Irregular Spacer Pattern Film for Diffraction-Reduced Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transmittance variable devices face issues with appearance defects due to gravity-induced liquid phase shifting and light diffraction phenomena, which degrade visibility.
Innovation Solution
A pattern film with a spacer pattern comprising partition wall spacers and ball spacers, featuring irregularly shaped spacer dots and lines, is developed, allowing for improved visibility by reducing diffused reflection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a regular pattern (mesh or honeycomb) is used for the partition wall spacer, then the cell gap is maintained effectively, but light diffraction occurs in a specific direction causing decreased visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by intentionally designing the spacer pattern with irregular shapes and varying sizes instead of regular symmetric patterns. The spacer dots have different shapes (e.g., circles, squares, triangles) and sizes, which disrupts the periodicity that causes diffraction. This asymmetric design maintains the cell gap function while eliminating the directional light diffraction that reduces visibility.
2Reliability
If ball spacer and column spacer are used to maintain cell gap, then the cell gap is maintained, but appearance defects occur due to liquid phase shifting under gravity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the ball spacer component entirely, replacing it with a partition wall spacer formed by patterned lines and dots that remain stationary. This removes the source of gravitational liquid phase shifting while maintaining cell gap through the structural integrity of the partition wall design, thereby eliminating appearance defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The asymmetric spacer pattern with irregular shapes and varying sizes prevents uniform liquid phase shifting that occurs with symmetric patterns. The irregular geometry disrupts gravitational flow patterns, preventing the formation of uniform liquid lenses that cause appearance defects, while still maintaining effective cell gap.
3Illumination intensity
If irregular pattern is introduced to reduce light diffraction, then visibility is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the spacer pattern into discrete, simple geometric elements (dots, lines, small shapes) that can be independently controlled during manufacturing. Each element is simple in form but collectively creates the irregular pattern needed to reduce diffraction. This segmentation allows standard photolithography and deposition processes to produce the complex overall effect through repeated simple operations.
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 pattern film enhances visibility by introducing pattern irregularity, maintaining cell gaps, and reducing diffused reflection, while also enabling cost-effective and time-efficient manufacturing processes.
Implementation Method 1
irradiating the ultraviolet curable resin layer with ultraviolet light through the film mask
Data Source
AI summary
A pattern film, a method for manufacturing a pattern film, and a transmittance variable device comprising the same are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a pattern film includes a base layer, and a spacer pattern formed on the base layer, the spacer pattern comprises a partition wall spacer comprises a plurality of spacer dots and a spacer line connecting the spacer dots, and a ball spacer, the ball spacer is one of embedded in, partially embedded in, or in contact with the partition wall spacer, when any 3 or more spacer dots are selected, the spacer line forms a closed figure having the selected spacer dots at the vertices thereof, the selected spacer dots are not present inside the closed figure, a length of at least one side of the closed figure is different from lengths of the remaining sides, and each spacer dot has irregularity of 50% or greater.