Transient current in nematic cells containing a silicon substrate.

Transient currents induced by step voltage or polarity reversal of voltage applied to a liquid crystal cell containing a silicon substrate have been investigated. It is shown that the curves of transient current reveal a minimum for negative polarity of dc voltage relative to a silicon substrate of p-type conductivity. The time of the occurrence of the minimum corresponds to the collection of positive ions from the bulk of the liquid crystal at the silicon surface as a result of drift.