Liquid crystal alignment film, method of producing the same, liquid crystal display made by using the film, and method of producing the same

A method for producing a liquid crystal alignment film, comprising steps of contacting a surface of a substrate with a chemisorption solution so as to cause a chemical reaction between surfactant molecules having linear carbon chains contained in the chemisorption solution and hydrophilic groups contained on the surface, thereby fixing said molecules to said surface at one end;

• and providing at least a part of the linear carbon chains with an alignment property with respect to the substrate by selectively exposing a film comprising the group of molecules including said molecules to light.

A liquid crystal display apparatus comprising two substrates and liquid crystal, said two substrates being positioned with a predetermined space and being provided with a liquid crystal alignment film on at least one of surfaces facing each other, and said liquid crystal that is interposed between said two substrates in which alignment is regulated by said liquid crystal alignment film, wherein said liquid crystal alignment film is a film comprising a group of molecules chemically adsorbed to the surface of the substrate at one end, said group of molecules comprises molecules having linear carbon chains, wherein at least a part of said linear carbon chains are selectively polymerized with each other.

A method for producing a liquid crystal alignment film comprising a step of forming a plurality of convexities and concavities extending in approximately the same direction on a film formed on a surface of a substrate by a step including exposure.

A translucent substrate for exposing a liquid crystal alignment film to light, which comprises a plurality of convexities and concavities extending in approximately the same direction on its surface.

A method for producing a translucent substrate for exposing a liquid crystal alignment film to light, which comprises a plurality of convexities and concavities extending in approximately the same direction on its surface, said method comprising the steps of washing a transparent substrate;

• and rubbing a surface of said transparent substrate with a material having a higher hardness than said transparent substrate in approximately the same direction.

A liquid crystal display apparatus comprising two substrates and liquid crystal, said two substrates being positioned with a predetermined space and being provided with a liquid crystal alignment film on at least one of surfaces facing each other, and said liquid crystal that is interposed between said two substrates having an alignment that is regulated by said liquid crystal alignment film, wherein said liquid crystal alignment film has a plurality of concavities and convexities extending in approximately the same direction formed on the surface contacting with liquid crystal by a step including exposure.

A liquid crystal alignment film, which is a monomolecular film formed on a surface of a substrate which is provided with electrodes beforehand and on which a rubbing treatment is performed directly or after forming an arbitrary thin film.

A method for producing a monomolecular liquid crystal alignment film, comprising steps of performing a rubbing treatment on a surface of a substrate provided with electrodes beforehand in an arbitrary direction directly or after forming an arbitrary protective film;

• and contacting the surface of the substrate with a chemisorption solution prepared by using a silane-based surfactant comprising carbon chains or siloxane bond chains, wherein a part of or the terminal of the carbon chain or the siloxane bond chain contains at least one functional group for controlling a surface energy of the film so as to cause a chemical reaction between the surfactant molecules in said chemisorption solution and the surface of the substrate, thereby fixing and bonding said surfactant molecules to the surface of the substrate at one end.

A liquid crystal display apparatus, wherein a film is formed as an alignment film for liquid crystal on a surface provided with electrodes of at least one of two substrates which are provided with facing electrodes and on which a rubbing is performed directly or after forming an arbitrary thin film, directly or indirectly via another film, said film being constituted by molecules containing carbon chains or siloxane bond chains, the terminal of or a part of the carbon chain or the siloxane bond chain containing at least one functional group for controlling a surface energy of the film;

• and liquid crystal is interposed between said two facing electrodes via said alignment film.

A method for producing a liquid crystal display apparatus comprising steps of performing a rubbing treatment on the surface of a first substrate including a first electrode group arranged in a matrix array beforehand directly or after forming an arbitrary thin film;

• contacting the surface of the substrate with a chemisorption solution prepared by using a silane-based surfactant comprising carbon chains or siloxane bond chains, wherein a part of or the terminal of the carbon chain or the siloxane bond chain contains at least one functional group for controlling a surface energy of the film so as to cause a chemical reaction between the surfactant molecules in said chemisorption solution and the surface of the substrate, thereby fixing and bonding said surfactant molecules to the surface of the substrate at one end;
• tilting the substrate in a desired direction so as to drain off the solvent, thereby aligning said fixed molecules in the direction in which the solvent was drained off, attaching the first substrate including the first electrode group to a second substrate or a second substrate including second electrode or electrode group in a manner in which the faces provided with the electrodes are facing inward with a predetermined gap while adjusting the position;
• and injecting a predetermined liquid crystal between the first substrate and the second substrate.

A liquid crystal alignment film, which is a monomolecular film formed on the surface of the substrate provided with predetermined electrodes, wherein rubbing is performed on the surface of the film.

A method for producing a monomolecular liquid crystal alignment film comprising the steps of contacting the surface of the substrate with a chemisorption solution prepared by using a silane-based surfactant comprising carbon chains or siloxane bond chains and at least a part of or the terminal of the carbon chain or the siloxane bond chain contains at least one functional group for controlling a surface energy of the film so as to cause a chemical reaction between the surfactant molecules in said chemisorption solution and the surface of the substrate, thereby fixing and bonding said surfactant molecules to the surface of the substrate at one end;

• and rubbing the surface.

A liquid crystal display apparatus, wherein a monomolecular film is formed as an alignment film for liquid crystal directly or indirectly via other film on a surface provided with electrodes of at least one substrate of two substrates provided with facing electrodes, on which a rubbing treatment is performed, said film being constituted by molecules containing carbon chains or siloxane bond chains, the terminal of or a part of the carbon chain or the siloxane bond chain containing at least one functional group for controlling a surface energy of the film;

• and liquid crystal is interposed between said two facing electrodes via the alignment film.