Display laminate with single packet biaxially birefringent reflective polarizer

• US 10,545,273 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2016
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Stover, Carl A., Derks, Kristopher J., Nevitt, Timothy J., Benoit, Gilles J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D
• Application Number:
  US15/776,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20180348418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 35948503, 35948504, 35948702, 35948911, 35948913, 35948916, 359599
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00644 polarizing
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0073 Optical laminates
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3475 Displays, monitors, TV-sets, computer screens
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/42 Polarizing, birefringent, filtering
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/202 LCD, i.e. liquid crystal displays
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/28 for polarising used in stereoscopes G02B30/25
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3033 in the form of a thin sheet or foil, e.g. Polaroid
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3041 comprising multiple thin layers, e.g. multilayer stacks
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3083 Birefringent or phase retarding elements G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence; systems for polarisation control G02B27/286; manufacturing phase modulating patterns by lithographic processes G03F7/001
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133536 Reflective polarizers G02F1/13362 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133606 including a specially adapted diffusing, scattering or light controlling members
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13362 providing polarized light, e.g. by converting a polarisation component into another one

Abstract

Multilayer optical film reflective polarizers previously considered to have excessive off-axis color can provide adequate performance in an LC display without any high haze light diffusing layer or air gap between the reflective polarizer and the back absorbing polarizer of the display. The reflective polarizer has only one packet of microlayers, and is oriented using a standard tenter such that birefringent microlayers in the film are biaxially birefringent. The microlayers in the packet have a layer thickness profile suitably tailored to avoid excessive perceived color at normal and oblique angles. A laminate made by combining this type of reflective polarizer with an absorbing polarizer, without an air gap or any high haze light diffusing layer or structure between the polarizers, can be used and incorporated into a liquid crystal display or the like with adequate color performance both at normal incidence and oblique incidence up to a polar angle of 60 degrees.

Claims

1. A laminate, comprising:

a reflective polarizer having only one packet of microlayers that reflects and transmits light by optical interference, the microlayers configured to define a first pass axis, a first block axis, and a first thickness axis perpendicular to the first pass axis and the first block axis; and

an absorbing polarizer having a second pass axis and a second block axis, the absorbing polarizer attached to the reflective polarizer with no air gap therebetween and such that the first and second pass axes are substantially aligned;

wherein the packet of microlayers includes alternating first and second microlayers, the first microlayers being biaxially birefringent;

wherein the reflective polarizer in isolation is characterized by a spectral transmission, for p-polarized light incident at a polar angle of 60 degrees in a reference plane that includes the first pass axis and the first thickness axis, in which

(a) the spectral transmission has a value in a range from 70% to 90% for at least some wavelengths from 450 to 700 nm; and

(b) a high frequency spectral variability Δ

, over a wavelength range from 400 to 700 nm, is less than 0.08.

2. The laminate of claim 1, wherein no light diffusing layer or structure is disposed between the reflective polarizer and the absorbing polarizer.

3. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the laminate is devoid of any light diffusing layer or structure.

4. The laminate of claim 1, further comprising a light diffusing layer or structure disposed between the reflective polarizer and the absorbing polarizer, the light diffusing layer or structure having a haze of less than 30%.

5. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the laminate further comprises a glass layer, the absorbing polarizer disposed within the laminate between the reflective polarizer and the glass layer.

6. The laminate of claim 5, wherein the glass layer is part of a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel.

7. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the high frequency spectral variability Δ

is a standard deviation of the spectral transmission relative to a best fit curve of a form a₀+a₁λ

+a₂λ

²+a₃λ

³.

8. The laminate of claim 1, wherein Δ

, over the wavelength range from 400 to 700 nm, is less than 0.05.

9. The laminate of claim 8, wherein Δ

, over the wavelength range from 400 to 700 nm, is at least 0.01.

10. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the spectral transmission, for p-polarized light incident in the reference plane at the 60 degree polar angle, is less than 90% throughout a wavelength range from 400 to 500 nm.

11. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the reflective polarizer is a central portion of a reflective polarizer web.

12. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the reflective polarizer is an edge portion of a reflective polarizer web.

13. The laminate of claim 1, wherein at least some of the first microlayers have refractive indices nx, ny, nz along respectively the first block axis, the first pass axis, and the first thickness axis, and wherein |ny−

nz|>

0.05, and wherein |nx−

ny|>

0.08.

14. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the reflective polarizer has a physical thickness of less than 50 microns.

15. The laminate of claim 14, wherein the physical thickness of the reflective polarizer is in a range from 20 to 40 microns.

16. The laminate of claim 1, wherein the laminate consists essentially of the reflective polarizer, the absorbing polarizer, and an adhesive layer that bonds the reflective polarizer to the absorbing polarizer.