P‐120: Optical Properties of Solvent‐Cast Polarizer Films for Liquid Crystal Display: A Viscoelastic Modeling Framework

The optical properties of polarizer films in LCD are critical to the optical performance of the display. Solvent‐cast cellulosic films (e.g., triacetyl cellulose or TAC) are used in conventional polarizer assemblies, in part, for their high transmission and relatively low optical retardation. However, even low‐birefringent materials such as TAC film possess some finite level of residual out‐of‐plane retardation that needs to be accounted for in various compensation schemes for the display. This paper reviews the origin of this optical anisotropy, and it describes a viscoelastic model that links this property to the solvent‐casting process.