Reflective sidewall electrodes for low voltage and high transmittance blue-phase liquid crystal displays

Abstract

The typical sidewalls produced in the fabrication of protrusion electrodes are proposed to create a low voltage (4.5 V_rms) and high transmittance (93%) blue-phase liquid crystal display (BP-LCD). The tilted electrodes produce a strong horizontal electrical field that reduces the operating voltage considerably. The common problem of the ‘dead zones’ is solved by reflecting the light onto the electrodes. In order to estimate the phase retardation of the reflected light, a ray tracing simulation program for anisotropic mediums has been developed. The proposed device is more competitive than vertical field switching based BP-LCD and also, has the advantages of protruded in-plane-switching structures. These facts make this technology a potential candidate for the next generation of BP-LCDs.

Keywords:

• blue-phases
• liquid crystal display
• high transmittance
• low voltage

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported in part by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad [grant no. TEC2013-47342-C2-2-R] and the R&D Program SINFOTON S2013/MIT-2790 of the Comunidad de Madrid.