Electrode mask shorted to a common electrode

• US 20080079881A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Daverman, Dodge D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,683,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 349/139
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133345 Insulating layers G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134318 having a patterned common electrode
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134327 Segmented, e.g. alpha numeric display
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2201/121 common or background

Abstract

A liquid crystal display device with a liquid crystal material layer (414) includes a common electrode layer (406) proximate the liquid crystal material layer (414), a patterned metal oxide layer (408) arranged opposite the common electrode layer (406), where the liquid crystal material layer (414) is arranged between the common electrode layer (406) and the patterned metal oxide layer (408). The liquid crystal display device includes a thin, optically clear insulating coating (410) applied to a surface of the patterned metal oxide (408), and a patterned metal oxide mask (412) applied to a surface of the optically clear dielectric coating (410), where the patterned metal oxide mask (412) is electrically coupled to the common electrode layer (406). The liquid crystal display device controls where the electrical field is seen by the liquid crystal material by creating intentional shorts across it where it is not intended to switch.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device, including a liquid crystal material layer, the liquid crystal display device comprising:

a common electrode layer proximate the liquid crystal material layer;

a patterned metal oxide layer arranged opposite the common electrode layer, where the liquid crystal material layer is arranged between the common electrode layer and the patterned metal oxide layer;

a thin, optically clear dielectric insulating coating applied to a surface of the patterned metal oxide; and

a patterned metal oxide mask applied to a surface of the optically clear dielectric insulating coating, where the patterned metal oxide mask is electrically coupled to the common electrode layer.

2. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, where the patterned metal oxide layer comprises an indium tin oxide layer.

3. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, where the optically clear dielectric insulating coating has an index of refraction substantially similar to an index of refraction of indium tin oxide.

4. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, further comprising a rear substrate coupled with the patterned metal oxide layer, and a front substrate coupled with the common electrode layer.

5. The liquid crystal display device of claim 4, where the rear substrate and the front substrate comprise polyethylene terephthalate.

6. The liquid crystal display device of claim 4, where the patterned metal oxide mask is electrically coupled to the common electrode when the rear substrate and the front substrate are formed.

7. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, where the patterned metal oxide mask comprises a plurality of void regions which the liquid crystal material substantially shutters within during an operation of the liquid crystal display device.

8. The liquid crystal display device of claim 7, where the plurality of void regions form icon shapes in the liquid crystal material during an operation of the liquid crystal display device.

9. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, where the liquid crystal display device is configured for use in a mobile phone, a PDA, or a mobile computer.

20. The liquid crystal display of claim 1, further comprising a rear substrate coupled with the patterned metal oxide layer, and a front substrate coupled with the common electrode layer.

21. The liquid crystal display of claim 20, where the rear substrate and the front substrate comprise polyethylene terephthalate.

22. The liquid crystal display device of claim 20, where the patterned metal oxide mask is electrically coupled to the common electrode when the rear substrate and the front substrate are formed.

10. A method that forms a liquid crystal display device, the method comprising:

forming a common electrode layer proximate a liquid crystal material layer;

patterning a metal oxide layer opposite the common electrode layer, where the liquid crystal material layer is arranged between the common electrode layer and the patterned metal oxide layer;

applying a thin, optically clear dielectric insulating coating to a surface of the patterned metal oxide;

patterning a metal oxide mask on a surface of the optically clear dielectric insulating coating; and

electrically coupling the patterned metal oxide mask with the common electrode layer.

11. The method of claim 10, where patterning the metal oxide layer comprises patterning an indium tin oxide layer.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising coupling a rear substrate with the patterned metal oxide layer, and coupling a front substrate with the common electrode layer.

13. The method of claim 12, where coupling the patterned metal oxide mask with the common electrode comprises electrically shorting the patterned metal oxide mask with the common electrode during laser cutting of the rear substrate and the front substrate.

14. The method of claim 10, where patterning the metal oxide mask comprises forming a plurality of void regions which the liquid crystal material shutters substantially within during an operation of the liquid crystal display device.

15. The method of claim 14, where forming the plurality of void regions comprises forming icon shapes to display during the operation of the liquid crystal display device.

16. The method of claim 10, where applying the thin, optically clear dielectric insulating coating comprises applying an insulating coating with an index of refraction substantially similar to an index of refraction of indium tin oxide.

17. A liquid crystal display, comprising:

a liquid crystal material layer;

a common electrode layer proximate the liquid crystal material layer;

a patterned metal oxide layer arranged opposite the common electrode layer, where the liquid crystal material layer is arranged between the common electrode layer and the patterned metal oxide layer;

a thin, optically clear dielectric insulating coating applied to a surface of the patterned metal oxide;

a patterned metal oxide mask applied to a surface of the optically clear dielectric insulating coating, where the patterned metal oxide mask is electrically coupled to the common electrode layer; and

a display driver operable to supply display signals to the patterned electrode and the common electrode layer.

18. The liquid crystal display of claim 17, where the patterned metal oxide layer comprises an indium tin oxide layer.

19. The liquid crystal display of claim 17, where the optically clear dielectric insulating coating has an index of refraction substantially similar to an index of refraction of indium tin oxide.

23. The liquid crystal display device of claim 17, where the patterned metal oxide mask comprises a plurality of void regions which the liquid crystal material shutters substantially within during an operation of the liquid crystal display.

24. The liquid crystal display device of claim 23, where the plurality of void regions form icon shapes in the liquid crystal material during the operation of the liquid crystal display.

25. The liquid crystal display device of claim 17, where the liquid crystal display is configured for use in a mobile phone, a PDA, or a mobile computer.