FREMGANGSMAADE OG APPARAT TIL HAELDENDE INDORDNING AF FLYDENDE KRYSTALLER MED FORBEDRET FOTOSTABILITET

摘要

Liquid crystals are induced to assume a uniform tilted alignment in the absence of an applied field by treating the surface of a substrate to provide a desired tilted surface microstructure and free hydroxyl groups. A long chain alcohol having the formula ROH, where R is a carbon chain having at least 6 carbon atoms therein, is chemically reacted with the tilted surface microstructure, and the alkoxy groups derived therefrom are chemically bonded to the microstructure. Subsequently introduced liquid crystals assume an alignment tilting from the vertical at a tilt angle of about 0.5 degree to about 6 degree. The liquid crystals exhibit a significantly greater photostability than has previously been achieved. The microstructure is preferably obtained by depositing sequential layers of SiOx at medium and shallow grazing angles, where x is from 1 to 2, with the substrate rotated 90 degree between depositions.