CN116068800A

CN116068800A - Display panel with switchable transmission and mirror surfaces, driving method and display device

Info

Publication number: CN116068800A
Application number: CN202310139014.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 钟德镇; 刘涛; 姜丽梅; 计均尧
Original assignee: InfoVision Optoelectronics Kunshan Co Ltd
Current assignee: InfoVision Optoelectronics Kunshan Co Ltd
Priority date: 2023-02-20
Filing date: 2023-02-20
Publication date: 2023-05-05

Abstract

The invention discloses a display panel with switchable transmission and mirror surfaces, a driving method and a display device, wherein the display panel comprises a color film substrate, an array substrate arranged opposite to the color film substrate and a liquid crystal layer positioned between the color film substrate and the array substrate, a first polaroid is arranged on the color film substrate, a second polaroid is arranged on the array substrate, and the light transmission shafts of the first polaroid and the second polaroid are mutually perpendicular; the display panel is provided with a plurality of pixel units, each pixel unit comprises a transmission area and a reflection area, a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode and a metal wire grid polaroid formed by a plurality of metal wire grids are arranged on the array substrate, the first pixel electrode corresponds to the transmission area, the metal wire grid polaroid and the second pixel electrode correspond to the reflection area, and the transmission axis of the metal wire grid polaroid is parallel to the transmission axis of the first polaroid. The invention not only can independently control the transmission area and the reflection area, but also simplifies the structure of the display panel and reduces the thickness of the box of the display panel.

Description

Display panel with switchable transmission and mirror surfaces, driving method and display device

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of displays, in particular to a display panel with switchable transmission and mirror surfaces, a driving method and a display device.

Background

With the development and progress of the liquid crystal display technology, the requirements of people on the liquid crystal display device are higher and higher, and at present, a display device which can be used as a mirror and also can be used for displaying, namely a mirror display device is favored.

In the conventional mirror display device, a layer of semi-reflective and semi-permeable film is adhered to the light emitting surface of a display panel, and when the display is performed, the light from the backlight source forms a color picture through the display panel to perform the display; after the display is completed, light from the external environment irradiates the semi-reflective and semi-permeable membrane at the moment, so that the display of the mirror surface can be realized. The matching of the electro-optical characteristics between the transmissive mode and the reflective mode is a very important issue, and in order to solve the imbalance of the electro-optical response, the prior art proposes a transflective liquid crystal display with a double-cell thick structure using an electrically controlled birefringence liquid crystal mode to compensate the transmissive mode and the reflective mode by using different cell gaps.

Although the liquid crystal display device in the related art realizes functions of transmission and mirror, there are also the following problems: 1. when in transmission display, specular reflection exists at the same time, reflected light cannot be closed, mirror image ghost easily occurs under ambient light, and normal transmission display can be greatly influenced; 2. the double-box thick design can reduce the specular reflection during normal display, but at least one layer of 1/4 wave plate is needed to be matched, so that the thickness, the cost and the process difficulty are increased.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to overcome the defects and shortcomings in the prior art, the invention aims to provide a display panel with switchable transmission and mirror surfaces, a driving method and a display device, so as to solve the problems that the transmission and mirror surfaces of the display panel cannot be controlled independently and the thickness of a box is thicker in the prior art.

The aim of the invention is achieved by the following technical scheme:

the invention provides a display panel with switchable transmission and mirror surfaces, which comprises a color film substrate, an array substrate and a liquid crystal layer, wherein the array substrate is arranged opposite to the color film substrate, the liquid crystal layer is arranged between the color film substrate and the array substrate, a first polaroid is arranged on one side, far away from the liquid crystal layer, of the color film substrate, a second polaroid is arranged on one side, far away from the liquid crystal layer, of the array substrate, and the light transmission shafts of the first polaroid and the second polaroid are mutually perpendicular; the display panel is provided with a plurality of pixel units, each pixel unit comprises a transmission area and a reflection area, a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode and a metal wire grid polaroid formed by a plurality of metal wire grids are arranged on one side of the array substrate, which faces the liquid crystal layer, the first pixel electrode corresponds to the transmission area, the metal wire grid polaroid and the second pixel electrode correspond to the reflection area, and the transmission axis of the metal wire grid polaroid is parallel to the transmission axis of the first polaroid.

Further, a first common electrode is arranged on the color film substrate, the alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer close to one side of the color film substrate is parallel to the light transmission axis of the first polaroid, and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer close to one side of the array substrate is parallel to the light transmission axis of the second polaroid.

Further, the metal wire grid polarizer is multiplexed as the second pixel electrode; or, the second pixel electrode and the metal wire grid polarizer are positioned at different layers and are insulated and spaced apart from each other.

Further, a second common electrode is arranged on the array substrate, and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer close to one side of the color film substrate is parallel to the alignment direction of one side of the array substrate or parallel to the alignment direction of one side of the liquid crystal layer close to the array substrate.

Further, the second pixel electrode is located at a different layer from the metal wire grid polarizer and is insulated from each other, and the metal wire grid polarizer is in contact with a surface of the second common electrode.

Further, the second pixel electrode has a strip structure and corresponds to one row or one column of the reflective area, the plurality of second pixel electrodes are electrically connected with each other in the non-display area, a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of data lines and a plurality of thin film transistors are arranged on one side of the array substrate facing the liquid crystal layer, and the first pixel electrode is electrically connected with the corresponding scanning lines and data lines through the thin film transistors.

Further, the second pixel electrodes are in one-to-one correspondence with the reflection areas, a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of data lines and a plurality of thin film transistors are arranged on one side, facing the liquid crystal layer, of the array substrate, two thin film transistors are correspondingly arranged in each pixel unit, the first pixel electrodes are electrically connected with the corresponding scanning lines and the corresponding data lines through one of the thin film transistors, and the second pixel electrodes are electrically connected with the corresponding scanning lines and the corresponding data lines through the other one of the thin film transistors.

Further, the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode are respectively connected with different scanning lines or/and data lines through two thin film transistors.

The present application also provides a display device comprising a transmissive and mirror switchable display panel as described above.

The present application also provides a transmission and mirror switchable driving method for driving a transmission and mirror switchable display panel as described above, the driving method comprising:

in a transmission mode, a backlight module is started, a corresponding gray-scale voltage signal is applied to the first pixel electrode, the transmission area is opened, a dark-state voltage signal is applied to the second pixel electrode, and the reflection area is closed; and in the reflection mode, the backlight module is turned off, the transmission area is turned off, a bright state voltage signal is applied to the second pixel electrode, and the reflection area is turned on.

The invention has the beneficial effects that: the array substrate is provided with a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode and a metal wire grid polaroid formed by a plurality of metal wire grids, wherein the first pixel electrode corresponds to the transmission area, the metal wire grid polaroid and the second pixel electrode correspond to the reflection area, and the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode respectively and independently control the brightness state of the transmission area and the reflection area to realize the independent control function of the transmission and the mirror surface; and the metal wire grid polarizer is matched for reflecting ambient light, so that a double liquid crystal box structure, a reflective metal layer and a 1/4 wave plate are not required, the structure of the display panel is greatly simplified, the box thickness of the display panel is reduced, and the manufacturing process difficulty and cost of the display panel are reduced. The structure (transmission display) of the invention is relatively simple, the light path diagram does not need multiple phase delays, the displayed colors are not greatly different from the existing display, and the invention is more easily accepted by users.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a color film substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of an array substrate according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a circuit connection of a metal wire grid polarizer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a metal wire grid polarizer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel in an initial state according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a display panel in a transmissive mode according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the transmissive region of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the reflective region of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a display panel in a reflective mode according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the transmissive region of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a schematic illustration of the reflective region of FIG. 9;

FIGS. 12a-12h are schematic diagrams illustrating a process for fabricating a metal wire grid polarizer according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 13a-13h are schematic diagrams illustrating a second process for fabricating a metal wire grid polarizer according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 14 is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel in an initial state according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a schematic plan view of an array substrate according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a circuit connection of a metal wire grid polarizer in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a schematic view of light rays of a display panel in a transmissive mode according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 18 is a schematic view of the transmissive region of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a schematic view of the reflective region of FIG. 17;

FIG. 20 is a schematic view of a display panel in a reflective mode according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 21 is a schematic view of the transmissive region of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a schematic view of the reflective region of FIG. 20;

FIG. 23 is a schematic plan view of an array substrate according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 24 is a schematic plan view of an array substrate according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

In order to further describe the technical means and effects adopted by the invention to achieve the preset aim, the following detailed description is given of the specific implementation, structure, characteristics and effects of the display panel and driving method, display device with switchable transmission and mirror surface, which are proposed according to the invention, by combining the accompanying drawings and the preferred embodiment:

example one

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of a color film substrate according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of an array substrate according to a first embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a circuit connection of a metal wire grid polarizer in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a metal wire grid polarizer in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel in an initial state according to a first embodiment of the invention.

As shown in fig. 1 to 5, a display panel with switchable transmission and mirror surface according to an embodiment of the invention includes a color film substrate 10, an array substrate 20 disposed opposite to the color film substrate 10, and a liquid crystal layer 30 disposed between the color film substrate 10 and the array substrate 20. In this embodiment, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 30 are positive liquid crystal molecules (liquid crystal molecules with positive dielectric anisotropy), as shown in fig. 5, in the initial state, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 30 are positive liquid crystal molecules and are in a lying posture, and the alignment direction of one side of the color film substrate 10 is perpendicular to the alignment direction of one side of the array substrate 20, i.e. the alignment direction of the positive liquid crystal molecules close to the color film substrate 10 and the alignment direction of the positive liquid crystal molecules close to the array substrate 20 are perpendicular to each other, so that the positive liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 30 are in a twisted alignment state from top to bottom, so as to form a TN display mode. Of course, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 30 may have a pretilt angle of 0 to 7 ° at the time of initial alignment, for example, the pretilt angle of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 30 at the time of initial alignment is 4 °, thereby accelerating the response speed of the liquid crystal molecules to deflection in the vertical direction.

The color film substrate 10 is provided with a first polaroid 41 at one side far away from the liquid crystal layer 30, the array substrate 20 is provided with a second polaroid 42 at one side far away from the liquid crystal layer 30, and the light transmission axes of the first polaroid 41 and the second polaroid 42 are mutually perpendicular. The alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer 30 near the color film substrate 10 is parallel to the light transmission axis of the first polarizer 41, and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer 30 near the array substrate 20 is parallel to the light transmission axis of the second polarizer 42. For example, when the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41 is 0 ° and the transmission axis of the second polarizer 42 is 90 °, the alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer 30 on the side close to the color film substrate 10 is 0 °, and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer 30 on the side close to the array substrate 20 is 90 °.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the display panel has a plurality of pixel units P, each of which includes a transmissive region T and a reflective region R. The array substrate 20 defines a plurality of pixel units P on a side facing the liquid crystal layer 30 by a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines crossing each other while being insulated from each other. The array substrate 20 is provided with a first pixel electrode 23, a second pixel electrode 25, and a metal wire grid polarizer 24 formed of a plurality of metal wire grids on a side facing the liquid crystal layer 30. The first pixel electrode 23 corresponds to the transmissive region T, and the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and the second pixel electrode 25 each correspond to the reflective region R. The transmission axis of the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41, the reflection axis of the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is parallel to the transmission axis of the second polarizer 42, e.g. the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41 is 0 ° and the transmission axis of the second polarizer 42 is 90 °, the transmission axis of the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is 0 °, and the reflection axis of the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is 90 °. The sizes of the transmissive region T and the reflective region R may be set according to practical situations, for example, the ratio of the transmissive region T to the reflective region R may be 1:1 or 3:1.

As shown in fig. 4, the metal wire grid polarizer 24 has a special polarization characteristic that transmits polarized light perpendicular to the extending direction of the metal wire grid and reflects polarized light parallel to the extending direction of the metal wire grid. In the incident light ray a, the polarization direction of the light ray has a first polarized light a perpendicular to the extending direction of the metal wire grid and a second polarized light B parallel to the extending direction of the metal wire grid, and the first polarized light a perpendicular to the extending direction of the metal wire grid can form a transmitted light ray C through the metal wire grid polarizer 24, and the second polarized light B parallel to the extending direction of the metal wire grid can be reflected to form a reflected light ray B, which is described in more detail in the prior art, and the description of the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is omitted herein. In this embodiment, the metal wire grid is w wide, p is spaced, t is high, preferably w is 82nm, p is 60nm, and t is 180nm, and is fabricated by nanoimprint techniques.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, in the present embodiment, the second pixel electrode 25 has a stripe structure and corresponds to one row of reflection regions R. As shown in fig. 3, the plurality of second pixel electrodes 25 are electrically connected to each other in the non-display area, i.e., all the second pixel electrodes 25 apply the same voltage signal, so that all the reflective areas R can be simultaneously controlled to be turned on or off. For example, peripheral electrode bars (e.g., formed by a first metal layer or a second metal layer) are formed on two sides of the non-display area of the array substrate 20, and peripheral circuits are formed on two ends of the second pixel electrode 25, and the peripheral circuits are electrically connected with the peripheral electrode bars through the via holes, and the peripheral electrode bars are further connected with the control chip so as to control all the second pixel electrodes 25 to apply the same signals. Of course, in other embodiments, the second pixel electrode 25 has a stripe structure and corresponds to a row of reflective regions R.

Further, the array substrate 20 is provided with a plurality of thin film transistors on a side facing the liquid crystal layer 30, and each pixel unit P is correspondingly provided with a thin film transistor, and the first pixel electrode 23 is electrically connected with the corresponding scan line and the data line through the thin film transistor. The thin film transistor includes a gate electrode, an active layer, a drain electrode, and a source electrode, wherein the gate electrode is located on the same layer as the scan line and electrically connected to the scan line, the gate electrode is isolated from the active layer by an insulating layer, the source electrode is electrically connected to the data line, and the drain electrode is electrically connected to the first pixel electrode 23 by a contact hole.

In this embodiment, the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is multiplexed as the second pixel electrode 25, and since the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is made of only metal and has a certain conductivity, the structure and manufacturing process of the array substrate 20 can be simplified by multiplexing the metal wire grid polarizer 24 as the second pixel electrode 25. Accordingly, the structure and position of the metal wire grid polarizer 24 are the same as those of the second pixel electrode 25, and will not be described again. Of course, in other embodiments, the second pixel electrode 25 may be located at a different layer from the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and insulated from each other, i.e. a transparent metal layer is additionally provided to make the second pixel electrode 25. Alternatively, the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and the second pixel electrode 25 are located in different layers, and the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is directly disposed on the upper surface or the lower surface of the second pixel electrode 25, so that the metal wire grid polarizer 24 can not only realize the function of reflective display, but also reduce the impedance of the second pixel electrode 25 in the embodiment, thereby reducing the driving power consumption and realizing the function of energy saving.

Further, the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and the first pixel electrode 23 are located on the same layer, and as shown in fig. 5, the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and the first pixel electrode 23 are located on the surface of the insulating layer 22 facing the liquid crystal layer 30. In other embodiments, the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and the first pixel electrode 23 may be located on different layers, i.e., the second pixel electrode 25 and the first pixel electrode 23 may be located on different layers.

As shown in fig. 5, the color film substrate 10 is provided with a first common electrode 14, and the first common electrode 14 has a whole structure, i.e., the first common electrode 14 corresponds to the transmissive area T and the reflective area R at the same time.

Further, the color film substrate 10 is further provided with a black matrix 11 and a color resist material layer 12, the color resist material layer 12 includes red (R), green (G) and blue (B) color resist materials, and sub-pixels of the red (R), green (G) and blue (B) colors are correspondingly formed, the transmission area T and the reflection area R are separated by the black matrix 11, in this embodiment, the area of the color film substrate 10 corresponding to the transmission area T is provided with the color resist material layer 12, the area of the color film substrate 10 corresponding to the reflection area R is covered by the flat layer 13 and is in a transparent state, that is, the color resist materials are not required to be arranged, and in the reflection mode, the reflection area R is in a black-white state. Of course, in other embodiments, when the reflective mode needs to display color, the color blocking material layer 12 may be disposed in the area of the color film substrate 10 corresponding to the reflective region R, so that color can be reflected during the reflective mode.

The color film substrate 10 and the array substrate 20 may be made of glass, acrylic, polycarbonate, and other materials. The materials of the first common electrode 14 and the first pixel electrode 23 may be Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) or Indium Zinc Oxide (IZO), etc., and the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is made of aluminum, molybdenum oxide, etc.

FIGS. 12a-12h are schematic diagrams illustrating a process for fabricating a metal wire grid polarizer according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 12a-12h, there is also provided a method of manufacturing a metal wire grid polarizer for manufacturing the metal wire grid polarizer 24 described above, the method comprising:

as shown in fig. 12a, a transparent substrate 1 is provided, and a first metal layer 2 and a second metal layer 3 are sequentially covered on the transparent substrate 1, wherein the first metal layer 2 is metal aluminum, and the second metal layer 3 is metal molybdenum. The transparent substrate 1 may be made of glass, quartz, silicon, acrylic, polycarbonate, or the like.

As shown in fig. 12b, the second metal layer 3 is subjected to oxidation treatment so that the second metal layer 3 forms a metal oxide layer 31. Wherein, the metal oxide layer 31 is molybdenum oxide, and the molybdenum oxide is black, so that the problem of reflecting metallic luster of the built-in metal wire grid can be avoided.

As shown in fig. 12c, the first photoresist layer 4 is covered on the metal oxide layer 31.

As shown in fig. 12d-12e, the first photoresist layer 4 is patterned. Specifically, an imprint mold 5 having a pattern is provided, and the first photoresist layer 4 is subjected to an imprint process by the imprint mold 5, so that the first photoresist layer 4 forms a patterned structure corresponding to the wire grid polarizer 24. Of course, in other embodiments, the first photoresist layer 4 may be patterned by exposure and development, but the number of steps is increased.

As shown in fig. 12f-12g, the first photoresist layer 4 is used as a barrier, and the first metal layer 2 and the metal oxide layer 31 are etched, so that the first metal layer 2 and the metal oxide layer 31 form a plurality of parallel and spaced apart metal grids, and the metal grids together form the metal wire grid polarizer 24. The first photoresist layer 4 is then removed to leak out the metal wire grid polarizer 24. Wherein the metal wire grid polarizer 24 corresponds to the reflective region R.

Finally, as shown in fig. 12h, a planarization layer is covered on the metal wire grid polarizer 24 to planarize the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and to protect the metal wire grid polarizer 24.

FIGS. 13a-13h are second schematic diagrams of a process for fabricating a metal wire grid polarizer in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 13a-13h, there is also provided a method of manufacturing a metal wire grid polarizer for manufacturing the metal wire grid polarizer 24 described above, the method comprising:

as shown in fig. 13a, a transparent substrate 1 is provided, and a first metal layer 2, a second metal layer 3 and a first photoresist layer 4 are sequentially covered on the transparent substrate 1. Wherein the first metal layer 2 is metal aluminum, and the second metal layer 3 is metal molybdenum. The transparent substrate 1 may be made of glass, quartz, silicon, acrylic, polycarbonate, or the like.

As shown in fig. 13b, the first photoresist layer 4 is subjected to patterning treatment. The first photoresist layer 4 may be patterned by using a nanoimprint technique (fig. 13e-13 f), or the first photoresist layer 4 may be patterned by using a process such as exposure and development. So that the first photoresist layer 4 shields the peripheral circuit region.

As shown in fig. 13c, the second metal layer 3 is oxidized with the first photoresist layer 4 as a mask, so that the exposed region of the second metal layer 3 forms a metal oxide layer 31, while the region masked by the first photoresist layer 4 is not oxidized. Wherein, the metal oxide layer 31 is molybdenum oxide, and the molybdenum oxide is black, so that the problem of reflecting metallic luster of the built-in metal wire grid can be avoided. Then, the first photoresist layer 4 is removed to leak out the second metal layer 3 which is not oxidized.

As shown in fig. 13d, the second photoresist layer 6 is covered on the metal oxide layer 31 and the unoxidized second metal layer 3.

As shown in fig. 13e-13f, the second photoresist layer 6 is patterned. Specifically, an imprint mold 5 having a pattern is provided, and the second photoresist layer 6 is subjected to an imprint process by the imprint mold 5, so that the second photoresist layer 6 forms a patterned structure corresponding to the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and the peripheral circuit region. Of course, in other embodiments, the second photoresist layer 6 may be patterned by exposure and development, but the number of steps is increased.

As shown in fig. 13g, the second photoresist layer 6 is used as a barrier, and the first metal layer 2 and the metal oxide layer 31 are etched, so that the first metal layer 2 and the metal oxide layer 31 form a plurality of parallel and spaced metal grids, the metal grids together form the metal wire grid polarizer 24, and the unoxidized second metal layer 3 and the first metal layer 2 below form a peripheral circuit 33 (for example, a signal trace connecting the metal wire grid polarizer 24 in a non-display area). The second photoresist layer 6 is then removed to leak out the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and the peripheral circuitry 33. Wherein the metal wire grid polarizer 24 corresponds to the reflective region R. By simultaneously fabricating the peripheral circuit 33 when fabricating the wire grid polarizer 24, the fabrication process is simplified and the fabrication cost is reduced. The peripheral circuit 33 is conducted with the peripheral electrode bars made of the first metal layer or the second metal layer through the contact holes of the lower insulating layer, and the metal wire grid polarizer 24 receives corresponding voltage signals through the peripheral electrode bars.

Finally, as shown in fig. 13h, a planarization layer is covered on the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and the peripheral circuit 33 to planarize the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and the peripheral circuit 33, and to protect the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and the peripheral circuit 33.

The present application also provides a display device comprising a transmissive and mirror switchable display panel as described above. The display device also comprises a backlight module, and the backlight module is positioned below the display panel and is used for providing a backlight source for the display device.

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of light rays of the display panel in the transmission mode according to the first embodiment of the invention. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the transmission region of fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the reflective region of fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a schematic view of light rays of the display panel in the reflective mode according to the first embodiment of the invention. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram of the transmission region of fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of the reflection area in fig. 9. As shown in fig. 6-11, the present application also provides a transmissive and mirror switchable driving method for driving a transmissive and mirror switchable display panel as described above. The driving method comprises the following steps:

as shown in fig. 6, in the transmission mode, the backlight module is turned on to provide a backlight source for the display device. Applying a corresponding gray scale voltage signal (0-255 gray scales) to the first pixel electrode 23, the transmissive area T is opened, and the transmissive area T can display a normal picture; and a dark state voltage signal (e.g., 5V) is applied to the second pixel electrode 25 (i.e., the metal wire grid polarizer 24), a strong vertical electric field (E1 in fig. 6) is formed between the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and the first common electrode 14, the positive liquid crystal molecules corresponding to the reflective region R deflect in the vertical direction and take a standing posture, and the reflective region R is turned off.

As shown in fig. 7, in the transmissive mode, the light BL from the backlight passes through the second polarizer 42 to form linearly polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the second polarizer 42, passes through the liquid crystal layer 30 twisted by 90 ° and then rotates by 90 ° in the polarization direction, that is, parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41, and is emitted from the first polarizer 41, and the transmissive area T is in an open state (bright state), thereby realizing transmissive display and displaying a normal screen. The external ambient light I passes through the first polarizer 41 to form linearly polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41, and passes through the liquid crystal layer 30 twisted by 90 ° to rotate by 90 ° in polarization direction, that is, parallel to the transmission axis of the second polarizer 42, and is emitted from the second polarizer 42 to the backlight module.

As shown in fig. 8, in the transmissive mode, for the reflective region R, the light BL from the backlight passes through the second polarizer 42 to form linearly polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the second polarizer 42, i.e., parallel to the reflection axis of the metal wire grid polarizer 24, and is then reflected back by the metal wire grid polarizer 24 for reuse. The external ambient light I passes through the first polarizer 41 to form linearly polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41, and then passes through the liquid crystal layer 30 in a standing posture, and then the polarization state of the external ambient light I is not changed, or the linearly polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41, that is, the transmission axis of the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is maintained, and then passes through the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and is absorbed by the second polarizer 42, so that the reflection region R is in a closed state (dark state).

As shown in fig. 9, in the reflective mode, the backlight module is turned off, and the transmissive region T is turned off (dark state) because there is no backlight, and no voltage is applied to the first pixel electrode 23. A bright state voltage signal (e.g., 0-0.8V) is applied to the second pixel electrode 25, and a vertical electric field is not substantially formed between the second pixel electrode 25 (i.e., the metal wire grid polarizer 24) and the first common electrode 14, and the positive liquid crystal molecules corresponding to the reflective region R remain in an initial twisted 90 ° state, and the reflective region R is opened.

As shown in fig. 10, in the reflection mode, for the transmission area T, the external ambient light I passes through the first polarizer 41 to form linearly polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41, and passes through the liquid crystal layer 30 twisted by 90 ° to rotate the polarization direction by 90 °, that is, parallel to the transmission axis of the second polarizer 42, and is emitted from the second polarizer 42 to the backlight module, so that the transmission area T is in the off state (dark state).

As shown in fig. 11, in the reflection mode, for the reflection region R, the external ambient light I passes through the first polarizer 41 to form linearly polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41, passes through the liquid crystal layer 30 twisted by 90 ° to be rotated by 90 ° in polarization direction, that is, parallel to the reflection axis of the metal wire grid polarizer 24, is reflected by the metal wire grid polarizer 24, passes through the liquid crystal layer 30 twisted by 90 ° to be rotated by 90 ° in polarization direction, that is, the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41 is parallel to each other, and is emitted from the first polarizer 41, and therefore, the reflection region R is in an open state (bright state).

Example two

Fig. 14 is a schematic structural diagram of a display panel in an initial state in the second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 15 is a schematic plan view of an array substrate according to a second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram of a circuit connection of a metal wire grid polarizer in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 14 to 16, a display panel with switchable transmission and mirror surface provided in a second embodiment of the present invention includes a color film substrate 10, an array substrate 20 disposed opposite to the color film substrate 10, and a liquid crystal layer 30 disposed between the color film substrate 10 and the array substrate 20. In this embodiment, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 30 are negative liquid crystal molecules (liquid crystal molecules with negative dielectric anisotropy), as shown in fig. 14, in the initial state, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 30 are negative liquid crystal molecules and are in a lying posture, and the alignment direction of one side of the color film substrate 10 is parallel or antiparallel to the alignment direction of one side of the array substrate 20, that is, the negative liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer 30 close to the color film substrate 10 are parallel or antiparallel to the alignment direction of the negative liquid crystal molecules close to the array substrate 20. Of course, the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 30 may also have a pretilt angle of 1 ° at the time of initial alignment. In other embodiments, positive liquid crystal molecules may also be used as the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 30.

The color film substrate 10 is provided with a first polaroid 41 at one side far away from the liquid crystal layer 30, the array substrate 20 is provided with a second polaroid 42 at one side far away from the liquid crystal layer 30, and the light transmission axes of the first polaroid 41 and the second polaroid 42 are mutually perpendicular. The alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer 30 may be parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41 or parallel to the transmission axis of the second polarizer 42, for example, the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41 may be 0 ° and the transmission axis of the second polarizer 42 may be 90 °, and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer 30 may be 0 ° or 90 °.

Referring to fig. 1 and 15, the display panel has a plurality of pixel units P, each including a transmissive region T and a reflective region R. The array substrate 20 defines a plurality of pixel units P on a side facing the liquid crystal layer 30 by a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines crossing each other while being insulated from each other. The array substrate 20 is provided with a first pixel electrode 23, a second pixel electrode 25, and a metal wire grid polarizer 24 formed of a plurality of metal wire grids on a side facing the liquid crystal layer 30. The first pixel electrode 23 and the second pixel electrode 25 are each in a strip-shaped structure, and the distance between adjacent electrode strips is generally about 3-5 um. The first pixel electrode 23 corresponds to the transmissive region T, and the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and the second pixel electrode 25 each correspond to the reflective region R. The transmission axis of the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41, the reflection axis of the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is parallel to the transmission axis of the second polarizer 42, e.g. the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41 is 0 ° and the transmission axis of the second polarizer 42 is 90 °, the transmission axis of the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is 0 °, and the reflection axis of the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is 90 °. The sizes of the transmissive region T and the reflective region R may be set according to practical situations, for example, the ratio of the transmissive region T to the reflective region R may be 1:1 or 3:1.

Referring to fig. 4, the metal wire grid polarizer 24 has a special polarization characteristic that transmits polarized light perpendicular to the extending direction of the metal wire grid and reflects polarized light parallel to the extending direction of the metal wire grid. In the incident light ray a, the polarization direction of the light ray has a first polarized light a perpendicular to the extending direction of the metal wire grid and a second polarized light B parallel to the extending direction of the metal wire grid, and the first polarized light a perpendicular to the extending direction of the metal wire grid can form a transmitted light ray C through the metal wire grid polarizer 24, and the second polarized light B parallel to the extending direction of the metal wire grid can be reflected to form a reflected light ray B, which is described in more detail in the prior art, and the description of the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is omitted herein. In this embodiment, the metal wire grid is w wide, p is spaced, t is high, preferably w is 82nm, p is 60nm, and t is 180nm, and is fabricated by nanoimprint techniques.

As shown in fig. 15 and 16, in the present embodiment, the second pixel electrode 25 has a stripe structure and corresponds to one row of reflection regions R. As shown in fig. 16, the plurality of second pixel electrodes 25 are electrically connected to each other in the non-display area, i.e., all the second pixel electrodes 25 apply the same voltage signal, so that all the reflective areas R can be simultaneously controlled to be turned on or off. For example, electrode strips are formed on both sides of the array substrate 20, and the second pixel electrodes 25 are electrically connected to the electrode strips through via holes, and the electrode strips are further connected to a control chip to control all the second pixel electrodes 25 to apply the same signal. Of course, in other embodiments, the second pixel electrode 25 has a stripe structure and corresponds to a row of reflective regions R.

In this embodiment, the array substrate 20 is further provided with a second common electrode 21. The second pixel electrode 25 and the first pixel electrode 23 are positioned at the same layer, the second pixel electrode 25 and the first pixel electrode 23 are positioned at different layers with the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and are insulated and spaced apart from each other, and the second pixel electrode 25 and the first pixel electrode 23 are positioned at different layers with the second common electrode 21 and are isolated by the insulating layer 22. The metal wire grid polarizer 24 is in contact with the surface of the second common electrode 21, and the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is disposed between the second pixel electrode 25 and the second common electrode 21, so that the metal wire grid polarizer 24 can not only realize the function of reflection display, but also reduce the impedance of the second common electrode 21, thereby reducing the driving power consumption and realizing the function of energy saving. The second common electrode 21 has a full-face structure, and the first pixel electrode 23 is a comb-shaped electrode having slits. The second common electrode 21 may be located above or below the first and second pixel electrodes 23 and 25 (the second common electrode 21 is shown below the first and

second pixel electrodes

23 and 25 in fig. 14) to form a fringe field switching pattern (Fringe Field Switching, FFS).

As shown in fig. 14, a black matrix 11 and a color resist material layer 12 are disposed on the color film substrate 10, the color resist material layer 12 includes red (R), green (G) and blue (B) color resist materials, and sub-pixels of the red (R), green (G) and blue (B) colors are correspondingly formed, the transmission area T and the reflection area R are separated by the black matrix 11, in this embodiment, the color resist material layer 12 is disposed in the area of the color film substrate 10 corresponding to the transmission area T, the area of the color film substrate 10 corresponding to the reflection area R is covered by the flat layer 13 and is in a transparent state, that is, the color resist materials are not disposed, and in the reflection mode, the reflection area R is in a black-white state. Of course, in other embodiments, when the reflective mode needs to display color, the color blocking material layer 12 may be disposed in the area of the color film substrate 10 corresponding to the reflective region R, so that color can be reflected during the reflective mode.

The color film substrate 10 and the array substrate 20 may be made of glass, acrylic, polycarbonate, and other materials. The materials of the second common electrode 21, the first pixel electrode 23, and the second pixel electrode 25 may be Indium Tin Oxide (ITO), indium Zinc Oxide (IZO), or the like, and the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is made of aluminum, molybdenum oxide, or the like.

In this embodiment, a method for manufacturing the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is also provided, and the method includes the steps of manufacturing the metal wire grid polarizer 24 with reference to fig. 12a-12h, and the method is described in embodiment one and is not repeated herein.

Of course, in other embodiments, referring to fig. 13a-13h, the peripheral circuit area may be left unoxidized while the second metal layer 3 is being oxidized, such that the unoxidized second metal layer 3 forms a peripheral circuit 33 with the underlying first metal layer 2 (e.g., connecting the signal traces of the metal wire grid polarizer 24 in the non-display area). By simultaneously fabricating the peripheral circuit 33 when fabricating the wire grid polarizer 24, the fabrication process is simplified and the fabrication cost is reduced.

Fig. 17 is a schematic view of light rays of the display panel in the transmission mode in the second embodiment of the invention. Fig. 18 is a schematic diagram of the transmission region of fig. 17. Fig. 19 is a schematic view of the reflective region of fig. 17. Fig. 20 is a schematic view of light rays of the display panel in the reflective mode in the second embodiment of the invention. Fig. 21 is a schematic view of the transmissive region of fig. 20. Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram of the reflective region of fig. 20. As shown in fig. 17-22, the present application also provides a transmissive and mirror switchable driving method for driving a transmissive and mirror switchable display panel as described above. The driving method comprises the following steps:

As shown in fig. 17, in the transmission mode, the backlight module is turned on to provide a backlight source for the display device. Applying a corresponding gray scale voltage signal (0-255 gray scales) to the first pixel electrode 23, the transmissive area T is opened, and the transmissive area T can display a normal picture; and a dark state voltage signal (for example, 0V) is applied to the second pixel electrode 25, a horizontal electric field is not substantially formed between the second pixel electrode 25 and the second common electrode 21, the negative liquid crystal molecules corresponding to the reflective region R remain in an initial flat state, and the reflective region R is turned off.

As shown in fig. 18, in the transmissive mode, the light BL from the backlight passes through the second polarizer 42 to form linearly polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the second polarizer 42, passes through the liquid crystal layer 30 having a λ/4 phase retardation, and becomes circularly (elliptically) polarized light, and part of the circularly (elliptically) polarized light is emitted from the first polarizer 41, and the transmissive region T is in an on state (bright state), so that transmissive display is realized, and a normal screen (and gray-scale display) can be displayed. The external environment light I passes through the first polarizer 41 to form linear polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41, and passes through the liquid crystal layer 30 with lambda/4 phase retardation to become circular (elliptical) polarized light, and part of the circular (elliptical) polarized light is emitted from the second polarizer 42 to the backlight module.

As shown in fig. 19, in the transmissive mode, for the reflective region R, the light BL of the backlight passes through the second polarizer 42 to form linearly polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the second polarizer 42, i.e., parallel to the reflection axis of the metal wire grid polarizer 24, and is then reflected back by the metal wire grid polarizer 24 for reuse. The external ambient light I passes through the first polarizer 41 to form linearly polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41, and after passing through the liquid crystal layer 30, the polarization state of the external ambient light I is not changed, or the linearly polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41, that is, the transmission axis of the metal wire grid polarizer 24 is maintained, and then passes through the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and is absorbed by the second polarizer 42, so that the reflection region R is in the off state (dark state).

As shown in fig. 20, in the reflective mode, the backlight module is turned off, and the transmissive region T is turned off (dark state) because there is no backlight, and of course, no voltage is applied to the first pixel electrode 23. A bright state voltage signal (for example, 5V) is applied to the second pixel electrode 25, a strong horizontal electric field (E3 in fig. 20) is formed between the second pixel electrode 25 and the second common electrode 21, the negative liquid crystal molecules corresponding to the reflection region R are greatly deflected in the horizontal direction, and the reflection region R is opened.

As shown in fig. 21, in the reflection mode, for the transmissive region T, the external ambient light I passes through the first polarizing plate 41 to form linearly polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizing plate 41, and after passing through the liquid crystal layer 30, the polarization state of the external ambient light I is not changed, or the linearly polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizing plate 41, that is, the transmission axis of the second polarizing plate 42 is perpendicular to each other and absorbed by the second polarizing plate 42 is maintained, and therefore, the transmissive region T is in the off state (dark state).

As shown in fig. 22, in the reflection mode, for the reflection region R, the external ambient light I passes through the first polarizer 41 to form linearly polarized light parallel to the transmission axis of the first polarizer 41, passes through the liquid crystal layer 30 having a λ/4 phase retardation to become circularly (elliptically) polarized light, part of the circularly (elliptically) polarized light is reflected back by the metal wire grid polarizer 24, the other part of the light passes through the metal wire grid polarizer 24 and the second polarizer 42 and is directed to the backlight module, the reflected light passes through the liquid crystal layer 30 having a λ/4 phase retardation to become circularly (elliptically) polarized light, and part of the light exits from the first polarizer 41, so that the reflection region R assumes an on state (bright state).

Example III

Fig. 23 is a schematic plan view of an array substrate according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 23, the transmissive and mirror switchable display panel and driving method and display device according to the second embodiment of the present invention are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment (fig. 1 to 11) or the second embodiment (fig. 14 to 22), except that in the present embodiment, the first pixel electrode 23 corresponds to the transmissive region T one by one, and the second pixel electrode 25 corresponds to the reflective region R one by one. Two thin film transistors are correspondingly arranged in each pixel unit P, the first pixel electrode 23 is electrically connected with the corresponding scanning line and the corresponding data line through one thin film transistor, and the second pixel electrode 25 is electrically connected with the corresponding scanning line and the corresponding data line through the other thin film transistor.

In this embodiment, the second pixel electrode 25 and the first pixel electrode 23 are connected to the same data line and different scan lines through two thin film transistors, respectively, and the voltage signals applied to the second pixel electrode 25 and the first pixel electrode 23 are controlled through one data line. Of course, in other embodiments, the second pixel electrode 25 and the first pixel electrode 23 are connected to the same scan line and different data lines through two thin film transistors, respectively.

Compared with the first embodiment or the second embodiment, the present embodiment can control the gray-scale brightness of the reflective region R in each pixel unit P independently, and can control the size of the reflective area in the display panel and the specific pattern of the reflective display in the reflective mode, so that the controllability is better.

Those skilled in the art will understand that the other structures and working principles of the present embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment or the second embodiment, and will not be described herein.

Example IV

Fig. 24 is a schematic plan view of an array substrate according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 24, the transmissive and mirror switchable display panel and the driving method and the display device provided in the embodiment of the invention are substantially the same as those in the third embodiment (fig. 23), except that in the present embodiment, the second pixel electrode 25 and the first pixel electrode 23 are connected to different data lines and different scan lines through two thin film transistors respectively, and voltage signals applied to the second pixel electrode 25 and the first pixel electrode 23 are controlled through the two data lines respectively. In the third embodiment, the second pixel electrode 25 and the first pixel electrode 23 are connected to the same data line through two thin film transistors respectively, so that the voltage signal of the data line needs to be continuously switched in the switching process of the transmission mode and the reflection mode, the power consumption is high, and the response speed is influenced; in the embodiment, the second pixel electrode 25 and the first pixel electrode 23 are connected to different data lines through two thin film transistors respectively, so that the voltage signals of the data lines are switched quickly and the power consumption is lower under the driving mode of column inversion, and the display effect is better.

Those skilled in the art will understand that the other structures and working principles of the present embodiment are the same as those of the embodiments, and will not be described herein.

In this document, terms such as up, down, left, right, front, rear, etc. are defined by the positions of the structures in the drawings and the positions of the structures with respect to each other, for the sake of clarity and convenience in expressing the technical solution. It should be understood that the use of such orientation terms should not limit the scope of the protection sought herein. It should also be understood that the terms "first" and "second," etc., as used herein, are used merely for distinguishing between names and not for limiting the number and order.

The present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments, but is capable of modification and variation in detail, and other modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. The display panel with switchable transmission and mirror surfaces is characterized by comprising a color film substrate (10), an array substrate (20) arranged opposite to the color film substrate (10) and a liquid crystal layer (30) arranged between the color film substrate (10) and the array substrate (20), wherein a first polaroid (41) is arranged on one side, far away from the liquid crystal layer (30), of the color film substrate (10), a second polaroid (42) is arranged on one side, far away from the liquid crystal layer (30), of the array substrate (20), and the light transmission axes of the first polaroid (41) and the second polaroid (42) are mutually perpendicular;

the display panel is provided with a plurality of pixel units (P), each pixel unit (P) comprises a transmission area (T) and a reflection area (R), a first pixel electrode (23), a second pixel electrode (25) and a metal wire grid polaroid (24) formed by a plurality of metal wire grids are arranged on one side of the array substrate (20) facing the liquid crystal layer (30), the first pixel electrode (23) corresponds to the transmission area (T), the metal wire grid polaroid (24) and the second pixel electrode (25) correspond to the reflection area (R), and the transmission axis of the metal wire grid polaroid (24) is parallel to the transmission axis of the first polaroid (41).

2. The transmissive and mirror switchable display panel according to claim 1, wherein the color film substrate (10) is provided with a first common electrode (14), an alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer (30) near the color film substrate (10) is parallel to a light transmission axis of the first polarizer (41), and an alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer (30) near the array substrate (20) is parallel to a light transmission axis of the second polarizer (42).

3. A transmissive and mirror switchable display panel according to claim 2, characterized in that the metal wire grid polarizer (24) is multiplexed as the second pixel electrode (25); or, the second pixel electrode (25) and the metal wire grid polarizer (24) are positioned at different layers and are insulated and spaced apart from each other.

4. The transmissive and mirror switchable display panel according to claim 1, wherein the array substrate (20) is provided with a second common electrode (21), and the alignment direction of the liquid crystal layer (30) near the color film substrate (10) and the alignment direction near the array substrate (20) are parallel to each other or parallel to each other.

5. A transmissive and mirror switchable display panel according to claim 4 characterized in that the second pixel electrode (25) is located in a different layer than the metal wire grid polarizer (24) and is insulated from each other, the metal wire grid polarizer (24) being in contact with the surface of the second common electrode (21).

6. The transmissive and mirror switchable display panel according to claim 1, wherein the second pixel electrode (25) has a stripe structure and corresponds to one or more rows of the reflective regions (R), the plurality of second pixel electrodes (25) are electrically connected to each other in a non-display region, the array substrate (20) is provided with a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines, and a plurality of thin film transistors on a side facing the liquid crystal layer (30), and the first pixel electrode (23) is electrically connected to the corresponding scan lines and data lines through the thin film transistors.

7. The transmissive and mirror switchable display panel according to claim 1, wherein the second pixel electrode (25) corresponds to the reflective region (R) one by one, the array substrate (20) is provided with a plurality of scan lines, a plurality of data lines and a plurality of thin film transistors on a side facing the liquid crystal layer (30), two thin film transistors are correspondingly provided in each pixel unit (P), the first pixel electrode (23) is electrically connected to the corresponding scan line and the data line through one of the thin film transistors, and the second pixel electrode (25) is electrically connected to the corresponding scan line and the data line through the other of the thin film transistors.

8. A transmissive and mirror switchable display panel according to claim 7, characterized in that the first pixel electrode (23) and the second pixel electrode (25) are connected to different scan lines or/and data lines respectively via two thin film transistors.

9. A display device comprising a transmissive and mirror switchable display panel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A method of driving a transmissive and specular switchable display panel according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the method comprising:

in a transmission mode, a backlight module is started, a corresponding gray-scale voltage signal is applied to the first pixel electrode (23), the transmission area (T) is opened, a dark-state voltage signal is applied to the second pixel electrode (25), and the reflection area (R) is closed;

in the reflective mode, the backlight module is turned off, the transmissive region (T) is turned off, a bright state voltage signal is applied to the second pixel electrode (25), and the reflective region (R) is turned on.