Homogeneous Liquid Crystal Alignment on Ion Beam-Induced Y2Sn2O7 Layers

Y
₂
Sn
₂
O
₇
nanoparticle layer fabricated by ion beam (IB) irradiation after annealing is reported here. Spherical particles were induced after IB irradiation as demonstrated by field emission scanning electron microscopy. When this layer was used as an alignment layer, homogeneous alignment of nematic liquid crystals (LCs) was observed with a small pretilt angle due to van der Waals interactions between LCs and the Y
₂
Sn
₂
O
₇
layer and interactions between benzene rings of the LCs and broken chemical bonds. The resulting electric-controlled twist nematic cell showed excellent electrical-optical properties, indicating that our approach holds great potential for creating commercial LC displays (LCDs).