One-Way Transparent Optical System for Emissive Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for preventing glare and contrast decrease in emissive display devices, such as organic electroluminescent (EL) displays, often result in reduced optical efficiency and brightness due to the use of polarizers and ¼ waveplates, which limit both external and internal light emission.
Innovation Solution
A one-way transparent optical system is fabricated by forming a black body layer on a transparent substrate, patterning light-absorbing materials, and creating protrusion structures with a convex lens shape to refract and absorb external light while allowing internal light to pass without significant loss, using a method that includes heating and carbonizing photoresist, etching, and forming metallic layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a polarizer and 1/4 waveplate are used to prevent glare and contrast decrease, then external light reflection is suppressed, but internal light emission is limited to about 50%
Solution Approach 1:
The optical system is segmented into multiple functional layers: antireflective coating layer, polarizer layer, 1/4 waveplate layer, and light-absorbing material layer. Each layer performs a specific function to collectively solve the contradiction between suppressing external light reflection and maintaining internal light emission.
Solution Approach 2:
Different layers have different optical properties optimized for specific functions: the antireflective coating minimizes surface reflection, the polarizer filters polarization states, the 1/4 waveplate converts polarization, and the light-absorbing material selectively absorbs external light while allowing internal light to pass through.
2Ease of manufacture
If a light-absorbing material is used to prevent glare, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but internal light generated in the organic light-emitting layer is also absorbed
Solution Approach 1:
A polarizer layer is introduced as an intermediary between the light-absorbing material and the organic light-emitting layer. The polarizer selectively transmits polarized light, allowing internally generated polarized light to pass through while blocking unpolarized external light that reaches the light-absorbing material.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a semi-transmission layer and total reflection layer are used for glare prevention, then external light reflection is controlled, but part of internal light is reflected and extinguished
Solution Approach 1:
The polarizer layer is positioned to act on light before it reaches the reflection layers. By converting the polarization state of external light and allowing polarized internal light to pass through, the polarizer prevents unnecessary interaction with the reflection layers, thereby reducing internal light loss.
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 approach effectively intercepts external light, minimizes glare, maintains high internal light efficiency, and increases display brightness by nearly 80% while simplifying the structure and reducing manufacturing costs compared to prior methods.
Implementation Method 1
heating and carbonizing the photoresist to form a black body layer
Implementation Method 2
forming protrusion structures having, for example, a shape of a convex lens for refracting incident light toward a corresponding light-absorbing material
Implementation Method 3
external light is effectively intercepted
Implementation Method 4
internal light passes nearly without loss
Data Source
AI summary
A method of fabricating a one-way transparent optical system by which external light is effectively intercepted and internal light passes nearly without loss is provided. The method includes: forming a photoresist on an upper surface of a transparent substrate; heating and carbonizing the photoresist to form a black body layer; patterning the black body layer to form a plurality of light-absorbing materials on the transparent substrate; and forming protrusion structures having a shape of a convex lens shape for refracting incident light toward a corresponding light-absorbing material of the light-absorbing materials, on the transparent substrate on which the light-absorbing materials are formed.