TWI406029B - Autostereoscopic display device, parallax barrier and fabricating method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A fabricating method of parallax barrier including the following steps is provided. First, a substrate is provided and an alignment layer is formed on the substrate. Then, a liquid crystal polymer layer is formed on the alignment layer, and an exposure process is performed with a mask on a portion of the liquid crystal polymer layer. Thereafter, another exposure process is performed entirely on the liquid crystal polymer layer such that a retarder array is formed. The retarder array has multiple first retarder areas exposed once and multiple second retarder areas exposed twice. It is noted that the retardance of the first retarder is different from that of the second retarder.

Description

Stereoscopic image display device and parallax barrier element

The present invention relates to a stereoscopic display device (Autostereoscopic Display Device), and more particularly to a visual barrier element (Parallax Barrier) for a stereoscopic image display device and a method for fabricating the same.

With the advancement and development of science and technology, people's enjoyment of material life and spiritual level has always increased and never decreased. At a spiritual level, in this era of rapid technological advancement, people hope to achieve the imaginative effect of the imaginary effect through the display device. Therefore, how to make a display device to present a stereoscopic image or image has become an object of current display device technology.

In terms of appearance, stereoscopic display technology can be roughly classified into stereoscopic and auto-stereoscopic. Among them, the glasses-type stereo display can be divided into color filter glasses, polarizing glasses, and shutter glasses. The working principle of the glasses-type stereo display is mainly to use the display to send left and right eye images with special information, and through the selection of the glasses, the left and right eyes respectively see the left and right eye images to form stereoscopic vision. Nowadays, glasses-type stereoscopic display has matured and is widely used in certain special applications, such as military simulation or large-scale entertainment. However, the inconvenience and discomfort of wearing glasses makes the glasses-type stereo display not popular in general entertainment. Therefore, the naked-eye stereoscopic display has gradually developed and become a new trend.

There are many types of naked-eye stereoscopic displays, which can be divided into a holographic type, a volumetric type, a parallax image, and a tracking-based type. Among them, the omni-directional and volume-type naked-eye stereoscopic display can achieve an ideal stereoscopic display effect, but the technical difficulty is high and the implementation is not easy. In contrast, the paired stereo image type is closer to the modern flat display mode, and is also the mainstream of the current commercial products.

In more detail, the paired stereoscopic image can be divided into a time-multiplexed and a spatial-multiplexed manner according to its display mechanism. The time multiplex mode mainly uses a specially designed splitting mechanism to continuously send left and right eye images to the left and right eyes continuously to achieve a stereoscopic display effect. The spatial multiplexing method divides the display screen into left and right eye image display areas, and uses a parallax barrier or a lenticular screen to simultaneously project images to the left and right eyes to achieve a stereoscopic effect.

1A to 1I are sequentially shown as a flow chart for manufacturing a conventional parallax barrier element. First, as shown in FIG. 1A, a substrate 110 is provided, and a polymer 120 is disposed on the substrate 110. Next, as shown in FIG. 1B, the polymer film 120 is subjected to a rubbing process to form an alignment layer 122. Then, as shown in FIG. 1C, FIG. 1D and FIG. 1E, a photoresist 130 is applied on the alignment layer 122, and the alignment layer 122 is exposed to a photomask 140 to form a patterned photoresist 132 on the alignment layer 122. Wherein the patterned photoresist 132 exposes a portion of the alignment layer 122. Then, as shown in FIG. 1F, the exposed alignment layer 122 is subjected to a rubbing process to form the first phase retardation region 122a and the second phase retardation region 122b in the alignment layer 122. Wherein, the first phase retardation region 122a undergoes a rubbing process, and the second phase retardation region 122b undergoes two rubbing processes. The patterned photoresist 132 is then removed as shown in FIG. 1G. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1H, a liquid crystal polymer layer 150 is formed on the alignment layer 122, and the liquid crystal polymer layer 150 is exposed. Finally, as shown in FIG. 1I, the exposed liquid crystal polymer layer 150 is formed into a birefringent layer 160 fixed on the alignment layer 122, thereby completing the fabrication of the parallax barrier element 100. However, this method requires a two-time rubbing process on a portion of the alignment layer 122, thereby increasing the process complexity of the parallax barrier element 100, and thus the product yield of the parallax barrier element 100 cannot be greatly improved, and The product manufacturing cost of the parallax barrier element 100 is effectively reduced.

2A-2C are sequentially shown as a flow chart for making another parallax barrier element of the prior art. First, as shown in FIG. 2A, a substrate 210 is provided, and an alignment layer 220 and a liquid crystal polymerization layer 230 having a chiral dopant are sequentially formed on the substrate 210. Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, the liquid crystal polymer layer 230 is exposed to a mask by using the mask 240 as a mask to form the phase retardation array 232. The photomask 240 has a light transmitting region 242 and a light blocking region 244. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2C, the phase delay array 232 has a first region 232a corresponding to the light transmissive region 242 and a second region 232b corresponding to the light blocking region 244. The liquid crystal molecules in the first region 232a are horizontally arranged in the first direction, and the liquid crystal molecules in the second region 232b are twisted in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. It should be noted that, compared with the manufacturing method of the parallax barrier element 100 described above, although this method has the advantage of simple process, when the liquid crystal layer 230 is exposed to form the phase delay array 232, the parallax is increased. The thermal budget of the barrier element 200, which affects the alignment of the liquid crystal molecules.

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of fabricating a parallax barrier element.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a parallax barrier element which can improve product yield.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a stereoscopic image display device which can reduce production costs.

To achieve the above or other objects, the present invention provides a method of fabricating a parallax barrier element, comprising the steps of: first, providing a substrate and forming an alignment layer on the substrate. Then, a liquid crystal polymer layer is formed on the alignment layer, and a portion of the liquid crystal polymer layer is exposed by using a mask as a mask. Thereafter, the liquid crystal polymer layer is subjected to comprehensive exposure to form a liquid crystal polymer layer to form a phase retardation array, wherein the phase retardation array has a plurality of first phase retardation regions subjected to single exposure and a plurality of double exposured The second phase delay region has a delay amount different from that of the second phase delay region.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the method of forming the alignment layer is, for example, forming a layer of material prior to the substrate and then rubbing the layer of material in a single direction to form an alignment layer having a single rubbing direction.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the liquid crystal polymer layer is exposed to a nitrogen atmosphere for exposure.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the liquid crystal polymer layer is exposed to ultraviolet light.

The present invention further provides a parallax barrier element comprising a substrate, an alignment layer, and a non-pivot phase retardation array. Wherein, the alignment layer is disposed on the substrate, and the alignment layer has a single rubbing direction. In addition, the non-pseudo-phase phase delay array is disposed on the alignment layer, wherein the non-pivoting phase delay array has a plurality of first phase delay regions and a plurality of second phase delay regions, and the delay amount of the first phase delay region is The amount of delay of the second phase delay zone is different.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the difference between the delay amount of the first phase delay region and the delay amount of the second phase delay region is λ/2, and λ is a light that penetrates one of the non-pivoting phase delay arrays. wavelength. Wherein, the delay amount of the first phase delay region is 550 nm, and the bit delay amount of the second phase delay region is 275 nm.

The present invention further provides a stereoscopic image display device comprising a display panel, a parallax barrier element and a polarizer. The parallax barrier element is disposed on the display panel, and the polarizer is disposed on the parallax barrier element.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the display panel is, for example, a liquid crystal panel, an organic electroluminescent display panel, a plasma display panel, or a field emission display panel.

The three-dimensional image display device, the visual barrier element and the manufacturing method thereof have the advantages of reducing the process heat budget, increasing the product yield, and reducing the production cost.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more <RTIgt;

3A-3D are a flow chart showing the fabrication of the parallax barrier element of the present invention. The fabrication process of the parallax barrier element 300 includes the following steps: First, as shown in FIG. 3A, a substrate 310 is provided, and a material layer 312 is formed on the substrate 310, and then the material layer 312 is rubbed in a single direction to form An alignment layer 320 having a single rubbing direction. In the present embodiment, the substrate 310 is, for example, a transparent substrate, and the material layer 312 may be made of any polymer that can be deposited on the substrate 310 and rubbed, such as polyimide or the like.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, a liquid crystal polymer layer 330 is formed on the alignment layer 320. It is to be noted that the liquid crystal polymer layer 330 is doped with a non-chiral dopant. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3C, the liquid crystal polymer layer 330 is placed under a nitrogen atmosphere, and the liquid crystal polymer layer 330 is irradiated with ultraviolet light with a mask 340 as a mask to perform the first exposure. In more detail, the photomask 340 has a masking region 342 and a light transmissive region 344, so the first exposure is a partial exposure of the liquid crystal polymer layer 330.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3D, the liquid crystal polymer layer 330 is further irradiated with ultraviolet light for a second exposure, and the second exposure is a comprehensive exposure of the liquid crystal polymer 330 to cause the liquid crystal polymer layer 330. A non-pseudo-phase retardation array 332 is formed. The non-pivoting phase delay array 332 has a plurality of single-exposure first phase delay regions 334a and a plurality of double-exposed second phase delay regions 334b, and the delay amount of the first phase delay region 334a is The amount of delay of the second phase delay region 334b is different.

It is to be noted that the difference between the delay amount of the first phase delay region 334a and the delay amount of the second phase delay region 334b is λ/2, and λ is the wavelength of the light that penetrates the non-pseudo-phase retardation array 332. Wherein, the delay amount of the first phase delay region is 550 nm, and the delay amount of the second phase delay region is 275 nm.

Of course, in this embodiment, the liquid crystal polymer layer 330 is partially exposed first, and then the liquid crystal polymer layer 330 is subjected to comprehensive exposure to form a non-palphaelastic phase retardation array 332. However, in other embodiments, the liquid crystal polymer layer 330 may be subjected to a comprehensive exposure, and then the liquid crystal polymer layer 330 may be partially exposed to form a non-palphaelastic phase retardation array 332.

4 is a schematic diagram of a stereoscopic image display device of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4 , the stereoscopic image display device 400 includes a display panel 350 , a parallax barrier element 300 , and a polarizer 360 . The parallax barrier element 300 is disposed on the display panel 350 , and the polarizer 360 is disposed on the parallax barrier element 300 . In this embodiment, the display panel is, for example, a liquid crystal panel, an organic electroluminescent display panel, a plasma display panel, or a field emission display panel.

Referring to FIG. 3D and FIG. 4 simultaneously, when the light is supplied to the stereoscopic image display device 400, the display panel 350 transmits a 2D image to the parallax barrier element 300 for image processing, and then transmits the planar image through the polarized light. The slice 360 outputs a stereoscopic image (3D Image). More specifically, since the delay amount of the first phase delay region 334a is different from the delay amount of the second phase delay region 334b, when the image is output, the viewer observes a stereoscopic image.

In summary, the three-dimensional image display device, the visual barrier element and the manufacturing method thereof have the advantages of simple process and low process thermal budget, thereby further improving product yield and reducing production cost.

While the present invention has been described in its preferred embodiments, the present invention is not intended to limit the invention, and the present invention may be modified and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of protection is subject to the definition of the scope of the patent application.

100, 200, 300. . . Parallax barrier element

110, 210, 310. . . Substrate

122, 220, 320. . . Alignment layer

122a, 334a. . . First phase delay zone

122b, 334b. . . Second phase delay zone

130. . . Photoresist

140, 240, 340. . . Mask

150, 230. . . Liquid crystal polymerization layer

160. . . Complex refractive layer

220. . . Polymer film

232. . . Phase delay array

232a. . . First district

232b. . . Second district

312. . . Material layer

332. . . Non-pseudo-phase delay array

330. . . Liquid crystal polymer layer

350. . . Display panel

360. . . Polarizer

400. . . Stereoscopic image display device

FIG. 1A to FIG. 1I are sequentially shown as a flow chart for manufacturing a conventional parallax barrier element.

2A-2C are sequentially shown as a flow chart for making another parallax barrier element of the prior art.

3A-3D are a flow chart showing the fabrication of the parallax barrier element of the present invention.

4 is a schematic diagram of a stereoscopic image display device of the present invention.

300. . . Parallax barrier element

310. . . Substrate

320. . . Alignment layer

334a. . . First phase delay zone

334b. . . Second phase delay zone

332a. . . Non-pseudo-phase delay array

Claims (5)

A parallax barrier element comprising: a substrate; an alignment layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the alignment layer has a single rubbing direction; and a non-pivoting phase retardation array disposed on the alignment layer, wherein the non-pair The palm phase retardation array has a plurality of first phase delay regions and a plurality of second phase delay regions, and the delay amounts of the first phase delay regions are different from the delay amounts of the second phase delay regions, the first phase The difference between the delay amount of the delay region and the delay amount of the second phase delay region is λ/2, and λ is a wavelength that penetrates one of the rays of the non-preferential phase retardation array. The parallax barrier element of claim 1, wherein the first phase delay region has a retardation of 550 nm and the second phase retardation region has a bit retardation of 275 nm. A stereoscopic image display device includes: a display panel; a parallax barrier element disposed on the display panel, the parallax barrier element comprises: a substrate; an alignment layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the alignment layer has a single rubbing direction; a non-pivoting phase delay array disposed on the alignment layer, wherein the non-pivoting phase delay array has a plurality of first phase delay regions and a plurality of second phase delay regions, and the first Phase delay zone The delay amount is different from the delay amount of the second phase delay regions, the difference between the delay amount of the first phase delay region and the delay amount of the second phase delay region is λ/2, and λ is to penetrate the non-pair a wavelength of one of the light of the phase retardation array; and a polarizer disposed on the parallax barrier element. The stereoscopic image display device of claim 3, wherein the display panel comprises a liquid crystal panel, an organic electroluminescent display panel, a plasma display panel or a field emission display panel. The stereoscopic image display device of claim 3, wherein the delay amount of the first phase delay region is 550 nm, and the delay amount of the second phase delay region is 275 nm.