Surface Anchoring of Liquid Crystal Molecules on Various Substrates

Abstract

Ever since Mauguin described the fabrication of liquid crystal cells by rubbing glass plates with paper to obtain uniform homogeneous alignment, scientists have been attempting to study and understand the mechanism of anchoring and the subsequent alignment of these materials on various substrates. More than 35 different methods for creating surface alignment have been reported using both organic and inorganic films as well as various mechanical treatments. In this paper, many of these methods are reviewed and categorized. The mechanism of surface anchoring involves not one but several mechanisms. The nature of the surface material, the liquid crystal structure, and the past history of the surface, all play major roles in determining the mechanism for a specific technique.