Curved Wire Grid Polarizer Deposition for Uniform Display Brightness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display, optical, and image pickup apparatuses using film-shaped wire grid polarizers suffer from luminance and color unevenness due to non-uniform conductor deposition on curved surfaces, leading to suboptimal polarization separation performance and visual quality issues.
Innovation Solution
A transmissive reflective element with a substrate having a curved surface and convex portions, where conductors are obliquely deposited to form thin wires, adhering to specific geometric constraints to ensure uniform conductor coverage and alignment, thereby minimizing luminance and color unevenness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a film-shaped wire grid polarizer is used with a curved surface, then the optical system can achieve compact design and integration, but luminance and color unevenness occur due to non-uniform conductor deposition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature to the substrate surface to enable compact optical system design. The curved surface allows for better integration of optical components and reduces the overall system size while maintaining optical performance. This principle directly addresses the improvement in device complexity reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by making the conductor width variable along the curved surface. The conductor width is designed to be narrower at the edges and wider at the center, compensating for the non-uniform deposition characteristics on curved surfaces. This local variation in conductor dimensions ensures uniform optical performance across the entire surface, resolving the luminance and color unevenness issue.
2Ease of manufacture
If conductor is deposited on curved surface by winding rolled substrate film, then manufacturing is simplified, but luminance and color unevenness occur due to non-uniform deposition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by varying the conductor width locally across the curved surface. The conductor is designed with different widths at different positions - narrower at edges and wider at center - to compensate for the non-uniform deposition that occurs during manufacturing. This local adjustment maintains luminance uniformity while preserving the ease of manufacturing through rolled substrate processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the conductor, specifically the width, as a function of position on the curved surface. This parameter variation compensates for the non-uniform deposition characteristics inherent in the manufacturing process, ensuring that the optical performance remains uniform across the entire curved surface while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
3Reliability
If conductor covers end surface and side surface of convex portions, then polarization separation performance is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the curved surface geometry of the convex portions to naturally guide the conductor deposition. The curvature allows the conductor to wrap around the convex portions, covering both end surfaces and side surfaces, while the deposition process itself follows the curved geometry. This reduces manufacturing complexity compared to attempting to form conductors on flat surfaces with complex three-dimensional structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs self-service by allowing the deposition process to naturally follow the curved surface geometry. The conductor material automatically conforms to the curved shape of the convex portions during deposition, requiring minimal additional manufacturing steps or complex tooling to achieve the desired three-dimensional conductor configuration that enhances polarization separation performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides high-quality images by reducing luminance and color unevenness, enhancing polarization separation performance, and maintaining consistent visual quality across the field of view.
Implementation Method 1
a conductor provided on each of the plurality of convex portions. Each of the plurality of convex portions has an end surface in the third direction and a first side surface and a second side surface disposed on both sides of the end surface in the first direction. In a section including the first direction and the third direction, the conductor covers at least a part of the end surface and at least a part of the first side surface
Data Source
AI summary
A display apparatus includes an optical system including a transmissive reflective element, and a display element. The transmissive reflective element includes a substrate having a curved surface, convex portions disposed on the curved surface along a first direction, and a conductor provided on each convex portion. Each convex portion extends in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and protrudes in a third direction orthogonal to each of the first and second directions. Each convex portion has an end surface in the third direction and first and second side surfaces on both sides of the end surface in the first direction. In a section including the first direction and the third direction, the conductor covers at least a part of the end surface and at least a part of the first side surface of each of the plurality of convex portions. A predetermined inequality is satisfied.