TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The particle beam is a beam of accelerated plasma. The substrate does not comprise an alignment layer, and is not rubbed. At least a portion of the substrate is bombarded with a plasma beam from a plasma beam source at an incident angle of 0-85 (preferably 45-85)degrees relative to the substrate normal. The substrate is positioned at a distance of 5-50 cm from the plasma beam source. The current density of the plasma beam is from 0.1-1000 mu A/cm2, and the ion energy is 100-5000 eV. The alignment induced in the RM layer by the process is homeotropic, planar or tilted alignment. The process further involves the step of utilizing a mask to prevent the plasma beam from reaching a predetermined portion of the substrate; the step of moving the aligning substrate through a path of the plasma beam; and the step of polymerizing or crosslinking the oriented RM layer, and optionally removing the polymerized or crosslinked RM layer from the substrate, where the RM layer is polymerized or crosslinked by exposure to heat or actinic radiation. The alignment induced in the RM layer by the process comprises a pattern of at least two regions having different alignment direction. The process is carried out as roll-to-roll alignment treatment of reliable plastic substrates. The plasma beam source is an anode layer source; and is in the form of a sheet. Preferred Components: The substrate comprises an organic or inorganic material; and is selected form glass, quartz, plastic or silicon, or comprises at least one layer of these materials; or is a color filter. The RM's are a compound of formulae P'-Sp-MG-R (I), and (R-(A1-Z1)m)k-Q' (IV) (preferably selected from 38 compounds as given in the specification, e.g. a group of formulae P1-(CH2)x(O)z-1,4-phenylene-(COO)w-1,4-phenylene-R3, P1-(CH2)x(O)z-1,4-phenylene-COO-1,4-phenylene-1,4-phenylene-R3, P1-(CH2)x(O)z-1,4-phenylene-COO-1,4-phenylene (substituted at 3 position with L')-OCO-1,4-phenylene-R3, P1-(CH2)x(O)z-1,4-phenylene (substituted with L')-1,4-phenylene (substituted with L')-1,4-phenylene (substituted with L')-R3, P1-(CH2)x(O)z-1,4-phenylene-COO-Ch').P'=polymerizable group;Sp=spacer group or a single bond;R=straight-chain or branched 1-30C alkyl (optionally mono or poly-substituted by F, Cl, Br, I or CN; and at least one non-adjacent CH2 group is optionally replaced by -O-, -S-, -NH-, -NR1-, -SiR1R2-, -CO-, -COO- , -OCO-, -OCO-O-, -S-CO-, -CO-S-, -CY1=CY2- or -C?=C- in such a manner that O and/or S atoms are not linked directly to one another), F, Cl, Br, I, CN, NCS, SF5, P'-Sp- or H;R1 and R2=H or 1-12C alkyl;Q'=k-valent chiral group;k=1-6;MG=mesogenic group of formula -(A1-Z1)m-A2- (II);A1 and A2=aromatic or alicyclic group (optionally contains at least one heteroatom of N, O or S, and is optionally mono or poly-substituted by R);Z1=-O-, -S-, -CO-, -COO-, -OCO-, -S-CO-, -CO-S-, -O-COO-, -CO-NR1-, -NR1-CO-, -NR1-CO-NR2, -NR1-CO-O-, -O-CO-NR1-, -OCH2-, -CH2O-, -SCH2-, -CH2S-, -CF2O-, -OCF2-, -CF2S-, -SCF2-, -CH2CH2-, -(CH2)4-, -CF2CH2-, -CH2CF2-, -CF2CF2-, -CH=N-, -N=CH-, -N=N-, -CH=CR1-, -CY1=CY2-, -C?=C-, -CH=CH-COO-, -OCO-CH=CH- or a single bond;Y1 and Y2=H, F, Cl or CN;m=0-4;P1=polymerizable group;R3=greater than or equal to 1 (preferably 1-15C) alkyl, alkoxy, thioalkyl, alkylcarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylcarbonyloxy or alkoxycarbonyloxy (all are optionally fluorinated), Y' or P'-(CH2)y-(O)z-;Y'=F, Cl, CN, NO2, OCH3, OCN, SCN, SF5, optionally fluorinated alkylcarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylcarbonyloxy, alkoxycarbonyloxy with 1-4 C atoms or mono, oligo or polyfluorinated 1-4C alkyl or 1-4C alkoxy;Ch'=chiral group selected from cholesteryl, estradiol or terpenoid radicals like menthyl or citronellyl;L'=H, F, Cl, CN or optionally halogenated alkyl, alkoxy, alkylcarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylcarbonyloxy or alkoxycarbonyloxy with 1-5 C atoms;w=0 or 1;x=0-12;z=0 or 1.Provided that: In formula (IV), at least one R is P'-Sp-; and if the adjacent x is 0, then z is 0. EXAMPLE - An isotropic triacetyl cellulose (TAC) film was irradiated with plasma beam. The irradiation parameters were as follows: plasma incidence angle=75degrees , ion current density=8-10 mu A/cm2, ion energy=800 eV, irradiation time=5 min. The sample was moved in one direction during irradiation with a speed of 1 mm/s to model roll-to-roll translation. The average distance between the source and processed area of the sample was 10 cm. Onto this substrate was spin-coated the planar nematic reactive mesogen mixture dissolved in hexane. In 1 minute, this film was irradiated by a broad spectrum ultraviolet light from a high-pressure mercury lamp with the irradiation intensity of 60 mW/cm2 during 30 seconds. The reactive mesogen layer showed highly uniform alignment and the optical properties of a positive A plate.