Inverse four-domain twisted nematic liquid crystal display fabricated by the enhancement of azimuthal anchoring energy

An inverse four-domain twisted nematic (IFDTN) liquid crystal (LC) display was fabricated by enhancing the azimuthal anchoring energy of the alignment layers. By stacking a vertical alignment layer onto a planar alignment layer, we increased the azimuthal anchoring energy by approximately 17-fold times compared to that with vertical alignment only. Due to the enhanced azimuthal anchoring energy, we were able to achieve a four-domain twisted nematic LC structure without dopant via the application of an external voltage. A simulation of the LC molecular orientation with respect to the azimuthal anchoring energy, the viewing angle characteristics, and the switching behavior of the IFDTN LC are presented. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3559262]