Structure and application of polarizer film for thin-film-transistor liquid crystal displays

Thin-film-transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCDs) are the most popular flat panel displays now. Polarizer film is one of the most important components in the TFT-LCDs. which is a multi-layered complex film developed by the technology of stretching film with dichroic materials. In this paper, a systematic review about polarizer film used for TFT-LCDs is given. Structure, property, function and material of each layer and detailed explanations of compensation films as well as its types, especially for the twisted nematic (TN) mode LCD, are summarized. Manufacturing processes of the tri-acetyl cellulose (TAC) film and the polarizer film, attachment process of a polarizer film to a LCD panel and the key technologies in these processes are illustrated. Examples in practical applications and technology development trends in the future are also presented. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.