Monolithic optical compensation device for improved viewing angle in liquid crystal displays
View Patent ↗A monolithic O-plate optical compensator device, in accordance with the invention, comprises a plurality of thin-film compensation layers which are deposited on a single substrate. As used herein, the term “monolithic” is meant to imply that the O-plate and other thin-film compensator layers are formed by depositing (e.g., via solvent casting or vacuum deposition) one layer on top of another layer; with or without the use of surface modification treatments such as adhesion layers, alignment layers, and the like.
1. A monolithic compensator for a liquid crystal display comprising:
(a) a first deposited thin-film positively birefringent O- plate compensator layer having a first surface;
(b) a second thin-film compensator layer deposited onto said first surface of said first compensator layer, wherein each of said first and said second deposited thin-film compensator layers are layer is selected from the group consisting of (i) a positively birefringent O-plate compensator layer, (ii) a positively birefringent A-plate compensator layer, (iii) a negatively birefringent A-plate compensator layer and (iv) a negatively birefringent C-plate compensator layer.
2. The monolithic compensator of claim 1 , wherein one or more thin-film layers of material are deposited between said first deposited thin-film compensator layer and said second deposited thin-film compensator layer.
3. The monolithic compensator of claim 2 , wherein at least one of said one or more thin-film layers is a deposited thin-film compensator layer.
4. A liquid crystal display comprising:
(a) a polarizer layer;
(b) an analyzer layer;
(c) a liquid crystal cell having a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate forming respective walls of said liquid crystal cell, said liquid crystal cell disposed between said polarizer layer and said analyzer layer; and
(d) a monolithic compensator in accordance with a specified one of claims 1 , 2 , or 3 disposed between said polarizer layer and said analyzer layer.
5. A compensator element for a liquid crystal display comprising:
(a) an optically transparent substrate; and
(b) a monolithic compensator in accordance with a specified one of claims 1 , 2 , and 3 , operatively coupled to a optically transparent substrate.
6. The compensator element of claim 5 , wherein said optically transparent substrate is an optical polarizer.
7. The compensator element of claim 5 , wherein said optically transparent substrate is one surface of a liquid crystal cell.