices that require dynamic light control. The selection of these materials has arisen after many years of development and comes from a variety of vendors. There is no off-the-shelf set of materials that can replicate our formulations, nor do prior patent applications provide sufficient knowledge to recreate today’s LC materials.
Dichroic dyes dissolved in an LC formulation provide the most attractive route for fabricating direct-view optical shutters that don’t require a polarizer. The absorbance of the dye depends on the alignment of the dye molecules, which follows the alignment of the liquid crystal, giving dichroic-based devices both controllable absorption and a controllable scattering effect.
Dichroic dyes dissolved in an LC formulation provide the most attractive route for fabricating direct-view optical shutters that don’t require a polarizer. The absorbance of the dye depends on the alignment of the dye molecules, which follows the alignment of the liquid crystal — giving dichroic-based devices both controllable absorption and a controllable scattering effect.
While our strongest intellectual property lies in materials, there are also considerable barriers to entry in our fabrication processes. We have successfully scaled to enable fabrication of LC lenses in high volume and at very good yields. Our unique LC formulations are injected into an empty cell on a roll-to-roll production line, designed and built for large-scale mass production.
While our strongest intellectual property lies in materials, there are also considerable barriers to entry in our fabrication processes. We have successfully scaled to enable fabrication of LC lenses in high volume and at very good yields. Our unique LC formulations are injected into an empty cell on a roll-to-roll production line, designed and built for large-scale mass production.
0.1 s
Response time
1.8–12 VAC
AC driving voltage
<0.1 W/ft²
Power consumption (<1 W/m²)
COMPARISON
COMPARISON
SFI Competitive Advantages
SFI Competitive Advantages
SFI Competitive Advantages
Flexible liquid crystal film combines fast switching, controllability and form freedom in a way conventional photochromic and glass LC solutions cannot match.
Flexible liquid crystal film combines fast switching, controllability and form freedom in a way conventional photochromic and glass LC solutions cannot match.
Criteria
Flexible LC
Flexible LC
Flexible LC
Photochromic
Photochromic
Photochromic
Glass LC
Glass LC
Glass LC
Switching speed
Very fast
Very slow
Fast
Controllable
Yes
No
Yes
Customization
Yes
Yes
Limited
Shape
Cylindrical curved
Cylindrical curved
Flat
Electric power
Required
Not required
Required
Thickness
8–47 mil (0.2–1.2 mm)
6 mil (0.15 mm)
43–110 mil (1.1–2.8 mm)
SFI LC COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
SFI LC COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
Material IP and Process IP Working Together
Our products are based on several areas of unique technology with the electro-optical material providing the key component. The result is a film-based electro-optical lens, produced using a proven set of manufacturing processes, ready to be capitalized on across emerging applications for ubiquitous LC lenses.
Proprietary materials IP
Proprietary materials IP
Proprietary materials IP
Material formulations developed and refined over many years, impossible to reverse-engineer from public patents.
Material formulations developed and refined over many years, impossible to reverse-engineer from public patents.
Roll-to-roll manufacturing
Roll-to-roll manufacturing
Roll-to-roll manufacturing
Scaled production line designed and built for large-scale, high-yield fabrication of flexible LC lenses.
Scaled production line designed and built for large-scale, high-yield fabrication of flexible LC lenses.
Direct-view, polarizer-free
Direct-view, polarizer-free
Direct-view, polarizer-free
Dichroic dye system enables bright, attractive shutters without external polarizers, ideal for wearables.
Dichroic dye system enables bright, attractive shutters without external polarizers, ideal for wearables.
SFI LC SPECIFICATION
SFI LC SPECIFICATION
Compare Our Flexible LC Products
Item
LC 1
LC 2
LC 3
LC 4
LC 5
Application
Strobing
Strobing
Sunglasses, Ski Goggle, AR
Sunglasses, Ski Goggle, AR
Sunglasses, Ski Goggle, AR, Helmet
Transmittance
0%–20%
0.1%–35%
17%–63%
24%–69%
38%–78% / 50%–85%
LCD Mode
TN (Normally Open)
TN (Normally Open)
GH (Normally Open)
GH (Normally Open / Closed)
GH (Normally Open / Closed)
LCD Thickness
47 mil (1.2 mm)
24 mil (0.6 mm)
16 mil (0.4 mm)
8 mil (0.2 mm)
8 mil (0.2 mm)
Haze
≤1%
≤1%
≤1%
≤1%
≤1%
Working Temp
14–140 °F (−10–60 °C)
14–140 °F (−10–60 °C)
14–140 °F (−10–60 °C)
14–140 °F (−10–60 °C)
14–140 °F (−10–60 °C)
Storage Temp
−40–185 °F (−40–85 °C)
−40–185 °F (−40–85 °C)
−40–185 °F (−40–85 °C)
−40–185 °F (−40–85 °C)
−40–185 °F (−40–85 °C)
Voltage
1.8–12 VAC
1.8–12 VAC
1.8–12 VAC
1.8–12 VAC
1.8–12 VAC
Current
50µA–100mA
50µA–100mA
50µA–100mA
50µA–100mA
50µA–100mA
Response Time
≤30 ms
≤30 ms
≤200 ms
≤200 ms
≤200 ms
LC 1
Strobing
Transmittance
0%–20%
LCD Mode
TN (Normally Open)
Thickness
47 mil (1.2 mm)
Haze
≤1%
Working Temp
14–140 °F (−10–60 °C)
Storage Temp
−40–185 °F (−40–85 °C)
Voltage
1.8–12 VAC
Current
50µA – 100mA
Response Time
≤30 ms
LC 2
Strobing
Transmittance
0.1%–35%
LCD Mode
TN (Normally Open)
Thickness
24 mil (0.6 mm)
Haze
≤1%
Working Temp
14–140 °F (−10–60 °C)
Storage Temp
−40–185 °F (−40–85 °C)
Voltage
1.8–12 VAC
Current
50µA – 100mA
Response Time
≤30 ms
LC 3
Sunglasses, Ski Goggle, AR
Transmittance
17%–63%
LCD Mode
GH (Normally Open)
Thickness
16 mil (0.4 mm)
Haze
≤1%
Working Temp
14–140 °F (−10–60 °C)
Storage Temp
−40–185 °F (−40–85 °C)
Voltage
1.8–12 VAC
Current
50µA – 100mA
Response Time
≤200 ms
LC 4
Sunglasses, Ski Goggle, AR
Transmittance
24%–69%
LCD Mode
GH (Normally Open / Closed)
Thickness
8 mil (0.2 mm)
Haze
≤1%
Working Temp
14–140 °F (−10–60 °C)
Storage Temp
−40–185 °F (−40–85 °C)
Voltage
1.8–12 VAC
Current
50µA – 100mA
Response Time
≤200 ms
LC 5
Sunglasses, Ski Goggle, AR, Helmet
Transmittance
38%–78% / 50%–85%
LCD Mode
GH (Normally Open / Closed)
Thickness
8 mil (0.2 mm)
Haze
≤1%
Working Temp
14–140 °F (−10–60 °C)
Storage Temp
−40–185 °F (−40–85 °C)
Voltage
1.8–12 VAC
Current
50µA – 100mA
Response Time
≤200 ms
Want to Design Your Lens?
Talk to our materials and manufacturing team about a custom flexible LC formulation for your wearable, AR or eyewear product.
Talk to our materials and manufacturing team about a custom flexible LC formulation for your wearable, AR or eyewear product.