International Business Machines Corporation

Akihiro Asahara

Hiroaki Kitahara

Tatsuya Nishiwaki

Yasuhiko Shiota

Hideo Kimura

Takeshi Yamada

Johji Nakagaki

An apparatus and method for forming an alignment layer with uniform orientation is provided. An alignment layer-forming apparatus includes an ion source for generating ion beams and one or more masks disposed between the ion source and a substrate. The masks each have a reflective face directed to the substrate. The ion beams are reflected between the reflective face of each mask and a thin-film which is disposed on the substrate and which is processed into an alignment layer, whereby the alignment layer is formed with the ion beam finally applied to the thin-film. The orientation of a liquid crystal can be rendered uniform by varying the shape and/or arrangement of the reflective face of the mask. Hence, a liquid crystal display with no brightness or color non-uniformity can be manufactured.

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Sagamihara, Japan

Akihiro Asahara