Display device

• US 10,146,084 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2015
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yun, Mi-Ra, Lee, Dong-Hoon, Kim, Jin-Yeong
• Primary Examiner(s): Merlin, Jessica M
• Application Number:
  US14/884,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20160116800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/0136 for the control of polarisation, e.g. state of polarisation [SOP] control, polarisation scrambling, TE-TM mode conversion or separation G02F1/0353 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133528 Polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133531 characterised by the arrangement of polariser or analyser axes
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133536 Reflective polarizers G02F1/13362 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13355 Polarising beam splitters [PBS]
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13439 characterised by their electrical, optical, physical properties; materials therefor; method of making
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/136286 Wiring, e.g. gate line, drain line
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13629 Multilayer wirings
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1368 in which the switching element is a three-electrode device G02F1/136277 takes precedence

Abstract

A display device includes a display panel including a plurality of pixels and outputting an image through a first surface; and a first polarizer attached to the first surface of the display panel, the first polarizer transmitting linearly-polarized light of a first direction and reflecting linearly-polarized light of a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein when a voltage is not applied, the display device is used as a mirror mode and the first polarizer reflects external light, and when a voltage is applied, the display device is used as an image display mode and an image from the display panel is outputted through the first polarizer.

Claims

1. A display device comprising:

a display panel including;

a first substrate;

a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines on the first substrate, at least one gate line or data line including a first metal layer and a second metal layer that is under the first metal layer, and wherein the first metal layer has a reflectance that is higher than a reflectance of the second metal layer, and wherein a resistivity of the second metal layer is lower than a resistivity of the first metal layer; and

a plurality of pixels at intersections of the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of data lines, the plurality of pixels outputting an image through a first surface of the display panel; and

a first polarizer attached to the first surface of the display panel and closer to the first metal layer than the second metal layer, the first polarizer transmitting linearly-polarized light of a first direction and reflecting linearly-polarized light of a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,

wherein the display device is configured to operate in a mirror mode wherein a voltage is not applied to electrodes of the display panel by a driver and the first polarizer reflects external light, and the display device configured to operate in an image display mode wherein a voltage is applied to the electrodes of the display panel by the driver and an image from the display panel is outputted through the first polarizer.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first polarizer includes at least one first film and at least one second film, and

wherein the at least one first film transmits the linearly-polarized light of the first direction and reflects the linearly-polarized light of the second direction, and the at least one second film transmits the linearly-polarized light of the first direction and absorbs the linearly-polarized light of the second direction.

3. The display device of claim 2, wherein the first polarizer includes a plurality of first films and a plurality of second films, which are alternately layered.

4. The display device of claim 2, wherein the at least one first film includes first layers and second layers, which are alternately layered, and

wherein each of the first layers has a first refractive index, and each of the second layers has a second refractive index different from the first refractive index.

5. The display device of claim 2, wherein the at least one second film includes dichroic dyes, and a long axis of the dichroic dyes is parallel to the second direction.

6. The display device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second polarizer attached to a second surface of the display panel, the second polarizer absorbing the linearly-polarized light of the first direction and transmitting the linearly-polarized light of the second direction; and

a backlight unit disposed at an outer surface of the second polarizer wherein the display panel further includes a second substrate and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates.

7. The display device of claim 6, wherein the first substrate includes a thin film transistor, a pixel electrode and a common electrode, and the first polarizer is attached to the first substrate.

8. The display device of claim 1, wherein at least one gate line or data line includes aluminum or silver-palladium-copper alloy.

9. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first metal layer includes aluminum or silver-palladium-copper alloy, and the second metal layer includes copper.

10. The display device of claim 7, wherein the pixel electrode and the common electrode include a first electrode layer of aluminum or silver-palladium-copper alloy.

11. The display device of claim 10, wherein the pixel electrode and the common electrode further include a second electrode layer of indium tin oxide or indium zinc oxide.

12. The display device of claim 1, wherein the second metal layer is on the first metal layer.

13. A display device comprising:

a display panel including a plurality of pixels and outputting an image through a first surface; and

a first polarizer attached to the first surface of the display panel, the first polarizer transmitting linearly-polarized light of a first direction and reflecting linearly-polarized light of a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,

wherein the display device is configured to operate in a mirror mode wherein a voltage is not applied to electrodes of the display panel by a driver and the first polarizer reflects external light, and the display device is configured to operate in an image display mode wherein a voltage is applied to the electrodes of the display panel by the driver and an image from the display panel is outputted through the first polarizer,

wherein the first polarizer includes a plurality of first films and a plurality of second films, which are alternately layered, and

wherein each of the plurality of first films includes first layers and second layers, which are alternately layered such that at least one of the second layers is in direct contact with two of the first layers.

14. The display device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of first films transmits the linearly-polarized light of the first direction and reflects the linearly-polarized light of the second direction, and the plurality of second films transmits the linearly-polarized light of the first direction and absorbs the linearly-polarized light of the second direction.

15. The display device of claim 14, wherein each of the first layers has a first refractive index, and each of the second layers has a second refractive index different from the first refractive index.

16. The display device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of second films includes dichroic dyes, and a long axis of the dichroic dyes is parallel to the second direction.

17. The display device of claim 13, wherein the display panel includes:

a first substrate;

a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines on the first substrate, at least one gate line or data line including a first metal layer and a second metal layer, and wherein the first metal layer has a reflectance that is higher than a reflectance of the second metal layer, and wherein a resistivity of the second metal layer is lower than a resistivity of the first metal layer; and

a plurality of pixels at intersections of the plurality of gate lines and the plurality of date lines, the plurality of pixels outputting an image through a first surface of the display panel.

18. The display device of claim 17, wherein the first polarizer is attached to the first substrate.

19. The display device of claim 17, wherein the first metal layer is disposed between the first substrate and the second metal layer.

20. The display device of claim 13, further comprising a touch panel over the first polarizer.