Photoinduced surface alignment for optical thin films and liquid crystal displays

Over the past few years, photoinduced surface alignment of liquid crystal layers has evolved into a mature technology which enables the production of high-quality liquid crystal displays and functional optical thin films. Owing to its versatile possibilities to control the azimuthal and polar orientation of liquid crystals without mechanical intervention, photoalignment (PA) brings along considerable advantages over alternative alignment methods and opens up a plethora of novel applications. Improved optical performances, high production throughputs and yield increases are additional benefits of this technology. PA materials undergoing anisotropic photochemical crosslinking reactions have now reached technological maturity and are entering the market on a large commercial scale.