Morphology of SiO₂ films as a key factor in alignment of liquid crystals with negative dielectric anisotropy

Control of liquid crystal (LC) orientation using a proper SiO₂ alignment layer is essential for the optimization of vertically aligned nematic (VAN) displays. With this aim, we studied the optical anisotropy of thin SiO₂ films by generalized ellipsometry as a function of deposition angle. The columnar SiO₂ structure orientation measured by a noninvasive ellipsometry technique is reported for the first time, and its morphology influence on the LC alignment is demonstrated for large deposition angles.