Diffractive backlight grating array for mobile displays

Abstract— The display backlight unit (BLU) is the most power‐consuming subunit in mobile liquid‐crystal displays. The state‐of‐the‐art BLUs utilize scattering, refractive, and reflective microstructures to generate a uniform distribution of white light through the display. More effective means of transmitting light through the display color filters could be obtained by using diffraction, but previously proposed diffractive backlights do not fully utilize all the possibilities to design gratings effectively for optimal color separation and outcoupling. This paper presents a new pixelated diffractive backlight grating array as an approach for overcoming these obstacles in BLU design. A model array was fabricated to couple out red, green, and blue primary colors from the respective subpixel locations. The results show that it is possible to manufacture such an array and that the light couples out as intended, giving a starting point to design mobile‐display modules with low light‐transmission losses.     

Energy‐efficient liquid‐crystal displays (e2‐LCDs) using a photonic‐crystal backlight system

Abstract— Cholesteric liquid crystals automatically form one‐dimensional photonic crystals. For a photonic crystal in which light‐emitting moieties are embedded, unique properties such as microcavity effects and simultaneous light emission and light reflection can be expected. Three primary‐color photonic‐crystal films were prepared based on cholesteric liquid crystal in which fluorescent dye is incorporated. Microcavity effects, i.e., emission enhancement and spectrum narrowing, were observed. Two types of demonstration liquid‐crystal displays (LCDs) were fabricated using the prepared photonic‐crystal films in a backlight system. One is an area‐color LCD in which a single photonic‐crystal layer is used for each color pixel and the other is a full‐color TFT‐LCD in which three stacked photonic‐crystal layers are used as light‐conversion layers. The area‐color LCD was excited by using 365‐nm UV light, and the full‐color TFT‐LCD was excited by using 470‐nm blue LED light. Because of the photonic crystal's unique features that allow it to work as light‐emitting and light‐reflecting layers simultaneously, both LCDs demonstrate clear readable images even under strong ambient light, such as direct‐sunlight conditions, under which conventional displays including LCDs and OLED displays cannot demonstrate clear images. In particular, an area‐color LCD, which eliminated color filters, gives clear images under bright ambient light conditions even without backlight illumination. This fact suggests that a backlight system using novel photonic‐crystal layers will be suitable for energy‐efficient LCDs (e²‐LCDs), especially for displays designed for outdoor usage.     

Retardation‐controlling color filter with two directly stacked retardation layers

Abstract— A polymerizable liquid crystal (PLC), the orientation of which can be frozen, is useful for making retardation layers. In this paper, a new color filter (CF) with retardation‐controlling layers made of PLC is reported. It has a positive A‐plate and a negative C‐plate, both directly stacked on a color‐filter layer. These two retardation layers exhibit good orientation ability, and function well as retarders, even when they are only 1/10 or less as thick as ordinary retardation films. The new CF also has excellent thermal stability. The change in retardation after heat treatment at 200°C for 30 min is around 5%, and there is no observable peeling. A prototype VA‐LCD made with our new CF provides good optical compensation, with the light leakage being extremely low in all azimuthal directions. This technology is very useful for making thin, highly reliable color filters for LCDs, even with other modes.     

Electron‐beam curing of color filters for flexible‐display applications

Abstract— Color filters spin‐coated on plastic and glass substrates have been cured by electron‐beam radiation instead of by the conventional thermal‐heating method. The electron‐beam curing of the color filters has many advantages over the thermal curing method. Electron‐beam curing is, in principle, a non‐thermal method where low‐temperature (<100°C) curing of color filters on plastic substrates can be realized for the manufacturing process of flexible display panels. A color‐filter resist having a 1.5‐μm thickness was spin‐coated on plastic (polycarbonate) and glass (corning 1737) substrates. The effect of the electron‐beam radiation conditions, such as electron‐beam energy (0.3–1.0 keV), radiation dosage (10–200 kGy), and ambient oxygen has been characterized. The degree of curing was analyzed by using the characteristic absorption peaks at 808 and 1405 cm^?1 in the FT‐IR spectrum. These two peaks originate from the carbon double bonds (>C=C<) of the multi‐functional acrylate monomer which exist in the color‐filter resist. By electron‐beam radiation, the spin‐coated color filter can be effectively polymerized at g (glass transition temperature) of the plastic substrates. The electron beam can solve the problems of the conventional thermal curing method, such as thermal deformation of a plastic substrate and difficulty in achieving dimensional control of a color‐filter pattern due to a large coefficient of thermal expansion (20–70 ppm/°C) compared to that of a glass substrate.     

Design and fabrication of a new high gain multilayer negative refractive index metamaterial antenna for X‐band applications

This article presents the design of a planar high gain and wideband antenna using a negative refractive index multilayer superstrate in the X‐band. This meta‐antenna is composed of a four‐layer superstrate placed on a conventional patch antenna. The structure resonates at a frequency of 9.4 GHz. Each layer of the metamaterial superstrate consists of a 7 × 7 array of electric‐field‐coupled resonators, with a negative refractive index of 8.66 to 11.83 GHz. The number of layers and the separation of superstrate layers are simulated and optimized. This metamaterial lens has significantly increased the gain of the patch antenna to 17.1 dBi. Measurements and simulation results proved about 10 dB improvement of the gain.     

Viewing‐angle‐enhanced integral imaging system using high‐refractive‐index medium and curved micro‐lens array

In the integral imaging (II) system using a curved micro‐lens array (MLA), the viewing angle is limited by the gap mismatch. Here, we propose a system to decrease the gap mismatch for enhancing the viewing angle. In the proposed system, a layer of high‐refractive‐index medium is assembled between the display panel and the curved MLA. The principle of the proposed II system is studied in detail. Simulations based on ray tracing are performed, and the results show that the proposed II system can effectively enhance the viewing angle.     

Color‐breakup evaluation of spatio‐temporal color displays with two‐ and three‐color fields

Abstract— Spatio‐temporal color displays have higher transmission and resolution than conventional LCDs, but suffer from color breakup. In this paper, a 120‐Hz display with two‐color filters and two‐color fields is described and the amount of color breakup is compared with that of a 180‐Hz full‐color‐sequential display with no color filters and three‐color fields. The results indicate that color breakup in a color‐filterless display is annoying, whereas it is just visible in displays with two‐color filters even though the refresh rate is much lower.     

Color‐separating backlight for improved LCD efficiency

Abstract— A large part of the light generated in a backlight is usually absorbed in the color filters of the liquid‐crystal display. A new backlight system that uses a grating to split the white light into different colors and a lens array to focus this light onto the pixels is presented. The absorbing filters can be eliminated and efficiency is improved. The system is characterized, as well as its different components.     

Self‐bank metal conductor fabricated with silver nanoparticles

Abstract— A novel self‐bank method for fabricating a thin‐film metal conductor was studied by drying silver‐nanoparticle dispersion droplets. The bank of the thin‐film metal conductor was created spontaneously utilizing the self‐bank method. A uniform film of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) used as a barrier layer was formed on a glass substrate. Silver nanoparticles were dispersed in a suitable solvent for which PMMA is soluable and a silver nanoparticle fluid suspension was formed. When the silver‐nanoparticle fluid suspension was injected into the PMMA film of the substrate, the solvent dissolved the PMMA film, creating a restricted area for silver nanoparticle material defining the bank of the conductive area which improves the uniformity and conductivity of metal film. The metal conductor with a self‐defined bank is formed when the PMMA film was removed after sintering. This self‐bank method would be helpful in improving the deposition process of the functional materials in the fabrication of organic light‐emitting diodes, organic thin‐film transistors, color filters, metal electrodes, and biosensors.     

Optical filters for plasma‐display panels using organic dyes and conductive mesh layers by using a roll‐to‐roll etching process

Abstract— Optical filters with a high shielding capability against electromagnetic (EM) radiation for plasma‐display panels (PDPs) have been studied. We developed optical filters with high conductivity by utilizing a copper‐mesh layer, which was processed by using roll‐to‐roll photolithography and roll‐to‐roll etching. The copper‐mesh layer has a cross‐striped pattern with a surface resistance of 0.05Ω/□ and an opening ratio of approximately 93%. In combination with the copper‐mesh layer, organic dyes were applied to reduce the PDPs unfavorable emissions, such as near‐infrared light, and to control the transmission properties to improve the PDPs picture quality.     

Efficient electron injection from bilayer cathode consisting of aluminum and alcohol/water‐soluble conjugated polymers

Abstract— A novel bilayer cathode has been developed that forms an effective electron‐injecting contact to a variety of red‐, green‐, and blue‐emitting polymers. An efficient electron injection directly from Al can be realized by incorporation of a thin layer of water‐ or alcohol‐soluble copolymer between the metal and emitting layer. The device performance of polymer LEDs fabricated with such bilayer cathodes is comparable to or even higher than that obtained by using typical low‐work‐function Ca and Ba cathodes. The utilization of alcohol or water‐soluble conjugated polymer as an electron‐injection layer in combination with air‐stable metals is of special importance for PLEDs, since it enables the fabrication of multilayer devices by spin‐coating, without intermixing between the emitting layer and the injection layers.     

Fabrication of anti‐reflection coatings on plastics using the spraying layer‐by‐layer self‐assembly technique

Abstract— Anti‐reflection (AR) coatings on plastic substrates have been extensively investigated with the development of large‐area LCD and LED displays. A robust AR coating on plastics requires strong adhesion to the substrate, precise thickness and refractive index, and abrasion resistance. In this paper, abrasion‐resistant AR coatings were fabricated on polycarbonate substrates using the layer‐by‐layer spraying deposition of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and silica nanoparticles. The adhesion between the substrates and coatings was enhanced by treating the polycarbonate surfaces with aminopropyltrimethoxylsilane (APTS). The porous low‐refractive‐index PAH/silica‐nanoparticles multilayers were constructed by the layer‐by‐layer spraying of PAH and silica‐nanoparticles aqueous solutions onto the functionalized substrates. The subsequent treatment of the porous coatings with tetrahydroxylsilane leads to stable abrasion‐resistant AR coatings. The resultant AR coatings can reduce the reflection from 5 to 0.3%. The reported technique provides a cost‐effective method for large‐scale production of AR coatings on plastic substrates.     

Single‐source dual‐layer amorphous IGZO thin‐film transistors for display and circuit applications

In this study, the authors report on high‐quality amorphous indium–gallium–zinc oxide thin‐film transistors (TFTs) based on a single‐source dual‐layer concept processed at temperatures down to 150°C. The dual‐layer concept allows the precise control of local charge carrier densities by varying the O₂/Ar gas ratio during sputtering for the bottom and top layers. Therefore, extensive annealing steps after the deposition can be avoided. In addition, the dual‐layer concept is more robust against variation of the oxygen flow in the deposition chamber. The charge carrier density in the TFT channel is namely adjusted by varying the thickness of the two layers whereby the oxygen concentration during deposition is switched only between no oxygen for the bottom layer and very high concentration for the top layer. The dual‐layer TFTs are more stable under bias conditions in comparison with single‐layer TFTs processed at low temperatures. Finally, the applicability of this dual‐layer concept in logic circuitry such as 19‐stage ring oscillators and a TFT backplane on polyethylene naphthalate foil containing a quarter video graphics array active‐matrix organic light‐emitting diode display demonstrator is proven.     

A modified design approach for compact ultra‐wideband microstrip filters

A modified design approach for compact ultra‐wideband microstrip filters with cascaded/folded stepped‐impedance resonators is described. The key feature of the proposed method is to facilitate stronger coupling between stepped‐impedance resonators and, at the same time, eliminate the requirement of extremely small gaps in coupled‐line sections, as found in traditional designs. Simulations and measurements demonstrate that the filters designed with this technique exhibit good reflection, insertion‐loss, and group‐delay performance within the 3.1–10.6 GHz band. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 2010.     

Interactive Rendering of Non‐Constant,Refractive Media Using the Ray Equations of Gradient‐Index Optics

Existing algorithms can efficiently render refractive objects of constant refractive index. For a medium with a continuously varying index of refraction, most algorithms use the ray equation of geometric optics to compute piecewise‐linear approximations of the non‐linear rays. By assuming a constant refractive index within each tracing step, these methods often need a large number of small steps to generate satisfactory images. In this paper, we present a new approach for tracing non‐constant, refractive media based on the ray equations of gradient‐index optics. We show that in a medium of constant index gradient, the ray equation has a closed‐form solution, and the intersection point between a ray and the medium boundaries can be efficiently computed using the bisection method. For general non‐constant media, we model the refractive index as a piecewise‐linear function and render the refraction by tracing the tetrahedron‐based representation of the media. Our algorithm can be easily combined with existing rendering algorithms such as photon mapping to generate complex refractive caustics at interactive frame rates. We also derive analytic ray formulations for tracing mirages – a special gradient‐index optical phenomenon.     

Flexible color LCD panel driven by low‐voltage‐operation organic TFT

Abstract— A flexible color LCD panel driven by organic TFTs (OTFTs) was successfully demonstrated. A pentacene OTFT with an anodized Ta₂O₅ gate insulator, which can be operated at low voltage, was developed. In order to improve the electrical performance of the OTFT, the gate insulator was surface treated by processes such as O₂ plasma, UV light irradiation, and hexamethyldisilane treatments. The fabricated OTFT exhibited a mobility of 0.3 cm²/V‐sec and a current on/off ratio of 10⁷ with a low operating drain voltage of ?5 V. A fast‐response‐time flexible ferroelectric LCD, which contains polymer networks and walls, was integrated with the OTFTs by using a lamination and a printing technique. As a result, color images were achieved on the fabricated panel by using a field‐sequential‐color method at a low driving voltage of less than 15 V_pp.     

World's first large size 77‐inch transparent flexible OLED display

Large flexible organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) display provides various electronic applications such as curved, bendable, rollable, and commercial display, because of its thinness, light weight, and design freedom. In this work, the process flow and key technologies to fabricate the world's first large size 77‐inch transparent flexible OLED display are introduced. “White OLED on TFT + color filter” method is used to fabricate the aforementioned display. On both thin‐film transistor and color filter substrates, transparent polyimide (PI) was used as plastic substrate with multi‐barrier. In case of a transparent flexible display, the multi‐barrier is required for the additional consideration to overcome the decrease of transmittance due to the difference in refractive index of the conventional multi‐barrier. We developed the special multi‐barrier to increase transparency with superior water vapor transition rate characteristic. The optimized amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide thin‐film transistors were employed on the multi‐barrier, and it shows the highly uniform electrical performance and reliability on plastic substrate. Also, the typical panel failure mechanism during laser lift‐off process caused by a particle in PI is studied, and a sacrificial layer was suggested between PI and a carrier glass to reduce the panel failure. Finally, we successfully realized the world's first 77‐inch transparent flexible OLED display with ultra‐high‐definition resolution, which can be rolled up to a radius of 80 mm with a transmittance of 40%.     

Substrate‐integrated waveguide band pass filters with frequency‐dependent coupling elements

An effective technique to improve the stop‐band frequency response of direct‐coupled resonators in substrate‐integrated waveguide (SIW) technology is introduced. Regular inductive‐iris filters in SIW technology are supplemented with H‐plane frequency‐dependent inverters which not only create transmission zeros but also serve as the proper impedance inverter. A synthesis technique is introduced to prescribe transmission zeros at finite frequencies on either side of the pass band, symmetrically or asymmetrically. Two different topologies of frequency‐dependent inverters for X‐band SIW band pass filters demonstrate that attenuation poles can be created on both side of the passband and significantly improve the filters' stop‐band performences. Measurements confirm the validity of the presented design approach. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 24:237–242, 2014.     

Microcavity white‐emitting OLED devices

Abstract— Microcavity designs for OLED devices with an unpatterned white emitter have the potential to provide greater brightness and larger color gamut than non‐microcavity designs while still enabling lower‐cost large‐format manufacturing. In this paper, such microcavity and non‐microcavity designs are compared. Color filters must still be employed to provide an adequate color gamut. Top‐emitter structures have somewhat greater on‐axis luminance and color gamut, but increased angular change, than bottom‐emitter designs. In a single‐stack bottom‐emitter active‐matrix TFT device using an RGBW format, the use of microcavities is estimated to reduce the average power usage by 35% and the peak power by 58%, while increasing the NTSC ratio for color gamut area by about 10%. Angular luminance and color change is likely to be acceptable, especially for hand‐held applications. Tandem devices employing multiple emitter stacks increase the lifetime of OLED devices but require larger driving voltages; for such devices, microcavity structures are useful although the percentage reduction obtained in power usage is not quite as large. Generally, tandem devices with microcavities have a slightly stronger cavity effect yielding slightly larger color gamut, but also greater angular color and luminance shift. Therefore, microcavity architectures are less appealing for tandem devices.     

White stacked OLED with 38 lm/W and 100,000‐hour lifetime at 1000 cd/m2 for display and lighting applications

Abstract— The three critical parameters in determining the commercial success of organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs), both in display and lighting applications, are power efficiency, lifetime, and price competitiveness. PIN technology is widely considered as the preferred way to maximize power efficiency and lifetime. Here, a high‐efficiency and long‐lifetime white‐light‐emitting diode, which has been realized by stacking a blue‐fluorescent emission unit together with green‐ and red‐phosphorescent emission units, is reported. Proprietary materials have been used in transport layers of each emission unit, which significantly improves the power efficiency and stability. The power efficiency at 1000 cd/m² is 38 lm/W with CIE color coordinates of (0.43, 0.44) and a color‐rendering index (CRI) of 90. An extrapolated lifetime at an initial luminance of 1000 cd/m² is above 100,000 hours, which fulfils the specifications for most applications. The emission color can also be easily tuned towards the equal‐energy white for display applications by selecting emitting materials and varying the transport‐layer cavities.