Formation of an alignment film for a liquid crystal on a substrate

A method for forming an alignment film for a liquid crystal on a substrate, said method comprising:

• moving the substrate linearly in a first direction differing from a second direction in which a normal direction of a sputtering surface of a target is projected on a first surface side of the substrate, said sputtering surface of the target disposed above the first surface side of the substrate, wherein the target comprises polyimide;
• and
• propagating only a single ion beam from only one ion source toward the substrate and impinging on the sputtering surface of the target, which sputters a material of the target and results in sputtered particles of the material being emitted from the sputtering surface toward the first surface side of the substrate and deposited on the first surface side of the substrate as the substrate moves linearly in the first direction which results in formation of (i) a sputtering film on and in direct physical contact with the first surface side of the substrate and (ii) an alignment film on the sputtering film and on an entire first surface side of the substrate, wherein the sputtering film is disposed between the first surface side of the substrate and the alignment film, and wherein the ion source is configured for an acceleration voltage in a range of about 800 volts to about 1500 volts for accelerating the ion beam from the ion source to the sputtering surface of the target,
• wherein both the ion source and ion beam face toward and are above the first surface side of the substrate, such that an irradiation angle (θi) equal to or less than 45 degrees is formed between (i) the ion beam propagating from the ion source and (ii) the first surface side of the substrate, and a target angle (θt) equal to or less than 60 degrees is formed between the sputtering surface of the target and the first surface side of the substrate, wherein the irradiation angle (θi) is less than the target angle (θt),
• wherein the moving the substrate in the first direction and the formation of the alignment film occur simultaneously, which results in the sputtering film having an orientation, and
• wherein the alignment film aligns molecules of the liquid crystal in a predetermined direction.