Patent ID: 7638175

Claim:
An alignment film for controlling orientation of liquid crystal molecules, the alignment film comprising: an organopolysilsesquioxane as a main component of the alignment film, the organopolysilsesquioxane having in its molecule: an affinity imparting group increasing affinity to the liquid crystal molecules; and an orientation characteristic imparting group controlling orientation of the liquid crystal molecules, wherein the organopolysilsesquioxane has a cage structure or a partially cleaved cage structure and is obtained by condensation polymerization of alkoxysilane consisting of alkoxysilane compounds having different compositions, the alkoxysilane compounds having different compositions including: a first alkoxysilane compound having in its molecule the affinity imparting group being at least one selected from the group consisting of vinyltrimethoxysilane and 3-cyanopropyltriethoxysilane, a second alkoxysilane compound having in its molecule the orientation characteristic imparting group being at least one selected from the group consisting of phenyltrimethoxysilane and isobutyltrimethoxysilane, and a third alkoxysilane compound having in its molecule a curing reaction group which contributes to a polymerization reaction of the organopolysilsesquioxane, wherein the curing reaction group is at least one selected from the group consisting of: 3-glycidoxylpropyltriethoxysilane, 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyltrimethoxysilane and 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, wherein the alignment film is aligned by rubbing treatment.