Optically compensated bend (OCB) mode liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are promising as the next generation liquid crystal display, because of its fast response and wide viewing angle.   In this OCB-mode, liquid crystal takes a splay alignment at the initial state.   Therefore, a transition from splay to bend alignment is required before the operation.   Generally, the transition is induced from a dust or a spacer as a nucleus.   Then, the bend-alignment area spreads from the nucleus with movement of disclination.   However, such a nucleus cannot realize a reliable transition.   Therefore, it is a most important subject to create the nuclei for practical application of OCB-mode LC.     In order to solve this problem, we first clarified that the twist disclination act as nuclei of the transition and also clarified the required condition to form the nuclei.   Based on these results, we devised a new method to create the nuclei for OCB-mode LCDs.   In this method, partial rubbing treatments were applied in opposite and crossed directions toward the entire-surface rubbing direction.   The disclination was created in the partially rubbed area by using this method.   The splay-to-bend transition was successfully induced from the nuclei as shown in Fig. 1 when a voltage was applied.   This technology is quite effective for the OCB-mode LCDs.  

	Figure 1   Alignment states in a trial cell 2 sec. after applying 4.5V