Volumetric light-shaping polymer-dispersed liquid crystal films for mini-LED backlights
Ziqian He, Kun Yin, En‐Lin Hsiang, Shin‐Tson Wu
Abstract
Volumetric light-shaping polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films for mini-LED backlit liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are proposed and experimentally demonstrated. With proper material engineering and good vertical alignment of liquid crystals, passive PDLC films with angle-selective scattering properties can be achieved. Such films only respond to angles rather than spatial locations. By directly adhering the PDLC films onto a LED, angular intensity distribution of light can be tailored from Lambertian-like to batwing-like. Further simulation shows that by engineering the angular distribution, a fewer number of LEDs or equivalently a shorter light-spreading distance should be required to maintain good uniformity. Such a PDLC film would find widespread applications in emerging mini-LED backlit LCDs and shed light on designing other light-shaping films in the future.