Thin backlight with recycling to reduce the bezel width

A backlight unit comprising:

• a lightguide;
• a light source that emits light to the lightguide;
• a barrier layer positioned over the light source and part of the lightguide in a light emitting direction relative to the lightguide, the barrier layer defining a bezel area of the backlight unit, and an active area of the backlight unit from which light is emitted from the lightguide is an area adjacent to a boundary of the bezel area;
• and
• a prism structure positioned in the bezel area, separate from the lightguide, wherein stray light emitted from the light source uncoupled to the lightguide is at least partially coupled into the lightguide or directed along a direction of the lightguide by the prism structures;
• wherein the light source is positioned in close proximity to a light receiving surface of the light guide such that light from the light source goes directly into the lightguide without passing through the prism structure, and the light source is positioned in a common plane as the light guide in a direction of light emission from the light source.