Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3m Innovative Properties Company

Robert P Wenz

Michael F Weber

Kenneth A Epstein

Gary Timothy Boyd

Timothy L Hoopman

Nang T Tran

Patrick A Thomas

Stephan J Pankratz

Ravindra L Arudi

David J Aastuen

Derrick P Grimmer

An illuminated frontlit display includes a front light guide having at least one light input face that supplies light to the guide, a viewing face, and a light output face opposite the viewing face, the light output face having a light extraction layer thereon, the extraction layer having a substantially flat light exit face and containing buried reflective facets that extract supplied light from the guide through the light exit face to a reflective light valve and back through the viewing face of the guide to a viewer.

Frontlit display

A liquid crystal display (LCD) having an active area for display of information and an inactive area adjacent the active area. The inactive area includes a pressure relief region for relieving pressure generated within the cell, thereby minimizing the effects of pressure variation in the active area. The display is comprised of two substrates, at least one of which is flexible, which are joined at their peripheries. A plurality of spacer members placed between the substrates insures a uniform gap between the substrates in the active area. The spacer members are preferably attached to both of the substrates in the active area, but to at most one of the substrates in the inactive area. The pressure relief region serves to relieve pressure within the display (usually caused by temperature changes) by flexure of the flexible substrate, thereby eliminating distortions within the active area. The flexure of the flexible substrate is enhanced by thinning the substrate in the pressure relief region, or by the incorporation of an edge spacer member which serves to prevent attachment of the spacer members to both of the substrates in the pressure relief region.

Liquid crystal device having pressure relief structure

A front-lit display, having a ridged transparent film thereon. The ridges on the film bend glancing light rays down into the display. The light rays are reflected by a reflector below the display, pass back through the display, and exit the film in a direction substantially normal to the display. Thus, the ridged film enhances the brightness of the display for a given light source.

Front-lit liquid crystal display having brightness enhancing film with

A method of selectively applying adhesive to the tops of ribs on a ribbed-substrate. The method includes the steps of applying a layer of adhesive to a flexible, polyimide carrier; drying the adhesive layer; rolling the ribbed substrate against the carrier so that the adhesive layer contacts the rib tops but does not contact the substrate in the regions between the ribs; and separating the adhesive from the carrier, thereby depositing the adhesive on the rib tops. The ribs typically have heights and widths from about 1 to 10 .mu.m, and are separated by distances of 1 to 10 times those dimensions.

Method of selectively applying adhesive to protrusions on a substrate

A method of applying a thin coating to the lower surface of a bilevel substrate includes the following steps: A liquid coating, such as a material useful as an alignment layer, is applied over a bilevel substrate, such as an LCD panel. The bilevel substrate may have flat-topped ribs or other protrusions so long as the tops of the protrusions are coplanar. Next, a leveling device, such as a doctor blade, is moved across the upper surface of the bilevel substrate so that the liquid coating is removed from the upper surface but remains on the lower surface. Finally, the liquid coating is hardened and shrunk, e.g., by drying or curing, resulting in a highly uniform hardened coating, such as an alignment layer, on the lower surface of the bilevel substrate.

Method of applying a thin coating on the lower surface of a bilevel

Substrate elements for making liquid crystal display devices are disclosed as well as display devices using such elements. The substrate elements are polymeric sheets which include spacing elements physically and chemically integral with the substrate so that when mated with a second substrate element, a precise, uniform spacing can be maintained between substrates. This allows large area displays to be fabricated which will provide uniform display properties throughout the display area.

Micro-ridged, polymeric liquid crystal display substrate and display

A thin film p-i-n solar cell and Schottky barrier diode are fabricated adjacent one another on a common flexible polyimide substrate. A titanium nitride diffusion barrier prevents contaminants of an aluminum contact layer on the substrate from reacting with the semiconductor body of the solar cell and diode during subsequent fabrication. An n.sup.+ -type hydrogenated amorphous silicon layer overlies the layer of titanium nitride, and forms an ohmic contact with the solar cell and diode. The diode includes an n-type layer of silicon doped with phosphorus to a concentration of 10.sup.18 to 10.sup.20 atoms per cubic centimeter to increase its forward current density. The solar cell and diode are separated from one another by an epoxy strip. A top conducting oxide layer forms a Schottky barrier with the semiconductor body of the diode.

Method for manufacturing an amorphous silicon thin film solar cell and

The present invention relates to thin film-coated polymer webs, and more particularly to thin film electronic devices supported upon a polymer web, wherein the polymer web is treated with a purifying amount of electron beam radiation.

Thin film-coated polymer webs

An improved method for manufacturing solar cell tape including depositing a thin-film photovoltaic device on a flexible polymeric substrate, encapsulating the photovoltaic device with a layer of encapsulant, and applying a layer of adhesive to the substrate opposite the photovoltaic device. The improvement is characterized by selecting thickness of the substrate, layer of encapsulant and/or layer of adhesive as a function of their respective flexural moduli to locate a neutral plane of the electronic device near the photovoltaic device. Damaging stress on the photovoltaic device which may be caused when the electronic device is flexed can be reduced.

Thin-film solar cells resistant to damage during flexion

A light rechargeable battery includes a rechargeable cell having an elongated, tubular case characterized by a longitudinal axis, and a pair of terminals extending therefrom. Two or more thin-film solar cells fabricated on a flexible substrate and interconnected in a series circuit between the terminals are circumferentially positioned around the rechargeable cell on the exterior of the case. A blocking diode is connected in the series circuit with the solar cells. The solar cells are coupled to the terminals by bus bars. A transparent shrink wrap cover secures the solar cells to the case of the rechargeable cell.

Growing community of inventors

Woodbury, MN, United States of America

Robert P Wenz