Ink-Jet Printing of Color Optical Filters for LCD Applications

At the age of multi-media, portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, personal digital assistant and handheld gaming systems have increased the demand for high performance displays with low cost production. Inkjet printing color optical filters (COF) for LCD applications seem to be an interesting alternative to decrease the production costs. The advantage of inkjet printing technology is to be fast, accurate, easy to run and cheaper than other technologies. In this master thesis work, we used various disciplines such as optical microscopy, rheology, inkjet printing, profilometering and colorimetry. The specific aim of the thesis was to investigate the feasibility of using company-A pigment formulation in inkjet production of COF for active matrix LCD applications. Ideal viscosity parameters were determined from 10 to 20mPa·s for easy inkjet printing at room temperature. The red pigments used are fully dispersed into the solvent and present an excellent homogenous repartition after printing. Thickness investigations revealed that the printed COF were equal or slightly thicker than typically manufactured ones. The colorimetry investigations demonstrated color coordinates very close to the NTSC red standard. LED backlighting seems to be a valuable solution to combine with the printed COF regarding to the spectrum and color analysis. The results on this thesis will increase the understanding of inkjet printing company-A pigments to produce COF for LCD applications.