Polyimide blend alignment layers for control of liquid crystal pretilt angle through baking

Polyimide films were used for liquid crystal (LC) alignment layers to control LC pretilt angles over the full range (8°-90°). The pretilt angles could be controlled using polyimide films prepared from polyamic acid for vertical LC alignment and using polyimide blend films prepared from two types of polyamic acids, one for vertical LC alignment and the other for planar LC alignment, by changing the baking times ranging from 40 to 180 min at 230 °C. The polyimide blend film could control the pretilt angle better than the polyimide prepared from just one polymer component. The LC alignment behavior was well correlated with the wettability of the polyimide films due to the fragmentation of the long alkyl side group on the polyimide surfaces by the baking process.