(Liquid Crystal 3)

10.01 , 2014

Sung-Kyu Hong, Ph.D

Chemical & Biochemical Engineering
Dongguk University

History of Liquid Crystal Display

1973 , .
DSM(Dynamic Scattering Mode) TN(Twisted Nematic)LCD
, , .

1980 LCD 500 , ,

, .

1986 STN(Super Twisted Nematic)LCD ,

1990 3,300 . ,
.

1990 , TFT(Thin Film Transistor) AM(Active Matrix)LCD

TFT-LCD , .
, LCD 2000 2 6,000 . TV
, TFT-LCD TN VA(Vertical Alignment) IPS(In Plane S
witching) .

PDP(Plasma Display Panel) LED(Light Emitting Diode) ,

TV LCD .

Driving Principle of Liquid Crystal Display

For expressing the image information in LCD, the voltage should be applied to each
pixel using thin film transistor (TFT) established on each pixel. One TFT exists at
each pixel and is insulated from another pixel.
TFT has the role of switch to input needed image information from to data line to
pixel. When the larger voltage than the threshold voltage is applied to gate line, the
electric current can flow from data line to pixel electrode. The data line is
established vertically with respect to LCD panel and get the voltage from data
driving IC.
Gate line is horizontally positioned in panel, which is corresponding to pixels being
vertical resolution.
For color TFT-LCD, three times pixels of horizontal resolution exist at each line.
The voltage applied to each pixel induce the change of LC alignment and control
the white light intensity irradiated from BLU.
And then three types of color, red, green and blue is represented through passing
the color filter layer.

The LCD Types by Driving Method

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Mode

LCD is classified with TN (Twisted Nematic) mode, VA (Vertical

Alignment) mode, IPS (In-Plane Switching) mode according to
LC alignment without electric field..

LCD Mode (TN)

Twisted Nematic (TN) Technology

For TN mode, LC molecules is surrounded between two transmissive electrodes,

which are existed as 90 degree twisted state from bottom electrode to upper
one due to each substrate coated with rubbed alignment layer.
In the no applied electric field, LC directors are continuously twisted as 90
degree from bottom substrate to upper one. On the other hand, in the presence
of electric field, vertically aligned against two substrates.

There are two types of TN mode such as a normally white type and a normally
black type. For the Normally white type, LC is surrounded by two polarizers
which is perpendicularly located each other, for no applied electric field, white
image is displayed, in contrast to, in the presence of electric field, black image
displayed.
On the other hand, for the normally black mode, LC is surrounded by two
polarizers which is parallelly located each other, for no applied electric field,
black image is displayed, in contrast to, in the presence of electric field, white
image displayed.

LCD Mode (TN)

Transmittance of Twisted Nematic (TN) Mode

Transmittance of TN mode is obtained on the basis of Gooch & Terry

equation in normally black type as follows when incident light is
monochromic.

Where
T
is
transmittance
of
monochromic light and u is variables
being dependent of wavelength of
incident light () and birefringence
(n).

In the Normally black type TN mode, when u =

, optimum cell gap, d
satisfying the darkest black state black become above equation at first
minimum condition.
On the other hand, for normally white type TN mode, the brightest state is
presented at the cell gap which is first maximum condition.

TN & STN Mode

TN & STN Mode

LCD Mode (VA)

Vertical Alignment (VA) Mode

In VA mode, LC molecules (having <0) are vertically aligned

between two polarizer attached glass plates and black state is
displayed without electric field.
When the electric field is applied, LC parallelly align to two glass
plates, white state is displayed, since birefringence of LC is induced
due to tilt of LC by electric field.

LCD Mode (VA)

Transmittance of Vertical Alignment (VA) mode

For VA mode, when electric field is not applied black state is displayed.
As the results VA mode shows the lower black image than those of IPS
and TN mode.
The transmittance of VA mode can be expressed by

Where n(E) is birefringence depending on the applied electric field, d

is thickness of LC layer and is wavelength of incident light.
For no applied electric field, LC molecules vertically align to both
substrates, and then n(E)=0 and become black state not transmitting
through VA cell.
On the other hand, in the presence of electric field, LC molecules
horizontally align to the both substrates, and then n(E) become
maximum transmittance of light.
To achieve a optimum cell gap (d) having maximum transmittance,
next equation is used.

LCD Mode (IPS)

In Plane Switching (IPS) Mode

IPS mode which LC(having >0) is horizontally moved between the date and
common electrodes established same plane on TFT array substrate.
Therefore viewing angle of IPS mode is wider than those of VA and TN mode.
The transmittance of IPS mode is expressed by

Where is azimuth angle of LC on axis of substrate, n is birefringence of LC, d

is LC layer thickness and is wavelength of incident light.
Above equation, nd/ is not dependent upon the applied electric field and
become criteria to determine optimum cell gap to present maximum
transmission as same as VA mode.
For IPS mode, Transmittance is changed by which azimuth angle is changed
with applied electric field.
For example, T is minimum when LC is aligned to 0 without electric field,
whereas T is maximum when LC is aligned to 45
in the presence of electric field.

Wide Viewing Technology of LCD

Multi-domain Technology

Multi-domain technology is defined

as technology improving viewing
angle by multi-divide of pixel.
In the case of single domain without
pixel divide, LC molecular alignment
state is changed with main viewing
angle since is LC molecules align to
one direction. As a result different
brightness image is observed
according to observing direction.
In contrast to, in the case of two
domain pixel structure uniform
brightness image is observed since
two horizontally divided domains
having
different
brightness
is
observed as average brightness
between two domains.
In addition, the wider viewing angle
LCD is achieved by applying 4domain divided by four directions or
8-domain by eight directions LCD.

Single domain multi domain

Wide Viewing Technology of LCD

Wide Viewing Technology for Vertical Alignment (VA)

VA modes are classified by MVA(Multi-domain VA) and

PVA(Patterned VA) in accordance with pixel-divided type.
For MVA mode, each pixel is divided by protrusion. Also PVA
mode is divided by patterning of ITO electrode.
In general, MVA and PVA mode exhibit a pixel divided by four
domain.
Recently S-PVA mode that is each pixel divided by eight
domains is used for wider viewing angle.

Comparison MVA mode and PVA mode

Wide Viewing Technology of LCD

Wide Viewing Technology for IPS Mode

IPS modes are classified with IPS mode having stripe type pixel and S-IPS
mode having chevron type pixel.
S-IPS mode has two domain chevron structure in pixel and common
electrode. As a result LC molecules align to two direction such as left
rotation or right rotation by applied electric field from 0 degree in azimuth
angle without electric field, the viewing angle and color shift of S-IPS
become better than those of IPS.
S-IPS Cell

OFF
ON

IPS Cell

OFF

ON

0 Rubbing
(Chevron
)

Rubbing
15
IPS S-IPS

Wide Viewing Technology of LCD

Fringe Field Switching (FFS) Mode

IPS mode has disadvantages of slow response time and low transmittance
since both pixel and common electrode is established on one side of LCD.
Recently, IPS-pro(or FFS : Fringe Field Switching) mode is proposed to
overcome these disadvantages.
FFS mode has the similar one side electrode structure with IPS mode, but
insulating layer is arranged between pixel and common electrode on same
substrate. Therefore, for FFS mode horizontal and vertical electric field is
applied to LC at the same time, where as for IPS mode only horizontal
electric field is applied to LC.
As a result, FFS mode has the higher transmittance due to alignment of LC
molecules near patterned pixel electrode and the faster response time LC
due to reduction of spacing between patterned electrodes by applied
electric field

Comparison between IPS mode and FFS mode

Wide Viewing Technology of LCD

Wide Viewing Film

In general, LCD black state is which LC vertically align between two

substrates which top and bottom polarizers are perpendicularly
attached each other except IPS mode.
When ellipsoid of refractive index for LC become sphere on the front
view the birefingence of LC is eliminated. However light leakage due
to birefringence of LC is generated on the left or right side view.
LC compensate film is a role of elimination of change in contrast
ratio on the side view since retardation of compensate is contrary to
that of LC. The compensate film is positioned on the front of LCD
panel.

Wide Viewing Technology of LCD

Retardation change of LC according to viewing angle can be compensated by

negative C-plate on the off axis since LC has positive C-plate at black state.

However LC viewing is not sufficiently improved by only the compensation on off

axis, additional compensation on axis is required using A-plate.

The A-plate only has function to compensate thickness retardation on axis but to
improve leakage due to deviation of axis between two crossed polarizer with change
of viewing angle.

Two biaxial plates can be used instead of a negative C plate and a A plate.

Wide Viewing Technology of LCD

Wide viewing film is optical compensation and protecting film that is

attached on top and bottom substrate in LCD.

There are two types of compensate film for LCD. One is the film which
alignment layer is coated on optically isotropic TAC(Tri-Acetyl Cellulose)film,
then LC is coated on the film. The other one which optically isotropic TAC film
combined with or added by high refractive index component is stretched
undirectionally or bi-directionally.

Where on axis retardation, Re=(nx-ny)d and off-axis retardation , Rth =

{(nx+ny)/2-nz}d and d is a film thickness. Recently, transparent cyclic olefin
type polymer (COP: Cyclic Olefin Polymer) film which is stretched to uni-axis
or bi-axis is used compensation film in stead of TAC film.

Compensate films are classified as follows.

O plate : film which distribution of refractive

index is continuesly changed.
A plate : film with nx > ny = nz on rectangular
coordinate system
Negative C plate : film with nx = ny > nz
Positive C plate : film with nx = ny < nz
Biaxial plate : film with nx > ny > nz

TN Mode Wide Viewing Technology

TN Mode Wide Viewing Film

For TN mode, O-Plate which disk-like

or sylinder-like LC

molecules having tilt alignment is coated on TAC film. It is called

WV(Wide View Film) film.

TN Mode Wide Viewing Technology

TN Mode Wide Viewing Film
Absorption
axis
Optical
direction

Polarizing film

Rubbing
direction

WV film

LCD cell

WV film
Polarizing film

content

WV-A

WV-SA

WV-EA

90/120

120/140

160/160

360nm

400nm

400nm

low

middle

high

Viewing angle
(Left/Right/Up/
Down)
Optimum
retardation
Discotic
LC tilt angle

21

VA Mode Wide Viewing Technology

Wide viewing film for VA mode

For VA mode, A-plate negative-C plate or biaxial plate is used to

compensate vertical aligned LC molecules.

TAC
PVA Polarizer

TAC

TAC

TAC

PVA Polarizer

PVA Polarizer

TAC + compensate film

TAC

TFT-LCD Panel

TFT-LCD
Panel

TFT-LCD Panel

Compensate film

TAC + compensate film

TAC + compensate film

TAC

PVA Polarizer

PVA Polarizer

PVA Polarizer

TAC

TAC

TAC

VA Mode Wide Viewing Technology

VA Color Shift

VA LCD
LCD
(
) .
LCD
color shift .

IPS Mode Wide Viewing Technology

IPS mode compensate film

For IPS mode, positive C-plate is used to compensate horizontal

aligned LC molecules.

Recently, Z-TAC has been used for improvement of leakage and

color shift on side view.
TAC

TAC

PVA Polarizer

PVA Polarizer

Z- TAC

Z-TAC

TFT-LCD Panel

TFT-LCD Panel

Arton Z

Z-TAC

PVA Polarizer

PVA Polarizer

TAC

TAC

LC Mode of LCD
( )
.
( lc < solid : ,

,
mode

lc =solid :

lc >solid : ,)

Random Orientation of LC molecules

p

or
A
I = I0 sin22sin2(n(E)d/), =/4
Imax = n(E)d/= /2, =550nm
Imax = n(E)d= /2 = 275nm

( /4, 3/4, 5/4, 7/4
)

(0 , 90
)

The Operation Principles of LCD

vs

vs

vs

Polarizer

TAC: Triacetyl Cellulose

Cellulose Triacetate
PVA: Polyvinyl Alcohol
PSA: Pressure Sensitive Adhesive

The Operation Principles of LCD

ne

nd ( )

n= ne no

no
Polarizer

LC
molcules
ne
n= ne no

Polarizer

no

LC
molcules

Analyzer
nd ( )

Analyzer