Hirotaka Imayama

57.1: Novel Pixel Design for a Transflective IPS-LCD with an In-Cell Retarder

We have successfully developed 2.4″QVGA transflective IPS-LCDs which maintains excellent transmissive performance and higher reflectance. We have an in-cell retarder patterned only in the reflective region. And we devised the pixel design so that the reflectance became higher. We have realized transflective LCDs with sufficient outdoor readability and wide viewing angle. Furthermore, we reduced thickness of the LCD panel at the same time.

P-231L: Late-News Poster: A Wide Viewing Angle Transflective IPS LCD Applying New Optical Design

Viewing angle performance of transflective LCDs, affected by many optical parameters such as Nz of retardation films and azimuth of slow axis, is improved when the optical parameters obey a simple rule. A new optical design is deduced from the rule, and applied for transflective IPS-LCD with a single gap structure and a twisted liquid crystal layer. A viewing angle performance comparable to transmissive IPS LCDs is realized in transflective IPS-LCD.

57.4L: Late-News Paper: Transflective LCD Combining Transmissive IPS and Reflective In-Cell Retarder ECB

In-cell retarder technology enables two kinds of display modes with different features to be realized in the pixels of transflective LCDs. Using this concept, we have developed a prototype 2.2″ QVGA transflective LCD that combines transmissive IPS for wide viewing angle performance and reflective in-cell retarder ECB for high reflectance.

Enhancement of Viewing Performance of New Transflective In-Plane Switching Liquid Crystal Displays Using In-Cell Retarder(s)

High-viewing-performance transflective in-plane switching (IPS) liquid crystal displays (LCDs) with in-cell retarders have been developed. Transflective LCDs have pixels with transmissive and reflective display portions; the transmissive display portion is designed to have the same structure as the transmissive IPS-LCDs, and the reflective display portion is formed by patterning the in-cell retarder. The latter is designed to give a normally close mode characteristic, which has a brightness–voltage (B–V) curve similar to that of the former. The reflective display portions, which work as quarter-wave plates at dark states, can be classified into five structures according to the number of in-cell retarder(s) and the stacking order of the liquid crystal layer. In this study, on the basis of the five possible structures, the viewing performances of the transflective IPS-LCDs are investigated by simulation, and suitable solutions are also discussed.

Precision rubbing supported by fine process analysis

Rubbing is still the only practical method by which to attain reliable liquid-crystal alignment in LCD manufacturing, although a small number of optional Methods have been proposed. In order to be able to realize higher alignment performance for future finer displays, we need to look at not only the purpose of the process itself, which is molecular ordering in the alignment layer, but also undesirable side effects, such as contamination, triboelectric charging, and particle generation. The present paper examines the type of surface contamination that occurs during the rubbing process from a fine chemical point of view as well as rubbing-related problems. A number of ideas are proposed by which to cope with the aforementioned problems, so that this traditional and well-understood process can be applied much more effectively.

P‐192L: Late‐News Poster: Moiré Reduction of Luminance Enhanced LCDs with a Wobbled Micro‐Lenticular Lens

We developed a novel lenticular lens, whose edge lines were modulated with a sinusoidal form, for a luminance enhanced LCD to reduce moire fringe between lenses and prism sheets and demonstrated the moire reduction to 1/5 with the wobbled lenticular lens formed by a printing method.

34.4: New Alignment Film Drying Process for Large and Thin Glass Substrates: Molecular Behavior in the Drying Process

A new alignment film drying process has been developed based on hot air blow system. The system offers more stable and efficient drying process on larger and thinner glass substrates. The alignment film performance is highly affected by drying speed which defines surface polymer molecular conformation due to solvent concentration gradient at the surface. The optimum process has been established by detailed molecular behavior analyses related to solvent evaporation sequence and thin organic alignment film evolution.