Patterned lc devices with individual photoalignment layers
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsAllen Wang Bao, Chengmingyue Li, Shenping Li, Jianwei Liu
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Abstract
A liquid crystal (LC) device and method of forming the device are described. The LC device includes a glass substrate and multiple pairs of photoalignment layers (PALs) and patterned LC elements that are separated by an interstitial layer on the substrate. The interstitial layer has a thickness significantly less than each of the substrate and patterned LC element. Each patterned LC element is a polarization volume grating (PVG) that has a different grating period. The surface of the interstitial layer is super hydrophilic to allow the spread of the next layer of PAL material over the entire surface of the interstitial layer.
Claims20
A stacked liquid crystal device, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a first photoalignment layer (PAL) disposed on the substrate;
- a first patterned liquid crystal (LC) element disposed on the first PAL;
- an interstitial layer disposed on the first patterned LC element;
- a second PAL disposed on the interstitial layer, the interstitial layer comprising a material having a surface energy matching that of the second PAL;
- and
- a second patterned LC element disposed on the second PAL.
A method of fabricating a stacked liquid crystal device, comprising:
- forming a first photoalignment layer (PAL) on a substantially transparent substrate;
- forming a first patterned liquid crystal (LC) element on the first PAL;
- forming an interstitial layer on the first patterned LC element, the interstitial layer comprising a material having a surface energy matching that of the first PAL;
- treating a surface of the interstitial layer;
- forming a second PAL disposed on the interstitial layer;
- and
- forming a second patterned LC element disposed on the second PAL.
A method of fabricating a stacked liquid crystal device, comprising:
- depositing a first photoalignment layer (PAL) on a substrate;
- forming a first polarization volume grating (PVG) on a first photoalignment layer (PAL), the first PVG having a first grating period;
- depositing an interstitial layer on the first PVG, the interstitial layer formed from a different material than the substrate;
- treating a surface of the interstitial layer to form a super hydrophilic surface;
- depositing a second PAL on the super hydrophilic surface, the super hydrophilic surface matching a surface energy of the second PAL;
- and
- forming a second PVG on the second PAL, the second PVG having a second grating period that is independent of the first grating period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.