Polarized backlight unit using a polarization-preserving light-redirecting film for improving luminance gain

We proposed and demonstrated a polarized backlight unit (BLU) configuration with a new light-redirecting film (LRF) to improve the luminance gain and light transmittance in liquid crystal displays. We combined a very low birefringence triacetyl cellulose (TAC) base layer with UV-cured prismatic patterns in a mass-producible process to demonstrate a polarization-preserving LRF. Detailed analyses of the states of polarization (SOP) through the LRF were reported. We also fabricated a 7-in. edge-lit BLU using the new LRF. We found that the light directing capability of the new LRF was equivalent to that of a conventional prism film whose base layer was a poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) film, and that the new LRF successfully suppressed random polarization changes of the transmitted light. Utilizing these new advantages, we obtained 68% transmittance through the polarizer over the BLU with the new LRF, which was about 1.3-fold that for the BLU with the conventional prism film (54%). We also obtained 127% luminance gain using the new LRF, which was equivalent to that of the conventional prism film. Here, the luminance gain is referred to as the amount of increase in luminance on the surface normal of the light-guiding plate without any film.