LCD Electronics

Theory of Operation
Week 2
27-Sept-19

1
 Display Panel

Gamma
Vcom
Timing Reference Ref
Data In Voltages
Controller

Column Drivers

Row Drivers
Multi-Source
Power DC/DC Display
In Converter
& LDO

2
Important Active Matrix LC
Display Modes

3
Alignment Layer Example

Stresses in the surface created through a

rubbing wheel induce a mono-layer of liquid
crystal aligned with and anchored to the
surface which, in-turn, induces long-range
nematic order throughout the cell

4
 The NW Birefringent Display
Very poor viewing
Crossed polarizers 45 angle stability
degrees to the director
(Normally White)

nd=½ 

LC retardation
provides 90 deg
rotation, unenergized
5
No Birefringence (Active State)
Without rotation, light is
blocked by crossed
polarizers

nd=½ 

No LC retardation
results in no rotation,
when energized
6
Viewing Angle

7
Twisted Nematic Order
This illustration has left Chirality

 pre-tilt angle

Pre-tilt assures the molecules will

respond to induced and restoring
torque in a uniform fashion.

8
 Director Angle Graph


Each curve
describes the
angular distortion
with distance for
RMS voltages
progressing from
zero volts (curves
1) to about 5 volts
(curves 7)

9
Horizontal View Angle

10
Vertical Viewing Angle

11
 Twisted Nematic Construction

Alignment Surfaces
(rubbing or photo-
chemicals)

Polarizers
(optional negative
retardation film
Liquid Crystal integrated)

12
NW Twisted Nematic Display
Crossed polarizers 45
degrees to the director
(Normally White)

nd=½√3

13
 Cross-section of TNLCD

Polarizing axis 45 degrees with alignment axis Glass substrate

Black Matrix

Color Filter

Unenergized ITO common electrode

(Black State)
white state Alignment layer
Twisted Nematic LC
Alignment layer
ITO patterned electrode
Polarizing axis 45 degrees with alignment axis Glass substrate

14
 Cross-section of TNLCD

Polarizing axis 45 degrees with alignment axis Glass substrate

Black Matrix

Color Filter

Unenergized ITO common electrode

white state)
(white
(Black state
State) Alignment layer
Twisted Nematic LC
Alignment layer
ITO common electrode

Polarizing axis 45 degrees with alignment axis Glass substrate

15
 Viewing Angle Issue

18 inches
Viewing Distance (in.)
12 18 20 25 30
15 64 45 41 33 28

Size (in.)
>20o 17 71 51 46 38 32
19 77 56 51 42 35
>20o 21 82 61 55 46 39
25 92 70 64 53 45

15 inches Corner to Corner Viewing Angle

(degrees)

Viewing Angle Stability is more than

nice from a purist's perspective, it’s a
requirement for large displays
16
Viewing Angle Compensation
nd1=nd2=nd3
Tandem Displays of
opposite chirality provide
exact compensation

Left Chirality

Right Chirality

17
The NW-TN Black State

 

Angle to Axis 






Cell Gap in Microns

18
Negative Retardation Films
nd1~nd2~nd3
Film Compensation
(Negative Birefringence)
Displays provide a
reasonable compensation to
one state, black

Positive n

Negative n

State-of-the-Art is a Discotic LC

19
 IPS Mode
nd1=nd2=nd3= nd1=nd2=nd3

Alignment
direction
& polarizing
direction
crossed

Alignment
direction
& polarizing
direction
aligned

20
IPS Cross-section (off-state)
Polarizing axis crossed with alignment axis

Director cross to the

electrodes and in
the plane of the
Unenergized
display (Black State)

Polarizing axis aligned with alignment axis

21
IPS Cross-section (on-state)
Polarizing axis crossed with alignment axis

Director rotated in the Energized

plane of the display (In- (White State)
Plane Switching or IPS)

Polarizing axis aligned with alignment axis

22
 Front View of IPS
Column Column Column
line line line
Row line IPS is
characterized by:
Wide viewing
Electrode spacing is a trade angles but high
between aperture, response voltages, low
time and voltage aperture ratios
and slow
Row line response times

Common electrode
23
 Vertical Alignment
What if o > e
i.e., negative dielectric anisotropy (-

 is defined as:
 = e - o
or…
 =  - 

24
Homeotropic MVA (in-active)

Polarizing axis crossed other Polarizer

Polarizing axis crossed other Polarizer

25
Energized Alignment of MVA

Polarizing axis crossed other Polarizer

Polarizing axis crossed other Polarizer

26
 MVA Mode
nd1=nd2=nd3= nd1=nd2=nd3

Alignment
direction
& polarizing
direction
crossed

Alignment
direction
& polarizing
direction
aligned

27
 Gamma Characteristic
Summary
Super first maxima cell gap spacing requires a bias voltage here

Viewing Angle Dependent

MVA
TN
Transmission

IPS
LVTN

FCTN
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 VRMS
A bias voltage here significantly improves
response time with little impact on contrast

28
 Summary
• Nematic order means cylindrical molecules arranged
with their directors pointed in the same direction.
• The RMS value of an electric field will apply a torque
on the LC molecules tending to align the director with
the E-vector.
• Torque has no relationship to any permanent dipole
moment of the molecule. The molecules don't flip in an
alternating electric field, the electrons do.
• Birefringence can rotate the plane of polarization
• Linear polarizers pass only one of the two vector
components of polarization

29
 Summary (continued)
• Normally White v.s. Normally Black is a function of opposing
polarizer orientation

• Twisted Nematic mode was developed to widen the effective

viewing angle.

• Compensation films are an approximate way to compensate

the optical path variation.

• IPS mode intrinsically compensates nd at the expense of

aperture, response time and voltage

• MVA compensates for optical path at the expense of voltage

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