Effect of the ion-beam bombardment and annealing temperature on sol-gel derived yttrium aluminum oxide film as liquid crystal alignment layer

We demonstrated a homogeneous liquid-crystal (LC) alignment state on yttrium aluminum oxide (YAlO) films, where the alignment was induced by ion-beam (IB) irradiation. Topographical analysis was performed by atomic force microscopy as a function of annealing temperature. Higher annealing temperatures yielded a smoother surface, accompanied by reduced light scattering. Transparency in the visible region increased on the surface fabricated at higher annealing temperatures. LC alignment mechanism was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Moreover, IB-irradiated YAlO films annealed at temperatures greater than 200 °C exhibited good thermal stability and low capacitance-voltage hysteresis. The IB-irradiated YAlO films are suitable as alternative alignment layers in advanced LC display applications.