Liquid Crystal Zone Plate with Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Patterns on Substrate

Abstract

This work provides a liquid crystal (LC) alignment method based on the hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity of the substrate surface. This method uses photolithography and can form a hydrophilic and hydrophobic pattern on a substrate. The pattern area is formed by sulphonic azo dye and octadecyltrimethoxysilane, and these regions induce homogeneous and homeotropic alignments of LCs, respectively. The resolution of LC alignment can achieve a few micrometers. Using this alignment method, we fabricate LC zone plates and evaluate the electro-optical properties.