Continuous liquid crystal pretilt control through textured substrates

Abstract

Reliable control on the pretilt alignment of nematic liquid crystal (LC) in the 30°-50° range is a well-known challenge. An unconventional approach, involving microtextured surfaces with domains favoring dissimilar LC alignments, has recently demonstrated applicability in bi- and tristable displays. These textured domains realize the so-called frustrated boundary condition in which the LC elastic energy built-up (frustration) can drive the LC alignment into macroscopic uniformity. Here we show that one can harness the frustrated boundary to achieve variable LC pretilt control up to 40°. © 2004 American Institute of Physics.