KR102572538B1 - Liquid crystal lens film structure, method for the liquid crystal lens film structure and image display device comprising the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal lens structure, a method of manufacturing the liquid crystal lens structure, and an image display device including the same, and more particularly, to a first substrate, a second substrate facing the first substrate, and an adhesive layer on the second substrate. and a liquid crystal lens film between the first substrate and the adhesive layer, wherein the liquid crystal lens film includes a resin portion having a plurality of concave portions and a liquid crystal portion having liquid crystal molecules inside the plurality of concave portions, the adhesive layer comprising the A first substrate in contact with the liquid crystal lens film, a second substrate facing the first substrate, an adhesive layer positioned on one surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate, and a liquid crystal lens between the adhesive layer and the second substrate The liquid crystal lens film includes a resin portion having a plurality of convex portions and a liquid crystal portion having liquid crystal molecules outside the plurality of convex portions, and the adhesive layer is in contact with the liquid crystal lens film, thereby improving adhesion and liquid crystal orientation. It relates to an improved liquid crystal lens structure and an image display device including the same.

Description

Liquid crystal lens structure, method for manufacturing liquid crystal lens structure, and image display device including the same

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal lens structure, a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal lens structure, and an image display device including the same, and in particular, a liquid crystal lens structure with improved adhesiveness and liquid crystal alignment, a method for manufacturing the liquid crystal lens structure, and an image display device including the same It is about.

A stereoscopic image display is a device that provides different images to the viewer's left and right eyes to give the viewer a sense of distance and a three-dimensional effect in the image they see. Separated.

Since glasses-type stereoscopic image display devices have the inconvenience of having to wear glasses to view 3D images, recently, glasses-free stereoscopic image display devices have been preferred.

Autostereoscopic 3D display devices can be largely classified into a method using a parallax barrier and a method using a liquid crystal lens array. Conventionally, research on a method using a parallax barrier has been actively conducted, but in the case of this method, there is a problem in that resolution and luminance rapidly drop as the horizontal resolution is reduced by half and the number of viewpoints increases during 3D implementation. Therefore, in recent years, much attention has been paid to the development of an autostereoscopic 3D display device using a liquid crystal lens array.

Conventionally, liquid crystal lens arrays used in autostereoscopic 3D display devices mainly used glass substrates as the upper and lower substrates, but it was difficult to reduce the weight and thickness due to the weight and thickness of the glass, and the manufacturing cost increased compared to the case of using a low-cost film substrate. there was a problem with

Accordingly, a liquid crystal lens array using a flexible substrate instead of a glass substrate has been developed, and FIG. 1 shows a structure of a liquid crystal lens array conventionally used in an autostereoscopic 3D display device.

As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal lens array includes a first substrate and a second substrate having transparent electrode layers formed on opposite surfaces, and a liquid crystal lens film is interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. In addition, an adhesive layer and an alignment layer for aligning the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal lens film are disposed between the second substrate and the liquid crystal lens film.

Meanwhile, the liquid crystal lens film includes a lens unit and a non-lens unit in the shape of a lenticular lens, and the liquid crystal is aligned in a predetermined direction by an alignment film, and is rearranged in a specific direction when a voltage is applied to the transparent electrode layer. As the refractive index of the lens unit changes according to the alignment direction of the liquid crystal, the traveling direction of light projected from the display device changes.

2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a method of displaying 2D and 3D images in an autostereoscopic manner using a conventional liquid crystal lens array. Referring to FIG. 2, when no electric field is applied to the liquid crystal lens film, the lens part has the same refractive index as the ideal refractive index of the liquid crystal, and the non-lens part has the same refractive index as the normal refractive index of the liquid crystal. Since the refractive indices of the lens unit and the non-lens unit are different from each other, parallax is generated as light passing through the liquid crystal lens film is refracted at the interface between the lens unit and the non-lens unit, thereby realizing a 3D image. Meanwhile, when an electric field is applied to the liquid crystal lens film, the lens part has the same refractive index as the phase refractive index of the liquid crystal, so that there is no difference in refractive index between the lens part and the non-lens part. Accordingly, light passing through the liquid crystal lens film is not refracted and a two-dimensional image is implemented while passing through the liquid crystal lens film. As such, it is possible to implement an autostereoscopic 3D image display device that selectively implements a 2D image and a 3D image using a liquid crystal lens array.

However, the liquid crystal lens arrays developed to date have problems in that adhesive strength between the films is low, so peeling occurs easily, and defects such as spreading of the liquid crystal due to pressure applied when attached to the display panel occur. In addition, when a liquid crystal lens array is implemented with a flexible substrate (eg, film), the film substrate has a low Tg value and curls occur in the film during a high-temperature polyimide process for aligning liquid crystals, so the high-temperature process is difficult. It is impossible to proceed, but liquid crystals that are not aligned cannot express the desired refractive index value by the electric field. 3 to 5b are photographs of problems associated with a conventional liquid crystal lens array structure including a flexible substrate.

In addition, the conventional liquid crystal lens array has a problem in that the orientation of the liquid crystal is reduced due to the adhesive component of the adhesive layer and the image quality is deteriorated. There is a problem that the driving voltage required for this is high, and a solution to this problem is required.

An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal lens structure having improved adhesiveness and liquid crystal alignment and an image display device including the same.

A liquid crystal lens structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first substrate, a second substrate facing the first substrate, an adhesive layer on the second substrate, and a resin portion having a plurality of concave portions between the first substrate and the adhesive layer, and a plurality of A liquid crystal lens film including a liquid crystal part having liquid crystal molecules inside the concave part and contacting the adhesive layer is provided.

Connections between adjacent concave portions among the plurality of concave portions may contact the adhesive layer. Also, the adhesive layer may further include adhesive capsules, which are dispersed in the adhesive layer.

A liquid crystal lens structure according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a first substrate, a second substrate facing the first substrate, an adhesive layer positioned on one side of the first substrate facing the second substrate, and a plurality of intervening surfaces between the adhesive layer and the second substrate. A liquid crystal lens film including a resin portion having a convex portion and a liquid crystal portion having liquid crystal molecules outside the plurality of convex portions and contacting the adhesive layer.

The plurality of convex portions have the form of a quadratic function graph, and regions corresponding to vertices of the quadratic function graph may be in contact with the adhesive layer. In addition, the adhesive layer may further include adhesive capsules, in which case the adhesive capsules are dispersed in the adhesive layer. has been

The image display device of the present invention includes the above-described liquid crystal lens structure of the present invention on the upper part and the display panel on the lower part.

The liquid crystal lens structure of the present invention forms electrodes on a first substrate and a second substrate, and forms a resin portion having a plurality of concave portions on the first substrate or a resin portion having a plurality of convex portions on the second substrate. After forming, the surface of the resin part is rubbed in one direction, an adhesive layer is formed on the first or second substrate, liquid crystal molecules are filled in the inside of the plurality of concave parts or the outside of the plurality of convex parts, and then the liquid crystal part is formed. It is manufactured by including bonding the first and second substrates together.

The liquid crystal lens structure of the present invention has improved adhesion and liquid crystal orientation.

Even when a flexible substrate is applied to the liquid crystal lens structure of the present invention, adhesion between upper and lower substrates is improved to prevent defects due to agglomeration or drifting of liquid crystals, and liquid crystals can be aligned without forming a separate liquid crystal alignment layer.

The liquid crystal lens structure of the present invention can prevent lens bursting and thus secure process stability.

In addition, since it has a liquid crystal alignment characteristic equal to or higher than that of a conventional liquid crystal alignment film, it is possible to prevent a deterioration in image quality due to application of a flexible substrate.

In addition, since the liquid crystal lens structure of the present invention can be applied to a flexible substrate, it can be manufactured at low cost and can be lightweight and thin.

In addition, when a shell made of a conductive material is formed on the surface of the adhesive capsule, the conductive material is dispersed in the adhesive layer as the adhesive capsule is broken, and as a result, the adhesive layer becomes conductive and the driving voltage is lowered, furthermore on the second substrate. A vertical electric field can be implemented on a liquid crystal lens film without forming an electrode.

The manufacturing method of the liquid crystal lens structure of the present invention can ensure process simplification and stability.

1 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of a liquid crystal lens array used in a conventional autostereoscopic 3D display device.
2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a method of displaying 2D and 3D images in an autostereoscopic manner using a conventional liquid crystal lens array.
3 is a photograph of a state in which a curl is generated in a liquid crystal lens structure including a conventional film.
FIG. 4a is a photograph of liquid crystal alignment characteristics when a polyimide high-temperature process is performed, and FIG. 4b is a picture of a liquid crystal alignment defect when a polyimide high-temperature process is not performed.
FIG. 5A is a photograph of a state in which the upper and lower plates are opened when a conventional liquid crystal lens structure including a film is bent, and FIG. 5B is a photograph of a state in which liquid crystals are aggregated in a conventional liquid crystal lens structure.
Figure 6a is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image display device including a liquid crystal lens structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6b is a schematic plan view of the liquid crystal lens structure according to the first embodiment, Figure 6c is a first embodiment This is a picture of the liquid crystal lens structure according to the example.
7 is a view showing a case where the liquid crystal lens structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention is bent.
8 is a plan view illustrating alignment characteristics of a liquid crystal lens structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
9A is a view schematically illustrating a process in which an adhesive layer including an adhesive capsule and a conductive shell is provided in a liquid crystal lens structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9B is a photograph of the adhesive layer according to the present invention.
10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal lens structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a view for explaining a concave portion of a liquid crystal lens structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
12A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image display device including a liquid crystal lens structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12B is a photograph of the liquid crystal lens structure according to the third embodiment.
FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically illustrating a process in which an adhesive layer including an adhesive capsule and a conductive shell is provided in a liquid crystal lens structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal lens structure according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
15 is a photograph of a sample for measuring the shear force of the liquid crystal lens structure according to the present invention.
16 is a photograph of a shear force measuring instrument.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. However, the following drawings and embodiments are only examples to sufficiently convey the spirit of the present invention to those skilled in the art, and the present invention is not limited by the drawings and embodiments.

The shapes, sizes, ratios, angles, numbers, etc. disclosed in the following drawings are illustrative, and the present invention is not limited thereto. Like reference numbers designate like elements throughout the specification. In addition, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related known technologies may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description will be omitted.

When 'includes', 'has', 'consists of', etc. mentioned in this specification is used, other parts may be added unless 'only' is used. In the case where a component is expressed in the singular, the case including the plural is included unless otherwise explicitly stated.

In interpreting the components, even if there is no separate explicit description, it is interpreted as including the error range.

In the case of a description of a positional relationship, for example, 'on top of', 'on top of', 'at the bottom of', 'next to', etc. Or, unless 'directly' is used, one or more other parts may be located between the two parts.

In the case of a description of a temporal relationship, for example, when a temporal precedence relationship is described as 'after', 'continue to', 'after ~', 'before', etc., 'immediately' or 'directly' Including non-consecutive cases unless ' is used.

Although first, second, etc. are used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. Therefore, the first component mentioned below may also be the second component within the technical spirit of the present invention.

Characteristic parts of each of the various embodiments of the present invention can be partially or entirely combined or combined with each other, technically various interlocking and driving are possible, and each embodiment can be implemented independently of each other or in an association relationship. may be performed together.

Liquid crystal lens structure and manufacturing method thereof

A liquid crystal lens structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first substrate, a second substrate facing the first substrate, an adhesive layer on the second substrate, and a liquid crystal lens film between the first substrate and the adhesive layer, The liquid crystal lens film includes a resin portion having a plurality of concave portions and a liquid crystal portion having liquid crystal molecules inside the plurality of concave portions, and the adhesive layer is in contact with the liquid crystal lens film.

Figure 6a is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image display device including a liquid crystal lens structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6b is a schematic plan view of the liquid crystal lens structure according to the first embodiment, Figure 6c is a first embodiment It is a picture of the liquid crystal lens structure according to the example.

The first substrate 140 according to the present invention is for applying an electric field to the liquid crystal lens film 160 and is disposed above the liquid crystal lens film 160 .

The first substrate 140 should be a flexible material, specifically, may be a film, etc., for example, the first substrate film 110 is polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyimide, polyamide, poly It may be a plastic film containing a polymer resin such as urethane, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl alcohol, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin, or the like.

In addition, the first substrate 140 may further include a first electrode layer 142 by depositing a transparent conductive material on the entire surface thereof.

Although not shown, the first electrode layer 142 may include a plurality of first electrodes spaced apart from each other. Alternatively, the first electrode layer 142 includes a first layer including a plurality of first electrodes spaced apart from each other, a second layer formed of an insulating material under the first layer, and a plurality of spaced apart from each other under the second layer. It may be composed of a third layer including a second electrode of. In this case, the plurality of first electrodes correspond to the spaced sections of the plurality of second electrodes, and the plurality of second electrodes are formed to correspond to the spaced sections of the plurality of first electrodes, thereby forming the plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes. The electrodes may be alternately arranged with each other.

Next, after applying a transparent organic resin material, for example, acrylic, to a predetermined thickness on the first substrate 140 on which the first electrode layer 142 is formed, a resin portion having a concave portion is formed through an imprinting roller 186. (164).

Subsequently, alignment treatment is performed by applying a rubbing roller to the resin part 164 . At this time, the rubbing roller 194 is formed in a cylindrical shape including a rubbing cloth on the outer surface and rotates along the rotational direction. Accordingly, the surface of the concave portion is rubbed by the rubbing roller 194 to form a microgroove. As a result of the treatment, a resin portion 164 having a concave portion subjected to alignment treatment is formed. At this time, a plurality of concave portions are formed, and a point portion 162 is provided between adjacent concave portions. That is, a connection portion between adjacent concave portions among concave portions may be in contact with the adhesive layer 168 .

Finally, the first substrate 140 may be completed by filling the liquid crystal molecules 165 in the concave portion.

The second substrate 150 according to the present invention is for supporting the liquid crystal lens film 166 and should be made of a flexible material, specifically, may be a film or the like, for example, polyethylene terephthalate, polycarbonate, polyimide , Polyamide, polyurethane, polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinyl alcohol, may be a plastic film containing a polymer resin such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin.

In addition, the second substrate 150 may further include a second electrode layer 152 by depositing a transparent conductive material on the entire surface thereof.

.

Next, the adhesive layer 168, which may have orientation, is attached to the top of the second electrode layer 152 using a roller. Here, the roller may be a laminate roller.

The adhesive layer 168 is formed on the second substrate 150 for imparting orientation to the liquid crystal of the liquid crystal lens film 166 and for attaching the liquid crystal lens film 166 and the second substrate 150, which will be described later. do.

Subsequently, an alignment treatment is performed by applying a rubbing roller 184 to the adhesive layer 168 . At this time, the rubbing roller is formed in a cylindrical shape including a rubbing cloth on the outer surface and rotates along the rotational direction, and the rubbing roller 184 rubs the surface of the adhesive layer 168 to form microgrooves. As a result, the adhesive layer 168 having orientation characteristics is formed. By such an adhesive layer 168, liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal lens film 160 can be aligned in a certain direction without a separate alignment layer.

In addition, process time can be reduced by reducing process steps through the adhesive layer 168, and productivity and efficiency of the process can be increased. To explain this in more detail, in order to form a general alignment layer, a formation process of forming an alignment layer through a coating method, an alignment treatment process, and a curing process including pre-curing and main curing are required. However, in the present invention, there is no need to separately form an alignment layer, and accordingly, by applying the adhesive layer 168, a formation process and a curing process required for forming an alignment layer can be omitted.

7 is a view showing a case where the liquid crystal lens structure of the liquid crystal lens structure according to the first embodiment is bent, and FIG. 8 is a plan view for explaining the alignment characteristics of the liquid crystal lens structure of the liquid crystal lens structure according to the first embodiment. .

The first substrate 140 manufactured by the first substrate manufacturing process and the second substrate 150 manufactured by the second substrate manufacturing process are bonded together by first and second rollers, respectively. In more detail, the first substrate 140 and the second substrate 150 are aligned to face each other, and the first and second rollers are placed on the outer surfaces of the first substrate 140 and the second substrate 150, respectively. to place In addition, the first substrate 140 and the second substrate 150 positioned between them are bonded to each other by the pressure applied by the first and second rollers and the heat of 100° C. or less.

At this time, the adhesive layer 168 on the second substrate 150 serves as a seal. In more detail, the adhesive layer 168 attached over the entire surface of the first substrate 140 is considered to have adhesiveness. , The resin portion 164 on the second substrate 150, more precisely, each apex portion 162 is embedded in the adhesive layer 168 by the pressure of the first and second rollers.

As the apex portions 162 between the concave portions adjacent to each other are buried in the adhesive layer 168 as described above, bonding is also performed on the inner surface between the first substrate 140 and the second substrate 150 . Through this, in the bonding of the first substrate 140 and the second substrate 150, it is possible to completely eliminate the lifting phenomenon that is partially lifted.

If the first substrate 140 and the second substrate 150 are bonded so that the apex portion 162 touches only the surface of the adhesive layer 168, the liquid crystal lens structure is formed by an external force (bending) as shown in FIG. A gap between the liquid crystal lens film 160 and the adhesive layer 168 may spread and liquid crystal molecules may leak.

However, in the present invention, since the apex portion 162 is bonded so as to be buried in the adhesive layer 168, reliable adhesion is achieved between the liquid crystal lens film 160 and the adhesive layer 168, and the liquid crystal lens structure is resistant to external force (as shown in FIG. 7). Even by bending), the lifting or spreading phenomenon does not occur. Therefore, since the adhesion between the upper and lower substrates is improved, it is possible to prevent defects due to aggregation or drifting of liquid crystals.

The alignment characteristics of the liquid crystal lens structure will be described with reference to FIG. 8 . Here, the orthogonal polarizer 180 is applied to check whether the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal lens structure according to the present invention are arranged in parallel along the axial direction.

As shown in FIG. 8, when observing the liquid crystal lens structure between the orthogonal polarizers 180, if the arrangement direction of the liquid crystal molecules is 45 degrees different from the direction of the transmission axis or the absorption axis of the orthogonal polarizer 180, a light leakage phenomenon may occur. When the liquid crystal molecules are visible and the arrangement direction of the liquid crystal molecules is parallel to the direction of the transmission axis or the absorption axis of the orthogonal polarizer 180, uniform black and white colors are displayed. Through this, it is possible to check the alignment characteristics of the liquid crystal lens structure.

In addition, the liquid crystal lens structure according to the present invention may use a film having low heat resistance as a base substrate. This is because the liquid crystal lens structure according to the present invention does not need to form a separate alignment layer and can be cured at a low temperature of 100 ° C or less, so there is no need to apply a high heat resistance film having high heat resistance. To explain this further, in general, an alignment layer is formed by applying a polyimide material and applying heat at 200 ° C or higher. Since it is not, a low heat resistance film can be applied. Through this, it is possible to manufacture a liquid crystal lens structure at a low cost because it is not necessary to use a relatively expensive high heat resistance film, which is cheaper than expensive glass.

In addition, it is possible to reduce the weight and thickness, and has liquid crystal alignment characteristics equivalent to or higher than those of the conventional liquid crystal alignment film, so that deterioration in image quality due to application of a flexible substrate can be prevented. In addition, the liquid crystal lens structure of the present invention can prevent lens bursting, so process stability can be secured.

Meanwhile, although not shown in the drawing, a seal pattern may be formed at an edge of the first substrate 140 or the second substrate 150 . Accordingly, the edge may be bonded by the spool turn and the central portion inside the edge by the adhesive layer 168 .

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive layer 168 may be formed by including at least one selected from the group consisting of an epoxy-based compound, an acrylate-based compound, a phenoxy-based compound, and a thiol compound, in which case the adhesive layer ( 168) is heat curable or light curable.

If necessary, the adhesive layer 168 may further include at least one selected from the group consisting of a transparent conductive material and silica, and in this case, the adhesiveness and conductivity of the film may be remarkably improved.

Preferably, the adhesive layer 168 may further include a matrix resin and adhesive capsules dispersed in the matrix resin. At this time, the adhesive capsule serves to further strengthen the adhesive force between the second substrate 150 and the liquid crystal lens film 160 .

In order to impart liquid crystal alignment, the adhesive layer 168 is preferably formed of a material that can be aligned in one direction by rubbing or the like. In this case, there is an advantage that there is no need to form a separate alignment layer such as a polyimide layer.

Meanwhile, the adhesive capsule is crushed by pressure to express adhesive strength. More specifically, the adhesive capsule is crushed by pressure applied for lamination with a display panel to release adhesive components to express adhesive strength.

As described above, the liquid crystal lens film 160 according to the first embodiment has an apex portion 162, and the most pressure is applied to the apex portion 162 during lamination. Therefore, during lamination, the adhesive capsules are mainly broken along the apex portion 162, and the adhesive capsules in the central portion of the lens are hardly crushed. Accordingly, the adhesive component is intensively distributed in the apex portion 162 between the lenses, and the adhesive component exists in an encapsulated state in the central portion of the lens. As described above, in the case of the adhesive layer 168 according to the present invention, since the adhesive component is not discharged from the center of the lens where the liquid crystal is aligned, the problem of deteriorating the orientation of the liquid crystal due to the adhesive component does not occur.

The adhesive capsule as described above may be prepared by forming a monomer or resin having an adhesive component in a bead shape. For example, but not limited thereto, the adhesive capsule may be prepared in the form of a bead by reacting a monomer having an epoxy group with active hydrogen in equal amounts. The adhesive capsule thus prepared contains a unit derived from a monomer having an epoxy group. In this case, the monomer having an epoxy group may be an alicyclic epoxy monomer, more preferably, a compound represented by the following [Formula 1].

[Formula 1]

In [Formula 1], R2 may be hydrogen or substituted or unsubstituted C1-10 straight-chain or branched-chain alkylene.

Meanwhile, the adhesive capsule is preferably included in an amount of 10 wt % to 40 wt % based on the total weight of the adhesive layer 168 . If the content of the adhesive capsule is less than 10% by weight, it is difficult to secure sufficient adhesive strength, and if the content exceeds 40% by weight, haze may occur due to the adhesive capsule and image quality may deteriorate.

In addition, the adhesive capsule preferably has an average particle diameter of about 1 μm to 10 μm. When the average particle diameter of the adhesive capsule is less than 1 μm, it is not easily crushed, and when it exceeds 10 μm, liquid crystal alignment may be deteriorated.

Meanwhile, the adhesive capsule may be formed of a single layer or may be formed in a core-shell structure.

9A is a view schematically illustrating a process in which an adhesive layer including an adhesive capsule and a conductive shell is provided in a liquid crystal lens structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9B is a photograph of the adhesive layer according to the present invention.

As shown in Figure 9a, the adhesive capsule of the present invention may be made of a core-shell structure further including a shell containing a conductive material.

Since the adhesive layer 168 is formed of a polymer and is accompanied by insulation due to the nature of the material, there is a problem in that the driving voltage is increased. Accordingly, when the adhesive layer 168 of the present invention has a core-shell structure additionally including a shell of a conductive material, since conductivity is developed, the driving voltage can be reduced.

At this time, the core may be formed by reacting a monomer or resin including an adhesive component, for example, a monomer having an epoxy group and active hydrogen in equal amounts. In this case, the core includes units derived from a monomer having an epoxy group. Meanwhile, the monomer having an epoxy group may be an alicyclic epoxy monomer, and more preferably, a compound represented by the following [Formula 1].

[Formula 1]

In [Formula 1], R2 may be hydrogen or substituted or unsubstituted C1-10 straight-chain or branched-chain alkylene.

Meanwhile, the shell may be formed by coating a conductive material such as nickel, copper, aluminum, or silver on the core by a method such as plating. In this way, when the adhesive capsule including the shell containing the conductive material is used, since the adhesive layer 168 has conductivity, the liquid crystal can be absorbed without forming an electrode between the second substrate 150 and the liquid crystal lens film 160. voltage can be applied.

Meanwhile, in the case of using an adhesive capsule having a single-layer structure, it is preferable to further include an electrode 152 between the second substrate 150 and the adhesive layer 168 to apply a liquid crystal voltage.

In the present invention, the liquid crystal lens film 160 is for realizing a three-dimensional image by imparting a parallax to light projected from a display panel, and is placed on top of the adhesive layer 168 in contact with the adhesive layer 168, and is applied to an electric field. It includes liquid crystals whose arrangement state varies according to More specifically, the liquid crystal lens film 160 includes a resin portion 164 having a plurality of concave portions and a liquid crystal portion 166 having liquid crystal molecules 165 inside the plurality of concave portions. At this time, the liquid crystal molecules 165 are aligned in one direction by the adhesive layer 168, and are rearranged in a specific arrangement when a voltage is applied.

Meanwhile, the resin part 164 is made of a material having the same refractive index as the phase refractive index n0 of the liquid crystal molecule 165, and may be made of, for example, a polymer resin.

The shape of the concave portion of the liquid crystal lens film 160 may be a lenticular lens shape, but there is no particular limitation on the shape as long as it does not deviate from the object of the present invention, and specific examples are semicircular, cylindrical, polygonal. can

10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal lens structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is a view for explaining a concave portion of the liquid crystal lens structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Here, since the structure except for the liquid crystal lens film 260 and the adhesive layer 268 is the same as the liquid crystal lens structure of FIGS. 6A to 6C , a detailed description of the same structure will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 10 , the liquid crystal lens structure includes a liquid crystal lens film 260 and includes first and second substrates 250 spaced apart to face each other. Here, the first substrate 240 includes a first electrode layer 242 and a liquid crystal lens film 260 positioned on top thereof, and the second substrate 250 includes a second electrode layer 252 and an upper portion thereof. and an adhesive layer 268 positioned thereon.

A first electrode layer 242 may be further included between the first substrate 240 and the liquid crystal lens film 260, and a second electrode layer 252 may be further included between the second substrate 250 and the adhesive layer 268.

Here, the liquid crystal lens film 260 includes a plurality of concave portions, a resin portion 264 including a plurality of horizontal portions 262 positioned between the concave portions and connecting them to each other, and liquid crystal filled in the concave portions. It may be composed of a liquid crystal part 266 including molecules 265 .

At this time, as shown in FIG. 11, each of the plurality of horizontal portions 262 is configured to increase the contact area with the adhesive layer 268 while spaced apart from each other and has a first length L. .

To explain this in more detail, in the first embodiment of the present invention, adhesion between the concave portions adjacent to each other is buried in the liquid crystal lens film so that adhesion is also achieved on the inner surface between the first substrate and the second substrate, thereby improving adhesion characteristics. In the second embodiment according to the present invention, the first substrate 240 and the second substrate 240 and the second substrate 240 are provided with horizontal portions 262 between concave portions adjacent to each other, and the horizontal portions 262 are directly adhered to the adhesive layer 268. Adhesion is also performed on the inner surface between the substrates 250 to improve adhesion characteristics.

At this time, the first length L of each horizontal portion 262 is preferably determined in consideration of the contact area of the adhesive layer 268 and the size of the liquid crystal portion 266 . That is, as the first length L increases, the contact surface area with the adhesive layer 268 increases, and the bonding characteristics between the first substrate 240 and the second substrate 250 improve, but the size of the liquid crystal unit 266 increases accordingly. It is preferable to form a length in which light leakage defects such as crosstalk do not occur, since ? becomes smaller and less liquid crystal molecules are filled, and light leakage defects such as crosstalk may occur.

Meanwhile, as each of the plurality of horizontal portions 262 is provided between the plurality of concave portions, the thickness of the adhesive layer 268 can be reduced. In the case of the first embodiment of the present invention, the liquid crystal lens film is formed to have a certain thickness so that the apexes between the concave portions adjacent to each other are buried in the liquid crystal lens film.

However, in the case of the second embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of horizontal portions 262 are provided between the plurality of concave portions, and each of these horizontal portions 262 is directly adhered to the surface of the adhesive layer 268, so that the adhesive layer 268 can be formed with a thickness H smaller than that of the first embodiment. As such, since the adhesive layer 268 can be formed to a thickness H smaller than that of the first embodiment, a voltage drop phenomenon of the second electrode layer 252 can be prevented.

In addition, through this, the concave portion has a fifth thickness H5, and the entire sixth thickness of the liquid crystal lens film 260 can be reduced. This can reduce the thickness of the liquid crystal lens structure, and also reduce the number of liquid crystal molecules included in the liquid crystal unit 266 as the fifth thickness H5 of the concave portion decreases. Accordingly, a lighter and slimmer image display device can be implemented, and component costs and overall manufacturing costs can be reduced.

Meanwhile, the plurality of horizontal portions 262 serve to improve cross-talk. That is, in the present invention, in connecting a plurality of concave parts to each other, a plurality of horizontal parts 262 are applied to prevent the occurrence of apexes between concave parts adjacent to each other, thereby preventing crosstalk that may be caused by apexes. there is By preventing crosstalk in this way, it is possible to recognize a clear 3D stereoscopic image.

A liquid crystal lens structure according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a first substrate, a second substrate facing the first substrate, an adhesive layer positioned on one surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate, and the adhesive layer and a liquid crystal lens film between the second substrates, wherein the liquid crystal lens film includes a resin part having a plurality of convex parts and a liquid crystal part having liquid crystal molecules outside the plurality of convex parts, and the adhesive layer is formed with the liquid crystal lens film and the liquid crystal lens film. touch

That is, in the case of the liquid crystal lens structures of the first and second embodiments, liquid crystal molecules are provided inside a plurality of concave portions. According to this embodiment, the resin portion has convex portions, and liquid crystal molecules are provided outside the convex portions.

12A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image display device including a liquid crystal lens structure according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 12B is a photograph of the liquid crystal lens structure according to the third embodiment. Referring to this, the liquid crystal molecules 165 of the third embodiment are provided outside a plurality of convex portions, and apex portions 162 are provided between adjacent convex portions.

14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal lens structure according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to this, the liquid crystal molecules 265 of the fourth embodiment are provided on the outside of a plurality of convex portions, and between adjacent concave portions. A horizontal portion 262 is provided.

Here, except for the position of the adhesive layer and the position where the liquid crystal molecules are included, the third embodiment corresponds to the liquid crystal lens structure of the first embodiment and the fourth embodiment corresponds to the liquid crystal lens structure of the second embodiment, respectively, and has the same structure. And a detailed description of the effects thereof will be omitted.

video display device

The image display device 110 of the present invention includes a display panel 120 displaying an image and a liquid crystal lens structure 130 disposed on the display panel 120 (see FIGS. 6A and 12A).

Here, the display panel 120 includes a plurality of left eye pixels PL and a plurality of right eye pixels PR. In the 2D mode, the plurality of left eye pixels PL and the plurality of right eye pixels PR display one image. In the 3D mode, the plurality of left-eye pixels PL display left-eye images and the plurality of right-eye pixels PR display right-eye images.

The display panel 120 is for generating an image signal, and display panels well known in the art may be used without limitation, and are not particularly limited as long as they do not deviate from the object of the present invention. The display panel 120 may be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel, an organic light emitting panel, or a plasma display panel. At this time, as the liquid crystal display panel and the organic light emitting panel, various liquid crystal display panels and organic light emitting panels known in the art may be used without limitation, and are not particularly limited.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the display panel 120 may be a liquid crystal display panel including a first substrate, a second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer interposed between the first and second substrates. In this case, a thin film transistor for applying a voltage to each pixel may be formed on the first substrate, and R (red), G (green), and B (blue) are sequentially and repeatedly arranged to correspond to pixels on the second substrate. ) A color filter layer may be formed. Also, the liquid crystal display panel may be a liquid crystal display panel having a color filter on transistor (COT) structure in which a thin film transistor and a color filter layer are both formed on a first substrate.

In addition, an alignment layer for aligning the liquid crystal may be included between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer and/or between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer.

On the other hand, as the liquid crystal display panel, liquid crystal display panels of various modes such as TN (Twisted Nematic) mode, VA (Vertical Alignment) mode, IPS (In Plane Switching) mode, FFS (Fringe Field Switching) mode, etc. are variously used. can

When the liquid crystal display panel as described above is used as the display panel 120, a backlight unit for supplying light may be disposed under the liquid crystal display panel.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the display panel 120 includes a first substrate, provided on the first substrate, a first electrode, a second electrode, and an organic disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. It may be an organic light emitting display panel including an organic element including a light emitting layer. In this case, a thin film transistor for applying electricity to the organic device may be formed on the first substrate, and an encapsulation layer and/or an encapsulation substrate for protecting the organic device may be further included on top of the organic device.

The image signal generated from the display panel 120 as described above may be implemented as a 2D image or a 3D image depending on whether a voltage is applied to the liquid crystal lens film structure.

For example, when the image display device 110 is driven in the 2D mode, the display panel 120 displays one image, and the first and second voltages set to the same value are applied to the first electrode layer 142 and the second voltage. An electric field is not generated by being applied to the two electrode layers 152, respectively, and the liquid crystal lens structure 130 transmits one image of the display panel 120 as it is, like a simple glass plate, and as a result, the user watches a 2D image. .

Meanwhile, when the image display device 110 is driven in 3D mode, the display panel 120 displays a left eye image and a right eye image, and first and second voltages set to different values are applied to the first electrode layer 142 and Each second electrode layer 152 is applied to generate an electric field, and the liquid crystal lens structure 130 operates as a lens to separate the left eye image and the right eye image of the display panel 120 and transmit them to different viewing zones. , As a result, the user can view 3D images.

Experimental example One

In order to confirm adhesion and process safety in the liquid crystal lens structure of the present invention, dynamic shear force of the liquid crystal lens film was measured.

15 is a photograph of a sample for measuring shear force of a liquid crystal lens structure according to the present invention, and FIG. 16 is a photograph of a shear force measuring mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 15, the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer are disposed in area A, the liquid crystal lens film and the second substrate are disposed in area B, and the shear force measuring device (model name: AG-X (Shimadzu)) of FIG. The shear force of the liquid crystal lens structure according to Example (not including adhesive material and conductive material inside the film) was measured and evaluated three times in succession.The results are shown in Table 1 below.

division 1 time Episode 2 3rd time medium Shear force (kgf/in ² ) 26.06 24.94 25.22 25.41

Referring to Table 1, the liquid crystal lens structure of the present invention exhibited an average shear force of 25.41 kgf/in ² .

Experimental example 2

The shear force of the liquid crystal lens structure according to Example 1 (including the adhesive material and the conductive material inside the film) and Comparative Example 1 (the upper and lower substrates of the liquid crystal lens structure are glass and the liquid crystal lens film is not included) was measured. The shear force evaluation method and measuring instrument are the same as Experimental Example 1, and the results are shown in Table 2 below.

division Example
Shear force (kgf/in ² ) Comparative Example 1 Shear force (kgf / in ² ) 1 time 27.01 3.1 Episode 2 25.5 2.8 3rd time 26.3 4.1 medium 26.27 3.3

Referring to Table 2, the liquid crystal lens structure of the present invention exhibited an average shear force of 26.27 kgf/in ² , and the comparative example exhibited an average shear force of 3.3 kgf/in ² , and adhesion of the liquid crystal lens structure of the present invention It was confirmed that the quality was excellent.

Experimental example 3

When a liquid crystal lens structure according to the first embodiment (including an adhesive material and a conductive material inside the film) was in a full white state by applying current to the electrode and the resin layer, the applied voltage was measured. In addition, current was applied to the upper and lower electrodes of Comparative Example 2 (the conventional liquid crystal lens array having the structure shown in FIG. 1) to measure the applied voltage when they were in a full white state.

The result is shown in Table 3 below.

division Example 1 Comparative Example 2 Driving voltage (V) 10 17

Referring to Table 3, it can be seen that the driving voltage of the liquid crystal lens film structure according to the present invention is lower than that of the conventional liquid crystal lens array.

Although the above has been described with reference to the embodiments, these are only examples and do not limit the present invention, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs will not deviate from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. It will be appreciated that various variations and applications are possible. For example, each component specifically shown in the embodiment can be modified and implemented. And the differences related to these modifications and applications should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

110: image display device 120: display panel
130, 230: liquid crystal lens structure 140, 240: first substrate
142, 242: first electrode layer 150, 250: second substrate
152, 252: second electrode layer 160, 260: liquid crystal lens film
164, 264: resin part
165, 265: liquid crystal molecule 166, 266: liquid crystal part
162: apex part 168, 268: adhesive layer
180: orthogonal polarizer 184: rubbing roller
262: horizontal part

Claims (18)

a first substrate;
a second substrate facing the first substrate;
an adhesive layer on the second substrate; and
A liquid crystal lens film between the first substrate and the adhesive layer;
The liquid crystal lens film includes a resin part having a plurality of concave parts and a liquid crystal part having liquid crystal molecules inside the plurality of concave parts,
The adhesive layer includes an adhesive capsule that is in contact with the liquid crystal lens film, has adhesive characteristics and alignment characteristics, and includes a conductive material;
The adhesive layer is disposed to contact the liquid crystal unit and cover the liquid crystal unit, the liquid crystal lens structure.
According to claim 1,
Of the plurality of concave portions, a horizontal portion connecting adjacent concave portions is in contact with the adhesive layer.
The liquid crystal lens structure of claim 1 , wherein, among the plurality of concave portions, apex portions connecting adjacent concave portions are embedded in the adhesive layer.
The liquid crystal lens structure according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive capsules are dispersed in the adhesive layer and have a single structure or a core-shell structure.
5. The liquid crystal lens structure of claim 4, wherein the adhesive capsule further comprises a shell made of a conductive material.
According to claim 1,
An electrode layer is provided between at least one of the second substrate and the adhesive layer and between the first substrate and the liquid crystal lens film, the liquid crystal lens structure.
a first substrate;
a second substrate facing the first substrate;
an adhesive layer positioned on one surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate; and
A liquid crystal lens film between the adhesive layer and the second substrate;
The liquid crystal lens film includes a resin portion having a plurality of convex portions and a liquid crystal portion having liquid crystal molecules outside the plurality of convex portions,
The adhesive layer includes an adhesive capsule that is in contact with the liquid crystal lens film, has adhesive characteristics and alignment characteristics, and includes a conductive material;
The adhesive layer is disposed to contact the liquid crystal unit and cover the liquid crystal unit, the liquid crystal lens structure.
delete delete 8. The liquid crystal lens structure according to claim 7, wherein the adhesive capsules are dispersed in the adhesive layer and have a single structure or a core-shell structure.
11. The liquid crystal lens structure of claim 10, wherein the adhesive capsule further comprises a shell made of a conductive material.
According to claim 7,
An electrode layer is provided between at least one of the first substrate and the adhesive layer and between the second substrate and the liquid crystal lens film, the liquid crystal lens structure.
Claims 1 to 7, the liquid crystal lens structure of any one of 10 to 12; and
An image display device including a display panel under the liquid crystal lens structure.
forming electrodes on the first substrate and the second substrate;
forming a resin part having a plurality of concave parts on the first substrate or forming a resin part having a plurality of convex parts on the second substrate;
rubbing the surface of the resin part in one direction;
Forming an adhesive layer on any one of the first or second substrate;
forming a liquid crystal part by filling liquid crystal molecules inside the plurality of concave parts or outside the plurality of convex parts; and
Including; bonding the first and second substrates;
The adhesive layer is disposed to contact the liquid crystal unit and cover the liquid crystal unit,
The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal lens structure, wherein the adhesive layer has an adhesive property and an alignment property, and includes an adhesive capsule containing a conductive material.
15. The method of claim 14,
Forming the adhesive layer further comprises a rubbing step of rubbing the surface of the adhesive layer through a rubbing roller, the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal lens structure.
15. The method of claim 14,
The method of manufacturing a liquid crystal lens structure in which the rubbing direction of the resin part and the rubbing direction of the adhesive layer are the same or orthogonal.
15. The method of claim 14,
The adhesive layer is formed by including at least one selected from the group consisting of an epoxy-based compound, an acrylate-based compound, a phenoxy compound and a thiol compound, a method for manufacturing a liquid crystal lens structure.
According to claim 15,
The adhesive layer is formed by further comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a transparent conductive material and silica, the manufacturing method of the liquid crystal lens structure.

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