A method to control the pretilt angle of a liquid crystal device is
disclosed. The claimed invention provides two substrates and at least one
vertical alignment layers, which are fabricated on one side of each
substrate and are opposite to each other. Moreover, a liquid crystal
layer is sandwiched between the alignment layers, and the preferred
embodiment of the liquid crystal device has an Optically Compensated
Birefrigence (OCB) configuration. More particularly, before the process
of alignment for the liquid crystal device is performed, a pretilt angle
disclosed in the present invention is adjusted since at least one
vertical alignment layer is treated with a particle beam generated by
plasma or ions. The pretilt angle can range between 5 and 85 degrees.