Grating micro-dot patterned light guide plates for LED backlights

Abstract

A novel LED backlight unit implementing a light guide plate (LGP) with a two-dimensional array of grating micro-dots is proposed. By optimizing grating-vector orientations of local gratings and applying suitable grating-depth modulation in the array, taking into consideration of the radiation pattern of the LED source, uniform out-coupled light distribution within a narrow luminance angle was achieved without recognizable hot spots. Such a light guide plate was fabricated using a dot-matrix holographic interferometer setup and a UV embossing replication. Fabricated polycarbonate LGP showed ~62% intensity uniformity within ~8 degrees and ~20 degrees luminance angles in two main directions.