Dry vertical alignment method for multi-domain homeotropic thin-film-transistor liquid crystal displays

Multi-domain homeotropic liquid crystal alignment has been recognized as an alignment method to achieve wide viewing angle for thin-film-transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCDs). In the past decade, several types of multi-domain homeotropic TFT-LCDs have been well studied. In all these LCDs, a homeotropic polyimide layer is used to align liquid crystal molecules. In this paper, a new homeotropic alignment method-dry deposition vertical alignment (or vacuum deposition vertical alignment) is introduced. We studied several different vacuum deposited vertical alignment materials and one of them was demonstrated on a high resolution ridge fringe-field multi-domain homeotropic (RFFMH) TFT-LCD. This new method has advantages over the conventional polyimide alignment method: it simplifies the manufacturing process by avoiding wet chemical processes and improves the viewing angle by reducing light leakage.