Front light module, reflective display device and manufacturing method of front light module

Abstract

The invention discloses a front light module, a reflective display device and a manufacturing method of the front light module. The front light module comprises a light guide plate, a light emitting part and a polarized light material layer. The light-emitting part is adjacently arranged on the light-in face of the light guide plate, light generated by the light-emitting part enters the light guide plate from the light-in face, the polarized light material layer is arranged on the light guide plate and directly makes contact with the first surface of the light guide plate, and the first surface is not parallel to the light-in face.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a front light module, a reflective display device and a method for manufacturing the front light module, in particular to a front light module with reduced film number and a method for manufacturing the front light module, and a reflective display device comprising the front light module. Background Art

[0002] Electronic devices are indispensable products today. Display devices with display functions have been widely used in various electronic products such as notebooks, smart phones, wearable devices, smart watches, and car displays due to their thin and light appearance, low power consumption, and no radiation pollution, etc., to provide more convenient information transmission and display. In display devices, the design of the light guide plate and polarizing structure will greatly affect the display quality, thickness and cost of the display device. Therefore, the industry is committed to making appropriate adjustments and designs to the light guide plate and polarizing structure to improve the display device. Summary of the invention

[0003] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a front light module, which reduces the number of film layers of the front light module through the design of a light guide plate and a polarizing material layer, and provides a manufacturing method of the front light module. In addition, the present invention also provides a reflective display device including the front light module.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a front light module, which includes a light guide plate, a light emitting element and a polarizing material layer. The light emitting element is arranged adjacent to the light incident surface of the light guide plate, and the light generated by the light emitting element enters the light guide plate from the light incident surface. The polarizing material layer is arranged on the light guide plate and directly contacts the first surface of the light guide plate, wherein the first surface is not parallel to the light incident surface.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention also provides a reflective display device, which includes a substrate, the above-mentioned front light module, a display medium layer and a light reflection layer. The front light module is arranged opposite to the substrate, the display medium layer is arranged between the substrate and the front light module, and the light reflection layer is arranged between the substrate and the display medium layer, wherein the polarizing material layer of the front light module is arranged between the display medium layer and the light guide plate of the front light module.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a front light module, which includes: providing a light guide plate; forming a polarizing material layer on the light guide plate, wherein the polarizing material layer directly contacts a first surface of the light guide plate; and arranging a light emitting element adjacent to a light incident surface of the light guide plate. The first surface is not parallel to the light incident surface. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a front light module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] Figure 2 FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a reflective display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 3 FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a method for manufacturing a front light module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Explanation of the reference numerals: 100-front light module; 110-light guide plate; 110a-first surface; 110b-second surface; 110e-light incident surface; 120-light-emitting element; 130-polarizing material layer; 130m-polarizing material; 140-light-shielding layer; 150-color conversion layer; 152-conversion unit; 152a-red conversion unit; 152b-green conversion unit; 152c-blue conversion unit; 200-reflective display device; 210-substrate; 220-circuit element layer; 222-circuit unit; 224-light reflection layer; 230-display medium layer; NE-nozzle; SP-subpixel; SP1-red subpixel; SP2-green subpixel; SP3-blue subpixel; X, Y, Z-directions. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] In order to enable those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are listed below, and the components of the present invention and the effects to be achieved are described in detail with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are simplified schematic diagrams, and therefore, only the components and combination relationships related to the present invention are shown to provide a clearer description of the basic architecture or implementation method of the present invention, while the actual components and layout may be more complex. In addition, for the convenience of explanation, the components shown in the drawings of the present invention are not drawn in proportion to the actual number, shape, and size, and the detailed proportions can be adjusted according to the design requirements.

[0012] In the present specification and claims, words such as "include", "contain", "have" and the like are open-ended words, and therefore should be interpreted as "including but not limited to..." Therefore, when the terms "include", "contain" and / or "have" are used in the description of the present invention, they specify the existence of corresponding features, regions, steps, operations and / or components, but do not exclude the existence of one or more corresponding features, regions, steps, operations and / or components.

[0013] In the specification and claims of the present invention, when "A1 component is formed by B1", it means that the formation of A1 component exists with the presence of B1 or uses B1, and the formation of A1 component does not exclude the existence or use of one or more other features, regions, steps, operations and / or components.

[0014] In the present specification and claims, the term "horizontal direction" refers to a direction parallel to a horizontal plane, the term "horizontal plane" refers to a surface parallel to directions X and Y in the drawings, and the term "vertical direction" refers to a direction parallel to direction Z in the drawings, and directions X, Y, and Z are perpendicular to each other (i.e., the horizontal direction is perpendicular to direction Z). In the specification and claims, the term "top view" refers to the viewing result along the vertical direction. In the specification and claims, the term "section" refers to the viewing result of a structure cut along the vertical direction and viewed from the horizontal direction.

[0015] In the present specification and claims, the term "overlap" means the overlap of two components in the direction Z, and unless otherwise specified, the term "overlap" includes partial overlap or full overlap, wherein the two components may be in direct contact with each other or there may be a spacer between the two components.

[0016] In the present specification and claims, the term "approximately" is generally interpreted as being within plus or minus 10% of a given value, or within plus or minus 5%, plus or minus 3%, plus or minus 2%, plus or minus 1% or plus or minus 0.5% of a given value.

[0017] The ordinal numbers used in the specification and claims of the present invention, such as "first", "second", etc., are used to modify the elements. They do not imply or represent any previous ordinal numbers of the element (or elements), nor do they represent the order of one element and another element, or the order of the manufacturing method. The use of these ordinal numbers is only used to make the element with a certain name clearly distinguishable from another element with the same name. The same words may not be used in the claims and the specification. Accordingly, the first component in the specification may be the second component in the claims.

[0018] It should be noted that the following embodiments may replace, reorganize, or mix features in several different embodiments to complete other embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Features between embodiments may be mixed and matched as long as they do not violate the spirit of the invention or conflict with each other.

[0019] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a front light module according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1As shown, the front light module 100 includes a light guide plate 110, which is used to adjust the incident light to control the direction of the light emitted from the light guide plate 110, thereby achieving a light guiding effect. In the present invention, the light guide plate 110 may include a suitable material with high light transmittance according to requirements. For example, the material of the light guide plate 110 may include polyimide (PI), polycarbonate (PC), poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, cycloolefin polymer (COP), other suitable materials or combinations thereof.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, the light guide plate 110 may include a first surface 110a, a second surface 110b, and a light incident surface 110e (or referred to as a side surface), wherein the first surface 110a and the second surface 110b are opposite to each other, and the first surface 110a is not parallel to the light incident surface 110e. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the light incident surface 110e is connected between the first surface 110a and the second surface 110b (eg, the light incident surface 110e is directly connected between the first surface 110a and the second surface 110b). Figure 1 In the embodiment, the light guide plate 110 may be substantially arranged parallel to the horizontal plane (ie, parallel to the direction X and the direction Y), and the light incident surface 110e of the light guide plate 110 may be substantially perpendicular to the direction X, but is not limited thereto. Figure 1 In the embodiment, the first surface 110 a is the lower surface of the light guide plate 110 , and the second surface 110 b is the upper surface of the light guide plate 110 and faces the user.

[0021] In the present invention, the light guiding method of the light guide plate 110 can be designed according to the requirements. For example, the light guide plate 110 may include a plurality of light guiding structures (e.g., dots), wherein the light guiding structure may be a convex light guiding structure or a concave light guiding structure, so that the first surface 110a and / or the second surface 110b of the light guide plate 110 are concave-convex surfaces, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0022] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment, the front light module 100 includes a light emitting element 120, which is disposed adjacent to the light incident surface 110e of the light guide plate 110. In the present invention, the light emitting element 120 may be any suitable light emitting element 120. For example, the light emitting element 120 may be a light emitting diode (LED), but is not limited thereto. In the present invention, the light generated by the light emitting element 120 may have any suitable color. For example, the light emitting element 120 may generate white light, blue light, or other suitable colors of light.

[0023] In the present invention, the light generated by the light emitting element 120 can be incident on the light guide plate 110 through the light incident surface 110e, so that the light guide plate 110 can adjust the light generated by the light emitting element 120 to achieve a light guiding effect. The light incident on the light guide plate 110 can be reflected and / or refracted due to the design of the light guide plate 110 to achieve a proper light guiding effect. For example, the first surface 110a and the second surface 110b of the light guide plate 110 can reflect and refract the light incident on the light guide plate 110, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Figure 1 When the light guide plate 110 is applied to the front light module in the reflective display device, part of the light entering the light guide plate 110 will temporarily exit the light guide plate 110 from the first surface 110a, and will be reflected by the light reflection layer of the reflective display device and enter the light guide plate 110 again from the first surface 110a, and then exit the light guide plate 110 from the second surface 110b.

[0024] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment, the front light module 100 includes a polarizing material layer 130, which is disposed on the light guide plate 110 and directly contacts the first surface 110a of the light guide plate 110, wherein the polarizing material layer 130 is a single-layer structure, and the polarizing material layer 130 has a polarization axis, so that light forms polarized light after passing through the polarizing material layer 130. In other words, the polarizing material layer 130 with a single-layer structure can be directly formed on the light guide plate 110 and directly contacts the light guide plate 110, so that there is no intermediate layer (such as a polarizing structure protection layer, an adhesive layer, etc.) between the polarizing material layer 130 and the light guide plate 110.

[0025] The polarizing material layer 130 includes a lyotropic liquid crystal material, and the lyotropic liquid crystal material may have a polarization axis after an orientation process, so that light forms polarized light after passing through the polarizing material layer 130. The lyotropic liquid crystal material is formed by solidifying a lyotropic liquid crystal, and the lyotropic liquid crystal is formed by dissolving amphiphiles as liquid crystal molecules in a solvent at a specific concentration. For example, the lyotropic liquid crystal may include a dichroic dye and an amphiphilic molecule as a liquid crystal molecule, so that the polarizing material layer 130 having the lyotropic liquid crystal material formed by solidifying the lyotropic liquid crystal includes the dichroic dye and the amphiphilic molecule. For example, the dichroic dye may be a compound derived from the following chemical formula 1.

[0026] [Chemical formula 1]

[0027] The conventional polarizing film is a multi-layer structure, wherein one side of the polarizing layer having the polarizing axis is provided with at least one protective layer and / or at least one adhesive layer (e.g., optically clear adhesive (OCA)), and the other side of the polarizing layer having the polarizing axis is provided with at least one protective layer and / or at least one adhesive layer, so that the polarizing layer does not directly contact structures other than the conventional polarizing film. In the present invention, since the polarizing material layer 130 is a single-layer structure, the polarizing material layer 130 of the present invention can have a relatively thin thickness in addition to being able to directly contact other structures compared to the conventional polarizing film. For example, the thickness of the polarizing material layer 130 of the present invention can be 0.1 micrometers (μm) to 10 micrometers or 0.3 micrometers to 7 micrometers, but is not limited thereto. In addition, since the polarizing material layer 130 of the present invention is a single-layer structure and has a very thin thickness, the polarizing material layer 130 of the present invention can have a higher light transmittance than the conventional polarizing film.

[0028] Optionally, when the front light module 100 is applied to a display device, the front light module 100 may further include a light shielding layer 140 (eg, Figure 1 ), wherein the polarizing material layer 130 is disposed between the light shielding layer 140 and the light guide plate 110, and the light shielding layer 140 directly contacts the polarizing material layer 130. For example, the light shielding layer 140 may include black photoresist, black ink, black resin, black pigment, metal, other suitable materials or combinations thereof. The light shielding layer 140 may be used to shield some components in the display device (e.g., opaque components or traces located thereunder) or areas with poor display effects.

[0029] Optionally, when the front light module 100 is applied to a display device, the front light module 100 may further include a color conversion layer 150 (eg, Figure 1 ), wherein the polarizing material layer 130 is disposed between the color conversion layer 150 and the light guide plate 110, and the color conversion layer 150 directly contacts the polarizing material layer 130. Figure 1In the embodiment, the color conversion layer 150 may include a plurality of conversion parts 152, and the light shielding layer 140 may be used to separate the conversion parts 152. For example, the light shielding layer 140 may have a plurality of openings, and the conversion parts 152 of the color conversion layer 150 may be disposed in the openings of the light shielding layer 140, so that the conversion parts 152 of the color conversion layer 150 may be surrounded by the light shielding layer 140, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The color conversion layer 150 may include a color filter, a fluorescence material, a phosphor material, a quantum dot (QD) material, other suitable materials or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the conversion parts 152 of the color conversion layer 150 may perform different color conversions according to requirements. For example, when the front light module 100 is applied to a color display device, the plurality of conversion parts 152 of the color conversion layer 150 may include a red conversion part 152a, a green conversion part 152b and a blue conversion part 152c, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, when the front light module 100 is applied to a monochrome display device, the conversion portion 152 of the color conversion layer 150 can convert the same color, or the front light module 100 does not include the color conversion layer 150 .

[0030] In the present invention, the front light module 100 may also include other required components and structures according to requirements.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a reflective display device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 As shown, the reflective display device 200 includes the aforementioned front light module 100 , wherein the reflective display device 200 uses the light generated by the front light module 100 as a light source for displaying images.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, the reflective display device 200 includes a substrate 210, and the substrate 210 and the front light module 100 are disposed opposite to each other. The substrate 210 can be a hard substrate or a flexible substrate, and can include, for example, glass, plastic, quartz, sapphire, polymer (such as polyimide (PI), polyethylene terephthalate (PET)), other suitable materials or combinations thereof, but not limited thereto. Figure 2 In the embodiment of the present invention, the normal direction of the substrate 210 may be parallel to the direction Z.

[0033] The display panel may include a plurality of pixels, and a pixel may include at least one sub-pixel SP, wherein the sub-pixel SP may be formed by elements and structures between the substrate 210 and the light guide plate 110 of the front light module 100. In some embodiments, if the reflective display device 200 is a color display device, one pixel may include a plurality of sub-pixels SP (i.e., a plurality of sub-pixels SP constitute one pixel), for example, the plurality of sub-pixels SP include a red sub-pixel SP1 (e.g., including the red conversion portion 152a of the color conversion layer 150 of the front light module 100), a green sub-pixel SP2 (e.g., including the green conversion portion 152b of the color conversion layer 150 of the front light module 100), and a blue sub-pixel SP3 (e.g., including the blue conversion portion 152c of the color conversion layer 150 of the front light module 100), but the present invention is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, if the reflective display device 200 is a monochrome display device, one pixel may include one sub-pixel SP (i.e., one sub-pixel SP is one pixel), but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, the reflective display device 200 includes a display medium layer 230, which is disposed between the substrate 210 and the front light module 100, so that the polarizing material layer 130 of the front light module 100 is disposed between the display medium layer 230 and the light guide plate 110 of the front light module 100. The display medium layer 230 may include appropriate materials according to the type of the reflective display device 200. For example, the display medium layer 230 may include liquid crystal molecules, electrophoretic materials, or other appropriate display medium materials, so that the reflective display device 200 may be a reflective liquid crystal display device, a reflective electrophoretic display device, a reflective electrowetting display device, or other appropriate reflective display devices, but is not limited thereto. The display medium material included in the display medium layer 230 may be adjusted in any appropriate manner to adjust the state of the portion of the display medium layer 230 corresponding to each sub-pixel SP, thereby correspondingly adjusting the light transmittance of the light in each sub-pixel SP. For example, in some embodiments, the state of the display medium layer 230 may be controlled by an electric field (eg, an electric field generated between the pixel electrode and the common electrode) and / or an electric signal.

[0035] In the present invention, the electrodes for controlling the state of the display medium layer 230 can be designed according to the requirements. For example, the multiple electrodes for controlling the display medium layer 230 can be arranged on opposite sides of the display medium layer 230 (i.e., the display medium layer 230 is between the pixel electrode and the common electrode), but not limited thereto. For example, the multiple electrodes for controlling the display medium layer 230 can be arranged on the same side of the display medium layer 230 (e.g., the pixel electrode and the common electrode can be arranged between the display medium layer 230 and the substrate 210), but not limited thereto. In some embodiments, each sub-pixel SP may include at least two electrodes for controlling the display medium layer 230, so that the state of the display medium material of the corresponding sub-pixel SP in the display medium layer 230 can be adjusted according to the electrical signal (e.g., grayscale signal) received by the electrode, thereby adjusting the light transmittance of each sub-pixel SP.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, the circuit element layer 220 is disposed on the substrate 210 and is located between the display medium layer 230 and the substrate 210. The circuit element layer 220 may include at least one conductive layer, at least one insulating layer, at least one semiconductor layer, or a combination thereof, to form electronic components in the circuit element layer 220. Examples of materials for the conductive layer may include metals, transparent conductive materials (e.g., indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), etc.), other suitable conductive materials, or a combination thereof, and examples of materials for the insulating layer may include inorganic insulating materials (e.g., silicon oxide (SiO x ), Silicon Nitride (SiN y ), silicon oxynitride (SiO x N y )), organic insulating materials (e.g., photosensitive resins), other suitable insulating materials or combinations thereof; examples of materials for the semiconductor layer may include, but are not limited to, polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, metal-oxide semiconductors, other suitable semiconductor materials or combinations thereof.

[0037] The circuit element layer 220 may include any suitable electronic elements to form a plurality of circuit units 222, wherein the electronic elements may be formed by the film layers in the circuit element layer 220, and each sub-pixel SP may include one circuit unit 222. For example, each circuit unit 222 of the circuit element layer 220 may include a switch element (not shown), wherein the switch element may be a top gate thin film transistor, a bottom gate thin film transistor, a dual gate thin film transistor or other suitable switch elements. It should be noted that the number of switch elements in each circuit unit 222 may be designed according to requirements.

[0038] Each circuit unit 222 of the circuit element layer 220 may include a pixel electrode (not shown) for controlling the state of the display medium material of the corresponding sub-pixel SP in the display medium layer 230 .

[0039] In addition, the circuit element layer 220 may further include scan lines and data lines, wherein the scan lines may be used to transmit switch signals to control the on and off of the switch elements, and the data lines may be used to transmit electrical signals (eg, grayscale signals) related to adjusting the state of the display medium layer 230 .

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown, the circuit element layer 220 further includes a light reflection layer 224 (i.e., the light reflection layer 224 is disposed between the substrate 210 and the display medium layer 230), wherein the light reflection layer 224 is used to reflect the light provided by the front light module 100, so that the reflective display device 200 can display using the front light module 100 as a light source, so that the user can see the display image. In order to make the light reflection layer 224 have a good reflection effect on the light provided by the front light module 100, the light reflection layer 224 can be a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure including a metal reflection layer, wherein the metal reflection layer is used to reflect the light provided by the front light module 100. In some embodiments, the material of the metal reflection layer may include a metal material with high reflectivity, such as silver, aluminum or other suitable metal materials.

[0041] Therefore, in Figure 2 In the embodiment, when the light of the front light module 100 is emitted from the first surface 110a of the light guide plate 110, the light will sequentially pass through the polarizing material layer 130, the color conversion layer 150 and the display medium layer 230, and then the light will be reflected by the light reflection layer 224 to form reflected light, and then the reflected light will sequentially pass through the display medium layer 230, the color conversion layer 150, the polarizing material layer 130 and the light guide plate 110 to be emitted from the reflective display device 200, so that the user can see the display screen.

[0042] In addition, in some embodiments, the pixel electrodes in the circuit element layer 220 may belong to the light reflection layer 224. Therefore, in addition to reflecting the light provided by the front light module 100, the light reflection layer 224 may also receive electrical signals to correspondingly adjust the state of the display medium material of the display medium layer 230. In other embodiments, the pixel electrodes in the circuit element layer 220 and the light reflection layer 224 are different film layers. Therefore, the light reflection layer 224 is simply used to reflect the light provided by the front light module 100.

[0043] In addition, the reflective display device 200 further includes a common electrode (not shown), which is disposed at any suitable place so that the electric field generated by the pixel electrode and the common electrode can control the state of the display medium material of the display medium layer 230. For example, when the pixel electrode and the common electrode are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the display medium layer 230, the common electrode can be disposed in the front light module 100, and the common electrode is located between the display medium layer 230 and the color conversion layer 150 (or, between the display medium layer 230 and the polarizing material layer 130), and the common electrode includes a transparent conductive material, but is not limited thereto. For example, when the pixel electrode and the common electrode are disposed on the same side of the display medium layer 230, the common electrode can be disposed in the circuit element layer 220, but is not limited thereto.

[0044] In addition, the reflective display device 200 may also include other suitable elements and structures. In some embodiments, the reflective display device 200 may also include a flat layer (not shown), which is disposed in the front light module 100, and the flat layer is located between the display medium layer 230 and the color conversion layer 150 (or, between the display medium layer 230 and the polarizing material layer 130) to provide a relatively flat surface. For example, the flat layer may be disposed between the color conversion layer 150 and the common electrode (or, between the polarizing material layer 130 and the common electrode), so that the common electrode can be disposed on the flat layer with a flat surface, thereby enhancing the control effect of the pixel electrode and the common electrode on the display medium material of the display medium layer 230.

[0045] In a conventional reflective display device, in addition to a conventional polarizing film having a multi-layer structure disposed between the light guide plate of the front light module and the display medium layer, an opposing substrate is also disposed between the conventional polarizing film and the display medium layer. Accordingly, compared to conventional reflective display devices, the reflective display device 200 of the present invention not only simplifies the conventional polarizing film and removes the protective layer and the adhesive layer, but also removes the opposing substrate. Therefore, the present invention reduces the overall thickness of the reflective display device 200 by reducing the number of film layers in the reflective display device 200, and reduces the attenuation of the light provided by the front light module 100 in the reflective display device 200.

[0046] Please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a method for manufacturing a front light module according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein Figure 3 The formation process of the polarizing material layer 130 of one embodiment is particularly illustrated. It should be noted that the manufacturing method of the present invention is not limited to the following text and drawings. In some embodiments, any other suitable steps may be added before or after one of the existing steps of the manufacturing method, and / or some steps may be performed simultaneously or separately.

[0047] In the following manufacturing method, the film layer and / or structure formation process may include, for example, atomic layer deposition (ALD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD), coating process, other suitable processes or combinations thereof. The patterning process may include, for example, a photolithography process, a combination of a photolithography process and an etching process, any other suitable process or combination thereof, wherein the etching process may be a wet etching process, a dry etching process, any other suitable etching process or combination thereof. The curing process may include, for example, a photocuring process, a drying curing process, any other suitable curing process or combination thereof. The drying curing process may include, for example, natural drying, reduced pressure drying, heating drying, reduced pressure heating drying, etc., and the temperature of the drying curing process performed by heating may be 50° C. to 120° C., but is not limited thereto.

[0048] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, a light guide plate 110 is first provided, and then a polarizing material layer 130 is formed on the light guide plate 110, wherein the polarizing material layer 130 directly contacts the first surface 110a of the light guide plate 110. In the formation of the polarizing material layer 130 in some embodiments, the polarizing material 130m (e.g., lyotropic liquid crystal) can be disposed on the first surface 110a of the light guide plate 110 by any suitable forming process, and the polarizing material 130m (e.g., lyotropic liquid crystal) can be oriented by any suitable orientation method (e.g., coating direction, illumination, etc.) to define a polarization axis, and then, the polarizing material 130m (e.g., lyotropic liquid crystal) can be cured by any suitable curing process to form the polarizing material layer 130.

[0049] In some embodiments, Figure 3 In the embodiment, the polarizing material 130m (eg, lyotropic liquid crystal) can be disposed on the first surface 110a of the light guide plate 110 by a coating process. Figure 3 In the process, the polarizing material 130m (e.g., lyotropic liquid crystal) can be sprayed on the first surface 110a of the light guide plate 110 along a first direction (a horizontal direction) by the nozzle NE to complete the arrangement and orientation of the polarizing material 130m, wherein the polarizing axis is related to the first direction (e.g., the polarizing axis is parallel to or perpendicular to the first direction), but not limited thereto. For example, the polarizing material 130m can include a dichroic dye, an amphiphilic molecule as a liquid crystal molecule, and an ultraviolet (UV) resin, but not limited thereto. Then, in Figure 3In the embodiment, since the polarizing material 130m has UV resin, the curing process of this embodiment can be performed by irradiating the polarizing material 130m with UV light, but is not limited thereto.

[0050] Optionally, according to Figure 1 In the structure of the front light module 100 shown, the light shielding layer 140 and the color conversion layer 150 can be disposed on the polarizing material layer 130 through a suitable forming process and a patterning process, so that the light shielding layer 140 and the color conversion layer 150 directly contact the polarizing material layer 130. Alternatively, a planar layer and a common electrode can be sequentially disposed on the color conversion layer 150 through a suitable forming process and a patterning process.

[0051] Finally, the light emitting element 120 is disposed adjacent to the light incident surface 110 e of the light guide plate 110 to complete the manufacture of the front light module 100 .

[0052] In addition, during the manufacturing process of the reflective display device 200, the front light module 100 and the array substrate structure including the substrate 210 and the circuit element layer 220 can be assembled, and the display medium layer 230 is disposed between the front light module 100 and the array substrate structure. Afterwards, the display medium layer 230 is aligned to complete the manufacturing of the reflective display device 200.

[0053] In summary, the present invention reduces the number of film layers of the front light module and the reflective display device through the design of the light guide plate and the polarizing material layer, thereby reducing the structural thickness and reducing the attenuation of the light provided by the front light module in the reflective display device.

[0054] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A front light module, characterized in that: include: a light guide plate; a light emitting element, disposed adjacent to a light incident surface of the light guide plate, wherein the light generated by the light emitting element is incident into the light guide plate from the light incident surface; as well as A polarizing material layer, disposed on the light guide plate and directly contacting a first surface of the light guide plate; The first surface is not parallel to the light incident surface.

2. The front light module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front light module further includes a color conversion layer, the color conversion layer directly contacts the polarizing material layer, and the polarizing material layer is arranged between the color conversion layer and the light guide plate.

3. The front light module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front light module further includes a light shielding layer, the light shielding layer directly contacts the polarizing material layer, and the polarizing material layer is arranged between the light shielding layer and the light guide plate.

4. The front light module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The polarizing material layer includes lyotropic liquid crystal material.

5. The front light module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the polarizing material layer is 0.1 micrometer to 10 micrometers.

6. A reflective display device, characterized in that: include: a substrate; The front light module as claimed in claim 1, arranged opposite to the substrate; A display medium layer, disposed between the substrate and the front light module; as well as a light reflecting layer, disposed between the substrate and the display medium layer; The polarizing material layer of the front light module is arranged between the display medium layer and the light guide plate of the front light module.

7. A method for manufacturing a front light module, characterized in that: include: Providing a light guide plate; Forming a polarizing material layer on the light guide plate, wherein the polarizing material layer directly contacts a first surface of the light guide plate; as well as Disposing a light emitting element adjacent to a light incident surface of the light guide plate; The first surface is not parallel to the light incident surface.

8. The manufacturing method according to claim 7, characterized in that: The step of forming the polarizing material layer comprises: Disposing a polarizing material on the first surface of the light guide plate; Orienting the polarizing material to define a polarizing axis; and The polarizing material is cured to form the polarizing material layer.

9. The manufacturing method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The polarizing material is disposed on the first surface of the light guide plate through a coating process.

10. The manufacturing method according to claim 8, characterized in that: In the step of forming the polarizing material layer, the polarizing material is sprayed onto the first surface of the light guide plate along a first direction to complete the arrangement and orientation of the polarizing material, and the polarizing axis is related to the first direction.

Images