Brightness enhancement film, and methods of making and using the same

• US 7,251,079 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2006
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sabic Innovative Plastics IP BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Zhang, Yan, Coyle, Dennis Joseph, Hu, Yu, Capaldo, Kevin Patrick, Yeung, Chunghei, Carvill, Brian Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrington; Alicia M
• Application Number:
  US11/326,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20060114569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 359619-620, 359/599, 359/641
• US Class Current: 359/641
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0221 the surface having an irregular structure G02B5/0226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0242 by means of dispersed particles
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0278 used in transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0053 Prismatic sheet or layer; Brightness enhancement element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0065 Manufacturing aspects; Material aspects

Abstract

In one embodiment, a brightness enhancement film comprises: a diffusing film comprising a front surface and a back surface, a coating on the front surface, and light redirecting structures disposed in the coating. The brightness enhancement film is capable of collimating light, and wherein, without the coating, the diffusing film would be capable of spread light passing through the back surface. In another embodiment, the brightness enhancement film comprises: a diffusing film comprising a front surface and a back surface, a coating on the front surface, and light redirecting structures disposed in the coating. The diffusing film has a stress retardation gradient of less than or equal to 50 nm/in, wherein an interval for calculation of the stress retardation gradient is less than 1 inch. The brightness enhancement film is capable of collimating light.

Claims

1. A brightness enhancement film, comprising:

a diffusing film comprising a front surface and a back surface;

a coating on the front surface, and

light redirecting structures disposed in the coating;

wherein the brightness enhancement film is capable of collimating light, and wherein, without the coating, the diffusing film would be capable of spreading light passing through the back surface.

2. The film of claim 1, wherein the diffusing film has a stress retardation gradient of less than or equal to 50 nm/in, wherein an interval for calculation of the stress retardation gradient is less than 1 inch.

3. The film of claim 2, wherein the stress retardation gradient less than or equal to 30 nm/in.

4. The film of claim 3, wherein the stress retardation gradient is less than or equal to 15 nm/in.

5. The film of claim 2, wherein the interval is less than or equal to about 0.75 inches.

6. The film of claim 5, wherein the interval is less than or equal to about 0.5 inches.

7. The film of claim 6, wherein the interval is less than or equal to about 0.25 inches.

8. The film of claim 1, wherein the first surface had an average surface roughness of greater than or equal to about 0.1 micrometers.

9. The film of claim 8, wherein the average surface roughness was about 0.1 to about 2.2 micrometers.

10. The film of claim 1, wherein the back surface has an average surface roughness (Ra) of less than or equal to 0.05 micrometers.

11. The film of claim 1, wherein the diffusing film comprises a haze value of about 20% to about 80% as measured according to ASTM D1003, and a transmission of greater than or equal to about 85%.

12. The film of claim 11, wherein the diffusing film comprises a haze value of about 35% to about 65% as measured according to ASTM D1003.

13. The film of claim 1, wherein the coating has a refractive index of greater than or equal to about 1.4.

14. The film of claim 1, wherein a difference in a diffusing film refractive index and a coating refractive index is less than or equal to about ±

0.2.

15. The film of claim 14, wherein the difference is less than or equal to about 0.1.

16. The film of claim 15, wherein the difference is less than or equal to of about 0.06.

17. The film of claim 1, wherein the diffusing film comprises polycarbonate and phosphonium sulfonate.

18. The film of claim 17, wherein the diffusing film comprises about 93 wt. % to about 99.6 wt. % polycarbonate and about 0.4 wt. % to about 7 wt. % fluorinated phosphonium sulfonate, based on a total weight of the base film.

19. The film of claim 1, wherein the light-redirecting structure comprises a plurality of prisms each comprising a peak comprising a pitch and a radius of curvature of about 0.1% to about 30% of the pitch.

20. The film of claim 1, wherein the diffusing film comprises greater than or equal to about 80 wt. % polycarbonate, based on a total weight of the thermoplastic base film, and wherein the stress retardation gradient is less than or equal to 15 nnilin.

21. A display device, comprising:

the brightness enhancement film of claim 1;

an optical source; and

a light guide in optical and physical communication with the optical source.

22. A brightness enhancement film, comprising:

a diffusing film comprising a front surface and a back surface, wherein the diffusing film has a stress retardation gradient of less than or equal to 50 nm/in, wherein an interval for calculation of the stress retardation gradient is less than 1 inch;

a coating on the front surface; and

light redirecting structures disposed in the coating;

wherein the brightness enhancement film is capable of collimating light.

23. A brightness enhancement film, comprising:

a diffusing film comprising a front surface, a back surface, and a diffusing film refractive index, wherein the front surface comprises an average surface roughness (Ra) of greater than or equal to about 0.1 micrometers;

a coating on the front surface, wherein the coating has a coating refractive index; and

light redirecting structures disposed in the coating;

wherein the brightness enhancement film is capable of collimating light; and

wherein a difference in the diffusing film refractive index and the coating refractive index is less than or equal to about ±

0.2.

24. A method of making a brightness enhancement film, comprising:

melting a thermoplastic resin at a temperature greater than or equal to a glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic resin;

extruding the thermoplastic resin into a gap between a first calendering roll and a second calendering roll;

cooling the thermoplastic resin to a temperature below the glass transition temperature to produce a diffusing film;

disposing a coating on a front surface of the diffusing film;

disposing a light-redirecting structures into the coating; and

curing the coating;

wherein the brightness enhancement film is capable of collimating light, and wherein, prior to disposing the coating on the front of the diffusing film, the diffusing film was capable of spread light passing through a back surface.

25. A method of making a brightness enhancement film, comprising:

melting a thermoplastic resin at a temperature greater than or equal to a glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic resin;

extruding the thermoplastic resin into a gap between a first calendering roll and a second calendering roll;

cooling the thermoplastic resin to a temperature below the glass transition temperature to produce a diffusing film, wherein a stress retardation gradient across the diffusing film is less than or equal to 50 nanometers per inch, wherein an interval for calculation of the stress retardation gradient is less than 1 inch;

disposing a coating on a front surface of the diffusing film;

disposing a light-redirecting structures into the coating; and

curing the coating;

wherein the brightness enhancement film is capable of collimating light.