LCD panel and display device

Abstract

This disclosure relates to a liquid crystal display panel and a display device, and pertains to the field of display technology. The liquid crystal display panel includes a color separation layer, a backlight module, and an array substrate, a liquid crystal layer, and a color filter substrate stacked sequentially along one side of the backlight module. The color filter substrate includes multiple filter units, each filter unit including n color filters; n≥2. The color separation layer is disposed between the backlight module and the color filter substrate, and includes multiple separation units, with one separation unit overlapping one filter unit. The separation units are used to separate and converge the light emitted from the backlight module into n different color illumination areas that illuminate the color filter substrate, and each illumination area is located one-to-one with each filter. The color of any filter is the same as the color of the light in its corresponding illumination area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and more specifically, to a liquid crystal display panel and display device. Background Technology

[0002] Liquid crystal display panels are widely used in televisions, mobile phones, and wearable devices such as VR glasses. In existing technologies, increasing brightness requires increasing power consumption, which is not energy-efficient; alternatively, increasing the pixel aperture ratio requires reducing the number of pixels, leading to lower resolution and a higher risk of the screen-door effect.

[0003] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this disclosure is to provide a liquid crystal display panel and display device that can improve brightness without increasing power consumption or reducing resolution.

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid crystal display panel is provided, including a color separation layer, a backlight module, and an array substrate, a liquid crystal layer, and a color filter substrate sequentially stacked along one side of the backlight module.

[0006] The color filter substrate includes multiple filter units, and each filter unit includes n filter sections of different colors; n≥2;

[0007] The color separation layer is disposed between the backlight module and the color filter substrate, and includes multiple separation units, with one separation unit overlapping one filter unit; the separation unit is used to separate and converge the light emitted by the backlight module into n different color illumination areas that illuminate the color filter substrate, and each illumination area is located in a corresponding position in each filter unit; the color of any filter unit is the same as the color of the light in its corresponding illumination area.

[0008] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the separation unit includes a plurality of first light-transmitting portions and a plurality of second light-transmitting portions, the first light-transmitting portions and the second light-transmitting portions being alternately distributed in at least one of a first direction and a second direction; the refractive index of the first light-transmitting portions is greater than the refractive index of the second light-transmitting portions; the first direction and the second direction intersect.

[0009] In a direction in which the first and second light-transmitting portions are alternately distributed, at least two of the first light-transmitting portions have different sizes, and at least two of the second light-transmitting portions have the same size.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, both the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion are strip-shaped structures extending along the first direction, and the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion are alternately distributed along the second direction;

[0011] At least two of the first light-transmitting portions have different widths in the second direction; at least two of the second light-transmitting portions have the same width in the second direction.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, both the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion are columnar structures that protrude in a direction away from the backlight module, and are arranged in multiple rows and columns; the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion in the same column are alternately distributed along the first direction, and the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion in the same row are alternately distributed along the second direction;

[0013] In the same column, at least two of the first light-transmitting portions have different lengths in the first direction, and at least two of the second light-transmitting portions have the same length in the first direction;

[0014] In the same row, at least two of the first light-transmitting portions have different lengths in the second direction, and at least two of the second light-transmitting portions have the same length in the second direction.

[0015] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the size of at least one first light-transmitting portion in the first direction is an integer multiple of the size of another first light-transmitting portion in the first direction; the size of at least one first light-transmitting portion in the second direction is an integer multiple of the size of another first light-transmitting portion in the second direction;

[0016] The dimension of at least one of the second light-transmitting portions in the second direction is an integer multiple of the dimension of the other second light-transmitting portion in the second direction; the dimension of at least one of the second light-transmitting portions in the second direction is an integer multiple of the dimension of the other second light-transmitting portion in the second direction.

[0017] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion have the same thickness.

[0018] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the first light-transmitting portion includes a plurality of light-transmitting layers stacked sequentially along a direction away from the backlight module, wherein the refractive index of any one of the light-transmitting layers is greater than the refractive index of the second light-transmitting portion.

[0019] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the color separation layer further includes a light-transmitting planarization layer, which covers the surfaces of the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion away from the backlight module, and the refractive index of the planarization layer is less than the refractive index of the first light-transmitting portion.

[0020] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the planarization layer and the second light-transmitting portion are an integral structure.

[0021] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the material of the first light-transmitting portion includes at least one of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, metal oxide, and optical adhesive.

[0022] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the array substrate includes a substrate and a circuit layer sequentially distributed along a direction away from the backlight module; the color separation layer is disposed between the substrate and the circuit layer.

[0023] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the array substrate, the liquid crystal layer, and the color filter substrate are sequentially distributed along a direction away from the backlight module; the array substrate includes a substrate and a circuit layer sequentially distributed along a direction away from the backlight module; the liquid crystal display panel further includes a first polarizer and a second polarizer, the first polarizer being disposed between the array substrate and the backlight module, and the second polarizer being disposed on the side of the color filter substrate away from the backlight module;

[0024] The color separation layer is disposed between the first polarizer and the backlight module, or between the first polarizer and the substrate.

[0025] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the color filter substrate further includes a substrate, and the light filter portion is disposed on the side of the substrate close to the liquid crystal layer;

[0026] The color separation layer is disposed between the substrate and the filter portion.

[0027] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a display device is provided, comprising a liquid crystal display panel as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0028] The liquid crystal display panel and display device disclosed herein utilize a color separation layer that separates and converges the light emitted from the backlight module into n illumination areas of different colors, each illuminating one of the n filter elements. The color of the light in each illumination area is the same as the color of the illuminated filter element, allowing it to exit from the filter elements and achieve color display. Thus, by redistributing light energy through the color separation layer, the color of the light illuminating a filter element is made the same as the color of that filter element, reducing the light energy absorbed by the filter elements. Compared to each filter element receiving white light emitted from the backlight module, this disclosure reduces light energy loss and increases the transmittance of the filter elements. Without increasing power consumption, brightness can be increased without increasing power consumption or reducing resolution; in other words, power consumption can be reduced without increasing resolution or reducing brightness.

[0029] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the liquid crystal display panel disclosed herein.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the liquid crystal display panel disclosed herein.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the liquid crystal display panel disclosed herein.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a third embodiment of the liquid crystal display panel disclosed herein.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the fourth embodiment of the liquid crystal display panel disclosed herein.

[0036] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a fifth embodiment of the liquid crystal display panel disclosed herein.

[0037] Figures 7-10 for Figure 6 A schematic diagram of some steps in the fabrication method of a liquid crystal display panel.

[0038] Figures 11-17This is a schematic diagram of each step in the preparation method of a color separation layer for a liquid crystal display panel disclosed herein.

[0039] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the first type of color separation layer of the liquid crystal display panel disclosed herein.

[0040] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the first light-transmitting portion of the first color separation layer of the liquid crystal display panel disclosed herein.

[0041] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the second type of color separation layer of the liquid crystal display panel disclosed herein.

[0042] Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the first light-transmitting portion of the second color separation layer of the liquid crystal display panel disclosed herein.

[0043] Figure 22 This is a schematic diagram of the iterative gain results of the color separation layer in one embodiment of the liquid crystal display panel of this disclosure.

[0044] Figure 23 This is a schematic diagram of a partial pixel distribution of one embodiment of the liquid crystal display panel disclosed herein.

[0045] Figure 24 This is a schematic diagram of a partial pixel distribution of another embodiment of the liquid crystal display panel disclosed herein.

[0046] Figure 25 This is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of the display device disclosed herein. Detailed Implementation

[0047] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore detailed descriptions of them will be omitted. Furthermore, the drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0048] The terms “a,” “one,” “the,” “the,” and “at least one” are used to indicate the existence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms “including” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and to mean that there may be other elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms “first,” “second,” etc. are used only as markers and are not a limitation on the number of objects.

[0049] In this document, the first direction Y and the second direction X are two intersecting directions. In the accompanying drawings of this disclosure, the second direction X can be horizontal, and the first direction Y can be vertical, with the two perpendicular to each other, but not limited to this. The first direction Y and the second direction X can also be non-perpendicular directions. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that as the display panel rotates, the actual orientation of the first direction Y and the second direction X may change, but their relative positions remain unchanged.

[0050] In this paper, the "overlap" of features A and B means that the orthographic projections of features A and B on a plane at least partially coincide; the plane can be the surface of the substrate or other planes parallel to the substrate.

[0051] This disclosure provides a liquid crystal display panel that may have a plurality of pixels arranged in an array, each pixel including n sub-pixels with different emitting colors, n≥2; for example, n=3, that is, a pixel may include 3 sub-pixels, and the emitting colors may be red, green and blue respectively.

[0052] like Figure 23 As shown, in some embodiments of this disclosure, each pixel includes three sub-pixels, and the sub-pixels of the same pixel can be arranged side by side along a first direction or a second direction. For example... Figure 24 The Delta pixel arrangement can be used, where each pixel includes two sub-pixels. Two adjacent pixels can share a sub-pixel through the Subpixel Rendering (SPR) algorithm to achieve color borrowing. The specific principle will not be detailed here. Figure 23 and Figure 24 In the diagram, R represents a sub-pixel that emits red light, G represents a sub-pixel that emits green light, and B represents a sub-pixel that emits blue light.

[0053] In addition, in some implementations, a pixel may include four or more sub-pixels, including at least one sub-pixel that emits white light, in addition to three or more sub-pixels that emit monochromatic light of different colors, to improve brightness.

[0054] like Figures 2-6 As shown, the liquid crystal display panel may include a backlight module 1 and an array substrate 2, a liquid crystal layer 3, and a color filter substrate 4 stacked on one side of the backlight module 1, wherein:

[0055] Backlight module 1 serves as a light source, emitting light into array substrate 2, and can emit white light. Backlight module 1 can employ direct-lit, side-lit, or other structures, without particular limitation. Taking a direct-lit backlight module 1 as an example, it may include a lamp board, a light guide plate, and an optical film assembly. The lamp board may include a circuit board and multiple light-emitting elements disposed on the circuit board. These light-emitting elements can be light-emitting diodes or other light-emitting components. Simultaneously, light-emitting elements capable of directly emitting white light can be used; alternatively, n different monochromatic light-emitting elements can be used, where n≥2, and white light can be obtained by mixing the light emitted by light-emitting elements of different colors. The light guide plate can be disposed on one side of the lamp board to uniformly emit light from multiple light-emitting elements, forming a surface light source. The optical film assembly is disposed on the side of the light guide plate away from the lamp board and may include diffusers to make the light more uniform and prisms to increase brightness, without particular limitation.

[0056] The array substrate 2 and the color filter substrate 4 can be aligned in a direction away from the backlight module 1, and the liquid crystal layer 3 is disposed between the array substrate 2 and the color filter substrate 4. The array substrate 2 can be located between the liquid crystal layer 3 and the backlight module 1, or the color filter substrate 4 can also be located between the liquid crystal layer 3 and the backlight module 1.

[0057] The array substrate 2 has a driving circuit and pixel electrodes connected to the driving circuit. The voltage of the pixel electrodes can be controlled by the driving circuit, which may include transistors and capacitors. For example, the array substrate 2 may include a substrate 21 and a circuit layer 22 sequentially distributed along a direction away from the backlight module 1. The substrate 21 may be made of glass or other transparent material. The driving circuit is located in the circuit layer 22, which may include a semiconductor layer, multiple conductive layers, and an insulating layer. The specific structure of its film layers is not limited here.

[0058] The liquid crystal display panel may also include a common electrode that can simultaneously form an electric field with each pixel electrode. The pixel electrode may be part of the circuit layer 22. The common electrode may be part of the circuit layer and disposed on the array substrate 2 or on the color filter substrate 4. That is, the common electrode may be disposed on the same side of the liquid crystal layer 3 or on both sides of the liquid crystal layer 3.

[0059] The color filter substrate 4 may include multiple filter units, each filter unit including n filter portions 42 of different colors; n≥2. For example, the color filter substrate 4 may include a substrate 41 and multiple color resist materials disposed on the substrate 41 to form filter portions 42. One filter portion 42 overlaps with one pixel electrode, and one filter portion 42 can transmit monochromatic light. At the same time, the color filter substrate 4 may also include a light-absorbing layer 43 separating each filter portion 42 for blocking the wiring between the pixel electrodes. The material of the light-absorbing layer 43 may be a black adhesive or other materials. The light-absorbing layer 43 has pixel openings for light transmission that expose each filter portion 42.

[0060] In addition, such as Figures 2-6 As shown, the liquid crystal display panel may also have a first polarizer 5 and a second polarizer 6. The first polarizer 5 is disposed between the backlight module 1 and the array substrate 2, and the second polarizer 6 is disposed on the side of the color filter substrate 4 away from the backlight module 1. The polarization directions of the first polarizer 5 and the second polarizer 6 are different.

[0061] A sub-pixel may include a pixel electrode and its corresponding liquid crystal layer 3, a common electrode, and a light filter 42. The emitted color of the sub-pixel is the color of the light filter 42, that is, the color of the light that the light filter 42 can transmit. A pixel may include one of the aforementioned light filter units and its corresponding pixel electrode, common electrode, and liquid crystal layer 3. The electric field formed between the pixel electrode and the common electrode can control the deflection state of the liquid crystal molecules in the corresponding area, modulating the light, thereby controlling each sub-pixel to emit light independently at multiple gray levels, and the emitted colors of n sub-pixels of the same pixel can be different. The specific light emission principle of the liquid crystal display will not be described in detail here.

[0062] It should be noted that the emission color of the sub-pixel, the color of the monochromatic light that the filter 42 can transmit, and the red, green, and blue light mentioned above are not limited to a specific wavelength, but are within a certain wavelength range.

[0063] The inventors of this disclosure discovered that, since each filter element 42 can only transmit monochromatic light while absorbing other colors of light, and the filter element 42 receives white light emitted by the backlight module 1, a large amount of light is absorbed by the filter element 42, resulting in significant light energy loss. To increase brightness, the power consumption of the backlight module 1 can be increased; alternatively, the number of sub-pixels can be reduced to increase the aperture ratio of individual sub-pixels, but this would reduce resolution. To solve this problem, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the inventors designed a color separation layer 7 through analysis and experimentation. This layer redistributes the light energy of the white light emitted by the backlight module 1, projecting light of a specific color onto the filter section 42 of the same color. This reduces the amount of light absorbed by the filter section 42, increasing the light extraction efficiency and thus improving brightness without increasing power consumption or reducing resolution. A detailed explanation follows:

[0064] Based on the LCD display panel mentioned above, such as Figures 1-6 , Figure 18 and Figure 20As shown, a color separation layer 7 can be disposed between the backlight module 1 and the color filter substrate 4 to redistribute the light emitted by the backlight module 1. The color separation layer 7 may include multiple separation units arranged in an array, with one separation unit overlapping with a filter unit, and one pixel may include one separation unit. The separation unit can separate and converge the light emitted by the backlight module 1 to form n illumination areas, and the n illumination areas can illuminate the n filter portions 42 of the color filter substrate 4 one-to-one, so that one filter portion 42 can receive one illumination light. At the same time, the white light emitted by the backlight module 1 can be separated by the separation unit, and the color of any filter portion 42 is the same as the color of the light in its corresponding illumination area, which can reduce the light absorbed by the filter portion 42, thereby improving brightness without increasing power consumption or reducing resolution; in other words, it can reduce power consumption without increasing resolution or reducing brightness. It can also be understood that a separation unit can separate white light and converge it into n beams. One beam illuminates a filter section 42 with the same color as the beam. However, it should be noted that since the distribution of light energy is not discrete, the beams here do not necessarily have obvious boundaries.

[0065] For the color separation layer 7, each separation unit can form n irradiation areas for one filter unit, that is, each separation unit has the same function. The structure of one separation unit is illustrated below:

[0066] like Figures 2-6 , Figure 19 and Figure 21 As shown, the separation unit may include multiple first light-transmitting portions 71 and multiple second light-transmitting portions 72. Both the first light-transmitting portions 71 and the second light-transmitting portions 72 adopt a light-transmitting structure, which can be made of optical adhesive, metal, metal oxide, etc., as long as it allows light to pass through. The first light-transmitting portions 71 and the second light-transmitting portions 72 are alternately distributed at least in the first direction Y, and may also be alternately distributed in the second direction X, or simultaneously in both directions. Furthermore, the refractive index of the first light-transmitting portions 71 is greater than that of the second light-transmitting portions 72, creating a refractive index difference in different regions of the separation unit. Through the arrangement of the first light-transmitting portions 71 and the second light-transmitting portions 72, diffraction and scattering can be used to redistribute light energy, achieving color separation and focusing.

[0067] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the material of the first light-transmitting portion 71 may include inorganic materials such as silicon oxide and silicon nitride, or metal oxides such as titanium oxide, or adhesives such as optical adhesives. Therefore, it may include at least one of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, metal oxides, and optical adhesives. Meanwhile, the material of the second light-transmitting portion 72 may be optical adhesives or similar materials.

[0068] Furthermore, such as Figures 2-6 , Figure 19 and Figure 21 As shown, in the direction in which the first light-transmitting portion 71 and the second light-transmitting portion 72 are alternately distributed, this direction can be either a first direction Y or a second direction X. The dimensions of the first light-transmitting portion 71 and the second light-transmitting portion 72 in the first direction Y are the maximum distance of the outlines of their orthogonal projections onto the backlight module 1 or the substrate 21 in the first direction Y. The dimensions of the first light-transmitting portion 71 and the second light-transmitting portion 72 in the second direction X are the maximum distance of the outlines of their orthogonal projections onto the backlight module 1 or the substrate 21 in the first direction Y.

[0069] By limiting the dimensions of the first light-transmitting portion 71 and the second light-transmitting portion 72, their ability to distribute light energy can be adjusted, their ability to separate colors and focus light, and the position of the irradiated area can be controlled. Therefore, at least two first light-transmitting portions 71 can have different dimensions; at least two second light-transmitting portions 72 can have the same size. For example:

[0070] The dimension of a first light-transmitting portion 71 in the direction in which the first light-transmitting portions 71 and the second light-transmitting portions 72 are alternately distributed is taken as a first reference value. The dimensions of other first light-transmitting portions 71 in this direction are all integer multiples of the first reference value. This integer multiple can be 1, 2, 3, etc. Of course, some first light-transmitting portions 71 may also have the same dimension in this direction.

[0071] The dimension of a second light-transmitting portion 72 in a direction in which the first light-transmitting portion 71 and the second light-transmitting portion 72 are alternately distributed is taken as the second reference value. At least a portion of the other second light-transmitting portions 72 have dimensions in this direction that are the second reference value. Of course, it is also possible that some of the second light-transmitting portions 72 have different dimensions in this direction, and that these dimensions are integer multiples of the second reference value, such as 1, 2, 3, etc.

[0072] like Figures 2-6 and Figure 19 As shown, the color separation unit of the first type of color separation layer can be regarded as a one-dimensional line grating. In the first type of color separation layer, the first light-transmitting part 71 and the second light-transmitting part 72 are both strip structures extending along the first direction Y, and the first light-transmitting part 71 and the second light-transmitting part 72 are alternately distributed along the second direction X. That is, there is a second light-transmitting part 72 between two adjacent first light-transmitting parts 71, and there is a first light-transmitting part 71 between two adjacent second light-transmitting parts 72.

[0073] The dimensions of the first light-transmitting portion 71 and the second light-transmitting portion 72 in the second direction X are equal to their widths in the second direction X. At least two first light-transmitting portions 71 have different widths in the second direction X; at least two second light-transmitting portions 72 have the same width in the second direction X. For example, each second light-transmitting portion 72 has the same width in the second direction X, and the width of a portion of the first light-transmitting portion 71 in the second direction X is an integer multiple of the width of one first light-transmitting portion 71 in the second direction X.

[0074] like Figures 2-6 and Figure 21 As shown, the color separation unit of the first type of color separation layer can be regarded as a two-dimensional grating. In the second type of color separation layer, the first light-transmitting part 71 and the second light-transmitting part 72 are both columnar structures that protrude in the direction away from the backlight module 1, and are arranged in multiple rows and columns. The first light-transmitting part 71 and the second light-transmitting part 72 in the same column are alternately distributed along the first direction Y, and the first light-transmitting part 71 and the second light-transmitting part 72 in the same row are alternately distributed along the second direction X.

[0075] In the same column, at least two first light-transmitting portions 71 have different dimensions in the first direction Y, and at least two second light-transmitting portions 72 have the same dimensions in the first direction Y. In the same row, at least two first light-transmitting portions 71 have different dimensions in the second direction X, and at least two second light-transmitting portions 72 have the same dimensions in the second direction X. Thus, the dimensions of the first light-transmitting portions 71 in the first direction Y and the second direction X can be non-uniform, while the dimensions of the second light-transmitting portions can be uniform in the first direction Y and the second direction X.

[0076] Referring to the description of the first type of color separation layer above, in the second type of color separation layer, the size of a first light-transmitting part 71 in the first direction Y can be a first reference value, and the sizes of other first light-transmitting parts 71 in the first direction Y can be integer multiples of the first reference value; the size of a first light-transmitting part 71 in the second direction X can be a second reference value, and the sizes of other first light-transmitting parts 71 in the second direction X can be integer multiples of the second reference value; the integer multiple can be 1, 2, 3, etc.

[0077] The dimension of one second light-transmitting part 72 in the first direction Y can be a third reference value, and the dimensions of other second light-transmitting parts 72 in the first direction Y can be an integer multiple of the third reference value; the dimension of one second light-transmitting part 72 in the second direction X can be a fourth reference value, and the dimensions of other second light-transmitting parts 72 in the second direction X can be an integer multiple of the fourth reference value; the integer multiple can be 1, 2, 3, etc.

[0078] For example, at least a portion of the first light-transmitting portion 71 and the second light-transmitting portion 72 have a square shape when projected onto the backlight module 1 or the substrate 21, and at least a portion of the first light-transmitting portion 71 and the second light-transmitting portion 72 have a rectangle shape when projected onto the backlight module 1 or the substrate 21, wherein the width of the rectangle is equal to the side length of the square, and the length of the rectangle is an integer multiple of the width of the square.

[0079] The light-emitting element in backlight module 1 can be a collimated LED with a collimation within ±20° and a wavelength bandwidth of approximately 20nm for red, filtered, and blue light. Alternatively, the light-emitting element can be a laser source with a collimation within ±20° and a wavelength bandwidth of approximately 10nm for red, filtered, and blue light. Because the color separation unit has both angle and wavelength sensitivity, the above settings ensure its efficient operation.

[0080] like Figures 2-5 As shown, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the first light-transmitting portion 71 and the second light-transmitting portion 72 have the same thickness, making them flush with the surfaces away from the backlight module 1. In some embodiments of this disclosure, the period of the color separation unit is not less than 0.01 μm and not more than 0.5 μm, that is, the size of the color separation unit in the first direction Y or the second direction X. The thickness of the color separation unit is not less than 0.05 μm and not more than 5 μm, that is, the thickness of the first light-transmitting portion 71 and the second light-transmitting portion 72 is not less than 0.05 μm and not more than 5 μm. For example, taking the first type of color separation layer as an example, its structural parameters are as follows:

[0081] The period (size of the color separation unit in the first direction Y or the second direction X) of the color separation unit is 0.25 μm, the thickness is 0.6 μm, the aspect ratio (the ratio of the thickness to the size in the first direction Y or the second direction X) is 2.4:1, the number of color separation units is 96, the size of the pixel in the first direction Y or the second direction X is 6 μm × 24 μm, and the aperture ratio of the pixel corresponding to the color separation unit is 0.5. The refractive index of the first light-transmitting part 71 is 1.9, and the distance between the color separation unit and the color filter substrate 4 is 300 μm.

[0082] like Figure 6 As shown, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the color separation layer 7 further includes a light-transmitting planarization layer 73. The planarization layer 73 can cover the surfaces of the first light-transmitting portion 71 and the second light-transmitting portion 72 away from the backlight module 1, and the refractive index of the planarization layer 73 is less than the refractive index of the first light-transmitting portion 71. For example, the refractive index of the planarization layer 73 is the same as the refractive index of the second light-transmitting portion 72. Therefore, the planarization layer 73 can be integrally formed with the second light-transmitting portion 72, and thus can be formed simultaneously.

[0083] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the first light-transmitting portion 71 includes a plurality of light-transmitting layers stacked sequentially along a direction away from the backlight module 1, wherein the refractive index of any light-transmitting layer is greater than the refractive index of the second light-transmitting portion 72. The refractive indices of the light-transmitting layers may be the same or different.

[0084] The following description, based on the different positions of the color separation layer 7, provides an exemplary illustration of the liquid crystal display panel:

[0085] like Figure 2 As shown, in the first embodiment of this disclosure, the color separation layer 7 may be disposed between the first polarizer 5 and the backlight module 1. For example, the color separation layer 7 may be disposed on the surface of the backlight module 1 near the first polarizer 5.

[0086] like Figure 3 As shown, in the second embodiment of this disclosure, the color separation layer 7 may be disposed between the first polarizer 5 and the substrate 21. For example, the color separation layer 7 may be disposed on the surface of the substrate 21 near the first polarizer 5.

[0087] In the second embodiment, the color separation layer 7 can be prepared independently. After the array substrate 2 is prepared, the color separation layer 7 is then attached to the substrate 21 by a bonding process, thereby avoiding the influence of the high-temperature process during the preparation of the array substrate 2 on the color separation layer 7. Alternatively, the color separation layer 7 can be prepared simultaneously with the preparation of the array substrate 2, i.e., the color separation layer 7 can be formed on one side of the substrate 21, and the circuit layer 22 can be formed on the other side of the substrate 21 where the color separation layer 7 is formed, in order to simplify the process and improve efficiency.

[0088] like Figure 4 As shown, in the third embodiment of this disclosure, the light-absorbing layer 43 and the light-filtering portion 42 can be disposed on the side of the substrate 41 near the liquid crystal layer 3. The light-absorbing layer 43 has a plurality of pixel openings exposing the substrate 41. The light-filtering portion 42 can be disposed on the side of the light-absorbing layer 43 near the liquid crystal layer 3, and the light-filtering portion 42 is overlapped with each pixel opening in a one-to-one correspondence, that is, one pixel opening exposes one light-filtering portion 42. The edge of the light-filtering portion 42 can cover a part of the area of ​​the light-absorbing layer 43 around the overlapping pixel opening, that is, the range of the light-filtering portion 42 is larger than the range of the overlapping pixel opening. Alternatively, the light-filtering portion 42 and the light-absorbing layer 43 can also be disposed in the same layer, and one filter portion 42 can also fill one pixel opening.

[0089] The color separation layer 7 can be disposed on the surface of the substrate 41 near the liquid crystal layer 3, and the light-absorbing layer 43 and the light-filtering part 42 can be disposed on the surface of the color separation layer 7 near the liquid crystal layer 3. The color filter substrate 4 is disposed between the liquid crystal layer 3 and the backlight module 1, and the array substrate 2 is disposed on the side of the liquid crystal layer 3 away from the backlight module 1.

[0090] The third embodiment also avoids the color separation layer 7 participating in the high-temperature process of the array substrate 2. Furthermore, the color filter substrate 4 is closer to the color separation layer 7, resulting in less color crosstalk and lower angle sensitivity of the color separation layer. Simultaneously, for devices using enclosed optical paths, such as VR devices, the absence of external ambient light interference ensures that the external array substrate 2 in the third embodiment does not affect image contrast.

[0091] like Figure 5 As shown, in the fourth embodiment of this disclosure, the color separation layer 7 may be disposed within the array substrate 2. For example, the color separation layer 7 may be disposed between the substrate 21 and the circuit layer 22. Furthermore, the color separation layer 7 may be disposed on the surface of the substrate 21 away from the backlight module 1, and the circuit layer 22 may be disposed on the surface of the color separation layer 7 away from the backlight module 1.

[0092] like Figure 6 As shown, in the fifth embodiment, the color separation layer 7 can be disposed within the array substrate 2, and its relative position can be the same as in the fourth embodiment, which will not be described in detail here. The difference is that the color separation layer 7 in the fifth embodiment has a planarization layer 73, and the planarization layer 73 and the second light-transmitting portion 72 are an integral structure and can be formed simultaneously. The liquid crystal layer 3 is disposed on the surface of the planarization layer 73 away from the backlight module 1.

[0093] In the fourth and fifth embodiments described above, the color separation layer 7 is located between the substrate 21 and the circuit layer 22. If the first type of color separation layer is used, the length direction of the first light-transmitting part 71 and the second light-transmitting part 72, i.e. the first direction Y, can be parallel to the polarization direction of the first polarizer 5. This can reduce the angular sensitivity of the color separation layer 7, reduce the requirement for the divergence angle of the light-emitting element, and reduce the alignment accuracy requirement between the color separation layer 7 and the pixel opening area.

[0094] For the fifth embodiment, the preparation method may include steps S110-S170, wherein:

[0095] Step S110, Deposition: A material layer 05 for the first light-transmitting portion can be deposited on the substrate 21; this material can be SiN. Figure 7 As shown.

[0096] Step S120, Exposure and Development: A layer of photoresist 02 is coated onto the material layer 05 of the first light-transmitting portion 71, and the photoresist 02 is exposed using a mask and then developed to obtain photoresist 02 with the pattern of the first light-transmitting portion 71. Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown.

[0097] Step S130, Etching: Etching is performed on the material layer of the first light-transmitting portion 71 covered by the developed photoresist, transferring the first light-transmitting portion 71 to the material layer to obtain the first light-transmitting portion 71. Figure 9As shown.

[0098] Step S140, planarization: A planarization layer 73 is covered on the first light-transmitting part 71. The area filled by the planarization layer 73 between the first light-transmitting parts 71 is the second light-transmitting part 72.

[0099] Step S150: Form a circuit layer 22 on the surface of the planarization layer 73 away from the substrate 21. For example... Figure 10 As shown.

[0100] Step S160, Cell Assembly: Liquid crystal layer 3 is deposited on the side of circuit layer 22 away from substrate 21, and color filter substrate 4 is bonded to array substrate 2. For example... Figure 11 As shown.

[0101] Step S170: Attach the first polarizer 5 and the second polarizer 6 between the substrate 21 and the backlight module 1, and on the side of the color filter substrate 4 away from the backlight module 1. For example... Figure 6 As shown.

[0102] The following is an exemplary description of the preparation method of the color separation layer 7 using the first light-transmitting part 71 of titanium oxide:

[0103] The preparation method includes steps S210-S270, wherein:

[0104] Step S210, Photoresist Coating: A layer of photoresist 02 is coated onto a substrate 01. For example... Figure 12 As shown.

[0105] The substrate 01 can be the substrate 21 of the array substrate 2 or the base 41 of the color filter substrate 4.

[0106] Step S220, Exposure and Development: The photoresist 02 from step S210 is exposed and developed to obtain a patterned photoresist 02 that reflects the first light-transmitting portion 71. Figure 12 As shown.

[0107] Step S230, Pre-deposition: A first titanium dioxide film 03 can be deposited on the patterned photoresist 02 using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology. The first titanium dioxide film 03 is recessed in the areas without photoresist 02. During this process, the low temperature is controlled to avoid degradation of the photoresist pattern. Figure 13 As shown.

[0108] Step S240, Complete Deposition: A second titanium oxide film 04 is deposited using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The thickness of the second titanium oxide film 04 is greater than the thickness of the first titanium oxide film 03, and also greater than the thickness of the photoresist 02, ensuring that the second titanium oxide film 04 is deposited into the grooves within the pattern of the photoresist 02. The second titanium oxide film 04 and the first titanium oxide film 03 are made of the same material and can be considered as a single structure. Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown.

[0109] Step S250, Etching: Etch a second titanium oxide film 04 with a thickness greater than the first titanium oxide film 03, exposing the photoresist 02. For example... Figure 15 As shown.

[0110] Step S260, Resin Removal: Remove residual photoresist 02 to obtain the pattern of the first light-transmitting part 71. For example... Figure 16 As shown.

[0111] Step S270, Planarization: Fill the area between the first light-transmitting portions 71 with the material of the second light-transmitting portion 72 to obtain the second light-transmitting portion 72. For example... Figure 17 As shown. Of course, the first light-transmitting part 71 can also be directly covered with the material of the second light-transmitting part 72 to obtain the second light-transmitting part 72 and the planarization layer.

[0112] The design methods for the patterns of the first and second type color separation layers described above are illustrated by example below:

[0113] like Figure 18 and Figure 20 As shown, the color separation unit can be divided into multiple arrayed light-transmitting areas 70, which can be sequentially numbered, for example, 1, 2, ... N, where N≥3. The N light-transmitting areas 70 are randomly encoded in binary, with each area assigned a value of 0 or 1. Areas where a first light-transmitting part 71 needs to be set are encoded as 1, while areas without a first light-transmitting part 71 are encoded as 0. This yields a sequence of the aforementioned numbers and codes. Based on this sequence, the material for the first light-transmitting part 71 is set at the position coded as 1, and the material for the second light-transmitting part 72 is set at the position coded as 0, thus obtaining a pattern of the first light-transmitting part 71 and the second light-transmitting part 72. Light passing through the color separation unit undergoes diffraction and scattering, resulting in a redistribution of light energy. It should be noted that a first light-transmitting part 71 and a second light-transmitting part 72 may include one or more light-transmitting areas 70, where the light-transmitting area 70 is the smallest arrangement unit in the design.

[0114] Different light energy distribution states can be obtained by controlling the above numbering and coding sequences. In conjunction with mathematical optimization algorithms and electromagnetic field calculation simulation algorithms, and by setting the optimization objective function based on a specific projection position (i.e., the position of the filter part 42), the above numbering and coding sequences can be optimized to achieve color separation of multiple colors (such as red, green, and blue) in white light.

[0115] Figure 18 and Figure 20In the diagram, R represents red, G represents green, and B represents blue. 40R is a filter that transmits red light, 40G is a filter that transmits green light, and 40B is a filter that transmits blue light.

[0116] The aforementioned mathematical optimization algorithms can be global or local algorithms, such as gradient optimization algorithms, GA genetic algorithms, particle swarm optimization, etc. The electromagnetic field calculation and simulation algorithm can be the FDTD (Finite-Difference Time-Domain) algorithm. For example, the evaluation function FOM is as follows:

[0117]

[0118]

[0119]

[0120] Tr CSL It is the transmittance of the color separation unit, Tr (RCF / GCF / BCF) This refers to the transmittance of RCF / GCF / BCF, where RCF is the red filter 42, GCF is the green filter 42, and BCF is the blue filter 42; Source Backlight This is the spectrum of backlight module 1. The field of view (FOM) represents the energy distribution efficiency of red, green, and blue corresponding to the pixel openings of the red, green, and blue filter sections 42 at the projection position Z. A smaller FOM indicates better color separation and higher transmittance of the liquid crystal display panel.

[0121] The color separation layer 7 based on the GA genetic algorithm can perform initial binary encoding on the color separation units to obtain initial numbers and encoding sequences. After that, the population evaluation function (FOM) can be calculated, and then the next generation population can be generated. The convergence condition of the FOM is evaluated. If it is, a binary encoding sequence is output, and color separation units can be prepared based on this encoding sequence. If it is not, the FOM is calculated and the population is generated iteratively until the convergence condition is met.

[0122] Figure 22The image shows the transmittance gain curve after 150 iterations of the algorithm described above. The vertical axis represents the transmittance gain, and the horizontal axis represents the number of iterations. It can be seen that as the number of iterations increases, the transmittance gain gradually converges to 1.7 times. Furthermore, the gain spectrum obtained from the experiment shows that red, green, and blue all show gains. In addition, analysis of the color gamut shows that the color separation unit of this disclosure can achieve nearly 100% sRGB color gamut. Using the structural parameters described above, a 1.7-fold increase in transmittance at 2000 PPI can be achieved. If the aspect ratio and material refractive index are further increased, theoretically, a transmittance gain of 3 / aperture ratio = 6 times can be achieved. Based on this, it can be concluded that the upper limit of this gain increase is inversely proportional to the aperture ratio. Therefore, the present disclosure provides better gain for liquid crystal display panels with pixel apertures, making it suitable for high pixel density applications such as VR devices.

[0123] This disclosure also provides a display device, which may include a liquid crystal display panel. The structure of the liquid crystal display device can be any of the liquid crystal display panels described in the above embodiments, and its specific structure and beneficial effects will not be repeated here. The display device can be a VR (Virtual Reality) device, an AR (Augmented Reality) device, or other wearable devices. Of course, it can also be an electronic device such as a smartwatch or a mobile phone.

[0124] like Figure 25 As shown, in some embodiments of this disclosure, the VR device includes a near-eye display optical path, which includes a liquid crystal display panel (PNL) and a folded optical path (Pancake optical path) arranged sequentially, wherein:

[0125] The liquid crystal display panel (PNL) is any of the liquid crystal display panels described in the above embodiments. The folded optical path may include a first linear polarizer LP1, a first quarter-wave plate QWP1, a beam splitter BS, a second quarter-wave plate QWP2, a polarizing beam splitter PBS, and a second linear polarizer LP2 arranged sequentially. The p-ray emitted from the liquid crystal display panel (PNL) enters the human eye after passing through the subsequent folded optical path. Folding the optical path increases the optical path length without increasing the overall size, which is beneficial for reducing the overall thickness of the device without reducing the optical path length. However, the folded optical path involves more optical films, resulting in greater light loss and lower luminous efficiency, requiring the display panel to have higher brightness, but this increases power consumption; alternatively, a display panel with a larger aperture ratio can be used, but this reduces resolution. Using the liquid crystal display panel of this disclosure, the color separation layer significantly increases transmittance, increasing brightness without increasing power consumption or reducing resolution. Furthermore, the color separation layer's light-converging effect is equivalent to increasing the equivalent aperture ratio, thereby removing the limitation on increasing pixel density, allowing for display panels with higher pixel density and suppressing the screen-door effect.

[0126] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display panel, characterized in that, It includes a color separation layer, a backlight module, and an array substrate, a liquid crystal layer, and a color filter substrate that are stacked sequentially along one side of the backlight module. The color filter substrate includes multiple filter units, and each filter unit includes n filter sections of different colors; n≥2; The color separation layer is disposed between the backlight module and the color filter substrate, and includes multiple separation units, with one separation unit overlapping one filter unit; the separation unit is used to separate and converge the light emitted by the backlight module into n different color illumination areas that illuminate the color filter substrate, and each illumination area is located in a corresponding position in each filter unit; the color of any filter unit is the same as the color of the light in its corresponding illumination area. The separation unit includes a plurality of first light-transmitting portions and a plurality of second light-transmitting portions, the first light-transmitting portions and the second light-transmitting portions being alternately distributed in at least one of a first direction and a second direction; the refractive index of the first light-transmitting portion is greater than the refractive index of the second light-transmitting portion; the first direction and the second direction intersect. In a direction in which the first and second light-transmitting portions are alternately distributed, at least two of the first light-transmitting portions have different sizes, and at least two of the second light-transmitting portions have the same size.

2. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion are strip-shaped structures extending along the first direction, and the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion are alternately distributed along the second direction; At least two of the first light-transmitting portions have different widths in the second direction; at least two of the second light-transmitting portions have the same width in the second direction.

3. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion are columnar structures that protrude in a direction away from the backlight module, and are arranged in multiple rows and columns; the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion in the same column are alternately distributed along the first direction, and the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion in the same row are alternately distributed along the second direction; In the same column, at least two of the first light-transmitting portions have different lengths in the first direction, and at least two of the second light-transmitting portions have the same length in the first direction; In the same row, at least two of the first light-transmitting portions have different lengths in the second direction, and at least two of the second light-transmitting portions have the same length in the second direction.

4. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the first light-transmitting portions has a dimension in the first direction that is an integer multiple of the dimension of the other first light-transmitting portion in the first direction; At least one of the first light-transmitting portions has a dimension in the second direction that is an integer multiple of the dimension of the other first light-transmitting portion in the second direction; At least one of the second light-transmitting portions has a dimension in the first direction that is an integer multiple of the dimension of the other second light-transmitting portion in the first direction; The dimension of at least one of the second light-transmitting portions in the second direction is an integer multiple of the dimension of the other second light-transmitting portion in the second direction.

5. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first light-transmitting part and the second light-transmitting part have the same thickness.

6. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first light-transmitting portion includes a plurality of light-transmitting layers stacked sequentially in a direction away from the backlight module, wherein the refractive index of any one of the light-transmitting layers is greater than the refractive index of the second light-transmitting portion.

7. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The color separation layer further includes a light-transmitting planarization layer, which covers the surfaces of the first light-transmitting portion and the second light-transmitting portion away from the backlight module, and the refractive index of the planarization layer is less than the refractive index of the first light-transmitting portion.

8. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 7, characterized in that, The planarization layer and the second light-transmitting part are an integral structure.

9. The liquid crystal display panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material of the first light-transmitting part includes at least one of silicon oxide, silicon nitride, metal oxide, and optical adhesive.

10. The liquid crystal display panel according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The array substrate includes a substrate and a circuit layer distributed sequentially along a direction away from the backlight module; the color separation layer is disposed between the substrate and the circuit layer.

11. The liquid crystal display panel according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The array substrate, the liquid crystal layer, and the color filter substrate are arranged sequentially in a direction away from the backlight module; the array substrate includes a substrate and a circuit layer arranged sequentially in a direction away from the backlight module; the liquid crystal display panel further includes a first polarizer and a second polarizer, the first polarizer being disposed between the array substrate and the backlight module, and the second polarizer being disposed on the side of the color filter substrate away from the backlight module. The color separation layer is disposed between the first polarizer and the backlight module, or between the first polarizer and the substrate.

12. The liquid crystal display panel according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The color filter substrate further includes a substrate, and the light filter portion is disposed on the side of the substrate near the liquid crystal layer; The color separation layer is disposed between the substrate and the filter portion.

13. A display device, characterized in that, Includes the liquid crystal display panel according to any one of claims 1-12.

Images