Patent ID: 7442494

Claim:
A method for forming an alignment layer for a liquid crystal display device, the method comprising: preparing a substrate; coating an alignment material on the substrate; rubbing the substrate having the alignment material coated thereon; and performing a photo-alignment by irradiating ultraviolet (UV) rays onto the substrate having the alignment material coated thereon, wherein the UV rays are irradiated over at least one area of the substrate having the alignment material coated thereon, wherein the at least one area is either an entire surface of the substrate having the alignment material coated thereon, or a step region on the substrate having the alignment material coated thereon in which case other regions are being shielded with at least one mask, and wherein the direction of rubbing and the polarized direction of the UV rays are vertical to each other when the photo-alignment is realized by a photo-decomposition reaction, or the direction of rubbing and the polarized direction of the UV rays are parallel to each other when the photo-alignment is realized by a photo-isomerization reaction or a photo-dimerization reaction.