Patterning of liquid crystals using soft-imprint replication of surface alignment patterns

A process for patterning a liquid crystal polymer layer, the process comprising:

• depositing a liquid crystal polymer layer on a reusable alignment template comprising a surface alignment pattern such that liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal polymer layer are aligned to the surface alignment pattern of the reusable alignment template primarily via chemical, steric, or other intermolecular interaction;
• polymerizing the liquid crystal polymer layer to form a patterned polymerized liquid crystal polymer layer;
• and
• delaminating the patterned polymerized liquid crystal polymer layer from the reusable alignment template,
• wherein the reusable alignment template comprises a photo-alignment layer comprising the surface alignment pattern;
• wherein depositing the liquid crystal polymer layer comprises spin-coating the liquid crystal polymer layer;
• and
• wherein the reusable alignment template further comprises a release layer disposed over the photo-alignment layer and a second liquid crystal polymer layer disposed between the photo-alignment layer and the release layer.

A process for patterning a liquid crystal polymer layer, the processing comprising:

• depositing a liquid crystal polymer layer on a surface of a substrate to form a deposited liquid crystal polymer layer;
• contacting the deposited liquid crystal polymer layer with a reusable alignment template comprising a surface alignment pattern such that liquid crystal molecules of the deposited liquid crystal polymer layer are aligned to the surface alignment pattern of the reusable alignment template primarily via chemical, steric, or other intermolecular interaction;
• polymerizing the deposited liquid crystal polymer layer to form a patterned polymerized liquid crystal polymer layer;
• and
• separating the reusable alignment template and the patterned polymerized liquid crystal polymer layer,
• wherein the reusable alignment template comprises a photo-alignment layer comprising the surface alignment pattern;
• and
• wherein the reusable alignment template further comprises a release layer disposed over the photo-alignment layer and a second liquid crystal polymer layer disposed between the photo-alignment layer and the release layer.