Abstract: A method of forming a liquid crystal polymer layer includes: coating a substrate with a release layer; coating the release layer with an alignment layer capable of aligning a liquid crystal polymer layer; coating the alignment layer with a layer of a liquid crystal polymer material, thereby forming a liquid crystal polymer layer in which the molecules have a predetermined orientation; solidifying the layer of liquid crystal polymer; and dissolving the release layer in a liquid which does not harm the solidified liquid crystal polymer layer to form a self supporting film. The release layer and alignment layer can be combined into a single layer, such as for example a layer of polyvinyl alcohol which may be dissolved in water. Thicker or multi-layer films can be fabricated by using the first solidified layer as an alignment layer for a subsequently deposited liquid crystal polymer layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device capable of realizing an in-pixel divided-alignment structure by as simple a process as possible. Each of alignment films respectively provided on a pair of transparent substrates includes a first homeotropic alignment film rubbed, and a second homeotropic alignment film not rubbed and deposited on the first homeotropic alignment film. The second homeotropic alignment film is deposited in a half region of each pixel. In the pair of alignment films, the unrubbed alignment film surface of the second homeotropic alignment film and the rubbed alignment film surface of the first homeotropic alignment film are arranged opposite to each other.