Wire grid polarizer, and liquid crystal display panel and liquid crystal display device including the same

• US 9,335,582 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.), Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.), Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jang, Dae-hwan, Park, Joon-yong, Lee, Sung-hoon, Kim, Byung-hoon, Nam, Jung-gun, Lee, Dae-young, Jo, Gug-rae, Takakuwa, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Sang V
• Application Number:
  US14/289,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20140354910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 349/96, 349/46, 349/51
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/3058 comprising electrically conductive elements, e.g. wire grids, conductive particles
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133345 Insulating layers G02F1/1335, G02F1/1337, G02F1/135, G02F1/136 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133536 Reflective polarizers G02F1/13362 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133548 Wire-grid polarisers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/36 Micro- or nanomaterials

Abstract

A wire grid polarizer includes a substrate, a wire grid layer which is disposed on the substrate and includes a plurality of wire patterns arranged with a predetermined interval, where gaps are defined between the wire patterns, and a passivation layer which is disposed on the wire grid layer and includes first passivation particles which cover a top portion of the gaps.

Claims

1. A wire grid polarizer comprising:

a substrate;

a wire grid layer which is disposed on the substrate and comprises a plurality of wire patterns arranged at a predetermined interval, wherein gaps are defined between the wire patterns; and

a passivation layer which is disposed on the wire grid layer and comprises first passivation particles which cover a top portion of the gaps,

wherein the passivation layer further comprises;

a first layer comprising the passivation particles;

a second layer disposed on the first layer and comprising second passivation particles smaller then the first passivation particles; and

a third layer disposed on the second layer.

2. The wire grid polarizer of claim 1, wherein the third layer comprises third passivation particles smaller than the second passivation particles.

3. The wire grid polarizer of claim 1, wherein the gaps are filled with air or in a vacuum state.

5. The wire grid polarizer of claim 1, wherein the first passivation particles allow visible light to pass therethrough.

6. The wire grid polarizer of claim 5, wherein the first passivation particles comprise at least one of silicon oxide and silicon nitride.

7. The wire grid polarizer of claim 1, further comprising:

a coating layer disposed on a surface of each of the first passivation particles,

wherein the coating layer comprises a reactive functional group which causes a sol-gel reaction.

8. The wire grid polarizer of claim 1, wherein the wire patterns of the wire grid layer have a pitch equal to or less than ¼

of a wavelength of incident light.

9. The wire grid polarizer of claim 1, wherein the wire grid polarizer is a reflective polarizer or an absorptive polarizer.

4. A wire grid polarizer comprising:

a substrate;

a wire grid layer which is disposed on the substrate and comprises a plurality of wire patterns arranged at a predetermined interval, wherein gaps are defined between the wire patterns; and

a passivation layer which is disposed on the wire grid layer and comprises first passivation particles which cover a top portion of gaps, wherein the first passivation particles have an average diameter greater than a width of each of the gaps.

10. A liquid crystal display panel, which displays an image using light emitted from a backlight unit, the liquid crystal display panel comprising:

a wire grid polarizer which changes polarization of the light emitted from the backlight unit;

a thin-film transistor layer disposed on the wire grid polarizer;

a liquid crystal layer disposed on the thin-film transistor layer; and

a polarizer disposed on the liquid crystal layer,

wherein the wire grid polarizer comprises;

a first substrate which is transparent;

a wire grid layer which is disposed on the first substrate and comprises a plurality

of wire patterns arranged at a predetermined interval, wherein gaps are defined between the wire patterns; and

a passivation layer which is disposed on the wire grid layer and comprises first passivation particles which cover a top portion of the gaps,

wherein the passivation layer further comprises;

a first layer comprising the first passivation particles;

a second layer which is disposed on the first layer and comprises second passivation particles smaller than the first passivation particles; and

a third layer disposed on the second layer.

11. The liquid crystal display panel of claim 10, wherein the third layer comprises third passivation particles smaller than the second passivation particles.

13. The liquid crystal display panel of claim 10, wherein the thin-film transistor layer comprises an amorphous silicon.

14. The liquid crystal display panel of claim 10, further comprising:

a second substrate which is transparent and is disposed on the polarizer.

12. A liquid crystal display panel, which displays an image using light emitted from a backlight unit, the liquid display panel comprising:

a wire grid polarizer which changes polarization of the light emitted from the backlight unit;

a thin-film transistor layer disposed on the wire grid polarizer;

a liquid crystal layer disposed on the thin-film transistor layer; and

a polarizer disposed on the liquid crystal layer,

wherein the wire grid polarizer comprises;

a first substrate which is transparent;

a wire grid layer which is disposed on the first substrate and comprises a plurality of wire patterns arranged at a predetermined interval, wherein gaps defined between the wire patterns; and

a passivation layer which is disposed on the wire grid layer and comprises first passivation particles which cover a top portion of the gaps, wherein the first passivation particles have an average diameter greater than a width of each of the gaps.

15. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a backlight unit which emits light; and

a liquid crystal display panel which is disposed on the backlight unit and displays an image using the light emitted from the backlight unit,

wherein the liquid crystal display panel comprises;

a wire grid polarizer which changes polarization of the light emitted from the backlight unit;

a thin-film transistor layer disposed on the wire grid polarizer;

a liquid crystal layer disposed on the thin-film transistor layer; and

a polarizer disposed on the liquid crystal layer,

wherein the wire grid polarizer comprises;

a first substrate which is transparent;

a wire grid layer which is disposed on the first substrate and comprises a plurality of wire patterns arranged at a predetermined interval, wherein gaps defined between the wire patterns; and

a passivation layer which is disposed on the wire grid layer and comprises first passivation particles which cover a top portion of the gaps,

wherein the passivation layer further comprises;

a first layer comprising the first passivation particles;

a second layer which is disposed on the first layer and comprises second passivation particles smaller than the first passivation particles; and

a third layer disposed on the second layer.

16. The liquid crystal display device of claim 15, further comprising:

a reflective plate disposed under the backlight unit.