Liquid crystal display with transmissive and reflective regions comprising a first alignment film having different alignments in the transmissive and reflective regions and a second alignment film with a single alignment

• US 7,688,407 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: AU Optronics Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Po-Chang, Wu, Jin-Jei, Chiang, Chun-Hung, Hsieh, Fu-Cheng, Huang, Ren-Hung, Lin, Tzu-Yuan, Chen, Po-Lun, Chang, Chih-Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Schechter; Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arendt; Paisley L
• Application Number:
  US11/432,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20070046869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 349/114
• US Class Current: 349/114
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133753 with different alignment orientations or pretilt angles on a same surface, e.g. for grey scale or improved viewing angle
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133757 with different alignment orientations
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133773 the alignment material or treatment being different for the two opposite substrates
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133788 by light irradiation, e.g. linearly polarised light photo-polymerisation
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/134363 for applying an electric field parallel to the substrate, i.e. in-plane switching [IPS]

Abstract

A liquid crystal display with transmissive region and reflective region is provided. The display comprises an upper substrate and a lower substrate, which is settled in parallel with the upper substrate. A reflective layer is located on the reflective region of the lower substrate and an insulation layer covers the reflective layer and the lower substrate. Positive and negative driving electrodes are chiastically settled on the insulation layer. A first alignment film is positioned on the inner surface of the upper substrate, and the alignments of the first alignment film on the transmissive region and reflective region are different. A second alignment film covers the insulation layer, the positive and negative electrodes. A liquid crystal layer is located between the first alignment film and the second alignment film.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel with a single cell gap design having a transmissive region and a reflective region, the LCD panel comprising:

an upper substrate;

a lower substrate arranged in parallel with the upper substrate;

a first insulating layer covering the lower substrate;

a reflective layer disposed between the first insulating layer and the lower substrate in the reflective region;

a second insulating layer covering the first insulating layer;

a plurality of positive driving electrodes and a plurality of negative driving electrodes wrapped in the second insulating layer and arranged alternately and levelly in the second insulating layer in both the transmissive region and the reflective region;

a first alignment film formed on a surface of the upper substrate between the upper and lower substrates, having a horizontal alignment in the transmissive region and a vertical alignment in the reflective region, respectively;

a coplanar second alignment film covering the second insulating layer, and only with a horizontal alignment in both the transmissive region and the reflective region; and

a liquid crystal layer having liquid crystal molecules, and interposed between the first alignment film and the second alignment film.

2. The LCD panel of claim 1, further comprising a polarization film disposed on outer surfaces of the upper and lower substrates, respectively.

3. The LCD panel of claim 1, wherein the first alignment film and the second alignment film in the transmissive region have a homogeneous alignment.

4. The LCD panel of claim 1, wherein the first alignment film and the second alignment film in the reflective region have a hybrid alignment.

5. The LCD panel of claim 1, wherein the first alignment film is substantially made of a UV curable polymer.

6. The LCD panel of claim 1, wherein the reflective layer comprises a reflective electrode.

7. The LCD panel of claim 1, wherein the positive driving electrodes and the negative driving electrodes are controlled by a single control circuit to control the liquid crystal molecules in both the transmissive and reflective regions.

8. The LCD panel of claim 1, wherein an electric field that is parallel to the lower substrate is imposed by the positive and negative electrodes, liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer perform In-Plan Switching (IPS) rotations in both the transmissive region and the reflective region.