title: Morphology of SiO2films as a key factor in alignment of liquid crystals with negative dielectric anisotropy.
abstract: Control of liquid crystal (LC) orientation using a proper SiO2alignment layer is essential for the optimization of vertically aligned nematic (VAN) displays. With this aim, we studied the optical anisotropy of thin SiO2films by generalized ellipsometry as a function of deposition angle. The columnar SiO2structure 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.
authors.affiliation: CNR-ISASI and Physics Department, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia Monte S. Angelo, 80126, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Volodymyr
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tkachenko
authors.affiliation: CNR-ISASI and Physics Department, University of Naples Federico II, Via Cinthia Monte S. Angelo, 80126, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Antigone
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.affiliation: CEMDATIC, E.T.S.I. Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Avda. Complutense 30, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Otón
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Physics, Military University of Technology, 00-908 Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Noureddine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bennis
authors.affiliation: CEMDATIC, E.T.S.I. Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Avda. Complutense 30, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Josè Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Otón
keywords: anisotropy; ellipsometry; liquid crystal alignment; morphology; thin film