Single-cell-gap transflective liquid-crystal display based on photo- and nanoparticle-induced alignment effects

This work presents a transflective liquid-crystal (LC) display with a single cell gap in a dual-alignment configuration. This dual structure was fabricated via single-step laser-light exposure through a photomask. The vertical alignment induced by nanoparticles of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes can be changed into a homogeneous alignment via absorption of photoexcited azo dye. The LC molecules at the transmissive and reflective pixels are homogeneous and hybrid alignment, respectively, at which optimal phase retardations of half and quarter wavelengths are achieved.