Inorganic thin film compensator for improved gray scale performance in twisted nematic liquid crystal displays and method of making

A method of manufacturing an O-plate compensator, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a substrate;
• (b) providing a mask having an aperture;
• (c) providing a source of an inorganic deposition material comprising tantalum or a tantalum oxide;
• (d) positioning said substrate and said source on opposite sides of said aperture to provide an oblique deposition angle between said source and said substrate;
• (e) heating said source in a substantial vacuum to form a vapor;
• (f) providing an oxygen gas to react with said vapor;
• (g) applying a combination of a rotation motion, a translation motion, and a nutation motion to said substrate to obtain a substantially uniform thickness and deposition angle over said substrate;
• (h) controlling one or more of (1) a temperature of said substrate, (2) a rate of deposition on said substrate, and (3) a pressure of said oxygen gas, to obtain a desired refractive index and a desired optical anisotropy;
• and
• (i) annealing said inorganic microstructured film layer.

A method of manufacturing an O-plate compensator, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a substrate;
• (b) depositing an inorganic microstructured film layer at an incidence angle oblique to a surface of said substrate, wherein the step of depositing an inorganic microstructured film layer comprises the substeps of:
• (1) providing a mask having an aperture;
• (2) providing a source of an inorganic deposition material, the deposition material being a metal;
• (3) positioning said substrate and said source on opposite sides of said aperture to provide an oblique deposition angle between said source and said substrate;
• (4) heating or sputtering said source in a substantial vacuum to form a vapor;
• (5) providing a reactive gas to react with said vapor to form said inorganic microstructured film layer;
• and
• (6) applying a relative motion between said substrate and said source to obtain a substantially uniform thickness and deposition angle over said substrate.

A method of manufacturing an O-plate compensator, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a substrate;
• (b) depositing an inorganic microstructured film layer at an incidence angle oblique to a surface of said substrate, wherein the step of depositing an inorganic microstructured film layer comprises the substeps of:
• (1) providing a mask having an aperture;
• (2) providing a source of an inorganic deposition material;
• (3) positioning said substrate and said source on opposite sides of said aperture to provide an oblique deposition angle between said source and said substrate;
• (4) heating or sputtering said source in a substantial vacuum to form a vapor;
• and
• (5) applying a relative motion between said substrate and said source to obtain a substantially uniform thickness and deposition angle over said substrate, wherein applying a relative motion comprises applying one or more of a rotation motion, a translation motion, and a nutation motion to said substrate.