Articles you may be interested inPhotoinduced magnetic uniaxial anisotropy and molecular orientation of polymer containing azobenzene side groups with free radical end J. Appl. Phys. 93, 4392 (2003); 10.1063/1.1559634 Alignment of polyamic acid molecules containing azobenzene in the backbone structure: Effects of polarized ultraviolet light irradiation and subsequent thermal imidizationWe have investigated the inclined alignment of polyimide molecules ͑containing azobenzene in the backbone structure͒ induced by oblique angle irradiation of ultraviolet ͑UV͒ light. The UV irradiation was performed for a polyamic acid film, which then was thermally converted into a polyimide film. The orientation of the polyimide backbone structure was determined by measuring the polarized infrared absorption spectra as a function of the angle of incidence. We confirmed that inclined alignment of the polyimide backbone structures is obtained by oblique angle UV irradiation, and that this also induces tilted homogeneous liquid crystal ͑LC͒ alignment. For the UV irradiation conditions used in the present study, the average inclination angle of the polyimide backbone structure was about 4°from the surface plane. The pretilt angle of the LC molecules was 0.9°.

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