Inducing tilted perpendicular alignment in liquid crystals

A method for preparing a liquid crystal device havig a tilted perpendicular alignment of liquid crystal on the substrate, wherein the liquid crystal is comprised of elongated molecules whose combined long molecular axes define a macroscopic director, with both tilt angle and tilt direction of the director being substantially uniform, predictable, and controllable, comprising the steps of:

• moving a substrate past a source of silica;
• depositing a layer of silica on the substate by magnetron in-line sputtering from the source of silica as the substrate is moved past the source during deposition;
• treating the silica-coated substrate with a long chain alcohol;
• and
• covering the alcohol-treated substrate with a layer of liquid crystal, the director at all points across the surface of the substrate having an an azimuthal direction that is substantially uniform, such that projection of the director onto the substrate surface is everywhere approximately parallel.

A method for preparing a treated substrate to produce tilted particular alignment of a liquid crystal on the substrate, wheein the liquid crystal is comprised of elongated moelcules whose combiend long molecular axes define a macroscopic director, with both tilt angle and tilt direciton of the director being substantilly uniform, predictable, and controllable, comprising the steps of:

• moving a substrate past a source of silica;
• depositing a layer of silica on the substrate from the source of silica as the substrate is moved past the source during deposition;
• and
• covering the substrate with a layer of liquid crystal having the property of spontaneously aligning with the director substantially perpendicular to the substrate surface, the director at all points across the surface of the substrate having an azimuthal direction that is substantially uniform, such that projection of the director onto the substrate surface is everywhere approximately parallel.