Patent Grant
9164313
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of a display device having a polarizer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A so-called flat panel display, which is a display device that is very thin and lightweight as compared to the conventional cathode-ray tube display device, has been developed. A liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal element as a display element, a light emitting device having a self-light emitting element, an FED (field emission display) using an electron beam, and the like compete in the market of flat panel displays. Therefore, lower power consumption and a higher contrast ratio are demanded to increase the added value so as to differentiate from other products.
In general, in a liquid crystal display device, each substrate is provided with one polarizing plate to keep a contrast ratio. When display of darker black is performed, the contrast ratio can be increased accordingly. Thus, higher display quality can be provided when an image is seen in a dark room such as a home theater room.
For example, in order to reduce display nonuniformity caused due to shortage of polarization degree and polarization distribution of polarizing plates and to improve a contrast ratio, a structure is suggested in which a first polarizing plate is provided outside a substrate on a viewing side of a liquid crystal cell, a second polarizing plate is provided outside a substrate on a side opposite to the viewing side, and a third polarizing plate is provided for increasing the degree of polarization when light from an auxiliary light source provided on the substrate side opposite to the viewing side is polarized through the second polarizing plate and transmitted through the liquid crystal cell (see Reference 1: PCT International Publication No. 00/34821).
However, a yet higher contrast ratio has been demanded to be enhanced and researches have been made for enhancement in contrast ratio of liquid crystal display devices. Further, there is a problem in that a polarizing plate having a higher degree of polarization is expensive.
A method for improving a contrast ratio by using three polarizing plates as described in Reference 1 can be realized by using an inexpensive polarizing plate; however, it is difficult to perform display with a higher contrast ratio by the method. Further, the dependence of absorption properties of a polarizer on a wavelength is not constant, that is, the polarizer has properties of hardly absorbing light of the certain wavelength region. Accordingly, even when a plurality of polarizers of the same type is used in attempting to improve contrast ratio, a certain wavelength region of light which is hardly absorbed remains. This causes slight light leakage, and the light leakage prevents a contrast ratio from being enhanced.
In view of the aforementioned problems, an object of the invention is to provide a display device having a high contrast ratio by a simple and easy method. Another object of the invention is to manufacture a high-performance display device at low cost.
It is a feature of the present invention that at least one of light-transmitting substrates which are provided to face each other is provided with a layer including stacked polarizers, and the stacked polarizers have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients and are arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state. Further, a wave plate or a retardation plate may be provided between the stacked polarizers.
A polarizer has an absorption axis, and when polarizers are stacked, a state where the absorption axes of the polarizers are parallel to each other is referred to as a parallel Nicols state, while a state where the absorption axes of the polarizers are perpendicular to each other is referred to as a crossed Nicols state. Note that a polarizer characteristically has a transmission axis perpendicular to the absorption axis. Therefore, a state where the transmission axes are parallel to each other can also be referred to as a parallel Nicols state, and a state where transmission axes are perpendicular to each other can also be referred to as a crossed Nicols state.
Further, a polarizer has a specific light extinction coefficient. This is because the dependence of the absorption properties of a polarizer on a wavelength is not constant, and the absorption properties with respect to a certain wavelength region are lower than that with respective to another wavelength region, that is, the polarizer has properties of hardly absorbing light of the certain wavelength region. In the present invention, the absorption axes of stacked polarizers have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients.
The wavelength region of light which is hardly absorbed can be eliminated or reduced by combining and stacking polarizers having different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients with respect to the absorption axes. Thus, even slight light leakage can be prevented and contrast ratio can be further improved.
A mode of a display device the present invention includes a first light-transmitting substrate and a second light-transmitting substrate which are disposed to face each other; a display element sandwiched between the first light-transmitting substrate and the second light-transmitting substrate; and layers including stacked polarizers on an outer side of the first light-transmitting substrate and the second light-transmitting substrate. The stacked polarizers have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients with respect to absorption axes, and the stacked polarizers are arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state.
A mode of a display device the present invention includes a first light-transmitting substrate and a second light-transmitting substrate which are disposed to face each other; a display element sandwiched between the first light-transmitting substrate and the second light-transmitting substrate; and layers including stacked polarizers on an outer side of the first light-transmitting substrate and the second light-transmitting substrate; and a retardation plate provided between the layers including the stacked polarizers and the first light-transmitting substrate and the second light-transmitting substrate respectively. The stacked polarizers have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients with respect to absorption axes, and the stacked polarizers are arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state.
A mode of a display device the present invention includes a first light-transmitting substrate and a second light-transmitting substrate which are disposed to face each other; a display element sandwiched between the first light-transmitting substrate and the second light-transmitting substrate; and a first layer including first stacked polarizers on an outer side of the first light-transmitting substrate; and a second layer including second stacked polarizers on an outer side of the second light-transmitting substrate. The first stacked polarizers have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients with respect to absorption axes, the second stacked polarizers have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients with respect to absorption axes, the first stacked polarizers are arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state, and the second stacked polarizers are arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state.
A mode of a display device the present invention includes a first light-transmitting substrate and a second light-transmitting substrate which are disposed to face each other; a display element sandwiched between the first light-transmitting substrate and the second light-transmitting substrate; and a first layer including first stacked polarizers on an outer side of the first light-transmitting substrate; a second layer including second stacked polarizers on an outer side of the second light-transmitting substrate; a first retardation plate between the first layer including the first stacked polarizers and the first light-transmitting substrate; and a second retardation plate between the second layer including the second stacked polarizers and the second light-transmitting substrate. The first stacked polarizers have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients with respect to absorption axes, the second stacked polarizers have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients with respect to absorption axes, the first stacked polarizers are arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state, and the second stacked polarizers are arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state.
A mode of a display device the present invention includes a first light-transmitting substrate and a second light-transmitting substrate which are disposed to face each other; a display element sandwiched between the first light-transmitting substrate and the second light-transmitting substrate; and a first layer including first stacked polarizers on an outer side of the first light-transmitting substrate; and a second layer including second stacked polarizers on an outer side of the second light-transmitting substrate. The first stacked polarizers have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients with respect to absorption axes, the second stacked polarizers have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients from each other with respect to absorption axes, the first stacked polarizers are arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state, the second stacked polarizers are arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state, the first layer including the first stacked polarizers has a first polarizer and a second polarizer which are sequentially stacked from the first light-transmitting substrate side, and the first stacked polarizers and the second stacked polarizers are arranged so that their absorption axes are in a crossed Nicols state.
A mode of a display device the present invention includes a first light-transmitting substrate and a second light-transmitting substrate which are disposed to face each other; a display element sandwiched between the first light-transmitting substrate and the second light-transmitting substrate; and a first layer including first stacked polarizers on an outer side of the first light-transmitting substrate; a second layer including second stacked polarizers on an outer side of the second light-transmitting substrate; a first retardation plate between the first light-transmitting substrate and the first layer including the first stacked polarizers; and a second retardation plate between the second light-transmitting substrate and the second layer including the second stacked polarizers. The first stacked polarizers have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients from each other with respect to absorption axes, the second stacked polarizers have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients from each other with respect to absorption axes, the first stacked polarizers are arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state, the second stacked polarizers are arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state, the first layer including the first stacked polarizers has a first polarizer and a second polarizer which are sequentially stacked from the first light-transmitting substrate side, and the first stacked polarizers and the second stacked polarizers are arranged so that their absorption axes are in a crossed Nicols state.
With respect to a display device of the invention, in the case where light from a light source called a backlight is transmitted through a layer including stacked polarizers on a side opposite to a viewing side to a display element and extracted from a layer including stacked polarizers on a viewing side, it is preferable that the absorption axes of the polarizers on the side (backlight side) opposite to the viewing side are in a parallel Nicols state, thereby transmittance of the light from the backlight is increased.
Further, a layer including stacked polarizers of the display device of the invention may have a structure in which a stack of a plurality of polarizers is provided between a pair of protective layers or a structure in which each polarizer is sandwiched between a pair of protective layers. Further, a structure may be used in which an anti-reflective film, an antiglare film, or the like is provided on the viewing side of the layer including stacked polarizers.
With a simple structure in which a plurality of polarizers having different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients are stacked and provided so that their absorption axes are deviated from each other, light leakage can be reduced, and contrast ratio of a display device can be increased. Further, such a high performance display device can be manufactured at low cost.
FIGS. 27A1 to 27C2 are cross-sectional views illustrating a liquid crystal mode of the present invention;
FIGS. 28A1 to 28B2 are cross-sectional views illustrating a liquid crystal mode of the present invention;
FIGS. 29A1 to 29B2 are cross-sectional views illustrating a liquid crystal mode of the present invention;
Hereinafter, embodiment modes and an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings. Note that it is easily understood by those skilled in the art that forms and details of the invention can be variously changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the content of the embodiment modes. Note that common portions and portions having similar functions are denoted by the same reference numerals in all diagrams for describing embodiment modes, and description thereof will not be repeated.
In this embodiment mode, a concept of a display device in which a pair of stacked layers each including a polarizer using the present invention is provided will be explained.
As shown in
In this embodiment mode, stacked layers each including a polarizer are provided on an outer side of a substrate, where the substrate is not in contact with a layer having a liquid crystal element. Specifically, as shown in
A polarizer has inconstant dependence of the absorption properties on a wavelength, and the absorption properties with respect to a certain wavelength region are lower than that with respective to another wavelength region, that is, the polarizer has properties of hardly absorbing light of the certain wavelength region. Accordingly, even when a plurality of polarizers of the same type is used in attempting to improve contrast ratio, a certain wavelength region of light which is hardly absorbed remains. In accordance with the present invention, the wavelength region of light which is hardly absorbed can be eliminated or reduced by combining and stacking polarizers where the wavelength distributions of the extinction coefficients with respect to the absorption axis are different. Therefore, even slight light leakage can be prevented, and contrast ratio can be further improved.
Each of the substrates is a light-transmitting insulating substrate (hereinafter also referred to as a light-transmitting substrate). The substrate is especially transparent to light in the visible wavelength range. As the substrates, for example, a glass substrate made of barium borosilicate glass, aluminoborosilicate glass, or the like; a quartz substrate; or the like can be used. Alternatively, a substrate formed of plastic typified by polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), and polyether sulfone (PES), or a flexible synthetic resin such as acrylic can be used as the substrates. Further, a film (formed of polypropylene, polyester, vinyl, polyvinyl fluoride, polyvinyl chloride, or the like), a base film (formed of polyester or polyamide, an inorganic deposition film, or the like) may be used as the substrates.
Further, although not shown in
In this embodiment mode, the first layer 103 including the polarizer and the third layer 105 including the polarizer are arranged so as to be in a crossed Nicols state. The first layer 103 including the polarizer and the third layer 105 including the polarizer may be deviated from the crossed Nicols state within the range where predetermined black display is obtained.
Note that a polarizer characteristically has a transmission axis perpendicular to the absorption axis. Therefore, a state where the transmission axes are parallel to each other can also be referred to as a parallel Nicols state, and a state where transmission axes are perpendicular to each other can also be referred to as a crossed Nicols state.
Note that the number of the stacked layers each including a polarizer a having different wavelength distribution of extinction coefficient from each other in
Further, the wavelength distribution of the extinction coefficient with respect to the absorption axis of the fifth layer 121 including the polarizer may be equal to or different from that with respect to the first layer 103 including the polarizer or the second layer 104 including the polarizer which is to be stacked together therewith. In this embodiment mode, the wavelength distribution of the extinction coefficient with respect to the absorption axis of the fifth layer 121 including the polarizer is different from that with respect to those of the first layer 103 including the polarizer and the second layer 104 including the polarizer. Thus, when the wavelength distributions of the extinction coefficients with respect to the absorption axes of the polarizers in the stacked layers are different, the wavelength range of light which can be absorbed can be extended; thus, even slight light leakage can be prevented. In the present invention, a stack in which absorption axes of the polarizers are deviated from a parallel Nicols state may be used in a plurality of stacked layers each including a polarizer. Similarly, at least two polarizers having different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients may be used in a plurality of stacked layers each including a polarizer.
Further, a fifth layer including a polarizer may be provided between the first layer 103 including the polarizer and the second layer 104 including the polarizer in such a manner the fifth layer and the first layer 103 are in a parallel Nicols state.
Further, the stack including the third layer 105 including the polarizer and the fourth layer 106 including the polarizer which are stacked in a parallel Nicols state on a light source side may be replaced by one layer (See
As in this embodiment mode, a pair of stacked layers including polarizers can be applied to a display device where light can be extracted from both sides of a substrate.
Thus, in a pair of stacked layers each including polarizers, polarizers in at least one of the layers each including polarizers having different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients, preferably, the layer on a viewing side, are provided so that the absorption axes of the polarizers are deviated from a parallel Nicols state, thereby reducing light leakage in the directions of the absorption axes. Thus, contrast ratio of the display device can be increased.
This embodiment mode will describe a concept of a display device provided with a retardation plate in addition to a pair of stacked layers each including a polarizing plate having a different wavelength distribution of extinction coefficient from each other with respect to the absorption axes unlike the above embodiment mode.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Further, as shown in
In addition, although not shown in
The retardation plate may be, for example, a film in which liquid crystals are hybrid-aligned, a film in which liquid crystals are twist-aligned, a uniaxial retardation plate, or a biaxial retardation plate. Using such retardation plates, the viewing angle of the display device can be extended. The film in which liquid crystals are hybrid-aligned is a compound film in which a triacetyl cellulose (TAC) film is used as a base and discotic liquid crystals having negative uniaxiality are hybrid-aligned to obtain optical anisotropy.
The uniaxial retardation plate is formed by stretching a resin in one direction. Meanwhile, a biaxial retardation plate is formed by stretching a resin into an axis in a crosswise direction, and then gently stretching the resin into an axis in a lengthwise direction. The resin used here may be cyclo-olefin polymer (COP), polycarbonate (PC), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), polyether sulfone (PES), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polypropylene (PP), polyphenylene oxide (PPO), polyarylate (PAR), polyimide (PI), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), or the like.
The film in which liquid crystals are hybrid-aligned is a film formed by using a triacetyl cellulose (TAC) film as a base and hybrid-aligning discotic liquid crystals or nematic liquid crystal molecules. The retardation plate can be attached to a light-transmitting substrate after being attached to a layer including a polarizer.
Circular polarization, elliptical polarization, or the like can be performed by combining a retardation plate and stacked polarizers. Further, a plurality of retardation plates may be used instead of one polarizer. Note that a retardation plate characteristically has a fast axis perpendicular to a slow axis. Therefore, the arrangement can be determined based on fast axes instead of slow axes.
Note that in this embodiment mode, the first layer 103 including the polarizer and the third layer 105 including the polarizer are arranged to be in a crossed Nicols state. The first layer 103 including the polarizer and the third layer 105 including the polarizer may be deviated as long as display of a predetermined black level can be obtained.
Note that the number of the stacked layers each including a polarizer having a different wavelength distribution of extinction coefficient from each other in
Further, the wavelength distribution of the extinction coefficient with respect to the absorption axis of the fifth layer 122 including the polarizer may be equal to or different from that with respect to the first layer 103 including the polarizer or the second layer 104 including the polarizer which is to be stacked together therewith. In this embodiment mode, the wavelength distribution of the extinction coefficient with respect to the absorption axis of the fifth layer 122 including the polarizer is different from that with respect to those of the first layer 103 including the polarizer and the second layer 104 including the polarizer. Thus, when the wavelength distributions of the extinction coefficients with respect to the absorption axes of the polarizers in the stacked layers are different, the wavelength range of light which can be absorbed can be extended; thus, even slight light leakage can be prevented.
As in this embodiment mode, a pair of stacked layers each including polarizers can be applied to a display device where light can be extracted from both sides of a substrate.
Thus, in a structure having a pair of stacked layers each including polarizers and a retardation plate, polarizers in at least one of the layers each including polarizers having different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients, preferably, the layer on a viewing side, are provided so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state, thereby reducing light leakage in the directions of the absorption axes. Thus, contrast ratio of the display device can be increased.
This embodiment mode will describe a concept of a display device provided with stacked layers each including a polarizing plate having a different wavelength distribution of extinction coefficient from each other with respect to the absorption axes unlike the above embodiment mode. The like parts or parts having like functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of them will not be repeated.
As shown in
Stacked layers each including a polarizer are provided on an outer side of a substrate, where the substrate is not in contact with a layer having a liquid crystal element. A first layer 103 including a polarizer and a second layer 104 including a polarizer are provided on a first substrate 101 side. Here, the first layer 103 including the polarizer and the second layer 104 including the polarizer are arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated to be in a parallel Nicols state. In this embodiment mode, the wavelength distributions of the extinction coefficients of the polarizers in the first layer 103 and the second layer 104 with respect to the absorption axes are different from each other.
In this embodiment mode, a reflector plate may be provided in addition. The reflector plate can be provided by forming a pixel electrode from a highly reflective material on an outer side of the second substrate 102.
As shown in
Further, even when a plurality of polarizers of the same type is used in attempting to improve contrast ratio, a certain wavelength region of light which is hardly absorbed remains. In accordance with the present invention, the wavelength region of light which is hardly absorbed can be eliminated or reduced by combining and stacking polarizers where the wavelength distributions of the extinction coefficients with respect to the absorption axis are different. Therefore, even slight light leakage can be prevented, and contrast ratio can be further improved.
Note that the number of the stacked layers each including a polarizer having a different wavelength distribution of extinction coefficient from each other in
Further, a fifth layer including a polarizer may be provided between the first layer 103 including the polarizer and the second layer 104 including the polarizer in such a manner the fifth layer and the first layer 103 are in a parallel Nicols state.
Further, the wavelength distribution of the extinction coefficient with respect to the absorption axis of the fifth layer 122 including the polarizer may be equal to or different from that with respect to the first layer 103 including the polarizer or the second layer 104 including the polarizer which is to be stacked together therewith. In this embodiment mode, the wavelength distribution of the extinction coefficient with respect to the absorption axis of the fifth layer 122 including the polarizer is different from that with respect to those of the first layer 103 including the polarizer and the second layer 104 including the polarizer. Thus, when the wavelength distributions of the extinction coefficients with respect to the absorption axes of the polarizers in the stacked layers are different, the wavelength range of light which can be absorbed can be extended; thus, even slight light leakage can be prevented.
As in this embodiment mode, the structure in which layers including polarizers are stacked over one side of a substrate can be applied to a display device where light can be extracted from one sides of a substrate.
Thus, the layers each including a polarizer having a different wavelength distribution of extinction coefficient from each other are provided so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state, thereby reducing light leakage in the directions of the absorption axes. Thus, contrast ratio of the display device can be increased.
This embodiment mode will describe a concept of a display device provided with a retardation plate in addition to layers each including a polarizing plate having a different wavelength distribution of extinction coefficient from each other with respect to the absorption axes, which are stacked on a viewing side unlike the above embodiment mode. The like parts or parts having like functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description of them will not be repeated.
As shown in
As shown in
In this embodiment mode, a reflector plate may be provided in addition. The reflector plate can be provided by forming a pixel electrode from a highly reflective material on an outer side of the second substrate 102.
As shown in
Note that the number of the stacked layers each including a polarizer having a different wavelength distribution of extinction coefficient from each other in
Further, the wavelength distribution of the extinction coefficient with respect to the absorption axis of the fifth layer 122 including the polarizer may be equal to or different from that with respect to the first layer 103 including the polarizer or the second layer 104 including the polarizer which is to be stacked together therewith. In this embodiment mode, the wavelength distribution of the extinction coefficient with respect to the absorption axis of the fifth layer 122 including the polarizer is different from that with respect to those of the first layer 103 including the polarizer and the second layer 104 including the polarizer. Thus, when the wavelength distributions of the extinction coefficients with respect to the absorption axes of the polarizers in the stacked layers are different, the wavelength range of light which can be absorbed can be extended; thus, even slight light leakage can be prevented.
As in this embodiment mode, the structure in which layers including polarizers are stacked over one side of a substrate can be applied to a display device where light can be extracted from one sides of a substrate.
Thus, the layers each including a polarizer having a different wavelength distribution of extinction coefficient from each other are provided so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state and a retardation plate is provided in addition, thereby reducing light leakage in the directions of the absorption axes. Thus, contrast ratio of the display device can be increased.
In this embodiment mode, structures of polarizers having different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients with respect to the absorption axes are different from each other which can be used for the present invention will be described with reference to
In the present invention, a layer including a polarizer includes at least a polarizer having a specific absorption axis. A single layer polarizer, or a polarizer inserted between protective layers may be used.
Further, the layers including stacked polarizers may have a structure in which bonding layers (adhesive layers) are provided between protective layers, between polarizers, and between the protective layer and the polarizer to bond them. In this case, the adhesion layers are required to have light-transmitting properties as the protective layers have. A retardation plate may be stacked together with a polarizer. The retardation plate also may have a structure in which a retardation film is provided between a pair of protective layers and may be stacked together with a polarizer with one or a plurality of protective layers in-between, or may be directly stacked together with the polarizer so that a protective layer, a retardation film, a polarizer, and a protective layer are sequentially stacked together. For example, in
The polarizer transmits only light vibrating in a certain direction and absorbs other light. A uniaxially stretched resin film to which dichromatic pigment is adsorbed and oriented can be used. As the resin, PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) can be used. PVA has high transparency and intensity, and can be easily attached to TAC (triacetyl cellulose) that is used as a protective layer (also referred to as a protective film because of its shape). As the pigment, iodine-based pigment and dye-based pigment can be used. For example, in a case of iodine-based pigment, iodine having high dichroism is adsorbed as a high ion to a PVA resin film and stretched in a boric acid aqueous solution, whereby the iodine is arranged as a chain polymer, and a polarizer shows a high polarizing characteristic. On the other hand, dye-based pigment in which dye having high dichroism is used instead of iodine has superiority in heat resistance and durability.
The protective layer reinforces intensity of the polarizer and prevents deterioration due to the temperature and moisture. As the protective layer, a film such as a TAC (triacetyl cellulose) film, a COP (cyclic olefin polymer-based) film, a PC (polycarbonate) film can be used. TAC has transparency, low birefringence, and superiority in an adhesive property to PVA that is used for the polarizer. COP is a resin film having superiority in heat resistance, moisture resistance, and durability. Further, iodine-based pigment and dye-system pigment can be mixed to be used.
As for the layer including a polarizer, for example, an adhesive surface, TAC (triacetyl cellulose) that is a protective layer, a mixed layer of iodine and PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) that is a polarizer, and TAC that is a protective layer are sequentially stacked from a substrate side. The polarization degree can be controlled by the mixed layer of iodine and PVA (polyvinyl alcohol). Alternatively, an inorganic material may be used for a polarizer. The layer including a polarizer may be referred to as a polarizing plate because of its shape.
This embodiment mode can be used in combination with any one of the above embodiment modes.
Thus, polarizers having different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients from each other are stacked so that their absorption axes are deviated from a parallel Nicols state, thereby reducing light leakage in the directions of the absorption axes. Thus, contrast ratio of the display device can be increased.
In this embodiment mode, a structure of a liquid crystal display device having a pair of stacked layers each including a polarizer having different wavelength distribution of extinction coefficient with respect to the absorption axes with each other will be explained, in which polarizers of at least one of the parts of the stacked layers each including a polarizer are arranged so that the transmission axes are deviated from each other.
The pixels 2702 are arranged in matrix by intersecting scanning lines extended from the scanning line input terminal 2703 with signal lines extended from the signal line input terminal 2704. Each pixel 2702 is provided with a switching element and a pixel electrode layer connected to the switching element. A typical example of the switching element is a TFT. A gate electrode layer side of the TFT is connected to the scanning line, and a source or drain side thereof is connected to the signal line, thereby each pixel can be controlled independently by a signal inputted from the external.
Further, in the case where a TFT provided in a pixel is formed using a semiconductor having crystallinity, a scanning line driver circuit 3702 can also be formed over a substrate 3700 as shown in
As shown in
In the pixel portion 606, the transistor 622 that is to be a switching element through base insulating films 604a and 604b is provided. In this embodiment mode, a multi-gate thin film transistor (TFT) is used for the transistor 622, which includes a semiconductor layer having an impurity region serving as a source region and a drain region, a gate insulating layer, a gate electrode layer having a stacked-layer structure made of two layers, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer. The source electrode layer or the drain electrode layer is electrically connected so as to be in contact with the impurity region of the semiconductor layer and a pixel electrode layer 630. The thin film transistor can be manufactured by various methods. For example, a crystalline semiconductor film is applied as an active layer. A gate electrode is provided over the crystalline semiconductor film through a gate insulating film. An impurity element can be added to the active layer using the gate electrode. Addition of the impurity element using the gate electrode makes it unnecessary to form a mask for addition of the impurity element. The gate electrode can have either a single-layer structure or a stacked-layer structure. The impurity region can be made a high concentration impurity region or a low concentration impurity region by controlling the concentration thereof. A structure of such a thin film transistor having such a low concentration impurity region is referred to as an LDD (Lightly doped drain) structure. In addition, the low concentration impurity region can be formed to be overlapped with the gate electrode. A structure of such a thin film transistor is referred to as a GOLD (Gate Overlapped LDD) structure. Polarity of the thin film transistor is to be an n-type by using phosphorus (P) or the like in the impurity region. When polarity of the thin film transistor is to be a p-type, boron (B) or the like may be added. After that, an insulating film 611 and an insulating film 612 covering the gate electrode and the like are formed. A dangling bond of the crystalline semiconductor film can be terminated by a hydrogen element mixed into the insulating film 611 (and the insulating film 612).
In order to improve planarity, an insulating film 615 and an insulating film 616 may be formed as an interlayer insulating film. For the insulating films 615 and 616, an organic material, an inorganic material, or a stacked structure thereof can be used. The insulating films 615 and 616 can be formed from a material selected from silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon nitride oxide, aluminum nitride, aluminum oxynitride, aluminum nitride oxide or aluminum oxide containing a larger amount of nitrogen content than oxygen content, diamond like carbon (DLC), polysilazane, carbon containing nitrogen (CN), PSG (phosphosilicate glass), BPSG (borophosphosilicate glass), alumina, and a substance containing another inorganic insulating material. As the organic material that may be either photosensitive or nonphotosensitive, polyimide, acryl, polyamide, polyimide amide, resist, benzocyclobutene, a siloxane resin, or the like can be used. It is to be noted that the siloxane resin corresponds to a resin including a Si—O—Si bond. Siloxane has a skeleton structure of a bond of silicon (Si) and oxygen (O). As for a substituent, an organic group containing at least hydrogen (such as an alkyl group or aromatic hydrocarbon) is used. As for a substituent, a fluoro group may be used. Further, as for a substituent, an organic group containing at least hydrogen and a fluoro group may be used.
The pixel portion and the driver circuit area can be formed in an integrated manner over the same substrate by using the crystalline semiconductor film. In this case, the transistor in the pixel portion and the transistor in the driver circuit area 608b are concurrently formed. The transistor used in the driver circuit area 608b forms a CMOS circuit. Although a thin film transistor including a CMOS circuit has a GOLD structure, an LDD structure such as the transistor 622 may be employed.
A structure of the thin film transistor in the pixel portion is not limited to this embodiment mode, and the thin film transistor in the pixel portion may have a single-gate structure in which one channel formation region is formed, a double-gate structure in which two channel formation regions are formed, or a triple-gate structure in which three channel formation regions are formed. A thin film transistor in the peripheral driver circuit area may have a single-gate structure, a double-gate structure, or a triple-gate structure.
Further, a thin film transistor is not limited to the manufacturing method shown in this embodiment mode. The thin film transistor may have a top-gate structure (such as a forward stagger type), a bottom-gate structure (such as an inverted staggered type), a dual-gate structure in which two gate electrode layers are arranged above and below a channel formation region through a gate insulating film, or some other structures.
Next, an insulating layer 631 referred to as an orientation film is formed by a printing method or a spin coating method so as to cover the pixel electrode layer 630 and the insulating film 616. The insulating layer 631 can be selectively formed when a screen printing method or an off-set printing method is used. After that, rubbing treatment is performed. When a liquid crystal mode, for example, a VA mode, is employed, there are cases when rubbing treatment is not performed. An insulating layer 633 serving as an orientation film is similar to the insulating layer 631. Subsequently, the sealant 692 is formed in the peripheral region where the pixel is formed by a droplet discharging method.
Then, the opposite substrate 695 provided with the insulating layer 633 serving as an orientation film, a conductive layer 634 serving as an opposite electrode, and a colored layer 635 serving as a color filter are attached to the substrate 600 that is a 111 substrate through a spacer 637. A liquid crystal layer 632 is provided in a space between the substrate 600 and the opposite substrate 695. After that, a first layer 641 including a polarizer and a second layer 642 including a polarizer are provided on an outer side of the opposite substrate 695. A third layer 643 including a polarizer and a fourth layer 644 including a polarizer are provided on a side opposite to a surface having an element of the substrate 600. The layer 643 including a polarizer and the layer 644 including a polarizer are provided on a surface of the substrate opposite to the surface provided with an element. Filler may be mixed into the sealant, and the opposite substrate 695 may be provided with a shielding film (black matrix) or the like. For a case of full-color display of the liquid crystal display device, the color filter or the like may be formed from a material emitting a red color (R), a green color (G), and blue color (B). For a case of mono-color display, the color filter or the like may be formed from a material emitting at least one color.
When RGB light emitting diodes (LEDs) or the like are arranged in a backlight and a successive additive color mixture method (a field sequential method) that conducts color display by time division is employed, there is a case when a color filter is not provided. The black matrix may also be provided to reduce the reflection of outside light by the wires of the transistor and the CMOS circuit. Therefore, the black matrix is provided so as to be overlapped with the transistor and the CMOS circuit. It is to be noted the black matrix may also be provided so as to be overlapped with the capacitor element. This is because the black matrix can prevent reflection due to a metal film forming the capacitor element.
As a method for forming the liquid crystal layer, a dispenser method (dripping method) or a dipping method (pumping method) in which liquid crystal is injected using a capillary phenomenon after attaching the substrate 600 having an element and the opposite substrate 695 may be used. A dripping method may be applied when a large-sized substrate to which it is difficult to apply an injecting method is used.
A spacer may be provided in such a way that particles each having a size of several μ meters are sprayed. In this embodiment mode, a method is employed in which a resin film is formed over the entire surface of the substrate and the resin film is subjected to an etching process. The material of such a spacer is applied by a spinner and then light-exposed and developed so that a predetermined pattern is formed. Moreover, the spacer is heated at 150° C. to 200° C. in a clean oven or the like to be hardened. The thus manufactured spacer can have various shapes depending on the conditions of light exposure and development processes. It is preferable that the spacer have a columnar shape with a flat top so that mechanical intensity for the liquid crystal display device can be secured when the opposite substrate is attached. The shape can be conic, pyramidal, or the like without any particular limitation.
A connection portion is formed in order to connect an external wiring board with the inside of the display device formed in accordance with the above-described steps. An insulating layer in the connection portion is removed by ashing treatment using an oxygen gas under atmospheric pressure or near atmospheric pressure. This treatment uses an oxygen gas and one or more of hydrogen, CF4, NF3, H2O, and CHF3. In this step, the ashing treatment is performed after sealing with the use of the opposite substrate in order to prevent damage or breaking due to static electricity. If the effect by static electricity is little, the ashing treatment may be carried out at any timing.
Subsequently, a terminal electrode layer 678 electrically connected to the pixel portion is provided with an FPC 694, which is a wiring board for connection, through an anisotropic conductive layer 696. The FPC 694 is to transmit external signals or potential. Through the above steps, a liquid crystal display device having a display function can be manufactured.
A wiring included in the transistor, the gate electrode layer, the pixel electrode layer 630, and the conductive layer 634 that is an opposite electrode can be formed from a material selected from indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO) in which zinc oxide (ZnO) is mixed with indium oxide, conductive materials in which silicon oxide (SiO2) is mixed with indium oxide, organoindium, organotin, indium oxide containing tungsten oxide, indium zinc oxide containing tungsten oxide, indium oxide containing titanium oxide, or indium tin oxide containing titanium oxide; a metal such as tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), vanadium (V), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), platinum (Pt), aluminum (Al), or copper (Cu); an alloy of such metals; or metal nitride thereof.
The substrate 600 is provided with a stacked layer of the third layer 643 including a polarizer and the fourth layer 644 including a polarizer. The opposite substrate 695 is provided with a stacked layer of the first layer 641 including a polarizer and the second layer 642 including a polarizer. The third layer 643 including a polarizer and the fourth layer 644 including a polarizer, which are provided on the backlight side, are arranged to be in a parallel Nicols state. The first layer 641 including a polarizer and the second layer 642 including a polarizer, which are provided on the viewing side, are arranged so as to deviate from a parallel Nicols state. The absorption axes of the polarizers of one of a pair of the stacked polarizers, preferably the stacked polarizer on the viewing side, are deviated, which is a feature of the present invention. Accordingly, the contrast ratio can be enhanced. In this embodiment mode, wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients with respect to the absorption axes of the first layer 641 including a polarizer and the second layer 642 including a polarizer are different from each other. Similarly, wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients with respect to the absorption axes of the third layer 643 including a polarizer and the fourth layer 644 including a polarizer are different from with each other.
The stacked layer of the third layer 643 including a polarizer and the fourth layer 644 including a polarizer and the stacked layer of the first layer 641 including a polarizer and the second layer 642 including a polarizer are bonded to the substrate 600 and the opposite substrate 695, respectively. A retardation film may be stacked to be interposed between the stacked layer including a polarizer and the substrate.
The stacked polarizers having different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients are provided so that the absorption axes thereof are arranged to be deviated from each other so as to deviate in such a display device, thereby the contrast ratio can be enhanced. In the present invention, a plurality of polarizers can be made a polarizer having a staked-layer structure, which is different from a structure in which a thickness of a polarizer is simply made thick. The stacked polarizer deviates, thereby the contrast ratio can be enhanced as compared with that of the structure in which a thickness is simply made thick.
This embodiment mode can be freely combined with the above embodiment modes.
In this embodiment mode, a liquid crystal display device using a thin film transistor that includes an amorphous semiconductor film in addition to stacked layers each including a polarizer having a different wavelength distribution of extinction coefficient from each other, which is different from that of the above embodiment modes, will be explained.
A display device shown in
A gate electrode layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer of the transistor 220 that is the inversely staggered thin film transistor manufactured in this embodiment mode are formed by a droplet discharging method. The droplet discharging method is a method for discharging a composition containing a liquid conductive material and solidifying the composition by drying and baking, thereby a conductive layer and an electrode layer are formed. By discharging a composition containing an insulating material and solidifying it by drying and baking, an insulating layer can also be formed. By the droplet discharging method, a constituent of a display device such as a conductive layer or an insulating layer can be selectively formed, which can simplify the manufacturing steps and reduce the loss of materials; thus, a display device can be manufactured at low cost with high productivity.
In this embodiment mode, an amorphous semiconductor is used as a semiconductor layer, and a semiconductor layer having one conductivity may be formed as needed. In this embodiment mode, a semiconductor layer and an n-type amorphous semiconductor layer as a semiconductor layer having one conductivity are stacked. Further, an NMOS structure of an n-channel thin film transistor in an n-type semiconductor layer, a PMOS structure of a p-channel thin film transistor in which a p-type semiconductor layer is formed, or a CMOS structure of an n-channel thin film transistor and a p-channel thin film transistor can be manufactured. In this embodiment mode, the transistor 220 is an n-channel inversely staggered thin film transistor. Furthermore, a channel protective-type inversely staggered thin film transistor provided with a protective layer over a channel region of the semiconductor layer can be used.
In addition, in order to impart conductivity, an n-channel thin film transistor and a p-channel thin film transistor can also be formed by adding an element imparting conductivity by doping and forming an impurity region in the semiconductor layer. Instead of forming the n-type semiconductor layer, conductivity may be imparted to the semiconductor layer by performing plasma treatment with a PH3 gas.
A semiconductor can be formed using an organic semiconductor material by a printing method, a spray method, a spin coating method, a droplet discharging method, a dispenser method, or the like. In this case, since the above etching step is not necessary, the number of steps can be reduced. As an organic semiconductor, a low molecular organic material, a high molecular organic material, an organic coloring matter, a conductive high molecular organic material, or the like can be employed. A π-conjugated high molecular material with the skeleton including conjugated double bonds is desirably used as an organic semiconductor material in the present invention. Typically, a soluble high molecular material such as polythiophene, polyfluorene, poly(3-alkyl thiophene), a polythiophene derivative, or pentacene can be used.
Next, a structure of a backlight unit 352 is explained. The backlight unit 352 includes a cold cathode tube, a hot cathode tube, a light emitting diode, an inorganic EL, or an organic EL as a light source 331 that emits light, a lamp reflector 332 to effectively lead light to a light conducting plate 335, the light conducting plate 335 by which light is totally reflected and light is led to the entire surface of the display panel, a diffusing plate 336 for reducing variations in brightness, and a reflector plate 334 for reusing light leaked under the light conducting plate 335.
A control circuit for controlling the luminance of the light source 331 is connected to the backlight unit 352. The luminance of the light source 331 can be controlled by a signal supplied from the control circuit.
A stacked layer of the third layer 233 including a polarizer and the fourth layer 234 including a polarizer are provided between the substrate 200 and the backlight unit 352. A stacked layer of the first layer 231 including a polarizer and the second layer 232 including a polarizer are stacked on the opposite substrate 210. The third layer 233 including a polarizer and the fourth layer 234 including a polarizer, which are provided on the backlight side, are arranged to be in a parallel Nicols state. The first layer 231 including a polarizer and the second layer 232 including a polarizer, which are provided on the viewing side, are arranged so as to deviate from a parallel Nicols state. In such a structure, one of a pair of the stacked layers each including a polarizer, preferably the stacked polarizers on the viewing side are deviated, which is a feature of the present invention. Accordingly, the contrast ratio can be enhanced. In this embodiment mode, wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients with respect to absorption axes of the first layer 231 including a polarizer and the second layer 232 including a polarizer are different from each other. Similarly, wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients with respect to absorption axes of the third layer 233 including a polarizer and the fourth layer 234 including a polarizer are different from each other.
The stacked layer of the third layer 233 including a polarizer and the fourth layer 234 including a polarizer and the stacked layer of the first layer 231 including a polarizer and the second layer 232 including a polarizer are bonded to the substrate 200 and the opposite substrate 210, respectively. Further, a retardation film may be stacked to be interposed between the stacked layer including a polarizer and the substrate.
The stacked polarizers having different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients are provided and arranged so that the absorption axes thereof are deviated in such a liquid crystal display device, thereby the contrast ratio can be enhanced. In the present invention, a plurality of polarizers can be made a layer including polarizer having a staked-layer structure, which is different from a structure in which a thickness of a polarizer is simply made thick. The stacked polarizer deviates, thereby the contrast ratio can be enhanced as compared with that of the structure in which a thickness is simply made thick.
This embodiment mode can be freely combined with the above embodiment modes.
In this embodiment mode, operation of each circuit or the like included in a display device will be explained.
In the pixel portion 505, a plurality of pixels is included, and a switching element is provided in each intersection region of a signal line 512 and a scanning line 510 that becomes a pixel. By the switching elements, application of a voltage to control tilt of liquid crystal molecules can be controlled. Such a structure where switching elements are provided in each intersecting region is referred to as an active type. The pixel portion of the present invention is not limited to such an active type, and may have a passive type structure instead. The passive type can be formed by a simple process because each pixel does not have a switching element.
The driver circuit portion 508 includes a control circuit 502, a signal line driver circuit 503, and a scanning line driver circuit 504. The control circuit 502 has a function to control a gray scale in accordance with display contents of the pixel portion 505. Therefore, the control circuit 502 inputs a signal generated to the signal line driver circuit 503 and the scanning line driver circuit 504. When a switching element is selected through a scanning line 510 in accordance with the scanning line driver circuit 504, a voltage is applied to a pixel electrode in a selected intersecting region. The value of this voltage is determined based on a signal inputted from the signal line driver circuit 503 through the signal line.
Further, in the control circuit 502, a signal controlling electric power supplied to a lighting unit 506 is generated, and the signal is inputted to a power supply 507 of the lighting unit 506. The backlight unit shown in the above embodiment mode can be used for the lighting unit. It is to be noted that the lighting unit includes a front light besides a backlight. A front light is a platy light unit formed of an illuminant and a light conducting body, which is attached to a front side of a pixel portion and illuminates the whole place. By such a lighting unit, the pixel portion can be evenly illuminated with low power consumption.
As shown in
Further, as shown in
The signal line driver circuit 503, the scanning line driver circuit 504, and the pixel portion 505 as described above can be formed of semiconductor elements provided over one substrate. The semiconductor element can be formed using a thin film transistor provided over a glass substrate. In this case, a crystalline semiconductor film may be applied to the semiconductor element (refer to Embodiment Mode 5). A crystalline semiconductor film can constitute a circuit included in a driver circuit portion because it has a high electrical characteristic, in particular, mobility. Further, the signal line driver circuit 503 and the scanning line driver circuit 504 may be mounted on a substrate by using an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip. In this case, an amorphous semiconductor film can be applied to a semiconductor element in a pixel portion (refer to Embodiment Mode 7).
In such a display device, stacked polarizers having different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients are provided and arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated from each other, thereby the contrast ratio can be enhanced. In other words, the contrast ratio of light from a lighting unit controlled by a control circuit can be enhanced.
In this embodiment mode, a structure of a backlight will be explained. A backlight is provided in a display device as a backlight unit having a light source. The light source is surrounded by a reflector plate so that the backlight unit effectively scatters light.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The light emitting diode 402 emitting a white color and the light emitting diodes (LED) 403, 404, and 405 each emitting color of RGB may be combined.
When a field sequential method is applied in a case of using the light emitting diodes of RGB, color display can be performed by sequentially lighting the light emitting diodes of RGB in accordance with the time.
The light emitting diode is suitable for a large-sized display device because the luminance is high when the light emitting diode is used. In addition, a color reproduction property of the light emitting diode is superior to that of a cold cathode tube because the color purity of each color of RGB is favorable, and an area required for arrangement can be reduced. Therefore, a narrower frame can be achieved when the light emitting diode is applied to a small-sized display device.
Further, a light source needs not provided as a backlight unit shown in
Stacked layers each including a polarizer are arranged so that the absorption axes of the polarizers are deviated from each other and provided in a display device using such a backlight, thereby an image having a high contrast ratio can be provided. A backlight having a light emitting diode is particularly suitable for a large-sized display device, and an image having high quality can be provided even in a dark place by enhancing the contrast ratio of the large-sized display device.
Driving methods of a liquid crystal for a liquid crystal display device include a vertical electric field method where a voltage is applied perpendicularly to a substrate and a horizontal electric field method where a voltage is applied parallel to a substrate. The structure in which stacked layers each including polarizers are arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated can be applied to either the vertical electric field method or the horizontal electric field method. In this embodiment mode, various kinds of liquid crystal modes will be explained, to which stacked layers each including polarizers that are arranged so that their absorption axes are deviated from each other can be applied.
First, FIGS. 27(A1) and 27(A2) each show a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal display device of a TN mode.
Similar to the above embodiment modes, a layer 100 including a display element is interposed between a first substrate 101 and a second substrate 102, which are arranged to be opposite to each other. A first layer 103 including a polarizer and a second layer 102 including a polarizer are arranged so as to deviate from a parallel Nicols state on the first substrate 101 side. A third layer 105 including a polarizer and a fourth layer 106 including a polarizer are arranged to be in a parallel Nicols state on the second substrate 102 side. The first layer 103 including a polarizer and the third layer 105 including a polarizer are arranged to be in a crossed Nicols state.
Although not shown, a backlight or the like is arranged on an outer side of the fourth layer 106 including a polarizer. A first electrode 108 and a second electrode 109 are respectively provided over the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102. The first electrode 108 on a side opposite to the backlight, in other words, on the viewing side, is formed so as to have at least a light transmitting property.
When a liquid crystal display device having such a structure is in a normally white mode, when a voltage is applied to the first electrode 108 and the second electrode 109 (referred to as a vertical electric field method), black display is performed as shown in FIG. 27(A1). At that time, liquid crystal molecules are aligned vertically. Thus, light from the backlight cannot pass through the substrate, which leads to black display.
As shown in FIG. 27(A2), when a voltage is not applied between the first electrode 108 and the second electrode 109, white display is performed. At that time, liquid crystal molecules are aligned horizontally while twisted on a plane. As a result, light from the backlight can pass through the substrate provided with a stacked layer including a polarizer that is arranged on the viewing side so as to deviate from a parallel Nicols state, which is a pair of the stacked layers including a polarizer, thereby a predetermined image is displayed.
By providing a color filter at that time, full-color display can be performed. The color filter can be provided on either the first substrate 101 side or the second substrate 102 side.
A known material may be used for a liquid crystal material of the TN mode.
FIG. 27(B1) shows a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal display device of a VA mode. A VA mode is a mode where liquid crystal molecules are aligned perpendicularly to a substrate when there is no electric field.
Similarly to FIGS. 27(A1) and 27(A2), a first electrode 108 and a second electrode 109 are respectively provided over a first substrate 101 and a second substrate 102. In addition, the first electrode 108 on a side opposite to the backlight, in other words, on the viewing side, is formed so as to have at least a light transmitting property. A first layer 103 including a polarizer and a second layer 104 including a polarizer are arranged so as to deviate from a parallel Nicols state. Further, on the second substrate 102 side, a third layer 105 including a polarizer and a fourth layer 106 including a polarizer are arranged to be in a parallel Nicols state. The first layer 103 including a polarizer and the third layer 105 including a polarizer are arranged to be in a crossed Nicols state.
When a voltage is applied to the first electrode 108 and the second electrode 109 (vertical electric field method) in a liquid crystal display device having such a structure, white display is performed, which means an on state, as shown in FIG. 27(B1). At that time, liquid crystal molecules are aligned horizontally. Thus, light from the backlight can pass through the substrate provided with the stacked layers each including a polarizer that are deviated from a parallel Nicols state, thereby a predetermined image is displayed. By providing a color filter at that time, full-color display can be performed. The color filter can be provided on either the first substrate 101 side or the second substrate 102 side.
As shown in FIG. 27(B2), when no voltage is applied between the first electrode 108 and the second electrode 109, black display is performed, which means an off state. At that time, liquid crystal molecules are aligned vertically. Thus, light from the backlight cannot pass through the substrate, which leads to black display.
Thus, in an off state, liquid crystal molecules are perpendicular to the substrate, thereby black display is performed. Meanwhile, in an on state, liquid crystal molecules are parallel to the substrate, thereby white display is performed. In an off state, liquid crystal molecules rise; therefore, polarized light from the backlight passes through a cell without being affected by the liquid crystal molecules and can be completely blocked by the layer including a polarizer on the opposite substrate side. Accordingly, at least one of the layers including a stacked polarizer of a pair of the layers including a stacked polarizer is arranged so as to deviate from a parallel Nicols state, thereby further enhancement of the contrast ratio can be assumed.
FIGS. 27(C1) and 27(C2) show an example in which a stacked layer including a polarizer of the present invention is applied to an MVA mode where alignment of liquid crystal is divided. The MVA mode is a method in which one pixel is divided into a plurality and the viewing angle dependency for each portion is compensated for that of other portions. As shown in FIG. 27(C1), projections 158 and 159, the cross-section of each of which is a triangle shape, are respectively provided on a first electrode 108 and a second electrode 109. When a voltage is applied to the first electrode 108 and the second electrode 109 (vertical electric field method), white display is performed, which means an on state, as shown in FIG. 27(C1). At that time, liquid crystal molecules are aligned so as to tilt toward the projections 158 and 159. Thus, light from the backlight can pass through the substrate provided with the stacked layers each including a polarizer that are deviated from a parallel Nicols state, thereby predetermined image display can be performed. By providing a color filter at that time, full-color display can be performed. The color filter can be provided on either the first substrate 101 side or the second substrate 102 side.
As shown in FIG. 27(C2), when a voltage is not applied between the first electrode 108 and the second electrode 109, black display is performed, which means an off state. At that time, liquid crystal molecules are aligned vertically. Thus, light from the backlight cannot pass through the substrate, which leads to black display.
FIGS. 28(A1) and 28(A2) each show a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal display device of an OCB mode. In the OCB mode, alignment of liquid crystal molecules forms a compensation state optically in a liquid crystal layer, which is referred to as a bent orientation.
Similarly to FIGS. 27(A1) to 27(C2), a first electrode 108 and a second electrode 109 are respectively provided on a first substrate 101 and a second substrate 102. Although not shown, a backlight or the like is arranged on an outer side of a fourth layer 106 including a polarizer. In addition, the first electrode 108 on a side opposite to the backlight, in order words, on the viewing side, is formed so as to have at least a light transmitting property. A first layer 103 including a polarizer and a second layer 104 including a polarizer are arranged so as to deviate from a parallel Nicols state. A third layer 105 including a polarizer and the fourth layer 106 including a polarizer are arranged on the second substrate 102 side so as to be in a parallel Nicols state. The first layer 103 including a polarizer and the third layer 105 including a polarizer are arranged so as to be in a crossed Nicols state.
When a constant on-voltage is applied to the first electrode 108 and the second electrode 109 (vertical electric field method) in a liquid crystal display device having such a structure, black display is performed as shown in FIG. 28(A1). At that time, liquid crystal molecules are aligned vertically. Thus, light from the backlight cannot pass through the substrate, which leads to black display.
When a constant off-voltage is applied between the first electrode 108 and the second electrode 109, white display is performed as shown in FIG. 28(A2). At that time, liquid crystal molecules are aligned in a bent orientation. Thus, light from the backlight can pass through the substrate provided with the stacked layer including a polarizer, thereby a predetermined image is displayed. By providing a color filter at that time, full-color display can be performed. The color filter can be provided on either the first substrate 101 side or the second substrate 102 side.
In such an OCB mode, a stacked layer including a polarizer, which is a pair of the stacked layers including a polarizer, on the viewing side is arranged so as to deviate from a parallel Nicols state, thereby birefringence caused in a liquid crystal layer can be compensated. As a result, the contrast ratio and a wide viewing angle can be enhanced.
FIGS. 28(B1) and (B2) each show a schematic diagram of an FLC mode and an AFLC mode.
Similarly to FIGS. 27(A1) to 27(C2), a first electrode 108 and a second electrode 109 are respectively provided on a first substrate 101 and a second substrate 102. The first electrode 108 on a side opposite to a backlight, in other words, on a viewing side is formed to have at least a light transmitting property. A first layer 103 including a polarizer and a second layer 104 including a polarizer are arranged so as to deviate from a parallel Nicols state. A third layer 105 including a polarizer and a fourth layer 106 including a polarizer are arranged on the second substrate 102 side so as to be in a parallel Nicols state. The first layer 103 including a polarizer and the third layer 105 including a polarizer are arranged so as to be in a crossed Nicols state.
When a voltage is applied to the first electrode 108 and the second electrode 109 (referred to as vertical electric field method) in a liquid crystal display device having such a structure, white display is performed as shown in FIG. 28(B1). At that time, liquid crystal molecules are aligned horizontally while rotated on a plane surface. Thus, light from the backlight can pass through the substrate provided with the stacked layer including a polarizer, which is a pair of the stacked layers including a polarizer, on the viewing side so as to deviate from a parallel Nicols state, thereby a predetermined image is displayed.
When no voltage is applied between the first electrode 108 and the second electrode 109, black display is performed as shown in FIG. 28(B2). At that time, liquid crystal molecules are aligned horizontally. Thus, light from the backlight cannot pass through the substrate, which leads to black display.
When a color filter is provided at that time, full-color display can be performed. The color filter can be provided on either the first substrate 101 side or the second substrate 102 side.
A known material may be used for a liquid crystal material of the FLC mode and the AFLC mode.
FIGS. 29(A1) and 29(A2) each shows a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal display device of an IPS mode. In the IPS mode, liquid crystal molecules are constantly rotated in a parallel to a substrate, and a horizontal electric field method where electrodes are provided on one substrate side is employed.
In the IPS mode, a liquid crystal is controlled by a pair of electrodes provided on one substrate. Therefore, a pair of electrodes 150 and 151 is provided over a second substrate 102. The pair of electrodes 150 and 151 may each have a light transmitting property. A first layer 103 including a polarizer and a second layer 104 including a polarizer are arranged so as to deviate from a parallel Nicols state. In addition, a third layer 105 including a polarizer and a fourth layer 106 including a polarizer are arranged on the second substrate 102 side so as to be in a parallel Nicols state. The first layer 103 including a polarizer and the third layer 105 including a polarizer are arranged so as to be in a crossed Nicols state. Although not shown, a backlight or the like is arranged on an outer side of the fourth layer 106 including a polarizer.
When a voltage is applied to the pair of electrodes 150 and 151 in a liquid crystal display device having such a structure, white display is performed, which means an on state, as shown in FIG. 29(A1). Thus, light from the backlight can pass through the substrate provided with the stacked layer including a polarizer, which is one of a pair of the stacked layers including a polarizer, on the viewing side, which deviates from a parallel Nicols state, thereby a predetermined image is displayed.
By providing a color filter at that time, full-color display can be performed. The color filter can be provided on either the first substrate 101 side or on the second substrate 102 side.
When no voltage is applied between the pair of electrodes 150 and 151, black display is performed, which means an off state, as shown in FIG. 29(A2). At that time, liquid crystal molecules are aligned horizontally while rotated on a plane surface. Thus, light from the backlight cannot pass through the substrate, which leads to black display.
An FFS mode can be used instead of the IPS mode. The FFS mode has a structure in which a pair of electrodes are not formed in the same layer, and an electrode 153 is formed over an electrode 152 with an insulating film interposed therebetween as shown in FIGS. 29(B1) and 29(B2), while the pair of electrodes are formed on the same surface in the IPS mode.
When a voltage is applied to the pair of electrodes 152 and 153 in a liquid crystal display device having such a structure, white display is performed, which means an on state, as shown in FIG. 29(B1). Thus, light from a backlight can pass through the substrate provided with the stacked layer including a polarizer on the viewing side that deviates from a parallel Nicols state, which is one of a pair of layers including a stacked polarizer, thereby a predetermined image is displayed.
By providing a color filter at that time, full-color display can be performed. The color filter can be provided on either the first substrate 101 side or on the second substrate 102 side.
When no voltage is applied between the pair of electrodes 152 and 153, black display is performed, which means an off state, as shown in FIG. 29(B2). At that time, liquid crystal molecules are aligned horizontally while rotated on a plane surface. Thus, light from the backlight cannot pass through the substrate, which leads to black display.
A known material may be used for a liquid crystal material of the IPS mode and the FFS mode.
A structure in which a stacked layer including a polarizer on the viewing side, which is one of a pair of stacked layers including a polarizer of the present invention, is arranged so as to deviate from a parallel Nicols state is applied to a liquid crystal display device of a vertical electric field method, thereby display with an even higher contrast ratio can be performed. Such a vertical electric field method is suitable for a display device for a computer that is used in a room or for a large-sized television.
Further, when the present invention is applied to a liquid crystal display device of a horizontal electric field method, display with a high contrast ratio can be performed in addition to one with a viewing angle. Such a horizontal electric field method is suitable for a portable display device.
Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to a liquid crystal display device of a rotation mode, a scattering mode, or a birefringence mode and a display device in which layers including a polarizer are arranged on both sides of the substrate.
This embodiment mode can be freely combined with the above embodiment modes.
This embodiment mode will be explained with reference to
Stacked layers of the third layer 2607 including a polarizer and the fourth layer 2627 including a polarizer which have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients from each other are provided between the TFT substrate 2600 and a backlight that is the light source. The stacked layers of the first layer 2606 including a polarizer and the second layer 2626 including a polarizer which have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients from each other are provided over the opposite substrate 2601. The third layer 2607 including a polarizer and the fourth layer 2627 including a polarizer, which are provided on the backlight side, are arranged so as to be in a parallel Nicols state. The first layer 2606 including a polarizer and the second layer 2626 including a polarizer, which are provided on the viewing side, are arranged so as to be deviated from a parallel Nicols state. In such a structure, one of a pair of the stacked layers each including polarizers having different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients from each other, preferably the stacked layers each including a polarizer on the viewing side are deviated. Accordingly, the contrast ratio can be enhanced.
The stacked layer of the third layer 2607 including a polarizer and the fourth layer 2627 including a polarizer is bonded to the TFT substrate 2600. The stacked layer of the first layer 2606 including a polarizer and the second layer 2626 including a polarizer are bonded to the opposite substrate 2601. In addition, a retardation film may be stacked to be interposed between the stacked layer including a polarizer and the substrate.
For the liquid crystal display module, a TN (Twisted Nematic) mode, an IPS (In-Plane-Switching) mode, an FFS (Fringe Field Switching) mode, an MVA (Multi-domain Vertical Alignment) mode, an ASM (Axially Symmetric aligned Micro-cell) mode, an OCB (Optical Compensated Birefringence) mode, an FLC (Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal) mode, or the like can be used.
A liquid crystal layer in the OCB mode has a so-called π-cell structure. In the π-cell structure, liquid crystal molecules are oriented so that their pretilt angles are plane-symmetric along a center plane between an active matrix substrate and an opposite substrate. An orientation state of a π-cell structure becomes splayed orientation when a voltage is not applied between the substrates and shifts to bent orientation when a voltage is applied therebetween. This bent orientation becomes a white display. When a voltage is applied further, liquid crystal molecules of bent orientation get oriented perpendicular to the both substrates so that light is not transmitted. With the OCB mode, response with about 10 times higher speed than a conventional TN mode can be realized.
Moreover, as a mode corresponding to the FS method, an SS-FLC or an HV-FLC using a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) capable of high-speed operation, or the like can also be used. The OCB mode uses a nematic liquid crystal having relatively low viscosity, while the HV-FLC or the SS-FLC uses a smectic liquid crystal. A material of an FLC, a nematic liquid crystal, a smectic liquid crystal, or the like can be used as the liquid crystal material.
Moreover, optical response speed of a liquid crystal display module gets higher by narrowing the cell gap of the liquid crystal display module. In addition, the optical response speed can also get higher by decreasing the viscosity of the liquid crystal material. The increase in response speed is particularly advantageous when a pixel in a pixel portion of a liquid crystal display module of a TN mode or a dot pitch is less than or equal to 30 μm.
Thus, absorption axes of the polarizers included in the layers are deviated from a parallel Nicols state, thereby light leakage in the absorption axis direction can be reduced. Therefore, the contrast ratio of the display device can be enhanced. A display device with high performance and high image quality can be manufactured.
This embodiment mode can be used by being freely combined with the above embodiment modes.
This embodiment mode will be explained with reference to
The display device of the present invention shown in
The third layer 811 including a polarizer and the fourth layer 812 including a polarizer are provided and stacked between the substrate 813 and the backlight that is the light source. The first layer 817 including a polarizer and the second layer 818 including a polarizer are provided and stacked over the opposite substrate 816. The third layer 811 including a polarizer and the fourth layer 812 including a polarizer which have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients from each other, which are provided on the backlight side, are arranged so as to be in a parallel Nicols state. The first layer 817 including a polarizer and the second layer 818 including a polarizer which have different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients from each other, which are provided on the viewing side, are arranged so as to deviate from a parallel Nicols state. In such a structure, one of a pair of the layers including a stacked polarizer, preferably, the stacked polarizer on the viewing side, has a polarizer that deviates. Thus, even slight light leakage can be prevented and the contrast ratio can be enhanced.
An electronic device such as a television device or a cellular phone is manufactured with the use of a display device of the present invention, thereby an electronic device with high performance and high image quality, which can perform three-dimension display, can be provided.
By a display device formed by the present invention, a television device (also, referred to as a television simply or a television receiver) can be completed.
In addition, as another structure of an external circuit, a video signal amplifier circuit 705 that amplifies a video signal among signals received by a tuner 704, a video signal processing circuit 706 that converts the signals output from the video signal amplifier circuit 705 into chrominance signals corresponding to each colors of red, green, and blue, a control circuit 707 that converts the video signal into an input specification of a driver IC, or the like are provided on an input side of the video signal. The control circuit 707 outputs signals to both a scanning line side and a signal line side. In a case of digital driving, a signal dividing circuit 708 may be provided on the signal line side and an input digital signal may be divided into m pieces to be supplied.
An audio signal among signals received by the tuner 704 is transmitted to an audio signal amplifier circuit 709 and is supplied to a speaker 713 through an audio signal processing circuit 710. A control circuit 711 receives control information of a receiving station (reception frequency) or sound volume from an input portion 712 and transmits signals to the tuner 704 or the audio signal processing circuit 710.
Such liquid crystal display modules are incorporated into each chassis as shown in
As shown in
Further, the television device may include a sub-screen 2008 formed using a second display panel to display channels, volume, or the like, in addition to the main screen 2003. In this structure, the main screen 2003 and the sub-screen 2008 can be formed using a liquid crystal display panel of the present invention. The main screen 2003 may be formed using an EL display panel having a superior viewing angle, and the sub-screen 2008 may be formed using a liquid crystal display panel capable of displaying sub-images with lower power consumption. In order to reduce the power consumption preferentially, the main screen 2003 may be formed using a liquid crystal display panel, and the sub-screen 2008 may be formed using an EL display panel such that the sub-screen can flash on and off. By using the present invention, even when many TFTs and electronic parts are used with such a large-sized substrate, a highly reliable display device can be formed.
Birefringence of liquid crystal changes depending on a temperature. Therefore, the polarization of light passing through the liquid crystal changes, and a light leakage condition from a polarizer on the viewing side changes. As a result, a change in the contrast ratio is generated depending on the temperature of the liquid crystal. It is desirable that a driving voltage be controlled so as to keep the contrast ratio constant. In order to control the driving voltage, an element for detecting the transmittance may be arranged and the driving voltage may be controlled based on the detection results. As the element for detecting the transmittance, a photosensor including an IC chip can be used. In the display device, an element for detecting the temperature may be arranged and the driving voltage may be controlled based on the detection results and the change in the contrast ratio with respect to the temperature of the liquid crystal element. As the element for detecting the temperature, a temperature sensor including an IC chip can be used. In this case, the element for detecting the transmittance and the element for detecting the temperature are preferably arranged so as to be hidden in the chassis of the display device.
For example, the element for detecting the temperature may be arranged near a liquid crystal display element in a display device of the present invention, which is mounted on the television devices shown in
The present invention can adjust the contrast ratio minutely by displacing absorption axes of stacked polarizers having different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients. Therefore, the present invention can deal with a slight deviation of the contrast ratio with respect to the temperature of the liquid crystal, and an optimal contrast ratio can be made. Thus, polarizers are stacked so that the polarizers having different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients are deviated from each other in advance so that an optimal contrast ratio can be made depending on the conditions (inside or outside of a room, climate, or the like) where the display device of the present invention is used, thereby a television device or an electronic device with high performance and high image quality display can be provided.
As a matter of course, the present invention is not limited to the television device. The present invention can be applied to various applications such as a monitor of a personal computer, particularly large-sized display media typified by an information display board at train stations, airports, or the like, and an advertising display board on the street.
An electronic device of the present invention includes: a television device (also simply referred to as a TV or a television receiver), a camera such as a digital camera and a digital video camera, a mobile phone set (also simply referred to as a cellular phone set or a cellular phone), a portable information terminal such as a PDA, a portable game machine, a monitor for a computer, a computer, an audio reproducing device such as a car audio set, an image reproducing device provided with a recording medium such as a home-use game machine, and the like. Specific examples thereof will be explained with reference to
A portable information terminal shown in
A digital video camera shown in
A cellular phone set shown in
A portable television set shown in
A portable computer shown in
By the display device of the present invention, an electronic device with a high contrast ratio can be provided.
In this embodiment, for a case of a transmission type liquid crystal display device of a TN mode, the result of optical calculation will be explained, in which polarizers each of which has a different wavelength distribution of extinction coefficient with respect to the absorption axis are stacked and the outermost polarizer on the viewing side deviates from a crossed Nicols state with respect to a polarizer on a backlight side. It is to be noted that the contrast ratio indicates the ratio of transmittance in white display (also referred to as white transmittance) to transmittance in black display (also referred to as black transmittance) (white transmittance/black transmittance). Transmittance in white display and transmittance in black display were each calculated, and then the contrast ratio was calculated.
As for the calculation in this embodiment, a liquid crystal optical calculation simulator LCD MASTER (made by Shintech Inc.) was used. Optical calculations of transmittance were conducted using the LCD MASTER. The optical calculations were conducted with a 2×2 matrix optical calculation algorithm where the wavelength range is from 380 nm to 780 nm, in which multiple interference between elements was not taken into account.
As shown in
Table 1 and Table 2 show property values of the polarizers 1 and 2 respectively. A thickness of each polarizer was 30 μm. Table 3 shows birefringence values of the liquid crystal and Table 4 shows other property values and orientation state of the liquid crystal 1. Table 5 shows physical property values and arrangement of the retardation film A1 and the retardation film A2. Table 6 shows physical property values and arrangement of the retardation film B1 and the retardation film B2. Each of the retardation films A1, A2, B1, and B2 is a retardation film having a negative uniaxial property.
From
Next wavelength dependency of the contrast ratio was calculated. Structure A of
The results of the contrast ratios of the 0 V transmittance and 5 V transmittance on the viewing side in the structures A, B, and C are shown in
Further, when the structure A and the structure C are compared, in which polarizing plates are deviated and stacked, the structure A in which polarizers having different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients from each other with respect to the absorption axes results in a higher contrast in a long wavelength region. This increases the contrast ratio because the extinction coefficient of the polarizer 1 is smaller than that of the polarizer 2 in a long wavelength region, and the structure A in which the polarizers 2 having a larger extinction coefficient in a long wavelength region are stacked results in lower transmittance when displaying black (5 V) in a long wavelength region as in
From the above result, polarizers, each of which has different wavelength distributions of extinction coefficients with respect to the absorption axis, are stacked, and the polarizer on the viewing side deviates from a crossed Nicols state with respect to the polarizer on the backlight side, thereby the high contrast ratio can be obtained.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application serial No. 2006-023853 filed in Japan Patent Office on Jan. 31, 2006, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-023853 | Jan 2006 | JP | national |
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/814,027, filed Jun. 11, 2010, now allowed, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/626,115, filed Jan. 23, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,738,055, which claims the benefit of a foreign priority application filed in Japan as Serial No. 2006-023853 on Jan. 31, 2006, all of which are incorporated by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4592623 | Yamamoto et al. | Jun 1986 | A |
| 4769242 | Shibanai | Sep 1988 | A |
| 4769292 | Tang et al. | Sep 1988 | A |
| 4968120 | Depp et al. | Nov 1990 | A |
| 5050965 | Conner et al. | Sep 1991 | A |
| 5122887 | Mathewson | Jun 1992 | A |
| 5142393 | Okumura et al. | Aug 1992 | A |
| 5237438 | Miyashita et al. | Aug 1993 | A |
| 5283132 | Ogura et al. | Feb 1994 | A |
| 5305143 | Taga et al. | Apr 1994 | A |
| 5396406 | Ketchpel | Mar 1995 | A |
| 5583677 | Ito et al. | Dec 1996 | A |
| 5831375 | Benson | Nov 1998 | A |
| 5856819 | Vossler | Jan 1999 | A |
| 6011580 | Hattori et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6023317 | Xu et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6097147 | Baldo et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
| 6147734 | Kashima | Nov 2000 | A |
| 6201592 | Terashita et al. | Mar 2001 | B1 |
| 6291255 | Huang et al. | Sep 2001 | B1 |
| 6356029 | Hunter | Mar 2002 | B1 |
| 6445005 | Yamazaki et al. | Sep 2002 | B1 |
| 6577361 | Sekiguchi et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6583472 | Shibata et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6583770 | Antila et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6621508 | Shiraishi et al. | Sep 2003 | B1 |
| 6646698 | Mori | Nov 2003 | B2 |
| 6656608 | Kita et al. | Dec 2003 | B1 |
| 6657260 | Yamazaki et al. | Dec 2003 | B2 |
| 6689492 | Yamazaki et al. | Feb 2004 | B1 |
| 6693689 | Kim et al. | Feb 2004 | B1 |
| 6706339 | Miyatake et al. | Mar 2004 | B1 |
| 6762436 | Huang et al. | Jul 2004 | B1 |
| 6765721 | Kawazu et al. | Jul 2004 | B2 |
| 6774877 | Nishitoba et al. | Aug 2004 | B2 |
| 6778229 | Inoue et al. | Aug 2004 | B2 |
| 6784457 | Yamazaki et al. | Aug 2004 | B2 |
| 6816217 | Sone | Nov 2004 | B2 |
| 6830828 | Thompson et al. | Dec 2004 | B2 |
| 6863997 | Thompson et al. | Mar 2005 | B2 |
| 6869695 | Thompson et al. | Mar 2005 | B2 |
| 6872472 | Liao et al. | Mar 2005 | B2 |
| 6887592 | Hieda et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6893743 | Sato et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6894312 | Yamazaki et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6897916 | Hamamoto | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6911271 | Lamansky et al. | Jun 2005 | B1 |
| 6934081 | Higashio et al. | Aug 2005 | B2 |
| 6939624 | Lamansky et al. | Sep 2005 | B2 |
| 6942931 | Lee et al. | Sep 2005 | B2 |
| 6951694 | Thompson et al. | Oct 2005 | B2 |
| 6970144 | Swift et al. | Nov 2005 | B1 |
| 6970218 | Fukuda et al. | Nov 2005 | B2 |
| 6985291 | Watson et al. | Jan 2006 | B2 |
| 6995816 | Mi et al. | Feb 2006 | B2 |
| 6998772 | Terumoto | Feb 2006 | B2 |
| 7015990 | Yeh et al. | Mar 2006 | B2 |
| 7034451 | Senbonmatsu | Apr 2006 | B2 |
| 7057681 | Hinata et al. | Jun 2006 | B2 |
| 7057682 | Watson et al. | Jun 2006 | B2 |
| 7059718 | Masterson | Jun 2006 | B2 |
| 7060370 | Kinoshita et al. | Jun 2006 | B2 |
| 7060371 | Akiyama et al. | Jun 2006 | B2 |
| 7064740 | Daly | Jun 2006 | B2 |
| 7098086 | Shibata et al. | Aug 2006 | B2 |
| 7126659 | Fukuda et al. | Oct 2006 | B2 |
| 7139053 | Yuuki et al. | Nov 2006 | B2 |
| 7144608 | Paukshto et al. | Dec 2006 | B2 |
| 7148502 | Yamazaki et al. | Dec 2006 | B2 |
| 7161185 | Yamazaki et al. | Jan 2007 | B2 |
| 7161649 | Lee et al. | Jan 2007 | B2 |
| 7175898 | Lühmann et al. | Feb 2007 | B2 |
| 7176619 | Miyachi et al. | Feb 2007 | B2 |
| 7176999 | Miyachi | Feb 2007 | B2 |
| 7211823 | Tung et al | May 2007 | B2 |
| 7218365 | Chang et al. | May 2007 | B2 |
| 7265383 | Yamazaki et al. | Sep 2007 | B2 |
| 7301591 | Akiyama | Nov 2007 | B2 |
| 7307679 | Toyooka et al. | Dec 2007 | B2 |
| 7315338 | Yeh et al. | Jan 2008 | B2 |
| 7317279 | Chen | Jan 2008 | B2 |
| 7324180 | Kashima | Jan 2008 | B2 |
| 7327335 | Yamazaki et al. | Feb 2008 | B2 |
| 7333077 | Koyama et al. | Feb 2008 | B2 |
| 7339316 | Adachi et al. | Mar 2008 | B2 |
| 7375464 | Chin et al. | May 2008 | B2 |
| 7381479 | Lamansky et al. | Jun 2008 | B2 |
| 7453640 | Yeh et al. | Nov 2008 | B2 |
| 7468769 | Nakagawa | Dec 2008 | B2 |
| 7501685 | Shibata et al. | Mar 2009 | B2 |
| 7738055 | Egi et al. | Jun 2010 | B2 |
| 7936422 | Adachi et al. | May 2011 | B2 |
| 7982267 | Shibata et al. | Jul 2011 | B2 |
| 20010048405 | Salley | Dec 2001 | A1 |
| 20020025419 | Lee et al. | Feb 2002 | A1 |
| 20020027416 | Kim et al. | Mar 2002 | A1 |
| 20020093284 | Adachi et al. | Jul 2002 | A1 |
| 20020113546 | Seo et al. | Aug 2002 | A1 |
| 20020135725 | Terashita et al. | Sep 2002 | A1 |
| 20020140343 | Hirabayashi | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20020159003 | Sato et al. | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20020186469 | Kawazu et al. | Dec 2002 | A1 |
| 20030017361 | Thompson et al. | Jan 2003 | A1 |
| 20030053011 | Mori | Mar 2003 | A1 |
| 20030054199 | Oh | Mar 2003 | A1 |
| 20030057419 | Murakami et al. | Mar 2003 | A1 |
| 20030063456 | Katahira | Apr 2003 | A1 |
| 20030103022 | Noguchi et al. | Jun 2003 | A1 |
| 20030129452 | Tsuji et al. | Jul 2003 | A1 |
| 20030147030 | Sone | Aug 2003 | A1 |
| 20030210360 | Yoshida | Nov 2003 | A1 |
| 20040105049 | Yeh et al. | Jun 2004 | A1 |
| 20040141122 | Nakagawa | Jul 2004 | A1 |
| 20040144974 | Lee et al. | Jul 2004 | A1 |
| 20040146663 | Paukshto et al. | Jul 2004 | A1 |
| 20040151829 | Boroson et al. | Aug 2004 | A1 |
| 20040169461 | Moriyama et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
| 20040169624 | Yamazaki et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
| 20040174478 | Fukuda et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
| 20040183082 | Yamazaki | Sep 2004 | A1 |
| 20040201341 | Miyachi et al. | Oct 2004 | A1 |
| 20040202893 | Abe | Oct 2004 | A1 |
| 20040227698 | Yamazaki et al. | Nov 2004 | A1 |
| 20040233362 | Kashima | Nov 2004 | A1 |
| 20040239658 | Koyama et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20040245529 | Yamazaki et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20040251823 | Park et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20040257497 | Paukshto et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20040262576 | Thompson et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20040263056 | Seo et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20040263066 | Abe et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20040263069 | Yamazaki et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20050012686 | Osame et al. | Jan 2005 | A1 |
| 20050024339 | Yamazaki et al. | Feb 2005 | A1 |
| 20050073627 | Akiyama | Apr 2005 | A1 |
| 20050077817 | Yamazaki et al. | Apr 2005 | A1 |
| 20050093438 | Chen | May 2005 | A1 |
| 20050100660 | Ito et al. | May 2005 | A1 |
| 20050123791 | Deaton et al. | Jun 2005 | A1 |
| 20050127820 | Yamazaki et al. | Jun 2005 | A1 |
| 20050140895 | Watson et al. | Jun 2005 | A1 |
| 20050157225 | Toyooka et al. | Jul 2005 | A1 |
| 20050157255 | Masterson | Jul 2005 | A1 |
| 20050162092 | Yamazaki et al. | Jul 2005 | A1 |
| 20050179835 | Lee et al. | Aug 2005 | A1 |
| 20050200777 | Nagano et al. | Sep 2005 | A1 |
| 20050202278 | Mishima et al. | Sep 2005 | A1 |
| 20050253789 | Ikeda | Nov 2005 | A1 |
| 20060007376 | Fukuda et al. | Jan 2006 | A1 |
| 20060024526 | Thompson et al. | Feb 2006 | A1 |
| 20060055847 | Yamazaki et al. | Mar 2006 | A1 |
| 20060114375 | Yeh et al. | Jun 2006 | A1 |
| 20060114376 | Yeh et al. | Jun 2006 | A1 |
| 20060114384 | Yeh et al. | Jun 2006 | A1 |
| 20060158096 | Adachi et al. | Jul 2006 | A1 |
| 20060164571 | Broer et al. | Jul 2006 | A1 |
| 20060215096 | Iwamoto et al. | Sep 2006 | A1 |
| 20070014009 | Cross et al. | Jan 2007 | A1 |
| 20070054066 | Usukura et al. | Mar 2007 | A1 |
| 20070120475 | Ishitani et al. | May 2007 | A1 |
| 20070121033 | Ishitani et al. | May 2007 | A1 |
| 20070126962 | Egi et al. | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20070146579 | Egi et al. | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20070146580 | Ishitani et al. | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20070159044 | Ishitani et al. | Jul 2007 | A1 |
| 20070177084 | Ishitani et al. | Aug 2007 | A1 |
| 20070177086 | Ishitani et al. | Aug 2007 | A1 |
| 20070182885 | Egi et al. | Aug 2007 | A1 |
| 20070200977 | Egi et al. | Aug 2007 | A1 |
| 20070200978 | Ishitani et al. | Aug 2007 | A1 |
| 20070285777 | Toyoshima et al. | Dec 2007 | A1 |
| 20090179549 | Abe et al. | Jul 2009 | A1 |
| 20110114964 | Shibata et al. | May 2011 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 0365778 | May 1990 | EP |
| 1 081 676 | Mar 2001 | EP |
| 1152282 | Nov 2001 | EP |
| 1 376 207 | Jan 2004 | EP |
| 1 564 713 | Aug 2005 | EP |
| 2 299 435 | Mar 2011 | EP |
| 62-206524 | Sep 1987 | JP |
| 64-082014 | Mar 1989 | JP |
| 3257429 | Nov 1991 | JP |
| 5034731 | Feb 1993 | JP |
| 5100114 | Apr 1993 | JP |
| 6222357 | Aug 1994 | JP |
| 6265728 | Sep 1994 | JP |
| 7142170 | Jun 1995 | JP |
| 7181476 | Jul 1995 | JP |
| 02761453 | Jun 1998 | JP |
| 10-255976 | Sep 1998 | JP |
| 2000081848 | Mar 2000 | JP |
| 2000-180843 | Jun 2000 | JP |
| 2000180843 | Jun 2000 | JP |
| 2000-249832 | Sep 2000 | JP |
| 2001-144301 | May 2001 | JP |
| 3174367 | Jun 2001 | JP |
| 2001-242320 | Sep 2001 | JP |
| 2002-277867 | Sep 2002 | JP |
| 2003-084271 | Mar 2003 | JP |
| 2003-172819 | Jun 2003 | JP |
| 2003-279963 | Oct 2003 | JP |
| 2004-085590 | Mar 2004 | JP |
| 2004-139052 | May 2004 | JP |
| 2004-354818 | Dec 2004 | JP |
| 2005-349616 | Dec 2005 | JP |
| WO 0034821 | Jun 2000 | WO |
| WO 2004036272 | Apr 2004 | WO |
| WO 2005050269 | Jun 2005 | WO |
| Entry |
|---|
| J. Chen et al.; “21.2: Optimum Film Compensation Modes for TN and VA LCDs”; SID 98 Digest— SID International Symposium Digest of Technical Papers; pp. 315-318; 1998, vol. number (vol. 29). |
| P. Lazarev et al,: “Thin Crystal Films (TCF) for LCD Contrast Enhancement” SID Digest '03 : SID International Symposium Digest of Technical Papers, pp. 669-671 (2003), vol. number (vol. 34). |
| European Search Report (European Application No. 07001333.9), 6 pages, mailed Apr. 25, 2008. |
| Office Action for Application No. 200710006165.X;CN9372, dated Jul. 3, 2009, with Full English translation. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20110051034 A1 | Mar 2011 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12814027 | Jun 2010 | US |
| Child | 12942061 | US | |
| Parent | 11626115 | Jan 2007 | US |
| Child | 12814027 | US |
