 Pixelated compensators for twisted nematic liquid crystal displays |
| A novel normally-white dual-domain twisted nematic liquid crystal display exhibits dramatically ... |
|
| Optical compensatory sheet |
| It is an object of the invention to provide an optical compensatory sheet which has an excellent ... |
|
| Patterned polarization-rotating optical element and method of making the same, and 3D display |
| What is claimed is: 1. A patterned polarization-rotating optical element comprising a layer of ... |
|
| Anisotropic retardation layers for display devices |
| The present invention is an optically anisotropic layer which may be applied on an isotropic or ... |
|
| Liquid crystal display device |
| The present invention is made to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages and a first object of the ... |
|
| Optical bodies made with a birefringent polymer |
| Generally, the present invention relates to optical bodies and their manufacture, as well as the ... |
|
| Black light instrument cluster assembly |
| The present invention provides alternatives and advantages over the prior art by providing an ... |
|
| Digital convergence image |
| FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary display screen 101 of a video signal display apparatus employing ... |
|
|
Optical component and method of manufacture
| Details |
Inventors: Schadt, Martin; Schuster, Andreas; Seiberle, Hubert;
Assignee: Rolic AG (Basel, CH)
Primary Examiner: Dudek; James A.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P.
An optical component having a hybrid layer structure includes an orienting layer, a further layer in contact with the orienting layer and incorporating a cross-linked liquid crystalline monomer and at least one additional orienting layer on top of the liquid crystalline layer, and preferably includes one additional cross-linked liquid crystalline monomer. The layers have different functions, such as orienting or retarding. At least one of the orienting layers should be a photo-orientating polymer network layer, or have locally varying orienting pattern. These optical components are useful in transmittance and reflective liquid crystal displays, such as rotation cells, STN cells, ferroelectric cells, and cells having an addressable active matrix. Such cells are useful in optical and integrated optical devices, and may be used for safeguarding against counterfeiting and copying in transmission. |
|
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The subject invention will now be described in terms of its preferred embodiments.
These embodiments are set forth to aid in understanding the invention, but are not to be construed as limiting.
The invention provides a process for making an isotropic layer of cross-linked liquid crystalline monomers in contact with an orientating layer on a single substrate.
This process comprises applying an orientating layer onto a single substrate, then applying a layer of a non-cross-linked liquid crystalline monomer, and subsequently cross-linking the monomer.
Also provided is an optical component having a layer structure.
The component comprises a substrate, a first orientating layer, a liquid crystalline monomer layer, and a second orientating layer.
The first and second orientating layers are located on opposite sides of the crystalline monomer layer.
At least one of the orientating layers includes a photo-orientating polymer network.
FIG.
1 is a diagrammatic section through a layer structure in one embodiment of the invention, showing a substrate 1 of transparent or reflecting material such as glass, polymer, metal, paper, etc.
A layer 2 of a photo-orientated polymer network is disposed on the substrate and either covers the entire substrate uniformly or has varying local planar orientation.
The layer can be made, for example, of cinnamic acid derivatives which are described and published in European Patent Applications Nos.
0 525 477 and 0 525 478.
The layer is orientated and simultaneously cross-linked by selective irradiation with linear polarized UV light.
Instead of the PPN layer, the layer 2 can also be a conventional orientating layer, for example a polyimide layer rubbed in one direction or a layer having an orientating effect and obtained by oblique sputtering with SiO.
sub.
x.
In this case, the orientating layer will usually have uniform orientation over the entire substrate surface.
In applications where uniform orientation over the entire surface is desired, this mechanical alternative may be less expensive to manufacture than a PPN layer
|
|
LCD 
