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.