TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Method: The method further comprises preparing a counter substrate to face the substrate and forming a liquid crystal layer between the substrate and the counter substrate. The step of forming the coating layer comprises: coating the coating material on at least one of the front surface and the rear surface of the substrate and the side surface; and curing the coating material. The coating material is cured at: a temperature less than the glass transition temperature of the substrate; and less than or equal to 180 degrees C for 30 minutes to 3 hours. Preferred Components: The substrate comprises a front surface, a rear surface facing the front surface, and a side surface connecting the front surface to the rear surface. The substrate comprises a fiber reinforced plastic substrate. The apparatus further comprises: many thin films formed on the coating layer; a counter substrate facing to the substrate and a liquid crystal layer formed between the substrate and the counter substrate.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The coating material comprises the monomers of the polyamic acid co-polymer comprising monomer of dicarboxylic acid compounds of formulae (-C(=O)-R1(COOH)2-C(=O)-NH-R2-NH-) (I) and (-C(=O)-R1(COOH)2-C(=O)-O-R3-O-) (II). The coating layer comprises 7.5-9 wt.% of the polyamic acid co-polymer, which is one of alternating co-polymer, periodic co-polymer, random co-polymer, and block co-polymer. The coating material comprises 7.5-9 wt.% of polyesterpolyamic acid prepolymer, 5-18 wt.% of epoxy polymer, 1-2 wt.% of an epoxy curing agent and 0.1 wt.% of a silane crosslinking agent. The coating material comprises methyl-3-methoxypropionate. The polyesterpolyamic acid prepolymer forms polyesterpolyamic acid co-polymer through a heating process. The coating layer has a thickness of greater than or equal to 1.4 mu m.R1 = C or tetracarboxylic dianhydride;R2 = 1-20C alkane or diamine; andR3 = 1-20C alkane or diol.