Liquid crystal display device

• US 6,661,483 B1
• Filed: 07/20/2000
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Moriwaki, Hiroyuki, Tanaka, Mitsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Parker, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US09/620,731
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 349/113, 349/117, 349/119, 349/115, 349/112, 349/162, 349/99, 349/98, 349/181, 349/102
• US Class Current: 349/102
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13363 Birefringent elements, e.g. for optical compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133638 Waveplates, i.e. plates with a retardation value of lambda/n
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1397 the twist being substantially higher than 90°, e.g. STN-, SBE-, OMI-LC cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/02 reflective
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2413/02 Number of plates being 2
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2413/08 with a particular optical axis orientation
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2413/10 with refractive index ellipsoid inclined, or tilted, relative to the LC-layer surface O plate

Abstract

An object of the invention is to prevent color shifting which occurs in a liquid crystal display device in a white display state as well as in a black display state. The liquid crystal display device includes a single polarization layer, a single phase retardation layer, a reflective layer, and a liquid crystal layer, and produces a display by utilizing light reflected from the reflective layer. Based on the wavelength λ of incident light, the retardation value ReF of the phase retardation layer is set approximately equal to (1/4+K/2) λ, and the retardation value ReL of the liquid crystal layer is set approximately equal to (1/2+L/2)λ (K=0, 1, 2, . . . : L=0, 1, 2, . . . ). The angle Δφ that the absorption axis of the polarization layer makes with the retardation axis of the phase retardation layer is set as 0°<Δφ<45° or 45°<Δφ<90°. This prevents the color shifting in the white display state as well as in the black display state in the liquid crystal display device, and improves the contrast.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a polarization layer for transmitting therethrough only a linearly polarized component of incident light, which is polarized in a predetermined direction;

a reflective layer for reflecting light;

a single phase retardation layer disposed between the polarization layer and the reflective layer; and

a super-twisted nematic liquid crystal layer disposed between the polarization layer and the reflective layer,

wherein retardation value ReF of the phase retardation layer is selected to be approximately equal to a (1/4+K/2)th multiple of wavelength λ

of the incident light (where K is an integer not smaller than

     0);

product d1×

Δ

n1 of thickness d1 and optical anisotropy Δ

n1 of the liquid crystal layer is selected to be approximately equal to a (1/2+L/2)th multiple of the wavelength λ

of the incident light (where L is an integer not smaller than

     0); and

crossing angle Δ

φ

between an absorption axis of the polarization layer and a retardation axis of the phase retardation layer is selected to be larger than 0° and

smaller than 45°

, or larger than 45° and

smaller than 90°

to deviate from 45°

by a small amount to provide an improved contrast.

2. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1,

wherein the phase retardation layer is disposed between the liquid crystal layer and the polarization layer, and

the incident light passed through the polarization layer and the phase retardation layer is in a state of elliptical polarization which is close to circular polarization.

3. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1,

wherein the crossing angle Δ

φ

between the absorption axis of the polarization layer and the retardation axis of the phase retardation layer is selected to fall within a range of 40°

±

3°

.

4. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1,

wherein the liquid crystal layer is formed as a super twisted nematic layer,

the twist angle of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer is selected to be 180°

or larger, and

the product d1×

Δ

n1 of the thickness d1 and optical anisotropy Δ

n1 of the liquid crystal layer, in the case where the wavelength λ

of the incident light is 550 nm, is selected to be larger than 760 nm and smaller than 860 nm.

5. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1,

wherein the liquid crystal layer is formed as a super twisted nematic layer,

the twist angle of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer is selected to be 180°

or more, and

the product d1×

Δ

n1 of the thickness d1 and optical anisotropy Δ

n1 of the liquid crystal layer, when the wavelength λ

of the incident light is 550 nm, is selected to fall within a range of 770 nm to 856 nm.

6. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1,

wherein the liquid crystal layer is formed as a super twisted nematic layer,

the twist angle of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer is selected to be 180°

or larger, and

the retardation value ReF of the phase retardation layer, when the wavelength λ

of the incident light is 550 nm, is selected to be larger than 360 nm and smaller than 450 nm.

7. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1,

wherein the liquid crystal layer is formed as a super twisted nematic layer,

the twist angle of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer is selected to be 180°

or larger, and

the retardation value ReF of the phase retardation layer, when the wavelength λ

of the incident light is 550 nm, is selected to fall within a range of 365 nm to 445 nm.

8. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1,

wherein the liquid crystal layer is formed as a super twisted nematic layer,

the twist angle of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer is selected to be 180°

or larger, and

crossing angle θ

between the orientation direction of liquid crystal molecules lying closest to the reflective layer and the absorption axis of the polarization layer is selected to fall within a range of −

10°

to +10°

.

9. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1,

wherein the phase retardation layer is a uniaxially oriented film.

10. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, further comprising:

two substrates sandwiching the liquid crystal layer therebetween,

wherein the reflective layer is disposed between the liquid crystal layer and either one of the two substrates.

11. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1, further comprising:

a scattering layer for scattering light, which is disposed on the side of the liquid crystal layer closest to the polarization layer,

wherein the side of the reflective layer closest to the liquid crystal layer is planarized.

12. The liquid crystal display device of claim 11,

wherein the phase retardation layer is disposed between the polarization layer and the liquid crystal layer, and the scattering layer is disposed between the phase retardation layer and the liquid crystal layer.

13. The liquid crystal display device of claim 1,

wherein the reflective layer is a light-semitransmitting layer which reflects only a portion of incoming light and allows the remaining portion thereof to pass through.

14. The liquid crystal display device of claim 13, further comprising:

a circular polarization selecting layer for selectively transmitting only a circular polarization component of the incident light, the circular polarization selecting layer being disposed on the side of the liquid crystal layer closest to the reflective layer.

15. The liquid crystal display device of claim 14,

wherein the circular polarization selecting layer comprises a quarter wave layer and a polarization layer for transmitting therethrough only a linearly polarized component of incident light and polarized in a predetermined direction, and the quarter wave layer is disposed between the polarization layer and the liquid crystal layer.

16. The liquid crystal display device of claim 14,

wherein the circular polarization selecting layer is a circular polarization selective reflecting layer which reflects either a right-hand circularly polarized component or a left-hand circularly polarized component of the incident light and allows the other component to pass therethrough.