1. A liquid crystal (LC) cell, comprising:
a transparent top plate;
a substrate including an active area, the substrate and the top plate collectively defining a cavity;
a reservoir in at least one of the substrate and the top plate and connected to the cavity;
liquid crystal material within the cavity and the reservoir; and
an electrode located in the reservoir operable to attract ionic contaminants, wherein the electrode is a first electrode and the liquid crystal cell additionally comprises a second electrode, the first and second electrodes connectable to receive a potential difference, and wherein the electrodes are operable to generate a field parallel to the top plate.
2. The liquid crystal cell of claim 1, wherein the reservoir has at least one of a depth and a width at least 50 times the distance between the top plate and the substrate.
3. A liquid crystal (LC) cell, comprising:
a transparent top plate;
a substrate including an active area, the substrate and the top plate collectively defining a cavity;
a reservoir in at least one of the substrate and the top plate and connected to the cavity;
liquid crystal material within the cavity and the reservoir; and
an electrode located in the reservoir operable to attract ionic contaminants, wherein the electrode is operable to generate a field parallel to the top plate.
4. The liquid crystal cell of claim 3, wherein a portion of the liquid crystal cell is illuminated, and the reservoir is located in a non-illuminated area of the substrate.
5. The liquid crystal cell of claim 3, wherein the reservoir surrounds the active area.
6. The liquid crystal cell of claim 3, further comprising:
a filter that separates from the liquid crystal material contaminants formed during operation of the LC cell by decomposition of the liquid crystal material from the liquid crystal material.
7. The liquid crystal cell of claim 3, wherein the liquid crystal cell illuminated with ultraviolet light.
8. The liquid crystal cell of claim 3, wherein the substrate comprises a semiconductor.
9. The liquid crystal cell of claim 3, wherein the liquid crystal cell is a component of a spatial light modulator.
10. A liquid crystal (LC) cell, comprising:
a transparent top plate;
a substrate including an active area, the substrate and the top plate collectively defining a cavity;
a reservoir in the substrate and connected to the cavity, said reservoir comprising a trench;
liquid crystal material within the cavity and the reservoir; and
a plurality of electrodes located in said trench operable to attract ionic contaminants and retain said contaminants in said trench.
11. The liquid crystal cell of claim 10 wherein said electrodes are operable to generate a field parallel to the top plate.
12. The liquid crystal cell of claim 1 wherein said electrodes are located on said substrate and operable to attract ionic contaminants away from said top plate.
13. The liquid crystal cell of claim 12 wherein said electrodes are located near a furthest point from said top plate.
14. The liquid crystal cell of claim 2 wherein said electrodes are located on said substrate near a furthest point from said top plate.
15. The liquid crystal cell of claim 3 further comprising a second electrode, said second electrode being located in the reservoir.
16. The liquid crystal cell of claim 15 wherein said electrodes are located on said substrate and operable to attract ionic contaminants away from said top plate.
17. The liquid crystal cell of claim 16 wherein said electrodes are located near a furthest point from said top plate.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of fabricating a plastic part having a three-dimensional image and visual effect, comprising:
fabricating a plastic part, the plastic part having a three-dimensional graphical surface and a flat plane; and
forming a thin film layer on the plastic part so that the plastic part has a three-dimensional image and a visual effect, the three-dimensional graphical surface of the plastic part providing the three-dimensional image, and the thin film layer providing the visual effect.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the thin film layer is disposed on the three-dimensional graphical surface of the plastic part.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the thin film layer is a thin metal film layer.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the thin metal film the layer is fabricated by means of a physical vapor deposition process or a chemical vapor deposition process.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the thin film layer is disposed on the flat plane of the plastic part.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the thin film layer is a plastic thin film.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the thin film layer is formed on the flat plane of the plastic part by means of attachment.
8. The method of claim 6, further comprising a step of forming an information layer on a surface of the thin film layer or on the flat plane of the plastic part, before the step of forming the thin film layer of the plastic part.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information layer is formed by means of a printing process or a plating process.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of fabricating the plastic part comprises:
performing a Lithographie Ga Vanoformung Abformung like (LIGA-like) process to form a stamper, the stamper having a three-dimensional graphical surface that is complementary to the three-dimensional graphical surface of the plastic part; and
performing an injection molding process by utilizing the stamper, so as to fabricate the plastic part having the three-dimensional graphical surface.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plastic part is fabricated by means of a thermal compression process or a cold compression process.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plastic part is fabricated by means of a casting process.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the plastic part is fabricated by means of a calendaring process.
14. A method of fabricating plastic thin film having three-dimensional image, comprising:
performing a Lithographie Ga Vanoformung Abformung like (LIGA-like) process to form a stamper; and
performing an injection molding process by utilizing the stamper, so as to fabricate a plastic thin film having a three-dimensional graphical surface.
15. A plastic part having a three-dimensional image and visual effect, comprising:
a plastic part, the plastic part having a three-dimensional graphical surface; and
a thin film layer, covering the three-dimensional graphical surface of the plastic part, thickness of the thin film layer being approximately uniform, the thin film layer rising and falling according to an outline of the three-dimensional graphical surface, the three-dimensional graphical surface providing the three-dimensional image, and the thin film layer providing the visual effect.
16. The plastic part of claim 15, wherein the thin film layer is a thin metal film layer.
17. A plastic part having three-dimensional image and visual effect, comprising:
a plastic part, the plastic part having a three-dimensional graphical surface and a flat plane; and
a thin film layer, covering the flat plane of plastic part;
wherein the three-dimensional graphical surface provides a three-dimensional image, and the thin film layer provides a visual effect.