CONTROL OF NEMATIC LIQUID-CRYSTAL ALIGNMENT USING STRIPPED FILM METHOD

We have previously reported that the surface of a substrate fabricated using the stripped film method gives a uniform orientation of both th e nematic director and pretilt angle. However, this alignment layer ge nerates only a low pretilt angle of about 1.5 degrees. The stripped fi lm surface fabricated using the substrate constructed with three kinds of organic film, polyvinyl alcohol base film (Vinylon film, KURARAY C o.), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) adhesive agent and polyimide film (AL-304 6, Japan Synthetic Rubber Co.), generated unique characteristics of th e pretilt angle of nematic liquid crystals. We propose under certain p rocess conditions, the stripped film surface is capable of generating a high pretilt angle of about 10 degrees which is much higher than the pretilt angles of the polyimide and PVA alignment layers fabricated b y the conventional rubbing method.