(io) Patent No.: US 6,977,702 B2 (45) Date of Patent: Dec. 20,2005
(54) REFLECTIVE AND TRANSFLECTIVE
LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY USING A WIRE
GRID POLARIZER
(75) Inventor: Shin-Tson Wu, Oviedo, FL (US)
(73) Assignee: University of Central Florida,
Orlando, FL (US)
( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term ol this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 679 days.
(21) Appl. No.: 10/428,386
(22) Filed: May 2, 2003
(65) Prior Publication Data
US 2003/0210369 Al Nov. 13, 2003
Related U.S. Application Data
(60) Provisional application No. 60/378,862, filed on May 7, 2002.
(51) Int. CI.7 G02F 1/1335
(52) U.S. CI 349/115; 349/113
(58) Field of Search 349/113,114,115,
349/96
(56) References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
4,688,897 A * 8/1987 Grinberg et al 349/162
A device structure for single cell gap reflective and transflective liquid crystal displays (TF-LCDs). For an entirely reflective LCD, the imbedded wire-grid polarizer (WGP) serves as a polarization-dependent for the ambient light. For a transflective TF-LCD, the WGP only covers the reflective pixels. The disclosure also includes a method ol using single cell gap liquid crystal displays (LCDs) without phase retardation films by providing a single cell gap LCD having reflective pixels and transmissive pixels, covering solely the reflective pixels, with at least one ol: a wire grid polarizer and a broadband cholesteric reflector (BCR), reflecting ambient light off the reflective pixels; and passing back light through the transmissive pixels whereby the cell gap LCD obtains high contrast ratios without using phase retardation films.
15 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets
