KR20190040952A - Panel acting as active retarder and method of fabricating the same, and 3 dimensional stereography image displayable system including the panel - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a panel functioning as an active retarder, capable of reducing manufacturing costs; a manufacturing method thereof; and a three-dimensional (3D) image implanting system including the same. According to the present invention, the panel comprises: first and second films facing each other; a polymer layer disposed between the first and second films and made of a polymer material having light alignment and curing characteristics, wherein the polymer material is aligned in one direction; and a plurality of liquid crystal droplets distributed in the polymer layer. Each liquid crystal droplet includes a plurality of liquid crystal molecules. When not applying voltage to the polymer layer, each liquid crystal droplet is aligned in the same direction as the direction in which the polymer material of the polymer layer is aligned, and transmits light. The polymer layer and the distributed liquid crystal droplets form a phase shift layer. The thickness of the phase shift layer and an anisotropic refractive index value of the liquid crystal molecule are changed, thereby changing a phase value of light passing through the phase shift layer into λ/4 to λ/2.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a panel that acts as an active retarder, a method of manufacturing the panel, and a stereoscopic image implementing system having the same,

The present invention relates to a panel serving as an active retarder, and more particularly, to a panel using a polymer dispersed liquid crystal, a method of manufacturing the panel, and a 3D image realization system having a panel serving as an active retarder.

Generally, a liquid crystal display device is composed of two opposing electrodes and a liquid crystal layer formed therebetween. The liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are driven by an electric field generated by applying a voltage to the two electrodes. The liquid crystal molecules have a polarization property and an optical anisotropy. The polarization property means that when the liquid crystal molecules are placed in the electric field, the charges in the liquid crystal molecules collide with both sides of the liquid crystal molecules, and the molecular alignment direction changes according to the electric field. Refers to changing the path of the emitted light and the polarization state differently depending on the incident direction or polarization state of the incident light due to the elongated structure of the liquid crystal molecules and the aforementioned molecular arrangement direction.

Accordingly, the liquid crystal layer exhibits a difference in transmittance due to the voltage applied to the two electrodes, and the 2D image can be displayed by varying the difference between the pixels.

Meanwhile, in recent years, a liquid crystal display device capable of displaying 3D images in response to the increase in demands of users for a liquid crystal display device capable of realizing a stereoscopic image and realizing a 3D image, that is, a 3D image can be realized.

Generally, 3D stereoscopic images are made by the principle of stereoscopic vision through two eyes. By using binocular disparity which is caused by the difference of the two eyes, that is, the two eyes are separated by about 65 mm, A liquid crystal display device capable of displaying images has been proposed.

The 3D images will be described in more detail. The left and right eyes viewing the LCD display different 2D images. When the two images are transmitted to the brain through the retina, the brain fuses them exactly to each other, The depth and the sense of reality of the image are reproduced. Such a phenomenon is usually referred to as stereography.

Techniques presented for displaying a 3D stereoscopic image in a device having a 2D image display such as a liquid crystal display device include a stereoscopic image display by special glasses, a non-stereoscopic stereoscopic image display, and a holographic display method.

Recently, a stereoscopic image display device using polarized glasses and an active retarder serving as a shutter capable of switching between left and right images has been proposed.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional stereoscopic image display apparatus.

The conventional stereoscopic image display apparatus 1 includes a liquid crystal panel 10 having a first liquid crystal layer 22 and first and second polarizing plates 25 and 30, an active retarder panel 85, And glasses 98.

In the active retarder panel 85, first and second electrodes 53 and 73 are provided in two glass substrates 50 and 70 facing each other, and the first and second electrodes Alignment films 56 and 76 made of a polymer material requiring a high-temperature process are provided on the inner surfaces of the first and second alignment films 53 and 73 and a structure in which the second liquid crystal layer 80 is provided between the alignment films 56 and 76 .

Therefore, in the 3D image display device 1 having the active retarder panel 85 having such a configuration, two glass substrates 15 and 20 are used for forming the liquid crystal panel 10, and a high temperature process is required Two glass substrates 50 and 70 are again required for manufacturing the active retarder panel 85 having the alignment films 56 and 76. Therefore, the weight and volume of the glass substrates 50 and 70 are increased, And it is difficult to realize a large-sized 3D image display device due to the increase in weight and volume, and furthermore, the manufacturing cost is relatively increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide an active retarder panel capable of performing a low temperature process at 100 ° C or less, And an object thereof is to provide an image implementing system.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a panel comprising: a first film and a second film facing each other; A polymer layer interposed between the first and second films, the polymer layer being made of a polymer material having photo-alignment and photo-curing properties, the polymer material being arranged in one direction; and a plurality of liquid crystal droplets dispersed in the polymer layer Wherein the plurality of liquid crystal droplets include a plurality of liquid crystal molecules, and when no voltage is applied to the polymer layer, each of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules is arranged in the same direction as the arrangement direction of the polymer material of the polymer layer And the polymer layer and the plurality of dispersed liquid crystal droplets form a phase conversion layer. By changing the thickness of the phase conversion layer and the refractive index anisotropy value of the liquid crystal molecule, light passing through the phase conversion layer To a phase difference of? / 4 to? / 2.

Wherein the first and second films have first and second electrodes which are respectively in contact with the polymer layer and are transparent or alternate with each other on the inner surface of the first film or the second film, The first and second transparent electrodes are formed.

When voltages are applied to the first and second electrodes, the liquid crystal molecules in the plurality of liquid crystal droplets change their arrangement direction to change the phase of light passing through the phase conversion layer.

The 3D image realization system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a liquid crystal panel, a first polarizer formed on a first outer surface of the liquid crystal panel, a second polarizer formed on the outer surface of the second polarizer, A liquid crystal display device comprising a backlight unit; The panel attached to an outer surface of the second polarizer; And polarizing glasses having a polarizing film attached thereto.

A method of manufacturing a panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: forming a polymer liquid crystal material layer by applying a liquid mixture of a polymer material having photo-curing and photo-alignment characteristics and a liquid crystal on a first film; The polymeric liquid crystal material layer is irradiated with linearly polarized UV light to the polymeric liquid crystal material layer so that the polymeric materials are aligned in one direction and cured simultaneously. The liquid crystal is dispersed to form a plurality of liquid crystal droplets, When no voltage is applied to the material layer, a plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal droplets are arranged in the same direction as the arrangement direction of the polymer material to transmit light, and the thickness of the polymer liquid crystal material layer and the refractive index anisotropy Forming a phase conversion layer that changes the phase value of light passing through the polymeric liquid crystal material layer from? / 4 to? / 2 by changing the value; And attaching the second film to be in contact with the polymer layer.

Forming a transparent first electrode on the first film and forming a transparent second electrode on a side surface of the second film, or forming a transparent second electrode on the first film or the second film, And forming first and second transparent electrodes alternately on the inner surface of the substrate.

The active retarder panel according to the present invention does not include a process step at a high temperature of 200 DEG C or higher by including a polymer having properties of photo-alignment and photo-curing and a dispersed liquid crystal droplet composed of liquid crystal nanoparticles, Can be used.

Accordingly, it is possible to realize a lightweight thin type as compared with an active retarder panel using an organic substrate, and further, it has an advantage of reducing manufacturing cost.

In addition, the 3D image implementation system having the active retarder panel having such a configuration also has the advantage that the manufacturing cost is reduced and the lightweight thin type, which is the trend of the display device at present, can be realized.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a conventional stereoscopic image display device
2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of an active retarder panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively, showing a voltage off state and a voltage on state, respectively.
3 is a simplified stereoscopic perspective view of a 3D imaging system with an active retarder panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a 3D imaging system with an active retarder panel according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 5A to 5C are cross-sectional views illustrating the manufacturing steps of an active retarder panel according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Hereinafter, the configuration of an active retarder panel according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

2A and 2B are sectional views of an active retarder panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively, showing a voltage off state and a voltage on state, respectively.

As shown in the figure, the active retarder panel 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a polymer 275 and a plurality of dispersed liquid crystals 275 between the first and second films 210 and 250 having flexible characteristics. A phase change layer 280 composed of a droplet 278 and a first transparent conductive material for applying a voltage capable of changing the position of the liquid crystal molecules 279 in the liquid crystal droplets 278 in the phase conversion layer 280. [ And second electrodes (215, 255).

In this case, the polymer 275 is a photo-alignment polymer 275 that is arranged in a specific direction and is cured when irradiated with UV light polarized in one direction, and the liquid crystal droplet 278 has a size of nanometers And the liquid crystal nanoparticles.

On the other hand, the active retarder panel 200 having such a structure is characterized in that a plurality of liquid crystal particles in the liquid crystal droplets 278 are arranged in one direction by the light alignment, And is in a state in which the polymer is aligned in the same direction in which the polymer is arranged even when no voltage is applied.

In the case of the active retarder panel 200 having such a constitutional characteristic, a conventional general active retarder panel having a configuration including the liquid crystal layer (80 in Fig. 1) and the orientation film (56 in Fig. 1) Of 85), an orientation film requiring a high-temperature process of 200 ° C or more is omitted, and in place of this, a photo-curing property having a property of being cured by UV light irradiation and a directional property And a high-temperature process of 200 ° C or more is not required.

Therefore, it has an advantage that it can be manufactured using a film having a relatively low cost and flexible characteristics without using a glass substrate which is less likely to be deformed in a high temperature environment of about 200 ° C to 400 ° C.

Further, since the liquid crystal droplets 278 are influenced by the photo-aligned polymer 275 located in the periphery and maintain the state of being arranged in one direction, the liquid crystal droplets 278 are supplied through the first and second electrodes 215 and 255 The liquid crystal molecules 279 are randomly arranged in the liquid crystal droplets 278. In contrast, the liquid crystal molecules 279 are arranged in the liquid crystal droplets 278 without directionality, It also has the advantage of being improved.

The active retarder panel 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention changes the refractive index anisotropy value of the liquid crystal that forms the liquid crystal droplet 278 with the thickness of the phase conversion layer 280, It is possible to change the phase value of the passing light, and thus it can serve as a phase plate which has a phase value of? / 4 to? / 2 by appropriately adjusting it.

Meanwhile, the first and second films, which are components of the active retarder panel 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention, are made of a flexible material such as PEN (poly (ethylene naphthalate)), TAC Triacetylcellulose, PC (Polycarbonate), PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate), PES (Polyether Sulfone), PI (Polyimide) and COC (Cyclic Olefin Copolymer).

The material constituting the first and second films 210 and 250 has a thickness of about 20 nm or less, more specifically about 0 to 20 nm, which does not substantially affect the phase change of light passing through the first and second films 210 and 250 And is a material having retardation.

The active retarder panel 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first electrode 215 corresponding to a surface of the first film 210 that contacts the phase conversion layer 280, And the second electrode 255 is formed on the inner surface of the second film 250 so that the second film 250 is operated by the vertical electric field by arranging the electrodes 215 and 250 facing each other. The first electrode 215 and the second electrode 250 may be alternately formed on the inner surface of the first film 210 or the second film 250. In this case, the liquid crystal molecules 279 in the liquid crystal droplet 278 are operated by a transverse electric field.

FIG. 3 is a simplified perspective view of a 3D image realization system having an active retarder panel 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an active retarder panel 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a simplified cross-sectional view of a 3D imaging system.

A 3D image implementing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a liquid crystal display 110 displaying a 2D image, a first film 210 and a second film 250, and two films 210 and 250 The active retarder panel 200 includes a phase conversion layer 280 interposed between the liquid crystal display device 110 and the liquid crystal display device 110. The active retarder panel 200 and the polarizing glasses 295 are synchronized with the driving of the liquid crystal display device 110. [

A more detailed description will be given of the configuration of the 3D image implementing system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The liquid crystal display 110 includes a liquid crystal panel 110, first and second polarizers 125 and 130 attached to outer surfaces of the liquid crystal panel 117 and having transmission axes perpendicular to each other, And a backlight unit (not shown) provided on an outer surface of the light source unit.

At this time, the liquid crystal panel 110 includes an array substrate 115 having array elements (not shown), a color filter substrate 120 including the color filter layer 122, And a liquid crystal layer 140 interposed therebetween.

Gate and data lines 116 and 118 are formed on the array substrate 115 to define a plurality of pixel regions P and are connected to the two lines 116 and 118, And a pixel electrode 119 is formed in each pixel region P so as to be connected to a drain electrode of the thin film transistor Tr.

The color filter substrate 120 is provided with black matrices 121 corresponding to the boundaries of the pixel regions P and sequentially and repeatedly corresponding to the pixel regions P in the red, And a common electrode (not shown) covering the color filter layer 122 are provided on the entire surface.

The liquid crystal panel 110 having such a structure is formed on the first liquid crystal layer 140 by a vertical electric field generated between the pixel electrode 119 and a common electrode (not shown) The liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal molecules move to display a color image.

The first and second polarizers 125 and 130 are attached to both outer sides of the liquid crystal panel 110 having such a configuration such that their transmission axes are orthogonal to each other. A backlight unit (not shown) is provided.

At this time, it is preferable that the transmission axis of the second polarizer 130 forms an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the gate wiring 116, which is disposed in parallel to the normal ground when the liquid crystal panel 110 is viewed from the front.

In the liquid crystal panel 110, a pixel electrode 119 is formed on the array substrate 115 and a common electrode (not shown) is formed on the color filter substrate 120 to form a vertical electric field. The panel 110 may be formed with a pixel electrode and a common electrode spaced apart from each other in a bar shape alternating with the array substrate 115.

On the other hand, the active retarder panel 200, which is the most characteristic component in the present invention, is attached to the outer surface of the second polarizer plate 130 corresponding to the liquid crystal display device 110 having such a configuration.

The active retarder panel 200 has been described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B.

Meanwhile, in the active retarder panel 200, when the phase conversion layer 280 is appropriately adjusted so as to have a phase delay of? / 2, the active retarder panel 200 is subjected to left-handed polarization and preferential polarization with respect to light transmitted through the second polarizer 130 And serves as a shutter to make the polarized state.

That is, the phase-change layer 280 interposed between the first and second films 210 and 250 is reacted by the vertical electric field generated by the first and second electrodes 215 and 255 provided outside the phase- When the vertical electric field is applied and the value thereof is appropriately adjusted, the light passing through the second polarizer 130 is converted into a left-handed circularly polarized light and a preferred polarized light state. When the vertical electric field is turned off, a simple 2D image is transmitted.

Therefore, the active retarder panel 200 functions as a switch for turning on / off the 2D image and the 3D image viewing.

Meanwhile, when the active retarder panel 200 is turned on, left-handed and pre-polarized light having passed through the active retarder panel 200 are finally incident on the polarizing glasses 295, At this time, the left eye lens 295a of the polarizing glasses 150 has a first polarizing film 290a passing only the left-sided polarized light, and the right eye lens 295b is provided with a second polarizing film 290b so that the left eye image displayed by the odd frame from the liquid crystal panel 110 is incident on the left eye of the user and the right eye image displayed by the even frame is incident on the right eye of the user, .

Since the active retarder panel 200 is formed using a film, the 3D image implementing system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention having such a configuration has advantages of being lightweight and thin, and further reducing the manufacturing cost.

On the other hand, in the case of the active retarder panel 200 having the above-described configuration, one example of the active retarder panel 200 is used as one component of the 3D image display system 100 that accepts the role of changing the phase of the light If the polarizing plate having the transmission axis perpendicular to each other is provided on the outer side, the light transmission amount can be adjusted by controlling the voltage on / off and the applied voltage. Therefore, It can also be used as a smart window.

Hereinafter, a manufacturing method of the active retarder panel which is the most characteristic component in the present invention will be described.

5A to 5C are cross-sectional views illustrating an active retarder panel 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Next, first, as shown in FIG. 5A, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a triacetylcellulose (TAC), a polycarbonate, a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), a polyether sulfone (PES) A transparent conductive material such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO) or indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) is deposited on the first film 210 made of any one of COC (Cyclic Olefin Copolymer) The first electrode 215 is formed by patterning.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, a polymer liquid crystal material layer (not shown) is formed on the first electrode 215 by applying a solution in which a polymer 275 having photo-alignment and photo-curing properties and a liquid crystal are properly mixed , And the polymer is aligned in one direction with respect to the polymer liquid crystal material layer (not shown) by irradiating linearly polarized UV light thereto, and is cured.

At this time, the polymer 275 and the liquid crystal are phase-separated by properly controlling the intensity of the UV light and the irradiation time, so that the liquid crystal droplets 278 are formed inside the polymer side, and at the same time, the polymer 275 is arranged in one direction Liquid crystal molecules 279 are arranged in the liquid crystal droplet 278 in the direction in which the polymer 275 is arranged.

A phase change layer 280 having a shape in which liquid crystal droplets 278 having liquid crystal molecules 279 arranged in one direction are dispersed in the polymer 275 is formed on the first electrode 215 .

5C, a second electrode 255 is formed by depositing a transparent conductive material on the second film 250, and the second electrode 255 is formed on the phase conversion layer 280, And then joined together to complete the active retarder panel 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

At this time, although not shown, an adhesive layer (not shown) may be further interposed between the second electrode 255 and the phase change layer 280.

The manufacturing process of the active retarder panel 200 is not limited to the use of the first and second films 210 and 250 that have been cut in advance and that the first film 210 and the second film 210, Roll method using a roll (not shown) wound with the rollers 250, and then cutting the rollers 250 later.

The first electrode 215 may be formed on the first film 210 and the second electrode 255 may be formed on the inner side of the second film 250. [ The first electrode 215 and the second electrode 250 may be formed on either the first film 210 or the second film 250 in an alternating manner.

Since the active retarder panel 200 completed and advanced as described above does not have a process requiring a high temperature of 200 ° C or more, a manufacturing cost can be reduced by using a film having a flexible characteristic in place of a glass substrate, .

Furthermore, compared to a glass substrate, a lightweight and thin type can be realized. In addition, a 3D image realization system having the 3D image realizing system has a merit that a manufacturing cost is reduced and a lightweight thin type which is a trend of a display device is realized.

210: first film
215: first electrode
250: Second film
255: second electrode
275: Polymers
278: bubble of liquid crystal
279: liquid crystal molecule
280: phase conversion layer

Claims (6)

A first film and a second film facing each other;
A polymer layer interposed between the first and second films, the polymer layer being made of a polymer material having photo-alignment and photo-curing properties, the polymer material being arranged in one direction; and a plurality of liquid crystal droplets dispersed in the polymer layer ≪ / RTI &
Wherein each of the plurality of liquid crystal droplets includes a plurality of liquid crystal molecules,
When no voltage is applied to the polymer layer, each of the plurality of liquid crystal molecules is arranged in the same direction as the arrangement direction of the polymer material of the polymer layer,
Wherein the polymer layer and the plurality of dispersed liquid crystal droplets constitute a phase conversion layer and the phase value of the light passing through the phase conversion layer is changed by changing the thickness of the phase conversion layer and the refractive index anisotropy value of the liquid crystal molecule, 4 to? / 2.
The method according to claim 1,
The first and second electrodes may be formed on the side surfaces of the first film and the second film so as to be in contact with the polymer layer,
Or the first and second electrodes are alternately formed on the inner surface of the first film or the second film.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein when a voltage is applied to the first and second electrodes, the liquid crystal molecules in the plurality of liquid crystal droplets change their arrangement direction to change the phase of light passing through the phase conversion layer.
4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A liquid crystal display comprising a liquid crystal panel, a first polarizer formed on a first outer surface of the liquid crystal panel, a second polarizer formed on the outer surface of the first polarizer, and a backlight unit provided on an outer surface of the first polarizer;
The panel attached to an outer surface of the second polarizer;
A 3D image implementation system comprising polarizing glasses with a polarizing film attached thereto.
Forming a polymeric liquid crystal material layer on the first film by applying a solution containing a mixture of a polymer material having photo-curing and photo-alignment characteristics and a liquid crystal;
The polymeric liquid crystal material layer is irradiated with linearly polarized UV light to the polymeric liquid crystal material layer so that the polymeric material is arranged in one direction and cured simultaneously, and the liquid crystal is dispersed into a plurality of liquid crystal droplets,
When no voltage is applied to the polymeric liquid crystal material layer, a plurality of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal droplets are arranged in the same direction as the arrangement direction of the polymeric materials so as to transmit light, and the thickness of the polymer liquid crystal material layer, Forming a phase conversion layer that changes the phase value of light passing through the polymeric liquid crystal material layer from? / 4 to? / 2 by changing the refractive index anisotropy value of the polymer liquid crystal material layer;
And attaching the second film to be in contact with the phase conversion layer.
6. The method of claim 5,
Forming a transparent first electrode on the first film and forming a transparent second electrode on a side surface in the second film,
And forming first and second transparent electrodes alternately on the inner surface of the first film or the second film.

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