Liquid Crystal Display Panel With Asymmetrical Slits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Horizontal-electric field liquid crystal display panels face challenges in achieving good viewing-angle characteristics and reducing coloring due to fixed slit widths in sub-pixels, which complicates the division of rubbing directions and leads to disclination and poor display characteristics.
Innovation Solution
The liquid crystal display panel features a structure with plural slits of varying widths at both ends in the longitudinal direction, asymmetrical slit edges, and folding portions, allowing for different voltage transmittance characteristics in each slit, which are superimposed to achieve a wide range of viewing-angle characteristics with minimal coloring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a fixed width slit is used in each sub-pixel, then the device structure is simple, but coloring occurs depending on viewing angle direction due to VT characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the slit width vary at different positions along the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the slit has a first width at one end and a second width at the other end, with the widths being different. This creates different voltage transmittance (VT) characteristics at different longitudinal positions, which compensates for viewing angle coloring by providing a range of VT characteristics that work together to reduce the harmful coloring effect across different viewing angles.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If rubbing direction is divided into plural directions in one pixel, then viewing angle characteristics improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses local quality by creating asymmetrical slit edges where the first edge and second edge at each end of the longitudinal direction have different shapes. This asymmetry, combined with the varying slit width, effectively divides the liquid crystal layer into multiple domains with different rubbing directions without requiring physically separate rubbing structures. The different edge shapes create different anchoring conditions that guide liquid crystal orientation in different directions at different locations.
3Ease of manufacture
If fixed width slits are used, then manufacturing is easier, but disclination occurs and display characteristics deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by implementing local quality through position-dependent slit width variation. The slit width is deliberately made non-uniform, with specific width values at different longitudinal positions, which prevents disclination by creating gradual transitions in the electric field distribution. This also improves display characteristics by generating multiple VT characteristics that work together to reduce viewing angle coloring and enhance overall display quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies asymmetry by designing slits with different widths at opposite ends and asymmetrical edge shapes. This asymmetrical design creates diverse electric field distributions and liquid crystal orientation patterns that prevent disclination defects. The asymmetrical first and second edges at each end further diversify the VT characteristics, improving display performance while remaining manufacturable through standard photolithography processes.
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
This configuration enhances viewing-angle characteristics and reduces coloring by providing a range of voltage transmittance characteristics, resulting in improved display quality and high aperture ratio with symmetrical light emission.
Implementation Method 1
The liquid crystal display panel changes orientation of liquid crystal molecules by an electric field, which are aligned in a given direction by performing rubbing processing to an alignment film
Implementation Method 2
a pair of electrodes including an upper electrode and a lower electrode are arranged at different layers respectively through an insulating film, slit-shaped openings are provided at the upper electrode and the electric field in the nearly horizontal direction passing through the slits is applied to the liquid crystal layer
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid crystal display panel is provided and includes a pair of substrates arranged face to face so as to sandwich a liquid crystal layer, a lower electrode formed on a lower substrate, an upper electrode formed on the lower substrate through an insulating layer, in which plural slits are formed in each sub-pixel, wherein each of the plural slits is formed as an aperture in which both ends thereof in the longitudinal direction are closed, and an alignment film formed so as to cover a surface of the upper electrode and the insulating layer. The plural slits have different widths at both ends of slits in a longitudinal direction, and a rubbing direction of the alignment film is a direction crossing longitudinal edges of each of the slits.