1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical polarizer and to equipment for manufacturing optical polarizers.
2. General Background
Liquid crystal display (LCD) devices are in widespread use in personal computers, desktop calculators, electronic clocks, word processors, automobiles, and other machines. Nearly all LCD devices include one or more polarizers, which function as filters with regard to the polarization of light.
A typical polarizer is shown in
When light beams irradiate the first protective layer 10 of the polarizer 1, some of the light beams are reflected, which results in a loss of light and a low rate of light utilization, whereby the brightness of an LCD device using the polarizer is reduced.
What is needed, therefore, is a polarizer with high rate of light utilization. What is also needed is equipment for manufacturing such a polarizer.
In one preferred embodiment, a polarizer for a liquid crystal display device includes a polarizer base, a first protective layer and a second protective layer on two sides of the polarizer base for protecting the polarizer base, and an anti-reflection layer on the first protective layer.
It is of advantage that the anti-reflection layer of polarizer can reduce the reflection of the light irradiated on the polarizer. Thus, the loss of light can be reduced and higher light transmission rate can be achieved.
In another preferred embodiment, a suite of equipment for manufacturing a polarizer includes a plurality of roller devices arranged on two sides of a path for passage of a polarizer preform, an ultraviolet irradiation device arranged next in processing sequence to the roller devices, and a plurality of vapor deposition devices arranged next in processing sequence to the ultraviolet irradiation device.
It is of advantage that the anti-reflection layer of polarizer can reduce the reflection rate of the light irradiated on the polarizer. Thus, the light loss can be reduced and higher light transmission rate can be achieved.
Other advantages and novel features will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
A polarizer 2 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in
The first protective layer 20 and the second protective layer 22 protect the polarizer base 21 disposed therebetween. The polarizer base 21 is made from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and includes a plurality of polarizer molecules that can change natural light into linear polarized light. The adhesive layer 23 is used to attach the polarizer 2 to a substrate (not shown) of an LCD device. The released layer release layer 24 can protect the adhesive layer 23 up to the time that the polarizer 2 is attached to said substrate. When light irradiates the anti-reflection layer 25 of the polarizer 2, less light is reflected, which improves the light utilization rate of an LCD device.
The anti-reflection layer 25 includes a first layer 26, a second layer 27, a third layer 28 and a fourth layer 29 arranged in that order. The first layer 26 and the third layer 28 are made from material with a low index of refraction, such as SiO2. The second layer 27 and the fourth layer 29 are made from triacetyl cellulose (TAC). A thickness of the first layer 26 is in a range from 7×10−8 to 9×10−8 meters. A thickness of the second layer 27 is in a range from 1×10−7 to 1.2×10−7 meters. A thickness of the third layer 28 is in a range from 1.5×10−8 to 3.5×10−8 meters. A thickness of the fourth layer 29 is in a range from 1×10−8 to 2×10−8 meters. The shape anisotropy of the polarizer 2 is in a range from 3:1 to 20:1, and preferably in a range from 5:1 to 10:1.
Because the anti-reflection layer of polarizer can reduce the reflection of the light irradiated on the polarizer, so the loss of light can be reduced and higher light transmission rate can be achieved.
In alternative embodiments, the first layer 26 and the third layer 28 of the anti-reflection layer 25 can be made from material with a high index of refraction, such as Al2O3 or SiNx. The second layer 27 and the fourth layer 29 of the anti-reflection layer 25 can be made from material with a low index of refraction, such as NbOx, TiO3, Ti3O5 or MgF2.
It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
93134597 A | Nov 2004 | TW | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5327180 | Hester et al. | Jul 1994 | A |
6147732 | Aoyama et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
6502943 | Nakamura et al. | Jan 2003 | B2 |
6542300 | Umemoto | Apr 2003 | B2 |
6726995 | Ishii et al. | Apr 2004 | B2 |
6950236 | Hokazono et al. | Sep 2005 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1384396 | Dec 2002 | CN |
1484048 | Mar 2004 | CN |
1532563 | Sep 2004 | CN |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20060103783 A1 | May 2006 | US |