Herong Lei

Optical properties of solvent-cast polarizer films for liquid-crystal displays: A viscoelastic modeling framework

Abstract— Many of the films used in polarizer assemblies in LCDs (e.g., triacetyl cellulose or TAC) are produced by a solvent-casting process, which is known to impart optical anisotropy to the film expressed as finite out-of-plane birefringence. This feature of the film could have a significant impact on the optical performance of the display and it needs to be accounted for in any compensation scheme for the LC cell. This paper reviews the origin of this optical anisotropy, and it presents a viscoelastic model that links this property to the solvent-casting process and to some key material parameters. The model results are compared with experimental data generated for polystyrene films cast from toluene, and generally good agreement is demonstrated.

P-120: Optical Properties of Solvent-Cast Polarizer Films for Liquid Crystal Display: A Viscoelastic Modeling Framework

The optical properties of polarizer films in LCD are critical to the optical performance of the display. Solvent-cast cellulosic films (e.g., triacetyl cellulose or TAC) are used in conventional polarizer assemblies, in part, for their high transmission and relatively low optical retardation. However, even low-birefringent materials such as TAC film possess some finite level of residual out-of-plane retardation that needs to be accounted for in various compensation schemes for the display. This paper reviews the origin of this optical anisotropy, and it describes a viscoelastic model that links this property to the solvent-casting process.