Liquid Crystal Display Spacer with Chemical Affinity for Cell Gap Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible liquid crystal display devices face challenges in maintaining a uniform cell gap, especially when bent, leading to non-uniform optical properties and brightness issues due to variations in the cell gap during transformation.
Innovation Solution
A liquid crystal display device with a spacer formed from a liquid crystal polymer composition that has greater chemical affinity for the thin film than the alignment layer, ensuring the cell gap is uniformly maintained by curing the polymer in specific exposing areas between the substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the liquid crystal display device is bent or transformed, then flexibility and adaptability are improved, but the cell gap uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the spacing function into multiple segments by using both spacers and liquid crystal molecules as gap-maintaining elements. The spacers provide structural support at specific points, while the liquid crystal molecules fill the remaining space and maintain uniform gap distribution, allowing the device to maintain cell gap uniformity even when bent or transformed.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state and arrangement parameters of the liquid crystal material by forming a polymer network structure within the liquid crystal layer. This polymer network, created through photopolymerization or thermal polymerization, provides mechanical reinforcement that maintains the cell gap uniformity while allowing the overall device to be flexible and adaptable to bending.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the cell gap becomes non-uniform during transformation, then flexibility is improved, but the optical properties deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the gap-maintaining function between spacers and liquid crystal polymer network, where the polymer network continuously distributes the spacing function throughout the liquid crystal layer, ensuring uniform optical properties even during transformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure by forming a polymer network within the liquid crystal layer. This composite material combines the flexibility of liquid crystal with the structural stability of polymer, maintaining both transformability and optical property uniformity.
3Manufacturing precision
If spacers are used to maintain cell gap, then cell gap uniformity is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the spacer function with the liquid crystal layer by forming a polymer network directly within the liquid crystal material. This eliminates the need for separate spacer structures and reduces device complexity while maintaining cell gap uniformity.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid crystal polymer network serves multiple functions: it maintains the cell gap uniformity, provides mechanical reinforcement for flexibility, and ensures optical property uniformity. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components and simplifies the overall device structure.
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 effectively stabilizes the cell gap even during elastic transformations, maintaining brightness uniformity and optical properties across the display device.
Implementation Method 1
a polymer having greater chemical affinity for the first thin film than for the first alignment layer
Implementation Method 2
curing the liquid crystal polymer composition to form a spacer
Data Source
AI summary
A liquid crystal display device, includes a first substrate including a first insulating substrate, a first thin film positioned on the first insulating substrate, and a first alignment layer positioned on the first thin film and including a first exposing area that exposes the first thin film, a second substrate facing the first substrate and including a second insulating substrate, a spacer positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate and including at least a part that corresponds to the first exposing area, and a liquid crystal layer positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate.