Liquid crystal display with internal polarizer and method of making same
AssigneeGuardian Industries Corp.
InventorsMichael R. Jones, John Z.Z. Zhong
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Abstract
A liquid crystal display includes at least one polarizer located interior or internally of substrates of the display. In certain embodiments, the polarizer may be spin-coated onto the interior of one of the substrates, preferably the passive substrate of the display. Such a polarizer may also be located interior of color filters on the copassive substrate. Thus, light being transmitted through the display proceeds through the front polarizer prior to being de-polarized by the color filters. The result is improved contrast ratios in the display due to the minimization of the de-polarizing of color filters. In certain embodiments, the internal polarizer(s) may be photo-patternable by way of ultraviolet photo-imaging.
Claims20
A method of making a liquid crystal display comprising the steps of:
- providing first and second substrates;
- providing a polarizer alignment layer on said first substrate, said polarizer alignment layer defining a first alignment direction;
- spin-coating a polarizer layer on the first substrate so as to be in direct contact with the polarizer alignment layer whereby the first alignment direction of the polarizer alignment layer defines an absorption axis of the polarizer;
- and
- sandwiching a nematic liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates so that each of the nematic liquid crystal layer, the polarizer alignment layer, and the polarizer are disposed between the first and second substrates.
A liquid crystal display comprising:
- first and second substrates;
- a liquid crystal layer positioned between said first and second substrates;
- electrodes for selectively applying voltage across said liquid crystal layer;
- first and second liquid crystal alignment layers provided on opposite sides of said liquid crystal layer so as to align molecules of said liquid crystal layer;
- a polarizer alignment layer disposed between said liquid crystal layer and said first substrate;
- and
- a first internal polarizer disposed directly adjacent said polarizer alignment layer, and said internal polarizer disposed between said liquid crystal layer and said first substrate.
A liquid crystal display comprising:
- a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between first and second substrates;
- a plurality of color filters disposed between said liquid crystal layer and said first substrate;
- an internal polarizer disposed between (i) said liquid crystal layer, and (ii) said color filters, in order to reduce adverse effects of depolarization caused by said color filters.
A polarizer structure for use in a liquid crystal display, the polarizer structure comprising:
- a substantially transparent substrate;
- an alignment layer provided on said substrate, said alignment layer defining a polarizer alignment direction;
- and
- a polarizer layer on said substrate so as to be in direct contact with said alignment layer so that an optical axis of said polarizer layer is oriented in a direction dictated by said alignment direction defined by said alignment layer.
A liquid crystal display comprising:
- first and second substrates;
- a liquid crystal layer positioned between said first and second substrates;
- at least one electrode for selectively applying a voltage to said liquid crystal layer;
- first and second polarizers positioned in a manner such that said first and second substrates are located in between said first and second polarizers, said first polarizer being located closest to a viewer of the display and including a polarizer optical axis;
- a substantially transparent black matrix alignment layer provided on said first substrate, said black matrix alignment layer defining an alignment direction;
- and
- a black matrix layer provided on said first substrate in a position so that said black matrix layer is in direct contact with said black matrix alignment layer, and wherein said black matrix alignment layer is substantially transparent to a substantial portion of visible light rays and includes a black matrix optical axis which is oriented in a substantially different direction than said polarizer optical axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.