Liquid crystal (LC) lenses that have hole-patterned electrodes and are driven by two voltages used as imaging devices are reported. Two different LC lenses are applied in image formation systems. One LC lens is used with a polarizer in a relay lens scope, and another LC lens that is polarization independent is used in a TV lens. Both LC lenses play roles of focusing elements in lens systems; objects are separately brought into focus by the LC lenses. Very sharp black-and-white and color images are formed by the systems.

Memory type polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) can be applied to a thermal addressing display device cell. Making use of its easy fabrication of large area display using flexible film substrate, the PDLC film can be used as reusable paper for direct-view mode display. In this study, memory type PDLC cells are prepared with an aluminum reflector deposited onto one side of the substrate and the reflection property in the PDLC cell with the reflector is clarified and compared to that without the reflector in the off-, on- and memory-states. The increase of contrast ratio and the decrease of driving voltage can be concurrently realized by decreasing the cell thickness by attaching the reflector. In addition, the reflected light in the off-state is bright and colorless due to the reflector, as compared with the weak, bluish reflected light in the cell without the reflector. Reflected light in the on-state and the memory-state are tinged with blue.

Gallium nitride (GaN) is one of the wurtzite-type materials and has semiconducting properties. Crystallinities of GaN thin films are usually poor when they are directly grown on polycrystalline metal-foils which are expected as substrates for realizing novel giant microelectronic devices. Improvements of crystal orientations of GaN thin films grown on such polycrystalline metal-foils are tried by using several kinds of intermediate layers. Aluminum nitride (AlN), GaN, silicon dioxide (SiO2) and Si are chosen as materials for the intermediate layers. The crystal orientations of GaN thin films grown by inserting the SiO2 and Si intermediate layers with adequate thicknesses are markedly improved, while those grown on the AlN or GaN intermediate layers are not improved. These differences are not caused by the kinds of the materials used for the intermediate layers but by differences in their crystallinities.