Liquid crystal display device, method and apparatus for fabricating the same

A liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a first substrate;
• a second substrate;
• a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and the second substrates;
• a plurality of electrodes for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer;
• a first alignment film provided on a surface of the first substrate in contact with the liquid crystal layer;
• a second alignment film provided on a surface of the second substrate in contact with the liquid crystal layer;
• and
• a plurality of pixels,
• wherein the liquid crystal layer in each of the pixels includes first and second liquid crystal regions,
• liquid crystal molecules in the first and the second liquid crystal regions have an identical twisting direction,
• pretilt angles of liquid crystal molecules in the first alignment region and the second alignment region on the first and the second alignment films differ from each other, and
• the liquid crystal display device is fabricated by a method including the step of irradiating light onto a predetermined area of each of the first and the second alignment films in a gas containing an organic compound, where the pretilt angle of the predetermined area irradiated with light is about 0.5 deg. or lower.

A method for fabricating a liquid crystal display device comprising:

• a first substrate;
• a second substrate;
• a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and the second substrates;
• a plurality of electrodes for applying a voltage to the liquid crystal layer;
• a first alignment film provided on a surface of the first substrate in contact with the liquid crystal layer;
• a second alignment film provided on a surface of the second substrate in contact with the liquid crystal layer;
• and
• a plurality of pixels,
• wherein the liquid crystal layer in each of the pixels includes first and second liquid crystal regions,
• liquid crystal molecules in the first and the second liquid crystal regions have an identical twisting direction, and
• a pretilt angle of liquid crystal molecules in the first liquid crystal region and the second liquid crystal region on the first and the second alignment films differ from each other,
• the method comprising the step of irradiating light onto a predetermined area of each of the first and the second alignment films in a gas containing an organic compound, where the pretilt angle of the predetermined are irradiated with light is about 0.5 deg. or lower.

An apparatus for fabricating a liquid crystal display device, comprising:

• a chamber for accommodating a substrate provided with an alignment film thereon of the liquid crystal display device;
• and
• a gas supplying section for supplying a gas containing an organic compound into the chamber so that the gas is introduced on the alignment film on the substrate,
• wherein the chamber includes:
• a holding section for holding the substrate;
• and
• a light transmitting section for externally leading light onto the alignment film on the substrate placed on the holding section.