Investigation of Alignment of Nematic Liquid Crystal on Micropatterned Polyimide Surface

Abstract

The alignment properties of a nematic liquid crystal in contact with a micropatterned polyimide surface were theoretically analyzed and experimentally investigated. The patterns with a period of 1 µm were formed by stripes of alternating planar and homeotropic anchorings. The theoretical and experimental results implied that domains with the opposite tilt angle of liquid crystal directors were formed inside the cell. The average tilt angle was nearly 45° in the two alignment states and slightly varied from this equilibrium value depending on the treatment method, cell configuration and liquid crystal.